Half the World (Shattered Sea #2) by Joe Abercrombie

Thorn Bathu was born to fight. But when she kills a boy in the training square she finds herself named a murderer.

Fate places her life in the hands of the deep-cunning Father Yarvi as he sets out to cross half the world in search of allies against the ruthless High King. Beside her is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill. A failure in her eyes and his own, the voyage is his last chance at redemption.

But warriors can be weapons, and weapons are made for one purpose. Will Thorn always be a tool in the hands of the powerful, or can she carve her own path? Is there a place outside of legend for a woman with a blade?

• Series: Shattered Sea (Book 2)
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st US Ed edition (February 17, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804178429
• ISBN-13: 978-0804178426
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches

The First Law

The First Law trilogy

1. The Blade Itself (May 2006)
2. Before They Are Hanged (March 2007)
3. Last Argument of Kings (March 2008)

First Law universe standalone novels

• Best Served Cold (June 2009)
• The Heroes (January 2011)
• Red Country (October 2012)

Short stories (published prior to the Sharp Ends collection)

• "The Fool Jobs" – appeared in the Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery anthology (June 2010) and features Curnden Craw and his dozen in events prior to The Heroes.
• "Yesterday, Near A Village Called Barden" – appeared as an extra in the Waterstones hardcover version of The Heroes and focuses on Bremer dan Gorst on campaign prior to The Heroes.
• "Freedom!" – appeared as an extra in the Waterstones hardcover version of Red Country and focuses on the liberation of the town of Averstock by the Company of the Gracious Hand.
• "Skipping Town" – appeared in the Legends: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell anthology (November 2013) and features the couple pairing of Shevedieh (Shev) and Yarvi, Lioness of Hoskopp.
• "Some Desperado" – appeared in the Dangerous Women anthology (December 2013) and features Shy South on the run during her outlaw days before Red Country. Nominated for a 2014 Locus Award.
• "Tough Times All Over" – appeared in the Rogues anthology (June 2014) and follows courier Carcolf and the circuitous route one of her packages takes through the city of Sipani. It also features Shev and Yarvi.
• "Small Kindnesses" - appeared in the Unbound: Tales by Masters of Fantasy anthology (December 2015) and features Shev.
• "Two's Company" - first appeared online on tor.com (January 2016), featuring Shev and Yarvi, a "female Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser style thief and warrior odd couple."

Short Story Collection

• Sharp Ends Stories from the World of the First Law (April 2016), collection of all short stories from the First Law continuity (8 previously published, 5 originals to the collection):
  • A Beautiful Bastard†
  • Small Kindnesses
  • The Fool Jobs
  • Skipping Town
  • Hell†
  • Two's Company
  • Wrong Place, Wrong Time†
  • Some Desperado
  • Yesterday, Near a Village Called Barden...
  • Three's a Crowd†
  • Freedom!
  • Tough Times All Over
  • Made a Monster†

† story first published in Sharp Ends

The Age of Madness trilogy

According to Abercrombie, the Age of Madness trilogy is set in the same fictional world as the First Law books during an industrial revolution.

1. A Little Hatred (September 2019)
2. The Trouble With Peace (September 2020)
3. The Wisdom of Crowds (September 2021)

Shattered Sea trilogy

• Half a King (2014)
• Half the World (2015)
• Half a War (2015)