Half the World, by Joe Abercrombie

Although this is a sequel, I haven't read the prior novel and that didn't cause much confusion. The primary hero of this book is the main character, a young lady named Thorn who wants to be a warrior, or at least to kill people. The slightly less fleshed out hero is Yarvi, a brilliantly scheming minister.

It would be easy to have complaints like why is the kingdom of Gettland having the issues it is, or why do the elf people and their technology feel so much like modern society. Perhaps some of this was addressed in the previous book.

While not a fabulous read, it is entertaining and interesting; I'm going to try to find the sequel at my public library.

Half the World (Shattered Sea)