Half a King (Shattered Sea)
Yarvi succeeds to the throne of Gettland when his father and elder brother are killed. But Yarvi is a reluctant king. Because of a deformed hand, he has always felt an inadequate son to his father and now an inadequate king. He is engaged to his cousin, but his uncle is not interested in having a weakling for a son-in-law nor “half a king” for the country. The uncle’s coup topples Yarvi from the throne, but Yarvi escapes with his life. Yarvi’s escape leads, however,  only to enslavement by people from neighboring Vansterland. Out from this situation emerges a long and arduous quest as Yarvi swears to avenge his father’s and brother’s deaths and dislodge his uncle from the throne. In the process, Yarvi attains a new maturity, the most important component of which is a newfound confidence. Defeat of his uncle does not mean that Yarvi steps up and occupies the throne again. Instead, he wisely effects an alternative scenario. The world building here is complete and convincing, and the characters are arresting in their all-too-human nature. --Brad Hooper