Half a King is a truly fantastic fantasy book full of twists, legacy, mystery and grit. Each twist was a surprise, and while some of them were hinted at, others were not. Still those that were not felt authentic because they give you a sense of the world. In a large and anonymous world, you can't always know who someone is, where they came from, or what they might do to you. 
 I loved this book and while it was often dark, it was never completely hopeless. There was just enough affection to warm you to some of the characters without becoming a romance story. The book goes in unexpected directions. While it starts with Yarvi declaring that he will do one thing, the story takes him far from his original path and the events that follow are not what you would expect. 
 Like everyone else says, Nothing is the real star of this story. He is funny, dark, and completely consistent in his characterization. I also really like Laithlin, who is an icy and complex queen. For all that she expects little of her son, his pain still hurts her, and she is loyal to him above "greater" men. She might be disturbed that he is not as strong as he ought to be, but she expects him to grow into that role. 
 The writing is concise and colorful. A lot of quotes were repeated, but I liked that part of it. These quotes were the narrator's thoughts and helped explain his actions and motivations in a way that held greater meaning through their repetition. "There is always a way" as a quote matters more when the character has thought it, and lived by it, five times. 
 I've started Half the World not even a day after finishing Half a King.