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King of Thorns (The Broken Empire #2)

by Mark Lawrence (Goodreads Author)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 3,640 ratings · 372 reviews

The second book in the Broken Empire series, Lawrence takes his young anti-hero one step closer to his grand ambition.

To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake. I’ve walked from pawn to player and I’ll win this game of ours, though the cost of it may drown the world in blood…

The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lo...more

Hardcover, 449 pages

Published August 7th 2012 by Ace Books (first published 2012)

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Dec 30, 2012 Mark Lawrence added it · (Review from the author) Recommends it for: people with legs (also those without)

A 'king'-related interview (with myself)

Wheel-Mouse! More from the Lawrence writing dynasty! (for charity)

53 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2012 Jeffrey Keeten rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read the small forgotten books. The ones found behind the rows on the shelves. In locked chests. In pieces to be assembled. They look old. Some are--a hundred years, three hundred, maybe five, but Orrin's are most ancient. Mine though, they look older, as if what is written in them takes its toll, even on parchment and leather. Mine were set down after the Burning, after the Builders ignited their many suns.

I first met Jorg Ancrath in the first book of The Broken Empire called Prince of Thorns ...more

43 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Craig Slater rated it 4 of 5 stars

King of Thorns (#2 Broken Empire) by Mark Lawrence.

Hmm, What to say about this Author and this series, without spoiling any of the twists or surprises. Book one, Prince of Thorns was one of the surprises of 2011. If you didn't get it on your to do list you should add it now. I'll wait while you do.

Ok? Done?

At it's essence, this series is a VERY dark and violent tale, told first person, from the point of view of Jorg the young and disturbed ringleader of a brutal band of wandering misfits (Bro...more

29 likes · like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 jD rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1_library-yes, 2012, 2012_5-stars, fantasy_adventure_worldbuilding, fantasy_alt-history

This book blew me away and answered unanswered questions I didn't know I had from the first book, Prince of Thorns.

The anti-hero, Jorg, has made himself a king -- of sorts. In book one of the series, Prince of Thorns, we meet Jorg and get introduced to his vengence against his evil uncle and father. Jorg's is a child bandit at 14 running a gang of killers and rapist. Why? Because he helped them escape his father's dungeon and he is brilliant so they let him lead. It's clear that Jorg is ruthless...more This book blew me away and answered unanswered questions I didn't know I had from the first book, Prince of Thorns.

The anti-hero, Jorg, has made himself a king -- of sorts. In book one of the series, Prince of Thorns, we meet Jorg and get introduced to his vengence against his evil uncle and father. Jorg's is a child bandit at 14 running a gang of killers and rapist. Why? Because he helped them escape his father's dungeon and he is brilliant so they let him lead. It's clear that Jorg is ruthless. I reflect because it's so important to know Jorg before you venture into the second book. Mr. Lawrence does not do much in the way of details when reflecting on why Jorg is doing this or that.

In this second installment, I started out hoping against hope that Jorg was going to change or at least grow a heart. As it turns out, I should have been paying more attention to the world Jorg inhabits. The first book refers constantly to the Builders. It's wasn't until I started to understand some of the remnants of these builders that I got quite the shock. Trust me, it's not all explained but it's made clear that the timeline of this civilizaton in my mind is off -- quite a bit.

Once again, Jorg is the primary narrator but we also get Katherine's journal pages. She is his stepmother's sister and Jorg's obsession. For the most part, the story is told as reflection and memories except this time, the truth of the memories is suspect. Jorg has his memories taken from him and stored in a box because something terrible has happened and his friends want to protect him from the truth. Problem is they are at war against enemies on multiple fronts and Jorg's fight plans are now trapped with his many sins basically out of reach. Jorg learns to 'tease' small strands from the box and that is pretty much what we experience in the book. It's a nail biter with every danger more intense because Jorg has to remember what to do. Mr. Lawrence is a master. I give him full credit. It was so hard not to skip ahead.

The humor and general nasty thoughts that flow from Jorg's mind had me laughing out loud. It's such a dark tale yet his narration lifts some of the direness. The wit is so quick and dead-on. I would never want to meet a character like Jorg because he pretty much wants to kill everybody and generally does. On the other hand, he is by far one of my favorite fantasy characters of all time. I hope this is more than a trilogy!(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Seak (Bryce L.) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2012

Mark Lawrence stormed onto the scene (well, as much as you can in the publishing world) last year with his debut, Prince of Thorns, book one in The Broken Empire. This divisive book found a fan in me, despite this particular first person point of view that all notions of good and virtue tells you to hate.

I found a lot of things that I liked about Jorg even though I didn't love everything about him. Lawrence's captivating writing and smooth prose keep the pages flying and have not a little to do...more Mark Lawrence stormed onto the scene (well, as much as you can in the publishing world) last year with his debut, Prince of Thorns, book one in The Broken Empire. This divisive book found a fan in me, despite this particular first person point of view that all notions of good and virtue tells you to hate.

I found a lot of things that I liked about Jorg even though I didn't love everything about him. Lawrence's captivating writing and smooth prose keep the pages flying and have not a little to do with making this work genius in its own ways.

King of Thorns is quite the experience to say the least. Jorg really resonated with me in this sequel, he's growing up a bit, still self-obsessed, but seeing things a little differently than his kill everything/everyone past. I like his whole, "I'm going to make this happen no matter the odds" philosophy, but at times he really is hard to read.

While his disposition on let's say kicking severed heads was enlightening, clever, and funny, it's also terribly creepy. And that's not the only one. I've heard it compared to "staring at a fire," you just can't stop, but how much are you really enjoying it? The more I think about it, the more this describes my reading experience. I don't really know how much I actually enjoyed the reading experience especially with the amount of cringe-worthy moments.

This being said, I am vastly impressed by Lawrence's talent to not only keep you reading despite these moments, but to keep you rooting for a character who can be so deplorable. I say "can be" because he does have his moments of goodness, they're just peppered with moments that make you a little sick or shocked even.

Along with the character of Jorg, Lawrence employs a plot device throughout King of Thorns that I thought was incredibly interesting and worked extremely well. The book takes place four years after Prince of Thorns and consists of the present day and then lengthy flashbacks to four years earlier, when Jorg was newly "crowned" king of Renar. The present is actually his Wedding Day, but at the same time the Prince of Arrow has marched on the highlands of Renar with his countless soldiers. By flashing between these two time frames, we begin to find out that Jorg has not only grown, but has had dealings with the Prince of Arrow in the past.

In the present, we see Jorg is going through some, let's call them mental experiences. He sees a dead child everywhere he goes, which is obviously a hallucination, and he holds some mysterious box. The box is not only an interesting addition to the story, but works as an impressive plot device, but I'm wary of revealing too much. Let's just say there is an addition means of keeping information from the reader.

As well as using clever plot devices, I found Lawrence's human to be clever in the extreme, with little gems like this strewn throughout:

"They call it a gate but it is a door, five yards high, three yards wide, black oak with iron banding, a smaller door set into the middle of it for when it is simply men seeking entrance rather than giants."

For many instances of humor, I had to reread, almost missing the joke entirely. This is definitely the kind of humor I prefer and Mark has a subtlety that just worked for me.

Lawrence has created a series that challenges your perceptions and manages to be compulsively readable. The Broken Empire trilogy is an experience to say the least. I couldn't put it down and that's partly because I just couldn't look away. King of Thorns takes the anti-hero to a whole new level, one who might even give Logan Ninefingers of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy a run for his money.

4 out of 5 Stars (Highly Recommended!)(less)

20 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Madalina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventures, dark, fantasy, 4-rainy-days, humor, love, magic, political, prejudice, social, teen-literature, war, witches

There are good books. There are books where you can observe that, by most standards, they have achieved outstanding new limits. I can still criticize my lack of sensibility to them, when I question whether I should read each and every a good book.

Then there are books like this, that draw you in before you have time to think of standards. And never let go.

This book, unlike the first, takes a decidedly darker and more mature tone than the other. The first is unique for Jorg's voice and the origi...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Mark Lawrence is carving a bloody path to the top of my Favorite Authors list.

This book is a brilliant sequel to Prince of Thorns - read my review here King of Thorns

12 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, kick-assery, magic, megalomaniacs, murders, psychological, post-ap

You can see that I gave this book five stars. That's actually five trillion stars for King of Awesome, but GR is pretty stingy with its stars; it gave me a five-star limit.

Anyway, I think I should let it out that the Broken Empire series is why I hate Mark Lawrence so much. Not only was I supposed to be studying for two tests when I read this second book, but I was also supposed to be studying for an exam when I read the first book, Prince of Thorns. I had fun reading the books, but my grades di...more

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Feb 13, 2013 John rated it 5 of 5 stars

As you can probably gather from the title, our dear Jorgy managed to achieve his goal of becoming a king. And now all his problems are solved and happiness is his! Oh, wait. No, not that. Actually, the armies of the combined nations of another claimant to the empire's throne, outnumbering his by a paltry 20 to 1, are marching on him to take his submission - or his head. And if we've learned anything about Jorg, it's that he'd rather die than submit - and he'd certainly rather kill. Of course, ha...more As you can probably gather from the title, our dear Jorgy managed to achieve his goal of becoming a king. And now all his problems are solved and happiness is his! Oh, wait. No, not that. Actually, the armies of the combined nations of another claimant to the empire's throne, outnumbering his by a paltry 20 to 1, are marching on him to take his submission - or his head. And if we've learned anything about Jorg, it's that he'd rather die than submit - and he'd certainly rather kill. Of course, having the only woman he's ever loved on the other side and hating him fiercely is sure to improve his situation. Nothing complicating there at all!

The structure of this book takes a split structure - alternating between the day of the events of the battle between Jorg's army and his vastly superior opponent (oh, and of his political marriage to a 12-year-old who seems as if she, unexpectedly enough, may actually be a match for Jorg), and those of the 4 years leading up to then. More secrets of the unconventional setting are revealed (we get to hear about how there can be magic in what was once our world, before a self-induced apocalypse wiped advanced civilization from the Earth). Jorg's adventures with his remaining (and still-dwindling) store of road-brothers as he explores more of his world beyond his comparatively narrow corner of it are recounted, with occasional glimpses into the mind of Katherine - the aforementioned true love who hates him - interspersed. A new and more terrifying enemy is set up for the next novel (sooner damnit!), with a little well-deserved payback for an old antagonist - no, no spoilers on who - to boot.

As for how things play out... well, while Jorg may have developed something resembling a vestigial conscience, rest assured that neither he nor Lawrence have lost their edge. Looking for a happy ending? Look somewhere else.

As for the next book? Well, I'm guessing it's not called Emperor of Thorns for nothing. Jorg's going after his destiny whether anyone likes it or not, and God save anyone who gets in his way.

And I can't wait.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Nov 01, 2012 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fantastic sequel to Mark Lawrence's debut "Prince of Thorns." This novel represents growth in all aspects. This certainly represents growth for Mark Lawrence as a writer as he is becoming much better at handling the story throughout simultaneous time periods, but also represents a tremendous amount of growth in other areas too, namely growth of the setting and growth of the characters.
We get much deeper into the post-apocalyptic world our dear anti-hero inhabits, learning much more about the...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The second book in this unique Fantasy/ Scifi blend. Firstly a must in my opinion is that you read book one, King of Thorns just doesn't work without having experienced Prince of Thorns.

The main Character Jorg, so basic, so simple and yet so complex and so diverse its an amazing feat to have achieved on paper, for me something this complex comes with a fair bit of yawning and desire to skip a few pages. But not with this book (or Prince) the clear writing and story direction just enthrals the re...more The second book in this unique Fantasy/ Scifi blend. Firstly a must in my opinion is that you read book one, King of Thorns just doesn't work without having experienced Prince of Thorns.

The main Character Jorg, so basic, so simple and yet so complex and so diverse its an amazing feat to have achieved on paper, for me something this complex comes with a fair bit of yawning and desire to skip a few pages. But not with this book (or Prince) the clear writing and story direction just enthrals the reader.

It is not however a book you can sit there and tear through in a day, it has too much depth too much plot for that, this is a week long read, a book to put down and stop and think through whats happened and then go back for more. The writer has the ability to take you on an emotional roller coaster through the eyes of Jorg (mainly) and also through the eyes of Katherine which makes a great counter perspective.

The utter honesty of this book is what really grabs you, when trawling the mind of someone like Jorg there must be times when the author wonders "should i do this, should i go there?" and he never backs down its warts and all, all the inglorious and hidden thoughts are there, to delight and disgust the reader. Do i like Jorg? not a chance, does he fascinate me, yes and that's why i keep reading and reading.

Where does the story go next? only Emperor of Thorns will tell us, because Jorg is keeping us in the dark on that one!

Not for the faint hearted but Highly recomended
(Parm)

The second book in the Broken Empire series, Lawrence takes his young anti-hero one step closer to his grand ambition.

To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake. I've walked from pawn to player and I'll win this game of ours, though the cost of it may drown the world in blood...

The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings fight for the Broken Empire. The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war. He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board. First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.

A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches toward Jorg's gates, led by a champion beloved of the people. Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds. Every omen says he will. Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands. But King Jorg is not a good king.

Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. But playing fair was never part of Jorg's game plan. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2013 Antonis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another very good book and worthy sequel from Mark Lawrence. As always, in my review I won't describe any summary of the plot or something like it, it's up there and you can read it. I'll just word my thoughts which are mostly possitive. I think what Lawrence does with this book is take everything from the first book and turn it up a notch. That includes everything that is good but also some things that are not so good.
Negatives first and I'd say that for me there are 2 of them. One is that even...more Another very good book and worthy sequel from Mark Lawrence. As always, in my review I won't describe any summary of the plot or something like it, it's up there and you can read it. I'll just word my thoughts which are mostly possitive. I think what Lawrence does with this book is take everything from the first book and turn it up a notch. That includes everything that is good but also some things that are not so good.
Negatives first and I'd say that for me there are 2 of them. One is that even though I feel that I'm a tough guy who won't shy away at the mention of blood and gore and despicable things and I like a big dose of grit in my reading everyday... still some scenes or their graphical descriptions in King Of Thorns felt a bit too much and made me wonder if Lawrence was maybe trying too hard for the shock factor. Not often and not too much, but those thoughts came upon me occasionally while reading this book.
The other minor problem I had were the temporal points of view during the story. There are actually 3 of them. The chapters are divided among 2 points of view but there's a third for Jorg's memories. I know that Lawrence used this technique to reveal things when appropriate and make the plot more interesting but at the same time it was confusing sometimes. And rather jarring as it was not perfected or smooth as say something GRR Martin or Gene Wolfe would have written (but ok... that's not even a fair comparison, I'm doing it for the example's sake).
There's a bunch of positives compared to the fist book though! For one, there's more magic! More unexplainable/unexplained things that add to the mystery of the world!!! The world-building is also expanded and it doesn't feel limited anymore but wide and huge and deep which is always good for me. The battle/fight scenes are definitely better written with the right amount of tension, detail and length to them.
For me a major plus of this sequel is the secondary character characterization! This is no more a Jorg-only book. During this book I came to love his Brothers, I learned about them, started to recognize them for what they are. And not only them, but most secondary characters are well defined and described which is surely the biggest improvement from the first book!
All in all, this is a worthy 4-star book. If you liked the 1st book, you will certainly love the 2nd.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Bane of Kings rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy, 2012-releases-read, favourites, notable-2012-releases, 25-best-2012-releases

“Mark Lawrence follows up to Prince of Thorns with a cracking, compelling, unpredictable sequel that succeeds in almost every way. My new favourite Fantasy novel of 2012.” ~The Founding Fields

You know in my review of The Blinding Knife, I mentioned that I’d found a favourite fantasy of novel of 2012? Well, as it happens, the very next fantasy novel that I read beats a Brent Weeks novel. Something that I’d never thought possible unless the name of that author was George RR Martin, Peter V. Brett...more “Mark Lawrence follows up to Prince of Thorns with a cracking, compelling, unpredictable sequel that succeeds in almost every way. My new favourite Fantasy novel of 2012.” ~The Founding Fields

You know in my review of The Blinding Knife, I mentioned that I’d found a favourite fantasy of novel of 2012? Well, as it happens, the very next fantasy novel that I read beats a Brent Weeks novel. Something that I’d never thought possible unless the name of that author was George RR Martin, Peter V. Brett or Brandon Sanderson, (I would put Abercrombie in there as well, but I’ve only read the first First Law novel). Lawrence produced an awesome trilogy opener with Prince of Thorns, which I didn’t get around to reviewing (But I loved it nonetheless), and has now followed that up with a dramatic, enthralling and captivating sequel that you will be unable to put down. Mark Lawrence has made it two out of two, and he’s jumped to the top of my favourite fantasy authors list (along with the aforementioned Martin, Sanderson, etc).

"The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings fight for the Broken Empire. The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war. He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board. First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.

A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches toward Jorg’s gates, led by a champion beloved of the people. Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds. Every omen says he will. Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands. But King Jorg is not a good king.

Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. But playing fair was never part of Jorg’s game plan."

In any other book, Jorg would be the bad guy. Some of the acts that he commits in Prince of Thorns were enough to put some readers off, as he’s far from the normal “Knight in Shining Armour” that you see in your average fantasy novel. Jorg is flawed, but despite the issues with his character, Lawrence has somehow managed to weave a compelling narrative that will actually leave you wanting Jorg to emerge victorious. You want to follow him, no matter what he’s done. He’s developed as a character over the course of the two books so far, and it will be interesting to see how he changes in the third book.

King of Thorns takes place four years after the ending of Prince. It’s clear that Jorg is older now, but nonetheless still in his teens. He’s not perfect. He will make mistakes. This allows the novel to be more believable, and Lawrence writes a gritty, dark world that readers of George RR Martin will be familiar with. Nobody is safe, and anybody can die. There are no cliches here folks, and King of Thorns provides a very unpredictable read.

Read the rest of the review, with links. http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

This is without any shadow of doubt-the best book of 2012.You have got to read this.

It takes you on a whirlwind of emotions and feelings I have rarely felt for a main character and rolls it up into a heart thumping tale of blood,lust,revenge and outright audacity. I could not put it down.

Mr Lawrence has done what I did not expect and made Jorg even better in this book than in Prince of Thorns.

If you have read the first book and were unsure if it could get any better...then read this one- you wil...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Lekentle Mohlala rated it 5 of 5 stars

What can I say, one of the few sequels that is actually better than its predecessor. I am loving this trilogy.

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Natasha Chowdory rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent. I wish it had been longer though, mainly because the story took a while to get going and then it did and then it rushed through a series of events and then boom! Finished. I would want more spent on how Jorg learnt about Fexler Brews and his manner of death and more importantly all the adventures he had while he was touring the Empire. But this is a call for *more*. Lawrence has delivered yet another deeply dark and intense tale that when I describe it to my friends I say it's 'Game o...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Jonas Wiklund rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anglo, fantasy, genre, high-fantasy

Mark Lawrence has built a world upon much of the same idea as St. Zelazny's "This Immortal". The earth has been ruined by nuclear war, and the world has plunged back into a middle age. We ‘The Builders’, as what remains of human society call us, did in our last days nudge the universal constants and so blurred the lines between life and death, science and magic, reason and unreason.

On the continent small-time war lords, none of them having more technology then the forge, are in constant conflict...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Johann Pollard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Read it, it's damn good!

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Terry Simpson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brilliant.

I was twenty pages from the end when I had to stop to write this review before I forgot what I had to say. I have never done that before.

King of Thorns is better than the first book. It is brutally brilliant, gruesomely good, and amid the carnage offers slivers of a rainbow before snatching it away in a world and future as grim and real as any out there.

Amid the wickedness that is Jorg Ancrath, you will find wit and wisdom to match. Sometimes almost too much for a young man of eighteen...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: Last year Mark Lawrence debuted on the fantasy scene with his dark and morally tipsy book Prince of Thorns. It shocked many readers and led to interesting debates about the book, its main protagonist and the overall direction of the story. I thought that the writing and storyline was sheer brilliance. Mark Lawrence’s plot had the main protagonist who is a teenage sociopath and who in most novels would be featured as the series villain. The...more
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: Last year Mark Lawrence debuted on the fantasy scene with his dark and morally tipsy book Prince of Thorns. It shocked many readers and led to interesting debates about the book, its main protagonist and the overall direction of the story. I thought that the writing and storyline was sheer brilliance. Mark Lawrence’s plot had the main protagonist who is a teenage sociopath and who in most novels would be featured as the series villain. The dark beauty of the series is that it dwells into his mind and showcases all that he does and why he does it. It was an excellent debut and one which manages to push the boundaries of dark fantasy so far beyond that those set by its predecessors.

I found this book to be a bit difficult to review because of its complexity, so kindly forgive me for the rambling nature of it below. To begin with King of Thorns continues the pattern of dual storylines found in the first book with the same time period of four years. The first storyline is set four years after the events of the first book wherein Prince Jorg became King though not in the place he set out to be. Currently settled in as the King to the Renar Highlands, he faces dual problems; firstly his castle and kingdom are surrounded by enemy forces from the kingdom of Arrow. Prince Orrin fated to be the Emperor uniting the Broken Kingdoms, stands on his doorstep waiting to knock it down or get Jorg’s support.

Secondly he’s about to get married to a princess called Miana and he doesn’t have the proper attire for it. There’s also the curious presence of a metal box that isn’t supposed to be opened as well as the ghost of a small child that comes and goes in Jorg’s presence. In the other storyline, it begins very much in line after the events at the end of the first book, Jorg has been crowned King and is trying to settle in with his motley bunch. His problems are never far Gog has been having some issues with controlling his fire powers and that has lead to the development of some burning queries. To top that Jorg also gets a visit from Prince Orrin and his brother Prince Egan, both from the country of Arrow and who have plans for uniting the small kingdoms into one glorious empire.

As evidenced by the information above, this book is a huge mix of storylines, both the past and present are intriguing and the author also introduces another crucial observer element in the form of diary entries by Katherine. This story is much more complicated than the previous one, as with the preceding title we had Jorg trying to exact revenge on his family for reasons he thought were just. In this book however we are shown mysteries and things that were only hinted at previously. In the previous volume, the past recollections held a clue to the things occurring in the present. However in this volume, the author cleverly makes both timelines dependent on each other as twists and turns are present in both but their raison d'être will be clear only to the observant readers. Each phrase or narrative turn is to be examined as it will play out in the later half. This book has a lot more travels to it as well than the first book, Jorg and his crew travel as far as to the Thar Desert in Asia and then head north to the Scandinavian coasts. In between these two timelines are also present the diary entries by Katherine and we get a crucial look into her acumen and her feelings for Jorg become crystal clear.

Characterization as in the previous volume is handled competently as the narrator is a sociopath but in this volume we get a slightly more emotional Jorg. Not that he breaks down and repents but in the essence of his actions, Jorg has started taking into account the consequences and effects onto others. There’s also the other characters that make their presence felt namely Katherine who reveals more about herself via her journal entries than previously seen from Jorg’s POV. There’s also princess Miana who is to wed Jorg and even though she’s present for a very small period of the book, she shows fortitude that belies her age and size. I hope we get more of them in the next book. There’s also the prose which stand up to the expectations from the first book, beginning with Jorg and his observations, to the brotherly quotes between chapters, fans of the first book will find acerbic wit, striking dialogue and more in this second outing. There are also certain dark events that get described in a haunting way and particularly one event that leads to the mystery of the boy ghost.

Now with all that has been said, there are certain things that need to be mentioned like the fact that if you didn’t like the first book then the second one will not change your opinion. There’s also some events in this book that will add to the diatribe against a character like Jorg. One of the points which can be confusing to the reader is the travels taken by Jorg and his crew all around the Broken Kingdoms, it often feels as if there’s no rhyme or reason to it. I felt that way as well however quite a lot of it makes sense in the end so readers might want to persevere. There’s also the question about the book’s pace as it slows down in the middle of the book wherein Jorg is shown wandering and experiencing several adventures, and in the present timeline when the beginning of the defense of the castle is shown. Both these things while going on concurrently drag the pace down and might confuse the readers. Lastly one great thing about this book is that we learn the Nuban’s real name as he was too good a character to be left unnamed.

CONCLUSION: Mark Lawrence has definitely upped his game and with King Of Thorns, he shows the evolution of his craft as well making his story more twisted than its predecessor. This is a dark story that demands attention from its readers but also rewards them immensely for their attention in the end. Read King of Thorns to be shocked and awed by the boy who would be king, Honorious Jorg Ancrath and now onwards to Emperor of Thorns.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2013 Anachronist rated it 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

Honorous Jorg Ancrath has never exactly wanted to be a mere king but, as a mountainous strip of land falls into his hands he takes the crown and never looks back. A future emperor has to know his priorities, right? One step at a time...

Currently, in order to clear the path to his empire, he must defeat two Princes of Arrow, brothers Orrin and Egan. Many prophecies declare that a Prince of Arrow will be the next Emperor; the fact that one of the brothers marries Katherine of Scorron, Jor...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 15, 2012 Savindi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy, favourites

Synopsis: Four years have passed since Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath took the throne of Renar from his uncle and now the time has come for the young king to wed his beautiful bride.

A Wedding is often seen as an occasion to celebrate; for Jorg it may not be so, the Prince Of Arrow, a champion of the people stands outside the Haunt with an army of twenty-thousand soldiers, waiting for the king to surrender. The once young boy, now a king is all too familiar with those who pull the strings behind t...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-i-own

When I read first read The Prince of Thorns I came away from it feeling as it that book had subtly changed my life. It was an experience I think, not dissimilar to the one Jorg described in The King of Thorns. Having climbed to the top of that mountain and seeing the world from such a different perspective everything afterward was just a little bit changed from what it had been before because he had changed too. That is what the Prince of Thorns did for me, I had thought it to be one of the best...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 19, 2012 Christine (AR) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sff

A sequel as gorgeously written as Prince of Thorns, with Jorg telling the story at 18 and also in flashback to the time immediately following the first book four years before. I loved the addition of an epistolary narrator in Katherine and I would probably read an entire book of her journal entries alone.

In King of Thorns, Jorg is growing up and also growing a conscience, now that he isn't defined by revenge. He's also -- gulp -- possibly in search of redemption. Now I'm a big, big fan of redemp...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Elora rated it 5 of 5 stars

12/8/2012
I'm not going to talk about the details of the story.
People should buy the book and read it :0)
I would like to talk about why i liked the book.
Where do i begin?
Prince of thorns was one of the best reads of 2011 for me. So, naturally i had quite a bit of expectation from its sequel.however, i did try to keep it realistic since in most cases the second book in a trilogy is often a filler and nothing more. Boy, was i so wrong.
This book is much much more detailed in world building than it...more 12/8/2012
I'm not going to talk about the details of the story.
People should buy the book and read it :0)
I would like to talk about why i liked the book.
Where do i begin?
Prince of thorns was one of the best reads of 2011 for me. So, naturally i had quite a bit of expectation from its sequel.however, i did try to keep it realistic since in most cases the second book in a trilogy is often a filler and nothing more. Boy, was i so wrong.
This book is much much more detailed in world building than its predecessor and really helps to visualize this whole new world.
Even though the story is told back and forth with a gap of 4 years in between, it doesn't for once feel disjointed. Its flows with great speed and final chapter is what do i say..just WOW( i totally didn't see it coming and usually i do!).
In Prince of thorns, Jorg was 14 and mostly his actions was that of a 14 yr old (except the killer thing) and his view about the world was pretty narrow- everything was black and white. But in this book he is 18 and how 4 yrs can make such a difference in a person ; dont be mistaken, he is still sarcastic, mean, killer and super ambitious, but Jorg is a grown man now, he is mature in his outlook and actions- he is trying to look at the broader picture. Now, in the hands of a not so skilled writer, this progression could have been jumpy. But trust Mark Lawrence with his talent to turn a fantasy novel into almost literature :)Some authors "tell" the change in the character of main lead. Mark Lawrence "shows" it and there in lies his talent.
The progression of Jorg's character flows so beautifully,you practically see him grow from a boy to a man. Of course, the super dry humor of Jorg never ceases to entertain me and Sir Makin gives it company too!
Anyways, as with many great successes, there are losses too and Jorg does lose some of his kind but he is more than ever focused on his "Emperor's throne" and the way the story is progressing i cant help but root for him even more now :)
2013 is so faaaaaaaaaaar away :(

P.S This MUST be made into a movie..please every fan lets campaign for it.

11/8/2012
WOW WOW WOW
Mark Lawrence does it again!
Jorg and his band of brothers doesnot fail to impress me this time around too

(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Francesca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-fantasy

Lawrence’s writing is getting definitely better and better!
This book is a mix of storylines, much more complicated than the previous one, but the author did a good job structuring every chapter and scene with purpose.
The setting is always dark, gritty and fascinating. In addition, characters are really well shaped and believable.
I really like King Jorg’s development: he has grown into a man, more mature, thoughtful, even if no less ruthless. He’s become a more complex character with a wide range...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 13, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The second installment of this series is even more fascinating than the first. Even though the main character is an anti-hero and can even be considered a sociopath in the first book, it is hard not to like him. Lawrence weaves a fascinating tale of a future that is not too hard to imagine, but interspersed with so much novelty that he keeps your imagination and mind in a constant frenzy to catch up. Jorg's growth into maturity is engaging and painful, and despite his many failings, the reader w...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 29, 2012 David rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Would be a 4.5 but no half stars on good reads. The juxtaposition of the two timelines confused me at first, but as the way they slowly came together in the end was enjoyable.

Characters in this sequel were actual people not just helpful plot points. And I love the way Jorg is developing. Still not due wether he wi become a good guy or bad.

The series is well worth a read. Can't wait for the next book.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Danny Bulshtein rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent. Better than the first one which was still excellent book. Jorg character grew and some dimensions added to it. The references to our world were cool. I like figuring what was it in our time

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2012 Jesslyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: z2012-kindle-reads, cat-epic-fantasy, cat-series-ongoing

Okay so that was actually 10 stars.

Favorite Quote:

“The next words out of your mouth, priest, will be ‘Yes, Your Highness’ or you’ll be making a meal of this cane.” To his credit the priest hesitated, then said, “Yes, Your Highness.” I doubt he believed my lineage, but he sure as hell believed my culinary predictions.

3 likes · like · see review

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About Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. His day job is as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.
Between work and caring for his d...more

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Books by Mark Lawrence

Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #1)

Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #3)

Fading Light: An Anthology of the Monstrous

Triumph Over Tragedy: an anthology for the victims of Hurricane Sandy

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Quotes from King of Thorns

“We die a little every day and by degrees we’re reborn into different men, older men in the same clothes, with the same scars.” — 35 people liked it

“Is this going to be one of those times when you pretend not to have a plan until the last moment? And then turn out to really not have one?- Sir Makin to King Jorg” — 21 people liked it

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King of Thorns (The Broken Empire #2)

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