Last year, when I read Prince of Thorns, I had one of those moments where I gained a new appreciation for the written word. It set a new standard for every other fantasy novel I read--and I read only fantasy novels. I didn't know how I was going to get by until August 7, 2012, the most anticipated day of the year. (Wait, 2nd most. My wedding day is first, right? Right?)

Then August 7th arrived! Oh happy day! I immediately threw aside my other responsibilities, namely health and personal hygiene, and launched myself back into the Broken Empire.

And I was pissed.

For the first third of the book, I was completely frustrated. I was getting three different stories from four different angles and I couldn't keep up. As soon as I got a feel for one, the time would change and I would be back four years, or back four years at a different point. I almost threw the book down.

Then I took a deep breath and told myself to relax and let Jorg tell his story his way. I'm glad I did because then I took my time and instead of devouring the story, I savored it. Along the way, I realized some interesting things.

The Broken Empire is actually half fantasy and half sci-fi. Did I not catch on in Prince of Thorns that this world is set more than a thousand years in the future, or did I just forget? That is such a unique idea, and if I didn't compliment Mark Lawrence on this before, let me do it now. INGENIOUS. It's like everything bad that could happen to the Earth--nuclear war, melting of the polar ice caps, or an asteroid impact--happens, and this is the story of the survival and re-evolution of the human race.

/stands up and applauds the author

In King of Thorns, Jorg grew up. I loved that. I loved that when he was fourteen, he felt the need to develop a strategy to hold on to his kingdom and to become the Emperor and set 4 years to laying the groundwork. That was the mature thing to do. Luckily, no matter how much he grew up, there were still elements of classic Jorg, echoes of the boy with no conscience.

I don't like his new queen. Something is going on with that. She's too seasoned, too sharp for a twelve year old. She's someone's creation. I believe that the eight year old who met Jorg in his grandfather's house all those years ago was a real person, I just don't believe that what showed up in the Highlands to marry Jorg is the same one. Or maybe I'm just thinking that because I believe in Jorg and Katherine.

Like the end of PoT, the ending of this installment gave me satisfaction. I like that Mark Lawrence doesn't tease me and leave me with some god-awful cliffhanger at the end of these novels. Waiting until August 2013 will be excruciating enough as it is.