Test of a Prince

The Vale of Shade

by T.L. Barrett

A Curse lies over all of Jotunheim. When Prince Arden sets out to do something about it, his outer form becomes monstrously twisted. With the help of his love, Arriana, and their plucky and diminutive friends, Tuckus and Oakia, the Prince sets out to gather old heroes, tried and true to their side. The Question: Will the help of a one-handed fisherman and a drug-addled swordsman be enough to begin the perilous trek needed to the darkest spot in the Nine Worlds: The Vale of Shade? Test of a Prince is the first volume in a dark fantasy epic. Will you take the Test?

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology

260 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 2011

About the author

T. L. Barrett writes spooky, funny and fantastic fiction and lives with his beautiful wife and sons in a little-big house on a dirt road in a valley in the hills. His novels: Test of a Prince,The Bastard Prophecy, The Night Library, The Wardmaster, and Hairy Bromance are available. Look soon for: Lord of an Endless Realm and The Bone Snake.

Reviews

[Felicia A Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAYYYY! Another editing project is now a published book! Now, I am NOT normally into the whole "fantasy" thing, but I really have to say, this book was EPIC. A whole, full and complete universe, extremely well done, wonderful characters and an epic journey. I loved this book.

The second volume that concludes the story will be out next year.

Don't let the fantastical description fool you - this book is outSTANDING.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my very first review on here :). I won this book through Goodreads First Reads contest. First the Prologue made no sense at all. While I was reading it I was wondering how I was ever going to make it through this book, but suprisinly the book was AMAZING. Each chapter tells about a different character, and their journey. Very good book and Very well written. Can't wait to read Order of the Vale!!!

[Ed Tomosieski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Test of a Prince is a wonderful foray into a vast and beautiful fantasy world created by TL Barrett. The characters are interesting and rich and the plot flows with an ease that keeps the reader hungering for what will happen next. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series!

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so fantasy is not one of my usual genres of reading. Well, unless you count Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia. But outside of that, I haven't much ventured into the fantasy realms. I haven't even read any of the Lord of the Rings yet.

So, this book was an adventure into a new realm for me. Since I am not a usual reader of epic fantasies (and this book was definately epic), I admit that the prologue almost sent me running to the hills. I had NO IDEA what the author was talking about in the prologue...just call me confused! And since the book did not come with a character list or cheat sheet, I admit I had a hard time keeping everyone straight, and remembering who was who, and who came from where, and who was related to whom, and so on. But once I got past that, and once I let myself get lost into the meat of the story, the book is great. Wonderful word crafting, facinating imaginary worlds and creatures, and a motley crew of characters setting out on a quest, which will apparently be completed in the second volume of this series, The Vale of Shade. Well done.

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, even though it was really short (at least, compared to some of the huge books I've been reading lately). Though it seems to have some of the common fantasy tropes (gathering of the group, epic quest), I found this book to be very unique in a lot of ways. Though there are some coming of age elements to it, the central character of the group is a prince, not the ever-present anyman that is always destined for great things. Also, the book is decidedly non-linear, using flashback, story telling, and abrupt dream-states that take a moment to figure out, which I found interesting. It is a little dark, with a bit of horror mixed into the fantasy. My only real gripe was how short it was. By the time that I was really geared up and invested in the story, it felt like it was over (not including the very strange epilogue). However, the other books in the trilogy will not be far off, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent fantasy novel with fearsome monsters, bloody battles and memorable characters. A curse is overtaking the land, turning good people to monsters. Even the rightful prince-in-exile has been infected. He and a band of heroes are on a quest to set things right. The characters are engaging and the lore surprisingly deep and effective. There are only two weak points I can see. One, there are frequent flashbacks that detract from the forward momentum, and sense of progress, a quest story needs. Two, there isn't a set central character for the reader to grab hold of early in the book. This makes the early chapters a little unfocused and it takes a while I become apparent who our leads are. But these are minor quibbles, really. I want to read the second book as soon as I can, to spend more time in this world and with these characters. And that is the sign of a great fantasy book. Recommended.

[Stormi Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book very much T.L Barrett keep up the great work...:)im looking forward to reading more of your books....