The Broken Empire Trilogy: Prince of Thorns / King of Thorns / Emperor of Thorns

Broken Empire #1-3

by Mark Lawrence

From being a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.

PRINCE OF THORNS, KING OF THORNS and EMPEROR OF THORNS are a remarkable new trilogy by one of fantasy fiction’s newest rising stars. Together, they weave a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paint a compelling and brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Dark, Science Fiction Fantasy, Historical Fiction

1092 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

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Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was 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'.

Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence]

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[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a slope down toward evil, a gentle gradient that can be ignored at each step, unfelt. It's not until you look back, see the distant heights where you once lived, that you understand your journey.

A most excellent binge read - I can't believe that I let this trilogy languish on my TBR shelf for so long! As always, I thoroughly enjoyed Lawrence's wonderful prose.

[Alexander New · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this collection on a whim at my local book store right before I was to deploy for the military. Boy am I glad I did!
What we have here is a story of a young boy who becomes a man. His name is Jorg and this is his coming of age fantasy.
Now you are probably thinking "what? another one!) But fear not dear reader, this is unlike anything, I at least, have ever read.
Jorg is an antihero, and not even a good one at that, he is completely selfish and solely focused on his goal: to become the supreme ruler of the land.
We follow Jorg on his quest, starting out as the young leader of a band of criminals. Now I don't want to give anything away as his character growth is one of the best aspects of this trilogy, but I will say that I started out hating little Jorg, and by the end I was cheering for him.
the world Mark Lawrence has crafted here at first glance, seemed like your typical fantasy fair, but deeper in you discover that there is nothing generic here.
If I had one complaint about the world crafted in this narrative, it would be that I don't know enough about it!
I should say that the only complaint I had about this gritty yarn: I did not like how it ended. Now, it is an effective ending with plot devices nicely tied off. However, I really wished it had ended differently, though I doubt everyone will share my opinion.
Despite it's conclusion, the ride to the end was truly masterful. I cannot think of another tale like it that is so well written and just a blast to read through. I highly recommend this trilogy with the caveat being: be prepared for a truly brutal romp of violence and other such depravity.

[LordTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

How does one give such a wonderful trilogy justice with a review? I get that reviews are supposed to sway readers to purchase, and it works a good bit of the time, but it usually just gives the author a satisfying feeling that someone truly appreciates their craft. Well, I am going to attempt to do The Broken Empire series justice by writing a review on all three (3) novels and Road Brothers. If my review does not at least tempt you into trying Prince of Thorns, maybe the fact that lovers of this series (including myself) have bought multiple copies of these books to have and to cherish. In fact, I have every book in HC and I just purchased the Limited Edition HC Omnibus of The Broken Empire over at Grim Oak Press because I am so infatuated with Jorg Ancrath (on top of the book being signed by Mark, some gorgeous interior by artwork by Jason Chan, and the book being a beaut overall) – Link: http://grimoakpress.com/product/limit...
                           
 
Prince of Thorns:
Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath was a boy of nine when Count Renar’s men ambushed he, his mother, and his brother. Thrown into a briar patch, each movement carrying him deeper into the thorns and accounting for more and more blood loss, he is forced to watch as his brother is killed; his mother raped, and killed as well. A little while later, on the brink of death, he is found and rescued from the briars, leaving deep scars that will last and haunt him the rest of his life. He vows to make Count Renar pay for what he has done, swearing that one day, he will be King.
The above is not actually how the story starts out, but is more of a flashback to how we receive the current character of Jorg. We actually begin with Jorg and his band of Road Brothers pillaging and raping their way across the Broken Empire. As the story moves along, we are introduced to all of his brothers, each ruthless and cunning in their own ways, and how Jorg became their supposed leader, but not without having to first prove himself.
Jorg is a fascinating character in is growth over these few years span in PoT because he never really becomes one that you can get behind. He is about as anti-hero as one can be, yet you still feel for him in some ways. His father, the King, is a right POS and we come to find out some behind the scenes motivations that lead to Jorg being the way he is. At the same time, his journey over the past few years has made him a stone-hearted killer that shows absolutely no remorse for his actions and you have to sort of hate him for his ways. He is truly a character that is never meant to be understood and if you end up finishing out the series, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
While PoT starts out as more of a stabby stabby/politically infused story, the magic soon begins and directs the flow of the rest of the novel (and even the rest of the series).

“They call me a monster and if it were untrue the weight of my crimes would pin me to the ground. I have maimed and I have murdered and if this mountain stood but a little higher I would cut the angels from their heaven. I care less for the accusations than for the rain that soaks me, that runs down every limb. I spit both from my lips. Judgement has always left a sour taste.” Select Mode (Road Brothers)
 

King of Thorns:
Prince Jorg has defeated his uncle, Count Renar, and overtaken the Renar Highlands as the new King. Though this is just the first step in avenging the deaths of his mother and brother, Jorg has discovered the puppeteers behind the ongoing war and the pieces they control, and no, I do not mean the bags of human flesh that sit upon the other thrones of the Empire. On top of this game of chess, the Prince of Arrow, a man whom the people of the empires are infatuated with, is marching an army of six nations to Renar’s gates. A man whom Jorg should bend the knee to, but refuses to do so.
KoT, unlike PoT, is developed with three (3) unique storylines: Jorg’s wedding day (the present), four (4) years into the past and his storyline up until now, and the third is a POV of Katherine Ap Scorron via a series of journal entries during her encounters with Jorg. All of these storylines mesh so brilliantly and Lawrence lays it out, chapter by chapter, in a form that is easily followed; using dates and the phrase “four years earlier”.
King of Thorns was, I can’t believe I’m saying this because I loved all of them, my favorite of the bunch just because we were able to see Jorg’s growth, even though he is still the sarcastic, evil a-hole he was in PoT, and because we finally see some chinks in his armor/a little doubt creeping into his mind.

“The catch of course is that knowing the full depth of any human, knowing their hopes and frailties, the hurts of their past, the tremor with which they reach for the future… that knowledge is akin to love.”
 

Emperor of Thorns:
A man of twenty, King Jorg’s reign now spans seven (7) nations, and his sights are set on becoming emperor over the rest. Unfortunately, the only way to become emperor is by vote, not by slaying your obstacles. Jorg, leaving behind his wife and all that he has conquered, must use his silver tongue instead of his sword to receive backing to the ultimate throne, but something even more gruesome and dark stands in his way: the Dead King. Never has anyone secured a majority vote to become emperor, and Jorg will not let the past nor this new foe block his path.
One again, like in KoT, we are introduced to multiple story arcs, including past and present Jorg once again, though the Katherine Ap Scorron timeline is replaced by the necromancer Chella (whom we met in PoT). Though I don’t feel like Chella’s arc added THAT much to the story, it was still enjoyable and showed us the true monster that is the Dead King. Also, while EoT takes place across the Broken Empire in a much larger way, the book is fairly short and the world-building isn’t as fleshed out as it could have been. But, let’s be honest, you aren’t reading this for the makeup of the towns and cities.
All in all, EoT was a very enjoyable read with an all-encompassing revelation at the end.
 

Road Brothers:
Road Brothers (the new release with new cover) is a collection of fourteen (14) short stories set in the Broken Empire. These stories include some of our favorite Road Brothers, such as Sir Makin, Red Kent, the Nuban, Rike, Burlow, among others. There are also a select few about/containing Brother Jorg throughout the Broken Empire trilogy, including ones about his younger years before he became King.
I’m not going to go into detail about every story, because you can find out those on your own when you read them, but my favorite story out of the entire collection was “Know Thyself”. We follow Father Gomst as he attempts to wrangle the young Ancrath boys and keep them out of trouble. The story shows just how vicious the boys are in their younger years and also foreshadows what is to come in EoT. I thought it was bloody brilliant and made sure to seek Mark out and tell him.


Overall, Mark Lawrence has quickly become one of my favorite writers. The Broken Empire trilogy is one of the best series I have ever read and maybe one of the best ever written. A combination of beautiful writing and a character you will become infatuated with makes this a must-read series. I would be remiss if I did not give due props to James Clamp for his fantastic narration. Not sure of another narrator who could do Jorg justice and provide perfect pacing. If you call yourself a grimdark fan, pick up this series without hesitation.

See this and more of my reviews on my blog: https://FanFiAddict.Wordpress.com

[Martin Galvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new twist on an old tale

Many others have commented on the violence of the books yet I must confess to not seeing the extremes that some discussed. For me the character of Jorg is what makes this story unforgettable. The author has crafted a character that one couldn’t like, in real life one would despise, yet he is a character that one cannot stop watching. Do yourself a favour, pick up this book, lose hours of your life being repulsed and captivated by Jorg and count the time well spent.

[সাদমান হুসাইন · Rating 4 out of 5]

দি ব্রোকেন এম্পায়ার ট্রিলোজি।

ইমাজিন, আপনার সামনে একটা দানব।
বিশালাকৃতি, বীভৎস দানব। দেখে মনে হচ্ছে দানবের চামড়া পুড়ে কালো হয়ে আছে, বের হয়ে আছে পাঁজরের হাড়। চোখে জ্বলছে আগুন।
আপনার বয়স ১৪।
কি করবেন?

সুস্থ মস্তিস্কের যেকোন মানুষ পালানোর চেস্টা করবে। জর্গ (Jorg) তা করবে না।

জর্গ লাফিয়ে পড়বে দানবের দিকেই, তাকে ভয় দেখানোর চেস্টা করবে বিকট চিৎকার করে। যেকেউ বলবে এই ছেলের মাথা খারাপ, আসলে তা না ঘটনা। জর্গের চালচলনই এমন। সেই নায়ক এই ব্রোকেন এম্পায়ার ট্রিলোজির। গুডরিডসের সেই রিভিউতে লেখা ছিল জর্গ আনক্রাথের সামনে গেম অফ থ্রনসের জোফরি ব্যারাথিওন নিতান্তই ভদ্র, দুগ্ধপোষ্য শিশু।

এই সিরিজের সাথে আমার পরিচয় হঠাত করেই। গুডরিডসেই একটা রিভিউ দেখে শুরু করেছিলাম পড়া। গুডরিডসের সেই রিভিউতে লেখা ছিল জর্গ আনক্রাথের সামনে গেম অফ থ্রনসের জোফরি ব্যারাথিওন নিতান্তই ভদ্র, দুগ্ধপোষ্��� শিশু।

নামালাম নেট থেকে ইপাব, পড়া শুরু করতেই চমকে গেলাম। প্রথম কয়েক পেজের মাঝে আমার জানা আজ পর্যন্ত সব ফ্যান্টাসি হিরোকে ছাপিয়ে গেলো জর্গ। জর্গকে হিরো বলা যায় না ঠিক, অ্যান্টি হিরো সে। মারামারি, খুনোখুনিতে তার কোন আপত্তি নেই, নিজের মতামত প্রতিষ্ঠা করতে হলে নিজের দলের লোককে মেরে ফেলতেও আপত্তি নেই তার। আবার তার দলের কারো গায়ে কেও হাত তুললে সেই লোকের উপরে শোধ নিতে একলা তরোয়াল হাতে ঢুকে যাবে শত্রুর দূর্গে। তার নিজের ভাষায় সে একজন সাইকোপ্যাথ। আর কে না জানে যে পাব্লিক সাইকোপ্যাথদের বড় ভালোবাসে? জোকারের ফ্যানবেইজ এর সবচেয়ে বড় প্রমাণ।

টিপিক্যাল ফ্যান্টাসি হিরো হয় একদম মোরাল ড্রামার নায়ক। সুদর্শন, সব কাজে, সব রকম যুদ্ধবিদ্যায় পারদর্শী, আরও ভালো হয় যদি কোন সুপার পাওয়ার/ ম্যাজিক্যাল পাওয়ার থাকে। জর্গের আর কিছু না থাকলেও আছে আজব সব বুদ্ধি। আপাতদৃস্টিতে যা ইউজলেস মনে হলেও আসলে ঠিকই কাজ করবে। কিন্তু কাজ করবে জর্গের ফেভারে, সে দেশ ও জাতির উন্নয়নে কিছু করে না। জর্গের কাছে লাইফ হল বিশাল বড় এক দাবার বোর্ড, বুদ্ধি দিয়ে খেলে জেতার থেকে সে সরাসরি বোর্ডে আগুন লাগিয়ে দিতে বেশি পছন্দ করে। তার মাথায় রিভেঞ্জ বাদে আর কোন চিন্তা নেই।

কিসের রিভেঞ্জ?

জর্গ আনক্রাথ রাজ্যের প্রিন্স। এক ঝড়ের রাতে শত্রুরা আক্রমণ করে তাদের দূর্গে, জর্গকে ছুড়ে মারে এক হুক-ব্রিয়ার (কাঁটাগাছ) এর খোপে। সারা পিঠে আর হাতে কাঁটা গেথে যাওয়ায় মরার মত ঝুলে থাকে জর্গ, দেখে তার মা আর ছোটভাইকে অত্যাচার করে মারার দৃশ্য। কোনমতে বেঁচে আসে জর্গ, প্রতিশোধের নেশায় বের হয়ে আসে প্রাসাদ ছেড়ে। ১০ বছর বয়সে দল গঠন করে সব ক্রিমিনালদের সাথে, তাদের সাথে পাল্লা মিলিয়ে বেঁচে থাকে মধ্যযুগীয় এক এম্পায়ারের রাস্তায়। উদ্দেশ্য- কাউন্ট রেনারের উপরে শোধ নিবে তার মা আর ছোটভাই হত্যার। সেই থেকে শুরু জর্গের এপিক জার্নির।

একদমই ডার্ক ফ্যান্টাসি বই এটা, ডিস্টার্বিং লেভেলের ডার্ক। জর্গের মাথায় এই বয়সে এতো ভায়োলেন্সের চিন্তা কীভাবে আসে আমার মাথায়ই আসছিল না শুরুতে। ডেথ, টর্চার, লুটতরাজ- নানা কুকীর্তিতে ভরপুর জর্গের দৈনন্দিন জীবন। নরমাল ফ্যান্টাসি পাঠকেরা অনেকেই এতোদূর পড়ে এই বই রেখে দিতে চাবে। কিন্তু কেমন যেন একটা টান আছে জর্গের গল্পে, নেক্সট কি আনপ্রেডিক্টেবল কাজ করে সে সেটা দেখার ইচ্ছা করে বারবার। বইয়ের বাকি ক্যারেক্টারগুলোও তেমনি আনপ্রেডিক্টেবল। কিসের পরে কি করে তা বুঝাই যায় না। এমন অনেক বার হয়েছে আমি টুইস্টের বাহার দেখে কয়েক মিনিট বিরতি নিয়েছি কি ঘটলো তা প্রসেস করার জন্যে।

লেখক যেন পণ নিয়ে নেমেছিলেন সব ফ্যান্টাসি ক্লিশে দূর করার এই বই লেখার সময়। জর্গের রোড-ব্রাদারদের মাঝে সবাই এক এক লেভেলের সাইকো। কেউ ঠান্ডা মাথার খুনি, কেউ নিজের সুবিধা ছাড়া আর কিছু চিন্তা করতে চায় না। তাও, প্রথম বইটা শেষ করার পরে কিছু কিছু ক্যারেক্টারকে আপন ভাবতে শুরু করবে পাঠক। ট্রিলোজি শেষ হতে হতে জর্গের আর তার রোড-ব্রাদারদের অনেকের ক্যারেক্টারে চেঞ্জ আসবে, আপন মনে হয় তখন সবাইকেই।

বই তিনটার একটা জিনিস আমার ভালো লাগেনি। সেটা হলো লেখকের ওয়ার্ল্ডবিল্ডিং। আর সব ফ্যান্টাসি গল্পের মত এটা নরমাল মধ্যযুগ না, একটু টুইস্ট আছে গল্পে। টুইস্টটা এক্সপ্লেইন করা উচিত হবে না দেখে আমার দুঃখের কথাও বলতে পারছি না। লেখক আরেকটু এক্সপ্লেইন করলেই পারতেন এই ট্রিলোজির সেটিংটা। বেশ অসম্পুর্ণ লেগেছে আমার কাছে। দ্বিতীয় বইটার পেসিং বেশ স্লো। বারবার ফ্ল্যাশব্যাকে মুভ করার কারনে আগ্রহ হারিয়ে ফেলছিলাম বারবার। শেষ বইয়ে এসে লেখক সেই পেসিং আবার তুলে এনেছেন। কিন্তু শেষ বইটা আবার প্রেডিক্টেবল হয়ে গিয়েছে, কমপক্ষে ২০০ পেজ আগেই আমি বুঝে গিয়েছি আসল ভিলেনের পরিচয় কি হতে পারে। বাট এন্ডিং এ লেখক আবার টুইস্ট দিয়ে দিয়েছেন, জর্গের কাহিনীর এমন পরিণতি কেউই আশা করেনি।

লেখকের লেখার ধরন চমৎকার। ফার্স্ট পার্সনে লেখা পুরো ট্রিলোজি, জর্গের নানা কুকীর্তির স্বাক্ষী হবেন পাঠক একদম জর্গের পয়েন্ট অফ ভিউ থেকেই। জর্গের ড্রাই সারকাস্টিক হিউমার পাঠক ধরে রাখে একদম শেষ পর্যন্ত। বই তিনটা অনেক ভায়োলেন্ট, কিন্তু জর্গের নেক্সট আনপ্রেডিক্টেবল কুকীর্তি দেখার আগ্রহে বই নামিয়ে রাখা অসম্ভব প্রায়।

রেটিং?
প্রিন্স অফ থর্নস -- ৪.৫/৫
কিং অফ থর্নস -- ৩.৫/৫
এমপেরর অফ থর্নস -- ৪/৫

হ্যাপি রিডিং।

[Cristóbal Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is an amazing and different trilogy, an extraordinary history that keeps you wanting more.
A well made wolrd, different from usual fantasy series, and characters easy to love and hate. But the most important thing of all, is the protagonist: Jorg Ankraht.
Is a very unusual character to star a fantasy saga. Is evil, proud, cruel, selfish, but even with that, is a character you love and want to succed; somehow Lawrence transformed this cruel bandit into a epic heroe.
I recomend this book to everyone who likes dark fantasy with a heroe who looks like a villain.
¿Or maybe a villain who looks like a heroe?

[Koty Duarte-Hesleph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the most entertaining trilogies I have ever read. Though provoking, funny, and action packed. It has stuck with me over the years.

Many people cannot get past the initial couple hundred pages because of the violence. I did not find the violence to be gratuitous. But, it did take time for me to care a wit about any of the characters. Once I was invested, however, I needed to know what happened to them.

The world and its monsters are unique. The world is introduced in an organic fashion as needed to tell the story of the characters. Not every aspect of the world is described in great detail. This may rub some the wrong way. I personally liked filling in the gaps with my own imaginings.

The writing is engaging and witty. Some of the lines resonated with me years after reading and the remembering prompted me to pick the books up again. Which, in turn, prompted me to write this review.

Do yourself a favor and check it out. I found that I enjoyed books two and three even more than Prince of Thorns. I desperately wanted more of the Broken Empire world so I got the Red Queen's War series as well. I will review that in time.

Here are some other series I really enjoyed (in no particular order) so you can see if we have similar tastes: Mistborn, First Law Trilogy, The Expanse, GOT, Hyperion... you get the idea.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took way too long to read this series. I went back and forth with the idea for a bit, and I'm kicking myself in the ass for waiting so long. Cutting to the chase, it's amazing. If you're looking for some dark fantasy to draw you in and latch on to you like...thorns (I'm not even sorry), then look no further than The Broken Empire.

Mark Lawrence does an amazing job at giving you a character that you should well enough hate and gives you plenty of reason to hate him from the beginning. Jorge is an asshole and a bastard, but by the time I was finished with this trilogy, I wanted nothing more than for him to be sitting on the Emporor's throne. A large gripe that some people had warned about this series when I was looking into it was that Jorg doesn't ever change. He's still a ruthless killer from first page to last. That simply isn't true. Sure, he still murders the hell out of anyone who crosses him in inventive and fun ways, but he's doing it for more than just the thick coat of blood that follows.

The cast overall has some excellent characters, and while I didn't care too much for Chella's story, I understand its purpose. If I were to have one gripe, it would be this. Everyone else, even Rike, grows on you and you feel attached to each character as they go along.

The story is top notch, and each volume gives a relevant backstory throughout the book, coinciding perfectly with the current plot that's going on. This is truly apparent during Emperor, when items that felt like tag alongs added for purely shock factor from the second book come into a new light and give new meaning to the situations Jorg's dealing with.

Overall, if you're thinking about reading these books, do it. Lawrence set an excellent game of Empire in a pleasantly unique setting and never held back a single second. You'll hate Jorg, and that's fine. But, by the time you finish the trilogy, you'll be sad to see him go.

[Sean Kilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can one rate something when one's memories and impressions change subtly over time as one changes with time?
Yes. Because one solid fact remains unwavering and steadfast regarding the Broken Empire Trilogy - I will re-read it. Either from the beginning to the end, or one book at a time. Backwards or forwards. It dares to tell a story that is as uncompromising as its main character Jorge Ancrath. If you enjoy tales that begin and end, that will force you to walk a dark path to an uncertain future with eyes wide open and sword loose in its scabbard, than this is for you. If you treasure narrative and dialogue that remain in your mind long after the last page, this is for you. If you enjoy puerile, predictable windy gas-bag series' taking ten volumes to endlessly repeat the same tropes and pithy sayings, walk away. Quickly.
Or Jorge will get you.

[Luke james · Rating 5 out of 5]

The broken empire trilogy is an absolute must read for any fantasy fan. I often come back to read it. Jorg will always be my favourite character mark really created a great character full of dark views and many twist and turns in the story there is one line from the book Prince of thorns that sticks with me. My father isn't in heaven gomsty he's in his castle counting out his men.I was hooked in the first chapter of prince of thorns and became fascinated with the character's all the way to the last book. I looked forward to release day of each book as I knew when I started reading them I wouldn't stop until I had finished. And I ended up buying this trilogy on kindle so I could re-read all three on the move. I definitely recommend this trilogy for those who like a good series of books.

[Geta Vădan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the best fantasy I've read so far. The mastery employed in making people root for a murderer, liar, cheater child and hoping that he actually might save the world and even himself... it leaves me short on words. It also makes me feel tricked. You're not supposed to wish a happy ending for a mass murderer psychopath.

[Elin Haga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the first ten pages, I thought to myself: too bad my brother in law got me all three books, considering I won’t read another word. I hated the protagonist so hard. And here I am, three books later and blown away. Not many authors can write a main character so dark and cruel, and still have you turn the page.

[Anna Auset · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trilogy is one of the best one I have ever read. The story, the world, the characters, just WOW! If you ever want to start reading, I recommend this highly! 10/10!

[Sibil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've finished Il re dei fulmini/King of Thorns.

I liked more the first one, because it was more centered on Jorg as a character, while this second one was more complex and focused on the "chess game". It's not that I do not liked it! I liked it a lot, but it was not the right time and so I had really an hard time to remain concentrate on the reading. But it was compelling and intriguing. i liked a lot the characters, the story and the world that the author builds. I think that Lawrence really had fun while writing this one!

4 stars

I've finished Emperor of Thorns/L'Imperatore dei fulmini

5 blazing stars

Wow! I would come back and write something more about this book and about this series, but... wow! I loved it! The second one was just an introduction for this one and Lawrence really did a good job with this one. With his world, that is intersting and original (in the end it's our world, but it's so different in some ways, and so our in others. With his characters, because he really was brave, with them. The choise of them was original (and brave, brave, brave!) and their caraterization is awsome! With his story, because is full, fast-paced (but not too fast), compelling and intriguing.
There is just a thing that I do not like. The ending. I understand why he did so, he explain his decision at the end of the book, so it's clear and it's ok, but between the two ways of wich he spoke there is another one: he didn't really have to kill Jorg, he could have just ended the story there with an alive Jorg!

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series. It is very dark and has a lot of bloodshed but I loved it. This was my first dip in the grimdark world and I can't get enough of it now.

Jorg Ancrath is the anti-hero hero of the series and I loved him. Not everything is black and white in the world and Jorg proves that again and again.

That ending was emotional.

One of the best series I have ever read.

5 stars

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed, I cringed, I got tears in my eyes. Only if you don't mind very dark antiheroes. I was sad to stop reading.

[Mike Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite possibly my favorite fantasy series I have ever read. If you want dark and gritty, look no further. Don't get too turned off by other reviews about the darkness, because it is flawlessly juxtaposed to some amazing one liners. There is ample quick witted humor for any reader. But let's get back to the darkness. I don't want princesses and unicorns, and I didn't get them here. This fantasy series has more of a real world feel to the characters and how they interact. They don't respond to problems in the way typical fantasy characters react. They respond like real people, who have real emotions and real character flaws. Mark Lawrence allows that dark little voice in all of our heads to drive his characters. You know the voice that tells you to respond violently and immediately to every affront? That voice is allowed to run amuck in the minds of the characters in this series. There was no moral conundrum with respect to killing or being killed. There was only truth and reality in their actions. I tire of the holier than thou attitude of so many main characters in fantasy, and I found this author's take on this to be very refreshing, which is likely the reason I loved the series so much. I was turning pages like a mad man, trying to find out what happens next. Then all of a sudden, I realized I was getting close to the end and wanted to slow down. I didn't want it to end! Mark Lawrence has set the bar for fantasy authors, and the big names like GRRM and Sanderson, while great, are finding themselves under that bar in my opinion.
I typically listen to books on Audible.com and have very little use for the dead-tree versions. When GrimDark announced a signed and numbered special edition with all three books under one cover, I jumped on the pre-order.

[Felipe Sieira Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's talk about thorns.
First of all, they grab you. And this is the ability that Mark Lawrence shows you in the first chapter.
With only five pages, he proves his capacity to blow up your mind.
At that moment you realize: Oh, this really has potential.

If you jump on the thorns you will leave with scars.
I think that's what the author imagined when he created the story. Because the book made it. Reading the Broken Empire Trilogy is diving into the hook briar. You can't go out and whenever you remember it, you feel the marks of the scars it left on you.

Finally, the book makes it clear that thorns hurt. Hurt in an unimaginable way.
And that's what you can expect.

Jorg is an amazing character built brilliantly. His evolution is constant and shown in a simple form. One of the greatest achievements of the author is building a consistent character hard to find (not counting the exceptionals plot twists that occur during the story). Jorg isn't a good guy, but he is the right guy. Although his heart corrupted by the past, his attitudes are genuine (maybe). It will make you fall in love and admire him. His personality will make you laugh, cry and want to be one of his brothers. I'm sure that Jorg is one of the best players of all time.
But, in the end...
You must find out for yourself.

But don't forget: Reading the Broken Empire Trilogy is diving into the hook briar.
The thorns will hold you, mark you, and especially hurt you.

[Evione · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amikor megvettem ezt a könyvet, azt hittem majd gyorsan végigrobogok rajta, de az első rész, a Tövisek Hercege egyáltalán nem tetszett annyira, mint azt vártam, így jó időre parkolópályára került a kötet. Végül novemberben álltam neki újra, és egy rövid kitérő után kiolvastam a Tövisek Királyát és a Tövisek Császárát is.
A Tövisek Hercege elég érdekes felütéssel indított, a grimdarkos hangulat nagyon átjött, és sokakkal ellentétben nekem Jorg karaktere is tetszett, hiszen szeretem az antihősöket, Jorg meg aztán antihős a javából. Egész konkrétan egy rohadék, ezen nincs mit szépíteni, de nekem nincs arra szükségem, hogy megkedveljek vagy szimpatikusnak tartsak karaktereket. Aztán persze a sorozat előrehaladtál Jorg finomodik, de a jellemfejlődése dacára mégis antihős marad.* Ezért pedig fejet hajtok az író előtt, mert ilyennel eddig még nem találkoztam. Szóval minden adott volt ahhoz, hogy már az elejétől fogva nagyon szeressem ezt a sorozatot, de nem igazán tetszett, hogy az első részben nem tudunk meg túl sok mindent a világról, még az alapvetésekkel is csak nagyon minimálisan leszünk tisztában, ami annak ellenére zavart, hogy szeretem, amikor egy író szép lassan adagolja az információkat az általa felépített univerzumról és nem zúdít egyszerre mindent a nyakunkba. Itt azonban Mark Lawrence-nek nem igazán sikerült jól egyensúlyozni és inkább túl kevés, amit kapunk, mintsem elég.
A Tövisek Királya rengeteget köszörült a csorbán, itt már csak úgy faltam a lapokat. Egyre több minden derült ki a Széthullott Birodalom világáról, egyre jobban kiteljesedett a történet, még jobban árnyalódtak a karakterek.
Végül a Tövisek Császára tökélyre vitte az egészet. Mark Lawrence mesterien szőtte tovább a szálakat, hogy végül gyönyörűen kapcsolódjon vissza az első részhez. Mit ne mondjak, az utolsó fordulat elég váratlan volt, azt leszámítva, hogy már előtte rájöttem, ki a Holt Király . A meglepő az volt, ami utána történt. Tényleg nem számítottam erre a befejezésre.

Ha engem kérdezne valaki, hogy melyik az a fantasy, amit ajánlanék, ezt gondolkodás nélkül a kezébe nyomnám. Alapmű. Sajnálom, hogy a végére értem, nagyon szívesen olvastam volna még tovább. Viszont egyetértek az íróval is, miszerint ez így trilógiának volt tökéletes, Jorg történetének kibővítése további kötetekre tényleg nem lett volna jó ötlet.

Ja, és csináltam a sorozathoz egy playlistet. Itt tudjátok meghallgatni: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hT...
vagy itt: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

*Én meg azért a harmadik részre csak megkedveltem ezt a rohadékot...

[Ylyth Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Di norma non compro i libri di getto senza prima leggerne un estratto. Fortunatamente non è stato questo il caso perchè i primi capitoli mi avrebbero convinto a tenermi i soldi e mi sarei persa una bella storia.

La si potrebbe riassumere in poche parole: da bambino il principe Jorg Ancrath assiste all'assassinio di madre e fratello, abbandona la sua casa in cerca di vendetta e si unisce ad un gruppo di banditi per conseguirla. Il padre gli negherà i diritti di successione e lui si prenderà quel titolo con un altro regno, per puntare direttamente al trono imperiale. In tutto ciò dovrà affrontare i pericoli degli uomini, della magia, di un popolo scomparso e del re dei morti.

Il problema è che all'inizio il protagonista è un ragazzino detestabile da prendere a schiaffi da mattina a sera, più qualche calcio in culo per rimarcare il concetto. Ma lo è per un motivo: la scelta consapevole dell'autore. La sua non è una storia eroica, non sa amare, non esita a compiere bassezze se queste gli portano un guadagno. Jorg non deve essere un protagonista simpatico in cui immedesimarsi, fa scelte atroci perchè deve maturare attraverso quegli sbagli.
Alla fine dei tre libri ci troviamo con un personaggio molto più complesso di quello che avevamo all'inizio, ben lungi dall'essere perfetto e più umano di tanti altri protagonisti fantasy.

L'ambientazione stessa merita una menzione. Se all'inizio pare un tipico fantasy medievaleggiante, poco a poco saltan fuori dei rimandi alla tecnologia di un popolo scomparso. Si fa riferimento al clero di Roma, ai popoli dell'Africa, ai grandi filosofi greci, uno dei loro manufatti sopravvissuti è una palla di vetro con la neve. Sì: è ambientato nel futuro. Mi ha sorpreso.

Quindi perchè solo tre stelle?
Sebbene nel complesso la triologia mi sia piaciuta e l'interesse verso i nuovi sviluppi della trama non sia mai sceso, tre fattori han frenato la lettura.
- I continui salti temporali tra quel che accade e quel che è stato cinque anni prima è sono dannatamente fastidiosi. Interrompono la narrazione nei momenti più interessanti per proporre un altro filone che verrà bloccato a sua volta nei passaggi migliori. Alla fine di ogni libro il tutto ha senso, gli elementi si incastrano bene. Però la costante frustrazione non me la scordo.
- Jorg non si salva dall'essere schifosamente potente. Finisce in situazioni talmente avverse che l'unico modo per uscirne è dargli dei vantaggi troppo grossi. Un po' li consuma e un po' li perde, nel mentre s'è tirato fuori dai guai. Dopo un po' non lo si ritiene mai seriamente in pericolo.
- L'ultimo libro è... strano. L'autore non voleva tirare la storia per le lunghe e ha deciso di troncare il tutto col terzo volume, velocizzando di molto gli eventi. E si sente. Succedono troppe cose, si esplorano nuovi regni senza aver il tempo di apprezzarli. Il grande colpo di scena riguardo al re dei morti l'ha svenduto troppo presto, indizi non proprio sottili ti fan capire la sua identità ben prima del conflitto finale.

Volendo esser pignoli, i refusi della mia edizione erano davvero troppi. E il titolo italiano è infinitamente meno significativo di quello originale. Ma nulla di questo è colpa dell'autore.

Tirando le somme è un libro che mi è piaciuto, forse non lo rileggerei ma sono contenta di averlo acquistato. Da consigliare agli amanti del fantasy che han lo stomaco adatto per le scene forti e non ne possono più di storie d'amore zuccherose.

[Seth May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. Red Jorg is a sociopathic murderous bastard. The first pages see the hero killing the peasants in a village that he and his brothers (also sociopathic murderous bastards) just sacked, then raping the daughters, then burning the building the daughters are locked in. It gets less personal but not much better. The narrative is great, and shows an interesting character that is both shallow and deep. For instance, he's fully willing to murder his way to emperor, but he also doesn't want to consummate the marriage with his bride till she's not a child, and it's sort of insinuated that he would have stepped aside for another monarch that was one of the few actual good guys.

Also, Jorg grows up. Book 1 is almost like a young adult fiction, like one of the professional tributes from The Hunger Games, but as he gets older he gets more mature.

I don't know, maybe the book doesn't warrant this high praise, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.

[Andrea West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, disturbing but somehow channels a hero/good-guy vibe through its tormented and definitely R-rated lead Prince/King/Emperor Jorg.

[Daniel Symons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

A cracking read. Great characters and plot lines. Jorg is the most likeable evil bugger I have ever read!
You have to read this series.

[David Espinosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complete Broken Empire Trilogy: Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, Emperor of Thorns

First of all, the only reason I started reading the books was because of the quotes in goodreads. Plain and simple.
This is my first review ever, so let's go one step at a time. The writing, the writing was good, not so simple, not so complicated to make a tedious work out of reading the book. Just what it needed to be. The only think I didn't like are the points of view from the past, especially in the second book and Chiella's POV. They're put in an order which I don't quite see the reason behind it, they're good and gives you information and such, but in my opinion they break the pace of the actual story.
Second point, characters. Lawrence introduce us a main character, Jorg, basically he is a sociopath, a psychopath and a child, you get to like it. If you mind reading about certain topics like sex, death, torture, and some serious disgusting shit that will left yourself with a bad sensations on your body, don't read this series. NOW SPOILER: This is one of the best characters evolutions i've ever read, take a spoiled selfish and cruel kid and turn him into an emperor who sacrifices himself for the empire just to keep it safe without the "tragically event" that turns him into a hero because magic and stuff and that's all. No, you see the evolution since the narrator is the main character and he also talks to us about his feelings and you can see how he became more human as the times passes. For the other characters? Well they are there, except for Chiella, didn't change much, some of them changes a little in some specific matter, but nonetheless, they're quite plain.
Third point, the background. BIG SPOILER. I started reading feeling a medieval fantasy book, strongly based on our real world ( names, places, institutions...) . The reason for the similarity is because there was a nuclear apocalypse that basically let us like in the middle ages. ( good criticism of the nuclear escalation and the vastness of it's possible consequences) But this was the part that grinded my gears the most, if I'm reading fantasy, I don't want a swordfight between armored knight with one shooting the other with a Colt...but that's just my opinion someone will think it's cool but definitely not me.
Now, my general opinion? Is a good book, not the best I have read, but it's good, I really liked how it makes you think about controversial topics likes church, religion, morality, and the personal barriers that prevents us from reaching our goals just because we are not willing to do whatever it takes, and be willing to sacrifice everything for what we wanted, it just makes you doubt some things you wouldn't normally question by yourself. If you like fantasy, this is an excellent book to your to-read shelf, you enjoy it, it's harsh, cruel and not a fairy tale. If you're looking for dark fantasy, this is what you're looking for.
I will rate it 4 stars out of 5 because for me it was wrong to introduce some modern stuff in a fantasy book, but still a book I might re-read someday.

[Michael Malver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't figure out why this series is as popular as it is, or rated as high as it was. The main character has a dark sense of humor, which can occasionally be interesting, but mostly, this is a series about a guy who spends most of the book killing other people for his own ends. Although I kept reading because I wanted to know how it ended, I was able to put the book down for days at a time without feeling compelled to pick it up again. I just wasn't as engaged as I was with Game of Thrones, the magicians, or Scott Lynch books, all three series of which I have read within the past year or two.

[Alabi Olanike · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, i love this book.

[Jennifer Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! So so good.

[Gavman · Rating 5 out of 5]

like reading a cross between gemmel, martin, and iggulden. great

[Sam Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just plain wonderful.