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Prince of Thorns
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Prince of Thorns, by Mark Lawrence
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I found this one an indifferent read until about half way through. My son on the other hand loved it.
I *finally* finished this one. It took me a long time to get through because I just didn't particularly enjoy it. It wasn't the subject matter (although it is dark and gritty and a lot of people seem to have an issue with the content); I've read darker and grittier fantasy. It was the writing style. I found it choppy and lacking description and when there was descriptive prose they were filled with superfluous metaphors and hyperbole that didn't leave a clear picture of what was happening. The last 35 pages were good, but the rest was just OK. I liked some of the concepts with the setting, but I found the main character came off as a whiny teenager with violent tendencies and couldn't believe that any of his followers actually had any reason to follow him.
I've heard the second book is better but I'm not in a hurry to read it right now.
I was really interested in this book until I started to read it. I am not enjoying it at all, I don't like the main protagonist and I don't like the writing style ... maybe I will try to read it again some day, but for the moment I am not in the mood for this book :(
Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, especially gritty fantasy that has characters with questionable morals that exist in the grey areas between right and wrong. I find these characters so much more interesting than the traditional straight good or evil characters.
I've heard good things about this series, although it is supposed to be quite dark with some very (intentionally) unlikeable characters. I've been following the author on goodreads for some time now and like his recommendations and comments on a number of other books, so I have high hopes for this one.
GR synopsis:
Before the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother's tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse. They say these are violent times, the end of days when the dead roam and monsters haunt the night. All that's true enough, but there's something worse out there, in the dark. Much worse.
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.
Mark Lawrence's debut novel tells a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paints a compelling and brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.