Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence follows the life of Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath, a lost prince who, within the first pages, is willing to commit horrible atrocities without a shred of remorse. No question --- most readers will have trouble with this novel; characters have moral compasses ranging from evil to insane, the mind of the main character is twisted beyond recognition, and the work includes every gritty and bloody detail that could possibly be up into it.
But that does not stop the novel from being uniquely interesting. Not the brutal theme or actions, but the author's ability to bring me into the world. Slipping into the thoughts of the maddened protagonist, Jorg, was fulfilling to read, albeit the character development was slow and almost nonexistent.
Other than that, Prince of Thorns was a quick and enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty fantasy that isn't afraid to break away from the paragons of justice that other fantasy books tend to steer towards.
-Anton Kurdakov
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence follows the life of Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath, a lost prince who, within the first pages, is willing to commit horrible atrocities without a shred of remorse. No question --- most readers will have trouble with this novel; characters have moral compasses ranging from evil to insane, the mind of the main character is twisted beyond recognition, and the work includes every gritty and bloody detail that could possibly be up into it.
But that does not stop the novel from being uniquely interesting. Not the brutal theme or actions, but the author's ability to bring me into the world. Slipping into the thoughts of the maddened protagonist, Jorg, was fulfilling to read, albeit the character development was slow and almost nonexistent.
Other than that, Prince of Thorns was a quick and enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty fantasy that isn't afraid to break away from the paragons of justice that other fantasy books tend to steer towards.
-Anton Kurdakov