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Prince Of Thorns (2011)

by Mark Lawrence(Favorite Author)

3.86 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0007423292 (ISBN13: 9780007423293)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Voyager

series

The Broken Empire

review 1: "There ain't no rest for the wicked until we close our eyes for good." This is how I'd sum up this book. Jorg is a despicable young man with a love of violence. He likes to try and reason with himself that he's on a quest for vengeance, but he really isn't. It's quite a chilling moment when he realises that he isn't, it's all ambition mixed with the desire to dominate. A few days ago, someone on the fantasy subreddit asked about reading from the villain's point of view. I said it interested me and I don't think that I'm alone in this. This book, and probably the rest of the series, is that. Jorg is a villain. He isn't like Abercrombie's characters, who have a few layers to them. He's just a bad guy. It's arguable that he has PTSD but the mere fact that revenge doesn't sati... moresfy him is enough to make me think that it goes further. He is a ruthless psychopath and I love it.There is a bit of controversy surrounding the fact that he is also a rapist. To that I say "Well what did you expect?" He leads a band of highwaymen. He razes towns. He slaughters and robs from the innocent and the weak. He kills friends without thinking twice. Of course he's going to rape, he's exactly the type of person you'd expect to be a rapist. It becomes hard to say this without making it seem as if I'm excusing rape, of course I'm not. There is a clear line. Here's the line regarding rape: on one side you have rape - this is the bad side that we all rightly hate. On the other side of the line we have everything that isn't rape - jokes, fantasies, literature, songs etc. Criticising the author for including mature themes baffles me. Why would you get upset that someone is making you think? These "I hate Jorg because he's a rapist" arguments are valid, but it shouldn't be the main one. He does a host of ugly things, just like many FICTIONAL characters. And anyway, people have no trouble excusing Tyrion Lannister from raping so why not extend the courtesy to Jorg? It's fiction and I don't think that Mark Lawrence was trying to glorify rape in like...under 100 words.The world-building was a bit confusing and, at first, seemed lazy. Lazy for the quality of the book and the praise it receives. However, as I progressed I started considering some scenarios and at a certain event I was happy to see that my crazy theory was right. Very interesting, it now seems like good world-building but it must be expanded on in the rest of the series. If not, then it is back to strange.I can excuse world-building because the story is the most important aspect and I am a sucker for revenge stories. And this is a very compelling revenge story with a few jaw-dropping twists. I recommend this to people who liked anything by Joe Abercrombie and especially Glen Cook. If you like Warhammer 40k too. I'd avoid this book, however, if you like a more cheerful story and one where you follow a hero. I think that Jorg is a fascinating character because there is a small part in us that he speaks to. You know the part; the one that wishes you could show the world your frustration with a rage or a tantrum but you know not to because...well it's crazy. Someone tries to cut in line and you want to incite the line to beat them to death. Someone swears at you and you want to hit them. We all know that feeling, a little remnant of a time before civilisation when we were all animals. The part that proves to us that we still are. That's Jorg. A well deserved four stars from me, for what that's worth, especially for a debut novel.
review 2: A good read with the foundations in place for what could be a great series. Jorg is a very interesting protagonist --- rash, violent, unpredictable, ruthless, a veritable Dark Prince. I like how he is almost an anti-hero, Machiavellian in his obsession to get what he wants. It'd be interesting to see how he matures, now that his coming-of-age is behind us.Lawrence writes very well, particularly the parts where he blends philosophy and life-truths into the narrative through the clever use of introspection. Those parts are also the most poetic, which really impressed me. At the same time, the author uses a pulpy, hard-boiled style of dialogue which is a nice counterpoint to poetic interludes.That said, I did find the narrative a bit uneven. The parts in the caves under Mount Honas on the way to Castle Red stretch needlessly. They also summon to mind the trek of the Fellowship in the Mines of Moria in The Lord of the Rings --- so Lawrence docks a point for originality. At the same time, I was expecting a big battle to precede the taking of Castle Red, but that just ended before it even began. But I guess that was just to prove Jorg's resourcefulness, so I won't complain. But the final showdown between Jorg and Corion was too rushed, and the one between Jorg and Count Renar was glossed over. Considering how the whole book was supposed to lead to this confrontation, I was disappointed.My biggest grudge is the way no explanation is given about how Corion never got wind of Jorg's presence in the vicinity of The Haunt. A huge logical flaw, to my mind... unless it'll all be revealed later in the series. One does hope so. I'd also have liked the author to build powerful and interesting supporting characters. Right now the only characters who seem to show promise are Makin, Rike and Gog. I wish Lawrence gives them and even Olidan and Sageous and the new queen meatier parts in book two.The fact that I'm looking forward to book two should say something --- that I'm keen to follow Jorg and see how he comes to rule the Broken Empire. less

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