Prince of Fools
Ratings48
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings48
Average rating3.8
"Hailed as "epic fantasy on a George R. R. Martin scale, but on speed,"* the Broken Empire trilogy introduced a bold new world of dark fantasy with the story of Jorg Ancrath's devastating rise to power. Now, Mark Lawrence returns to the Broken Empire with the tale of a less ambitious prince... The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister--unseen by most and unspoken of by all. The Red Queen's grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth--drinker, gambler, seducer of women--is one who can see The Silent Sister. Tenth in line for the throne and content with his role as a minor royal, he pretends that the hideous crone is not there. But war is coming. Witnesses claim an undead army is on the march, and the Red Queen has called on her family to defend the realm. Jal thinks it's all a rumor--nothing that will affect him--but he is wrong. After escaping a death trap set by the Silent Sister, Jal finds his fate magically intertwined with a fierce Norse warrior. As the two undertake a journey across the Empire to undo the spell, encountering grave dangers, willing women, and an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath along the way, Jalan gradually catches a glimmer of the truth: he and the Norseman are but pieces in a game, part of a series of moves in the long war--and the Red Queen controls the board. *Fixed on Fantasy"--
Featured Prompt
2,097 booksWhen you think back on every book you've ever read, what are some of your favorites? These can be from any time of your life – books that resonated with you as a kid, ones that shaped your personal...
Featured Series
3 primary books4 released booksThe Red Queen's War is a 4-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2014 with contributions by Mark Lawrence.
Reviews with the most likes.
Hmm! I feel like an outlier here as everyone seems to adore the book. I found it only so so. Maybe Its because I have a hard time not giggling over a hero who is named “Jalan”, which means road in Malay. But maybe because I found the plot very simple and wanted more of a challenge. I didn't really like Jalan. A charming rogue, yes, but insufferably immature and obstinate in his ways. Again, I am spoiled by my usual hardened, bitter and gloomy fantasy heroes. Also, the world seemed vague and the magical system even more so.
And some plot points seemed rushed aside. Like, why was Jalan chosen to bear the magic? Why did he agree to be dragged to the north? Why can he see the silent sister?
Still, Lawrence kept me turning the pages - which surprised me since I had these negatives about the tale. I suppose, in the end, I was a tad charmed by Jalan and the Viking Snorrin. But how I wished the story had more depth...
4.5 stars. Jal is one of my favorite characters in fantasy because he's just different. It's refreshing having a main character who's a coward, rather than the de facto courageous hero.
I knew when I began reading to expect nothing of Jorg's traits in Jalan. In fact I found that he was close to being the polar opposite of Jorg. It's amazing to see Jal's acts of cowardice being mistaken for bravery. You can see him starting to change though, in subtle ways, whether it's by his attention to certain details or reactions to scenarios. I thrive on character development and I can't wait to see just how Jal grows. It was nice to see characters from the previous trilogy pop up. We even see Jorg briefly : ) and Snorri's encounter with Rike was priceless.
