Scan barcode
A review by booksalacarte
The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
1.75⭐️2.75🌶️
Fantasy
Witches
Royalty
Morally Grey FMC
Mythical creatures
Rebellion
🏳️🌈 normative society
The Prince’s name, Ashoka, means “Without Sorrow,” making the book’s title very literal. It’s a clever way to tie the character’s name to the story, but this isn’t explained in the book. I only discovered it after googling his name, wondering if it was from a Star Wars character (it’s not, but close).
Some word choices made me pause—nothing too distracting, just enough to make me think.
The dynamic between the pacifist prince, standing up to his violent family, and the righteous witch who defies her creed to do no harm, is interesting. However, the themes behind their choices weren’t explored enough. While we get a solid backstory for the FMC’s departure from the witches’ pacifist beliefs, we don’t learn much about how the MMC came to his views. This would have added depth to his character.
The side characters felt flat and one-dimensional, and many conflicts were resolved too easily by happenstance. The lack of personal growth or challenges made their journeys less believable.
The worldbuilding had great potential, but it was limited by a magical forest sprite popping in to explain things to the FMC. That didn’t do enough to immerse me.
There’s some repetition, especially in the internal monologues—like the author expects you to catch on just from restating things rather than showing them through the plot.
The premise was intriguing, but the execution fell short for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Fantasy
Witches
Royalty
Morally Grey FMC
Mythical creatures
Rebellion
🏳️🌈 normative society
The Prince’s name, Ashoka, means “Without Sorrow,” making the book’s title very literal. It’s a clever way to tie the character’s name to the story, but this isn’t explained in the book. I only discovered it after googling his name, wondering if it was from a Star Wars character (it’s not, but close).
Some word choices made me pause—nothing too distracting, just enough to make me think.
The dynamic between the pacifist prince, standing up to his violent family, and the righteous witch who defies her creed to do no harm, is interesting. However, the themes behind their choices weren’t explored enough. While we get a solid backstory for the FMC’s departure from the witches’ pacifist beliefs, we don’t learn much about how the MMC came to his views. This would have added depth to his character.
The side characters felt flat and one-dimensional, and many conflicts were resolved too easily by happenstance. The lack of personal growth or challenges made their journeys less believable.
The worldbuilding had great potential, but it was limited by a magical forest sprite popping in to explain things to the FMC. That didn’t do enough to immerse me.
There’s some repetition, especially in the internal monologues—like the author expects you to catch on just from restating things rather than showing them through the plot.
The premise was intriguing, but the execution fell short for me.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.