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A review by marie_thereadingotter
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Review:
This is my first time reading true Dark Fantasy. I've read other books that call themselves dark fantasy, but after reading this, those feel a bit sugary.
Jorg is probably the worst kind of person, thoughtless murder, among other things. But what I like about that aspect of his character is that he never tries to pretend that he's anything but a shit person. He knows and uses it to his advantage as often as possible.
This is told from first-person perspective, and I've heard that some people struggled to read it because they didn't like being inside his head. I personally didn't have any difficulty with that, not sure what that says about me though.
There were chapters that were set four years previously, shortly after he was thrown in a briar bush depicting how he first met his band of "brothers", and how he was set on his path. It was a nice way to show what happened in the past that made him who becomes without the dreaded info-dump.
There are a number of side characters, many of them I didn't really bother to remember as they don't really play that big of a role in what is going on. Not to mention that most of them were given nicknames by the MC because he too seems them as expendable. Sir Makin and the Nuban are really the only ones he seems to remotely like, maybe even care for.
The only complaint I have for this book is that he really doesn't act his age. He's supposed to be 11- 14 through most of the book. I kept thinking he was older than 14, he acts like somebody in their mid-20s. Granted, people who go through trauma are often forced to grow up faster, and that could have been the case with him. But, he also doesn't talk like someone who has spent their formative years with thug-like people who likely can't read.
I really enjoyed this book though, and I am eager to read the rest of the trilogy. Mark Lawrence has quickly become a favorite author.
This is my first time reading true Dark Fantasy. I've read other books that call themselves dark fantasy, but after reading this, those feel a bit sugary.
Jorg is probably the worst kind of person, thoughtless murder, among other things. But what I like about that aspect of his character is that he never tries to pretend that he's anything but a shit person. He knows and uses it to his advantage as often as possible.
This is told from first-person perspective, and I've heard that some people struggled to read it because they didn't like being inside his head. I personally didn't have any difficulty with that, not sure what that says about me though.
There were chapters that were set four years previously, shortly after he was thrown in a briar bush depicting how he first met his band of "brothers", and how he was set on his path. It was a nice way to show what happened in the past that made him who becomes without the dreaded info-dump.
There are a number of side characters, many of them I didn't really bother to remember as they don't really play that big of a role in what is going on. Not to mention that most of them were given nicknames by the MC because he too seems them as expendable. Sir Makin and the Nuban are really the only ones he seems to remotely like, maybe even care for.
The only complaint I have for this book is that he really doesn't act his age. He's supposed to be 11- 14 through most of the book. I kept thinking he was older than 14, he acts like somebody in their mid-20s. Granted, people who go through trauma are often forced to grow up faster, and that could have been the case with him. But, he also doesn't talk like someone who has spent their formative years with thug-like people who likely can't read.
I really enjoyed this book though, and I am eager to read the rest of the trilogy. Mark Lawrence has quickly become a favorite author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, and Gore