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A review by bookswithbethx
The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The Prince Without Sorrow is an Ancient Indian inspired fantasy book that heavily discusses the themes of oppression and pacifism
This is a good debut novel and start to the series, and I had a lot of fun despite a few problems with the characters and the world.
In this story, we follow two perspectives. The first is Prince Ashoka, the youngest child of the current Emperor and a self-proclaimed pacifist. He believes battles can be won with words, unlike his genocidal father and siblings. The second is Shakti, a Mayakari (a race of peaceful witches who are all female) who is the polar opposite to Ashoka. She is very impulsive and aggressive and never thinks through her actions.
The story begins with the Emperor visiting the village Shakti grew up in to hunt the local witches - including her aunt - and destroy the village. Shakti manages to escape, but this event begins a story of vengeance against the empire.
This book is full of political maneuverings and strategising, it is very much a political fantasy at its core. As a book about the persecution of witches, it also heavily explores feminism. Women are regularly burn-tested to see if they're Mayakari, and torture is a common theme. The world is interesting but not very well explained, but perhaps having a map would help with that. There is an intriguing magic system that I'd be curious to learn more about.
I have a few problems with this book. The first is the characters; they are extremely immature despite being (I assume) adults, especially adults who are supposed to be ruling the country. Shakti, especially, is a very annoying character, despite having the more interesting ARC! I must add that there is no direct romance in this book, despite how it's seemingly being marketed, but it does seem like a queer relationship may develop throughout the series.
Secondly, the persecution of the mayakari also does not make sense to me. The motivations behind the Emperor and his children deciding to destroy all Mayakari is never explained. The Mayakari are regularly described as a peaceful people, despite their mistreatment and their ability to fight back, and yet they are constantly being hunted.
The themes are quite heavy-handed and pushed at you throughout this story, and it seems like it's intended to be an anti-pacifism story at its core. I'm not sure if this rubs me the wrong way or not...
To conclude, I did overall have fun with this story, despite the negatives, and I am planning to continue the series once future books are available.
This is a good debut novel and start to the series, and I had a lot of fun despite a few problems with the characters and the world.
In this story, we follow two perspectives. The first is Prince Ashoka, the youngest child of the current Emperor and a self-proclaimed pacifist. He believes battles can be won with words, unlike his genocidal father and siblings. The second is Shakti, a Mayakari (a race of peaceful witches who are all female) who is the polar opposite to Ashoka. She is very impulsive and aggressive and never thinks through her actions.
The story begins with the Emperor visiting the village Shakti grew up in to hunt the local witches - including her aunt - and destroy the village. Shakti manages to escape, but this event begins a story of vengeance against the empire.
This book is full of political maneuverings and strategising, it is very much a political fantasy at its core. As a book about the persecution of witches, it also heavily explores feminism. Women are regularly burn-tested to see if they're Mayakari, and torture is a common theme. The world is interesting but not very well explained, but perhaps having a map would help with that. There is an intriguing magic system that I'd be curious to learn more about.
I have a few problems with this book. The first is the characters; they are extremely immature despite being (I assume) adults, especially adults who are supposed to be ruling the country. Shakti, especially, is a very annoying character, despite having the more interesting ARC! I must add that there is no direct romance in this book, despite how it's seemingly being marketed, but it does seem like a queer relationship may develop throughout the series.
Secondly, the persecution of the mayakari also does not make sense to me. The motivations behind the Emperor and his children deciding to destroy all Mayakari is never explained. The Mayakari are regularly described as a peaceful people, despite their mistreatment and their ability to fight back, and yet they are constantly being hunted.
The themes are quite heavy-handed and pushed at you throughout this story, and it seems like it's intended to be an anti-pacifism story at its core. I'm not sure if this rubs me the wrong way or not...
To conclude, I did overall have fun with this story, despite the negatives, and I am planning to continue the series once future books are available.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder
Minor: Vomit