Honest Reviews: Prince of Thorns

Honest Review: Prince of Thorns

<Prince of Thorns> is a maverick in the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy community. It is a story filled with bloody and stark portrayals of a world at war. It questions what is acceptable for readers to like and enjoy. Most importantly, it provides its very own take on a story of revenge and redemption.

The prince of thorns is a 13 year old boy named Jorg Ancarath, first of his name, crown prince of Ancarath, one of the hundred kingdoms vying for control in a broken empire. Jorg leads his own band of bloodthirsty marauders burning and pillaging a slew of villages in the countryside. Jorg is a sociopath, a man with a vision to reunite the broken empire with a baptism of fire. Readers are given a front-line seat through Jorg’s odyssey in his broken eyes. He does not feel empathy for his enemies. He does not care that he raped farm girls and set them on fire. He cares for revenge, and the world will burn as he cheats and battles his way to power.

I think I have never seen a book with such divisive reception from readers. But it is no wonder. Mark Lawrence’s prose is phenomenal in taking the reader directly into Jorg’s twisted mind. It is very discomforting, not the least because it is so vivid and real. The book really excels in doing what any book should do- allowing you to escape into another world, in the body of someone else, even if that person is someone you might detest. It really is an appeal few readers can ignore.

The setting is unique: a feudal society with magic that was the result of a terrible nuclear catastrophe. However, what really makes <Prince of Thorns> unique is its explanation for magic. “Magic” is only a culmination of a person’s will. When scientists tinkered with the fabric of time and space, a change referred as “The Wheel” began to turn. After the apocalypse, The Wheel kept turning and turning until small changes in reality began to grow into what they call magic in the book. This type of setting interests many readers, both to their desire for a medieval fantasy and science fiction, with a pinch of post-apocalyptic worlds and a story of revenge.

For me, the book was all about Jorg. He is not like most heroes or heroine we encounter. He isn’t held back by morals, nor is he resistant to trickery and cheating to “win the game”, or so Jorg describes his quest to unite the broken empire. He is truly a fascinating character. Mark Lawrence presents us with a boy doing horrible things to survive in a horrible world, and the question readers wonder is “Why?”. Is his ruthlessness something forged by birth, or by the horrific events he had to endure in his innocent childhood? Does he have the capacity to love, or is it just another tool to use in his “game”? Can he become a better person through his journey and redeem himself, or will he remain as a monster? The thorns from the Black-Briar holds Jorg's body and mind, and whether Jorg realizes it or not, he walks a narrow line between absolution and insanity.

<Prince of Thorns> is the story of a young boy who survived the worst of humanity and came back fighting tooth and nail. Lawrence’s writing prose is spot on, and the flashbacks and anecdotes interceding Jorg’s dark story provides much needed context and lore. The grand reveal of the big picture, that Jorg is a pawn in a larger game of kings and kingdoms, is also artfully done, which really gives a thrill down your spine. While this book is not for everyone, this book has an important place in the world of science fiction and fantasy.