saluki's review against another edition
3.0
Grimdark fantasy with a capital G!
Jorg Ancrath, the Prince of Thorns, is possibly one of the vilest characters I've ever read. At fourteen years old, with his band of mercenary brothers, he is responsible for all manner of evil deeds. Their grotesque killings, pillaging and rapes are the norm. Jorg feels no remorse, no regret, and even philosophises that his actions are honest and real. Survival, no matter the moral cost, is true honest living.
There are some backstory flashbacks to Jorg at eleven years old... a tragic event spurs him to leave the privileged royal seat and take to the road. They are interesting sequences but I couldn't quite believe he would leave his home and survive the wild of this harsh world at so young an age. At fourteen/fifteen he comes across as the ultimate survivor, and at times I felt he overcame impossible odds a few too many times. Still, with that said, it's a horrific story that I couldn't stop listening to. Normally I lose interest in evil main characters who have no redeeming features and Jorg almost seems proud to admit he had:
So few sins untasted.
He is aware that wrongs have shaped him, but that doesn't stop him revelling in the stink of death in its many flavours.
Many a bloodbath and disturbing actions make this the most uncomfortable fantasy I've read. Yet, I liked it. Joe Jameson narrates the audio version and his softer tones with a northern english accent worked well for Jorg's young voice (the voice reminded me of Kit Harington... Jon Snow in HBO's Game of Thrones).
Not for the faint-hearted.
enbyglitch's review against another edition
5.0
Yup, that's about as brutal as can be expected. Having recently read 'A Clockwork Orange', it was fascinating to see Lawrence taking inspiration from the language and tone of Alex and his gang for Jorg and his.
As with the other Lawrence books I've read, the strongest part for me was setting this fantasy story in a post-apocalyptic world and hungrily devouring and analyzing the different clues throughout the story.
I'm not going to complain about the brutality of this one, both because of the obvious (in my mind) Clockwork Orange comparison and also because its what you sign up for in reading dark fantasy. I also don't think this one crossed lines to the extent that the animal abuse in Red Sister did.
Looking forward to reading more!
As with the other Lawrence books I've read, the strongest part for me was setting this fantasy story in a post-apocalyptic world and hungrily devouring and analyzing the different clues throughout the story.
I'm not going to complain about the brutality of this one, both because of the obvious (in my mind) Clockwork Orange comparison and also because its what you sign up for in reading dark fantasy. I also don't think this one crossed lines to the extent that the animal abuse in Red Sister did.
Looking forward to reading more!
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/11/12/prince-of-thorns-by-mark-lawrence/
Do you ever come across a book that everybody tells you to read, but you don’t get around to for months or even years because there are so many other books on your TBR pile? Prince of Thorns was one of those books. It had been recommended to me by other bloggers, and then Mike read the whole series and has been waiting impatiently for me to read it so we could talk about it. I FINALLY READ IT! It’s every bit as amazing as you all said it would be, and I regret not having gotten to it sooner.
The basic premise of the story is that the protagonist, Prince Jorg, survives an attack from the Count of Renar. His mother and little brother are both brutally murdered. Jorg only survives because he’s trapped in a thorn bush and unable to escape without severely injuring himself, but from his vantage point, he is able to see his family’s fate in excruciating detail. Jorg vows his revenge, becoming increasingly angry and bitter as he sees his father’s nonchalant reaction to the attack. He runs away from home with a gang of bandits, where he bides his time and becomes stronger. He swears that by the time he is fifteen, he will be king.
Prince of Thorns stands out from every other fantasy book I’ve read because the protagonist is a dick. Prince Jorg is not a nice person. He does terrible things. He leads a band of outlaws that rape, pillage, and murder innocents in the name of profit and/or fun. By all rights, he should be completely unlikeable. As much as I don’t like Jorg and think his actions are morally reprehensible, I find myself rooting for him against all better judgement. The kid certainly has nerve. He takes risks to accomplish his goals, and is a brilliant strategist. More importantly, Jorg seems like the only person who can end a war that has been fragmenting the empire for generations. He’s the only chance to restore the kind of stability that could create a lasting peace.
The worldbuilding in Prince of Thorns is unique because the story is set in a world that resembles our own, but in a far distant future after a major catastrophe forces the world back into a quasi-medieval social structure. Most knowledge of technology has been lost and relegated to myth and legend. There’s magic, but it’s unclear how much of magic is real magic and how much is just forgotten knowledge. I think there’s plenty of room for both, although I’ll be curious to see how it’s developed as the series progresses.
Overall, Prince of Thorns was a fascinating read. I expected it to take me close to a week to read (that’s on average how long it takes me to read a book, although I tend to read 2-3 books at a time), but ended up finishing it within two days because I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to continuing the series and seeing if Jorg can finagle his way into becoming emperor.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2014/11/12/prince-of-thorns-by-mark-lawrence/
Do you ever come across a book that everybody tells you to read, but you don’t get around to for months or even years because there are so many other books on your TBR pile? Prince of Thorns was one of those books. It had been recommended to me by other bloggers, and then Mike read the whole series and has been waiting impatiently for me to read it so we could talk about it. I FINALLY READ IT! It’s every bit as amazing as you all said it would be, and I regret not having gotten to it sooner.
The basic premise of the story is that the protagonist, Prince Jorg, survives an attack from the Count of Renar. His mother and little brother are both brutally murdered. Jorg only survives because he’s trapped in a thorn bush and unable to escape without severely injuring himself, but from his vantage point, he is able to see his family’s fate in excruciating detail. Jorg vows his revenge, becoming increasingly angry and bitter as he sees his father’s nonchalant reaction to the attack. He runs away from home with a gang of bandits, where he bides his time and becomes stronger. He swears that by the time he is fifteen, he will be king.
Prince of Thorns stands out from every other fantasy book I’ve read because the protagonist is a dick. Prince Jorg is not a nice person. He does terrible things. He leads a band of outlaws that rape, pillage, and murder innocents in the name of profit and/or fun. By all rights, he should be completely unlikeable. As much as I don’t like Jorg and think his actions are morally reprehensible, I find myself rooting for him against all better judgement. The kid certainly has nerve. He takes risks to accomplish his goals, and is a brilliant strategist. More importantly, Jorg seems like the only person who can end a war that has been fragmenting the empire for generations. He’s the only chance to restore the kind of stability that could create a lasting peace.
The worldbuilding in Prince of Thorns is unique because the story is set in a world that resembles our own, but in a far distant future after a major catastrophe forces the world back into a quasi-medieval social structure. Most knowledge of technology has been lost and relegated to myth and legend. There’s magic, but it’s unclear how much of magic is real magic and how much is just forgotten knowledge. I think there’s plenty of room for both, although I’ll be curious to see how it’s developed as the series progresses.
Overall, Prince of Thorns was a fascinating read. I expected it to take me close to a week to read (that’s on average how long it takes me to read a book, although I tend to read 2-3 books at a time), but ended up finishing it within two days because I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to continuing the series and seeing if Jorg can finagle his way into becoming emperor.
isauldur's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at the halfway point.
There was really nothing to the plot that kept me interested. It all feels like standard fantasy revenge politicking, and the "post-apocalyptic" paint job doesn't make it any more unique.
The characters are grating, Jorg especially. He's an odd mixture of that edgy teen who draws skulls all over his notebook and a little boy who says "well, my mommy said I was an intimidating psycho." His attitude is so edgy it's not even disturbing, just cringey. His idea of numbing himself because pain is bad can work, but the approach Jorg takes feels...unrealistic and unnecessarily radical. If he were less wanna-be badass and more driven by actual pain, I feel like I'd be more invested.
The worldbuilding isn't there so far, the story was disjointed and haphazard, and even Jorg can't define his own motivations to return home after all this time.
The author tries to hard to be the grimest darkest there is, but it comes across like the sulky fake goth brooding from early 2000s superhero films. Some reviews call this novel unique, but everything this book is doing was already done. First by GRRM to a lesser degree, then by Abercrombie. Jorg feels like he read those books, then edgily said "Those books are for babies. I'm the real grimdark." Except it verges on the silly.
Overall, this wasn't a fun read. I was mostly bored and didn't really care about anything that was happening. I will give Mark Lawrence another try, though, with another of his books. I've heard too many good things about him to just ignore his other stuff.
There was really nothing to the plot that kept me interested. It all feels like standard fantasy revenge politicking, and the "post-apocalyptic" paint job doesn't make it any more unique.
The characters are grating, Jorg especially. He's an odd mixture of that edgy teen who draws skulls all over his notebook and a little boy who says "well, my mommy said I was an intimidating psycho." His attitude is so edgy it's not even disturbing, just cringey. His idea of numbing himself because pain is bad can work, but the approach Jorg takes feels...unrealistic and unnecessarily radical. If he were less wanna-be badass and more driven by actual pain, I feel like I'd be more invested.
The worldbuilding isn't there so far, the story was disjointed and haphazard, and even Jorg can't define his own motivations to return home after all this time.
The author tries to hard to be the grimest darkest there is, but it comes across like the sulky fake goth brooding from early 2000s superhero films. Some reviews call this novel unique, but everything this book is doing was already done. First by GRRM to a lesser degree, then by Abercrombie. Jorg feels like he read those books, then edgily said "Those books are for babies. I'm the real grimdark." Except it verges on the silly.
Overall, this wasn't a fun read. I was mostly bored and didn't really care about anything that was happening. I will give Mark Lawrence another try, though, with another of his books. I've heard too many good things about him to just ignore his other stuff.
bigbear73's review against another edition
5.0
I'd had my eye on this book for awhile, and finally got around to reading it. At a time in my life where I had no time to read anything...I managed to get through this. And I'll read it again.
Phenomenal world building and an anti-hero with some real rage and ego issues (thereby probably making him one of the most realistic I've read), this book was an absolute delight. I just hope I can devour the rest of them soon.
Phenomenal world building and an anti-hero with some real rage and ego issues (thereby probably making him one of the most realistic I've read), this book was an absolute delight. I just hope I can devour the rest of them soon.
mwellemeyer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
awall14's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
Judging by the reviews most people either loved or hated this one. I guess I can see why. This is gritty, violent fantasy completely lacking in ethereal elves and such. There is no discernible good versus evil here. Everyone's either evil, crazy or both. The female characters are mostly stereotypes and don't get to do much of anything, so it's hard to tell what kind of people they are. Which, by the way, always baffles me in this genre. If you're creating a fantasy world, why not challenge gender roles (as you're not bound by historical facts) and include some women with personality and agency, rather than just The Whore, The Maiden and The Witch? I mean really, you can imagine necromancers and monsters and magic, but women depicted as individuals rather than male fantasies is too out there? Steven Erikson does this so well in his Malazan series.
Malazan this is not, but jolly good fun all the same, if you like blood and entrails and general mayhem. It's a little disconcerting to find yourself rooting for a murderer and rapist, but what else are you going to do when it's all told through his wicked point of view? Jorg, the fourteen-year old evil wunderkind, does have a sense of humor and manages to casually quip between slayings without coming across as insufferable. Well, not counting the killing and raping (which Erikson by the way also does much better).
I didn't love it, but I read it in one sitting and laughed out loud a few times and that's something.
Malazan this is not, but jolly good fun all the same, if you like blood and entrails and general mayhem. It's a little disconcerting to find yourself rooting for a murderer and rapist, but what else are you going to do when it's all told through his wicked point of view? Jorg, the fourteen-year old evil wunderkind, does have a sense of humor and manages to casually quip between slayings without coming across as insufferable. Well, not counting the killing and raping (which Erikson by the way also does much better).
I didn't love it, but I read it in one sitting and laughed out loud a few times and that's something.
mandykins007's review against another edition
5.0
Dark Start with a strong finish!
Bloody, violent and provocative. My kind of read. Smartly written. Entranced from the start. Can't wait to begin the next one.
Bloody, violent and provocative. My kind of read. Smartly written. Entranced from the start. Can't wait to begin the next one.