Prince of Fools (Red Queen's War, #1)

by Mark Lawrence

[moraa]

***FOR REASONS THAT HAVE RECENTLY COME TO LIGHT, I CANNOT CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS AUTHOR***

I’m a liar and a cheat and a coward, but I will never, ever, let a friend down. Unless of course not letting them down requires honesty, fair play, or bravery.

Can we talk for a minute because... HOLY CRAP!

*struggles to get shit together for a presentable review that involves more than gibberish and swear words*

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of The Broken Empire series and by extension a huge fan of Mark Lawrence and his writing style (that series really did a number on me). Anyway, today I'm here to tell you why you should read this book (and by extension the The Broken Empire series or really just the entire catalogue of Mark Lawrence's works).

WHAT I LIKED:

1. Characterisation

Prince Jalan Kendath (further titles omitted)
-king of "hmmm's" and "ahh's" and all other assorted "thinking noises"
-fun, jaunty, light-hearted and a joy to follow around
-eager to enjoy the benefits of being a prince but none of the duty (this makes for some very humorous situations)
-never too serious so that when he is serious for once, the breath is knocked from your lungs and you start to believe he could be something more
-a brave man (???) - I'm still trying to find out - but definitely a coward ("how can he be both?" you ask. My friend, I have no damn clue)

Snorri ver Snagason
-a mystery - yes we got a few flashbacks but I need more than that, who are you really, Snorri?
-very introspective - for those who like a touch of brooding every now and then
-a voice of reason in times of desperation
-likeable and relatable, with a simple storyline (for now)
-a Viking - and a good one at that (???) - I need more on this front too

There were few other constant on-the-page characters because of the story (which involves Jalan and Snorri travelling across the continent in search of a cure) so these two are my main focus, not to mention the book is told in first person so we see much of the world from Jalan's perspective.

2. Plot
-this book is set within the world introduced to us in The Broken Empire and takes place concurrently with Jorg's story (if you've read the series then you know what I mean when I say seeing him again brought back bittersweet memories)
-however, that's not to say, it takes place in Jorg's story, this book is firmly about Jalan and Snorri and the Red Queen's machinations (little as we know of them for now)
-suffice to say, the plot was good, very straightforward - but convoluted ones do often tend to go haywire

3. Writing Style (sentence structure, word choice etc)
-flawless
-light and humorous
-I couldn't look away for a second

4. World-building
-there's not much to say about this except that it resembles much of our world as it was in recent history (and now to an extent)
-if you're looking for something with not too extensive world building, then this may be worth a shot
-as soon as you start reading, some things will seem instantly familiar (Roma, Afrique, Araby, Norsemen etc)

In summary, you need to get on this series stat! It took me ages to pick up The Broken Empire and I regret it everyday since. I swore I wouldn't make the same mistake with The Red Queen's War and don't intend to.