Prince of Thorns

I never would have imagined that I could end up liking a mass murderer so much. Let there be no mistake: Jorg Ancrath is an irredeemable, unapologetically vicious contrarian. He is single-handedly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands and doesn't feel too particularly bad about it. He murders his companions on a whim. He commits unspeakable atrocities out of sheer juvenile stubbornness (read: serious daddy issues). Still, the boy is so deliciously devious and fiercely defiant, even to his own detriment, that I can't help but be smitten. The author also does a remarkable job of circumventing the fantasy genre's reliance on deus ex machina. Jorg ultimately triumphs against impossible odds with a sharp mind and breathtakingly sardonic pragmatism. He doesn't always win, but even in defeat, his defiance screams through in a way that deeply resonates with anyone who has ever been forced to endure the anguish of helplessness.

The Author has a great grasp of metaphors and makes would be uninteresting parts of any book, interesting. The whole thing is told in 1st person so if you don't like the main character you won't like the book and "like" is a relative term. The story itself actually might be found lacking and if not for the darker subject matter and unheroic protagonist I'd fault it more. Also its really short at 200 paged or so. This definitely won't be a book for everyone I feel but count me among those who like it.

What I love so much about Mr. Lawrence's writing is that he doesn't beat around the bush. He keep the story flowing smoothly. Normally I don't enjoy flashbacks in a book; however, the flashbacks in Prince of Thorns are very well written. Mark Lawrence seizes flashbacks as an opportunity to character build the dark, complex character he has created with Jorg Ancrath. Mark created the a monster that you can't help but feel sympathetic for in the end with Jorg. Can't wait to read the next one!