Rate: 4.5/5

Medium: Audiobook

Overview (No Spoilers):

Following up on finishing the Prince of Fools, I couldn’t wait to read the Prince of Thorns. Had I not read a spoiler knowing the two reads overlapped after the Prince of Fools I’m not sure I would have actually picked up on related events. That being said, I’m glad I read the two books in the order I did due to the lasting, impressive impression I had of Jorg that was vastly different that the one given in Prince of Thorns of a boy still growing. Both of these series contain many of the key aspects I look for in fantasy series, the especially world building and magic, however I find myself growing ever more intrigued by the protagonists that Lawrence has crafted within these two novels instead of the literary realm. Jorg and Jalan are unique to the point of novelty in comparison to stereotypical male leads. Jorg, for instance, could (and perhaps should) be categorized as a bad guy, sure still a ‘good’ bad guy but still one who lacks any ounce of conventional chivalry. I found the concept as a whole refreshing, although equally frustrating as Jorg would do something evil in lieu of the redemption arc I wanted him to follow. By the end though, it became clear the Jorg was at the center of a much bigger game, in which the players and motives were yet to be made completely clear, setting the stage for book two to grow beyond the foundations established within a Prince of Thorns. Overall, this inaugural installment of the Broken Empire trilogy along with the Prince of Fools has piqued curiosity for this fascinating literary world, along with Lawrence’s detailed writing style.

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

• I hated that Jorg nuked Gelleth Castle. Sure, Jorg didn’t exactly know what this entailed, however so many people were killed. Should Jorg and his crew had radiation poisoning?
• So Jorg is now King of his Uncle’s kingdom. Has his revenge been sated or will he now go after his father, especially after his father stabbed him and left him for dead?
• What are the movies behind the magical meddling pulling Jorg’s strings?
• Why did Katherine nurse Jorg back to life? What other magical abilities will Jorg manifest due to eating the necromancer’s heart?
• Why and how did Sir Makin give Jorg his trust so absolutely?