Prince of Thorns

By: Mark Lawrence

Narrated by: James Clamp

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

Author Mark Lawrence has won over audiences everywhere with Prince of Thorns, his exciting debut novel.

Nine-year-old Prince Jorg is forced to watch as his mother and brother are slaughtered. Fleeing the palace, Jorg joins a bloodthirsty band of thugs. But he’s determined to take back what’s rightfully his, so he returns to the castle a few years later - unaware of the dark and powerful magic that awaits.

©2011 Bobalinga, Ltd. (P)2012 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

“Vivid … full of wonder. This book is brilliant.” ( Galaxy Book Reviews)

good start to series

a unique take on a coming-of-age story. I really enjoyed watching the characters grow not only individually but as a group. I am really looking forward to the other books in the series.

Lawrence breathes depth, fire, hate, will and stor

Ok, you're considering this purchase. If you Google'd the book, you'll see the large number of positive reviews and the collection of very negative ones. There's a reason for it. The star of our drama isn't one that you are to like. However, he is one that you know. He's inside everyone. The voice that tells you to burn it down. And then there's the story.

Absorb the beginning, question the why, ride the waves the Lawrence creates. The beautiful thing about the book is the lack of physical descriptions that Lawrence gives. He lets you in the story but only just, allowing you to paint a considerable amount of it inside your head. It works.

The story is a fantastic edition to your library with the other epic fantasies because of its depth and dissimilarities.

Narration is spot on. Just the right amount of character voice changes, the perfect amount of spite. You can tell Clamp enjoyed his roles.

Take the jump. Enjoy the fall. It's a long way down and very much worth it.

Amazing Dark Tale

Jorg is a depraved character and is amazing as the point of view for this story. I read The Red Queens War before this and it is a major shift from the lighthearted character Jalan to Jorge, but both are fascinating and deep characters.

Not for everyone, but easily one of my favs...

Would you listen to Prince of Thorns again? Why?

I have listened/read this book twice. The whispersync is awesome and IMO the only way to experience this book. James Clamp's performance totally elevates the experience of Prince of Thorns. As I read the reviews it is no surprise that there are people that did not enjoy this book as it is beyond dark and twisted. It just isn't for everyone and a lot of people won't be able to stomach a story through a sociopath's POV. But for me, I was fascinated by Jorg and wanted to see what he was capable of next. I enjoyed the writing style of the author and couldn't put this book down. I think people will believe they are comfortable with dark and gritty fantasy but this book definitely takes it to another level and it will challenge those claims. My advice would be to read the sample chapters available on Amazon. I think you will get a pretty good indication of the tone of this book. If you enjoy the sample, chances are you are going to love this book as I do.

Excellent Adult Fantasy

So good. brutal at times. but gosh was it amazing.
so good. Well worth reading. Give it a try.

Great story, narration makes it hard to follow

What didn’t you like about James Clamp’s performance?

When the book first started playing, I thought that there was something wrong with my ipod. It literally sounded like a 6 year old trying to read. The pauses were so long that I was thinking y player was skipping or that the download was corrupted. The performance did get better by about chapter 7, but still throughout the book, there were times that the transitions were lacking between characters or story lines that got very confusing. There was nothing about the performance that really brought you into the story.

Any additional comments?

If I had the time in my life, I would have much rather read this story myself.

fantastic read.

You couldn't have picked a better reader for this incredible story. Absolutely loved this book and have already recommended it to several people.

Hero or Villain?

I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist is flawed, evil, and funny. He's not all bad though. He's one of the best anti-heroes I've seen. He may just be a villain.

Aside from an awesome main character, the story is well-paced and interesting. I was never bored, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The weak point of this story is it's side characters. Aside from maybe one or two, the side characters are all very one-dimensional.

The performance was well-done. The narrator had a pleasant voice, and the voices were done well enough to tell the difference between characters by their voices.

Story of a Leader of Bandits

Would you consider the audio edition of Prince of Thorns to be better than the print version?

I am dyslexic so I would but I am not the best person to ask this

What other book might you compare Prince of Thorns to and why?

Game of Thrones due to the setting although this book is told from one person's point of view

Have you listened to any of James Clamp’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not although he is a fantastic reader

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

You either win the game or you die

Any additional comments?

This book gives a rare look at the point of view of a bandit leader in a Game of Thrones type setting. The story becomes far more complex but I don't want to spoil anything

very entertaining

a few awkward pauses knocked a star off for performance, overall good voice acting. The main character is complex in his feelings yet somewhat predictable in his actions so I took a star off the story for that. I like the flashbacks, the style reminds me of the lies of Locke Lamora how there is a relevant flashback for context and then progression through the story afterwards.