Prince of Thorns

No one can tell you whether you are going to like a book or not. When I read the first few pages of this book, I had this sinking feeling that I was really going to have to TRY to like it. The first person narrative felt eccentric and the protagonist felt archetypal and narcissistic.

But it just kind of got under your skin. Not after a few chapters. Right away. It's like when you're watching a TV show and you can't put your finger on why you like a character. Not in the labored foreshadowing-of-redemption kind of way. But because they scratch an itch or make you think.

THEN I whispersynced over to the audiobook and it all just clicked. I've had audiobooks before that were more enjoyable than reading the book, but this was different. This was like the voice actor shed light on the character and made the narrative voice feel 'right.' Suddenly it wasn't a borderline annoying teen with daddy issues - it was Alex from Clockwork Orange, except now he's a sellsword fighting witches, or whatnot. Yeah, I know, it's kind of crude/rude to compare one character to another, so don't go running away with that analogy. That's just how it was perceived by me.

Prince of Thorns is rough and dark and super melodramatic in a medieval film noir kind of way. I can understand why some people don't like it. But I also kind of think it's bound to have a cult following. I'm still not sure whether the book is truly good or not, but putting it down is hard and I think about it all the time, like a disturbing dream I wish I hadn't woken up from.

DREAMS TELL A MAN WHO HE IS.
This story is told in first person, by a guy who loves to hear himself talk. I might have liked this better if written in third person. At times I just wanted the kid to shut up. I am always weary of people who brag about themselves. Tell me they are smart, honest or tough. It usually ends up being the opposite. This guy was tortured at 10 years old and now at 14, he is a bad ass, okay we get it, now let's get on with story, shall we. The first half of the story is all about convincing you that this fourteen year old is a bad ass. He even kills without warning his own followers, sometimes because their looks irritate him. I fail to understand how you can get a group of guys to follow you if they never know when you are going to kill them next. I listened to all of this and there are glimmers of real writing, but it is surrounded by double talk. The second half of the story reads more like Conan the Barbarian. The late middle part of the book, where he is under the mountain and fights necromancers, is the best part of the book. When he is doing something and not talking about doing something.

I SWALLOWED THE NIGHT AND THE NIGHT SWALLOWED ME
I always feel it to be a cheap trick to do a lot of double talk. A lot of people seem to think it clever and you even it see it in some of the classics, but this guy does it constantly. I DON'T LIKE TO BE ANGRY, IT MAKES ME ANGRY. ALL OF A SUDDEN IMPOSSIBLE ODDS, SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. YOU LOSE THE GAME AND WHAT DO YOU LOSE? YOU LOSE THE GAME. IN A REAL FIGHT AND MOST FIGHTS ARE REAL. EVEN AS THEY LEFT ME, THE WORD SOUNDED HOLLOW, CHILDLESS.

AND IF PEOPLE CALL YOU KING, THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE.
Probably the biggest fact that you comes out of this story, is that kings are nothing but the biggest bully on the block. That is how they get started and then it is nepotism from then on.

I'M A SOLDIER (reviewer) AND THAT'S THE END OF IT.

If you are looking for friendly talking dragons, and Happily Ever After this book is NOT for you. Violent, dark and brooding. Reminds me of books by Brent Weeks and Joe Abercrombie. I am downloading the second book now. This one was a bit short for my taste.

This is a well written book; however, it has a very morbid story line and dark characters. I did not enjoy.

I only suggest this book for those who like their fantasy stories on the darker side.

I've been putting off this book for sometime, given the other review's descriptions of the dark, anti-hero.

They are very right; the main character is dark and an anti-hero. I almost stopped listening in the first 10min because he was such a B***rd.

But not shortly after I found myself rooting for him. It is an impressive work in that regard. The main character's condition begins to make sense and you begin to sympathize with him (I hope no one empathizes with him).

I liked it. I'm heading straight back to listen to the next book.

I'd say if you like dark/gritty this is your book--although, I'd say it is more dark that gritty.

I'd recommend it for fans of Game of Thrones, Blood Song, Dragon's Path, The left Hand of God, Black Company, or anything by Joe Abercombre

I would indeed.<br/>The narrator brought the different cast of unique characters to life and read brilliantly what was already a well written story.

I loved the characters. Yes, even the evil prince himself. They all have powerful personalities and the narrator brings them to life so magnificently.

I'd say the scene where the prince and his men take on the force many times their size in the ruins.

For being such a dark tale, there is comedy, and I did laugh to myself as I listened.

You have to know what you are getting into. The dark moments of the book may seem a bit much (The main character contimplates about killing just about every single person that speaks to him) but it IS a story with an anti-hero. Someone you aren't supposed to love. Someone that believes the ends justify the means. And Jorg does believe that and would kill near anyone to get what he wants, but in the context of the story, he does so in a way that absorbs the listener in every moment.

I feel like this might turn into a good series if I could just get into it, but I just find myself avoiding listening to it and turning to other media. I got 3.5 hours into it (about a third of the way through) and stopped.

I just can't get past the main character. This is a thirteen year old sociopath that is so precociously world-weary that he is able to bully grown men, hardened criminals without batting an eye. In fact, that is all he seems to do. He's not inconsistent (a major pet peeve of mine), he's just absurd. I understand the concept of an anti-hero. This seems to be what the author is going for. I am not above rooting for the bad guy. This protagonist is just so utterly annoying. I keep hoping for the actual protagonist to come along and smother this character in his sleep so that the real story arc can begin. No luck so far.

As to the reading... it seems ok. Clamp seems to play the main character pretty well. He pauses a bit mid-sentence making for a disturbing rhythm.

This is a rich smooth syrup of poetic prose. Words so thick you can not see through them. Not a watercolor but an oil painting with texture, depth and color, mostly red. This is also a study of madness as seen from the inside and a how-to on making a monster. <br/><br/>All the characters are Jorg. It is his vision that is your window to his world. You only see through his eyes. All others are what he tells you they are. Reality is what he wants to believe. His values, that all can be sacrificed and all is a means to an end, is what drives this book. That all must bend to his will. That one or two well placed corpse will make others more compliant. He is assured that men will fallow him because they will! Things will happen as he wants, because it will! Because he is Jorg.<br/><br/>Do I like Jorg? No. Would I ever want to meet him? Hell no! Do I want to read the next book, as well as anything else by this author? Yes please. Because fellow readers this man can write!<br/><br/>One way to judge a book is by the echoes it leaves in your mind. Do you think about it? Where you changed by it? Did it disturb you? This one will be lurking in the dark corners of my mind for a long time.

I have read and listened to a lot of fantasy books and I have no issues with anti-heroes as lead characters; however, Jorg just isn't an interesting character and I was never able to get behind him. At 9 years old Jorg experiences a terrible trauma as his mother and brother are killed while he is helplessly caught within the thorns of a nearby briar patch. His father, the king, is unwilling to risk war with Count Renar, who is behind the murders, and he basically agrees to put the matter aside in exchange for some economic concessions. This shapes Jorg into a monster bent on revenge against both Count Renar and his father.

Jorg becomes the leader of a band of thugs at the age of 13 and the book is experienced from inside his mind. That is a dark place and frequently Jorg envisions ruthlessly killing those he interacts with. Sometimes those thoughts are converted to action and sometimes they aren't but they are constant. Jorg frequently kills men 3 times his size through an improbable series of events and he quickly furthers his agenda against his father and Renar. Eventually it is uncovered that there are more powerful individuals behind the scenes who manipulate key people as pieces in a giant game of thrones. Jorg himself discovers that he is being manipulated and he adds his puppet-master to his list of targets.

Now I love a good revenge tale more than most and I'm willing to let questionable behavior slide in the name of revenge on those "who deserve it" but this book never got me there. Jorg is too young, has no redeeming qualities at all, and the improbable events are just too unbelievable. There is also nothing truly unique about the fantasy world although the book does get interesting at times it doesn't really last.

This isn't a terrible book but I still suggest that you pass on this one. If you want to listen to dark, gritty fantasy or root for an anti-hero then there are much better choices available. I give this 2.5 stars only because James Clamp did a decent job on the narration and his performance kept the story moving along. It just never wound up where I wanted it to be.

Conflicted, complicated, and morally ambiguous characters are great, but Jorg is just a one-dimensional dirtbag. Not interesting or compelling in the least. Martin, Abercrombie, and Morgan I like very much, but this is really a far cry from their work. It's as if Mr. Lawrence is trying to imitate work he admires, but doesn't really understand, and the result is caricature more than emulation. "Look everybody, my protagonist is way more vicious, nasty, and loathsome than anything those hacks ever came up with! And I won't waste your time with depth or character development!" Thanks, but no thanks.