Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you want an anti-hero, this is the book for you. I’ve never read anything quite like this before – the setting is medieval, the language is modern, and the main character is completely unpredictable. I mean…you really can’t guess what this guy will do or when he might decide to relent in his killings, what direction he’ll go next.
From the beginning, Jorg is set up as a man (or really, boy) with no morals at all, and only in that way is he predictable – at first. Who he spares and who he doesn’t really is impossible to predict (except for one character, but even so, I couldn’t be 100% sure).
If you’re averse to violence, turn back now. Most of the book revolves around it. The pithy voice of Jorg is addictive, reflecting his brutality at every turn, and the pace keeps up throughout. There isn’t an unimportant moment except some setting descriptions, which I found very well done. The whole writing style and the way Jorg’s voice carries through, his harshness balanced with his humor, was infused in every turn of phrase, many very clever.
This is one of the very few books that has drawn me into putting the next in the series on my to-read list.