Prince of Thorns (Broken Empire Series #1)

by Mark Lawrence

Overview

BOOK ONE IN THE BROKEN EMPIRE TRILOGY

“Prince of Thorns deserves attention as the work of an iconoclast who seems determined to turn that familiar thing, Medievalesque Fantasy Trilogy, entirely on its head.”—Locus 

When he was nine, he watched as his mother and brother were killed before him. By the time he was thirteen, he was the leader of a band of bloodthirsty thugs. By fifteen, he intends to be king...

It’s time for Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath to return to the castle he turned his back on, to take what’s rightfully his. Since the day he hung pinned on the thorns of a briar patch and watched Count Renar’s men slaughter his mother and young brother, Jorg has been driven to vent his rage. Life and death are no more than a game to him—and he has nothing left to lose.

But treachery awaits him in his father’s castle. Treachery and dark magic. No matter how fierce his will, can one young man conquer enemies with power beyond his imagining?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780007423637
Publisher:	Harper Voyager
Publication date:	04/28/2012
Series:	Broken Empire Series , #1
Sales rank:	192,727
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mark Lawrence is a research scientist working on artificial intelligence. He is a dual national with both British and American citizenship, and has held secret-level clearance with both governments. At one point, he was qualified to say, “This isn’t rocket science—oh wait, it actually is.” He is the author of the Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns), the Red Queen’s War trilogy (Prince of Fools, The Liar’s Key, and The Wheel of Osheim) and the Book of the Ancestor series (Red Sister).

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Excerpted from "Prince of Thorns"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Mark Lawrence.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This book is brilliant.” --Galaxy Book Reviews

“[A] morbidly gripping, gritty fantasy tale.” --Publishers Weekly

“The best book I’ve read all year…[Lawrence] pulls you in and doesn’t let go.” --New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett

“Prince of Thorns deserves attention as the work of an iconoclast who seems determined to turn that familiar thing, Medievalesque Fantasy Trilogy, entirely on its head.” --Locus

Editorial Reviews

This morbidly gripping, gritty fantasy tale is not for the squeamish. Prince Jorg was 10 years old when Count Renar's soldiers hung him on a hook-briar while his mother and brother were murdered. Vicious and desperate for revenge, he joined a bandit gang. Four years later, he's their leader and determined to end a multigenerational war by resurrecting the old empire and becoming emperor. Jorg is the epitome of the antihero, killing not just in battle but whenever he feels the need to set an example. Only toward the end of the book does a startling revelation focus his violence on clearly deserving targets. But Jorg is a product of his world, no worse than any other power there, and Lawrence increasingly makes readers believe that Jorg may indeed be able to use small savageries to end the ongoing greater ones. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Prince of Thorns is the best book I’ve read all year...[Lawrence] pulls you in and doesn’t let go.”—Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Skull Throne
 
“This is a lean, cold knife-thrust of a novel, a revenge fantasy anchored on the compelling voice and savage purpose of its titular Prince. There is never a safe moment in Lawrence’s debut.”—Robert Redick, author of The River of Shadows
 
“Dark and relentless, the Prince of Thorns will pull you under and drown you in story. A two in the morning page turner.”—Robin Hobb, author of Assassin's Fate
 
“[A] morbidly gripping, gritty fantasy tale.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Vivid…smooth and compelling...gritty and full of wonder. This book is brilliant.”—Galaxy Book Reviews
 
“Disturbing, beautiful, chaotic, poetic, haunting, exhilarating.”—Fantasy Faction
 
“Without a doubt the most original and most memorable fantasy debut of 2011. It’s difficult to imagine how another book could top this one.”—RisingShadows.net
 
“2011 is turning into another year for impressive genre debuts, but at this point Prince of Thorns is arguably the most impressive and stunning...Highly recommended.”—SFFworld.com
 
“Defies the conventions of epic fantasy by invoking them only to take a savage delight in tearing them apart.”—Locus

From the Publisher

The only survivor of a treacherous ambush that killed his mother and younger brother, Jorg Ancrath learned to survive by his wits and his gifts for combat and leadership. By the time he turned 13, he commanded a group of cold-blooded mercenaries. On his 14th birthday, Jorg decides to return to the castle of his boyhood and reclaim his rightful title as Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath. Lawrence's debut features a young protagonist with the sensibilities of a man many years older, whose hard life and harder companions lead to a brotherhood based on loyalty and blood. Dark sorcery and fierce combat are the hallmarks of this action-packed tale of revenge and intrigue set in a darkly somber medieval world. VERDICT Strong writing and an unforgettable narrator lend firsthand intimacy to this series opener. The author's style is reminiscent of Glen Cook's "Black Company" series and should appeal to readers who enjoy their fantasy tempered by gritty realism and gore.

Library Journal