The Prince of Shadow [NOOK Book]

such a good book

i loved it!!! this book has gotta be one of the best i've read, and it certainly has some of the most well written characters, i hope the next one gets out soon, because it'll be a hard wait

part fantasy, and part sword and sorcery intrigue

Thebin, once a powerful mountain kingdom, becomes too complacent and its enemies, the slave trading Harn, easily take over the country, kill its king, queen, and princess. The seven princes were sold into slavery and the youngest Llesho was sold to the owner of Pearl Island. When his teacher Lleck died, he was made aware that his brothers lived and he vowed to find them and take back the throne of Thebin.

He petitioned his master to allow him to enter gladiator training and while learning this new skill, he came to the attention of some powerful people who recognized him. Llesto went from being a slave to a symbol and rallying cry for the Thebin cause, making alliances and enemies of power including governors, witches and gods along the way.

Curt Benjamin has written a wonderful novel that is part fantasy, and part sword and sorcery intrigue. THE PRINCE OF SHADOW has a varied cast of characters that are complex, much more so than usually seen in the genre. The plot has so many twists and unexpected turns that the reader will eagerly turn the page to see what happens next. This is the start of what promises to be a grand series.

Harriet Klausner

Great book. Can't wait for the next one!

This book sort of sneaks up on you. The set up is pretty standard fantasy stuff, though with an Asian feel. Llesho, the poor slave who always seemed a little different, is really a lost prince of a conquered realm. His mentor dies, telling him that he must find his brothers, who have also been sold into slavery, and take back his kingdom. There is a strong ensemble cast of supporting heroes, all of whom have their own motives. The humble laundry man with a mysterious past, the former assassin, Llesho's two young compatriots, even an overprotective bear. While they mostly seem a little familiar, they are still very effective. In the villain, we see the classic evil magician's rise to power. He is all the more frightening here because his motives too are unclear. One of the real outstanding things about this book is the way Benjamin develops a sense of place. This is a large world with a range of fully developed cultures. We are not overwhelmed with long historical surveys or anything, but there is a sense of a living world with people and politics and religion. The book itself is excellent. As a set up, it is even better. The ending has a twist or two that really raises the stakes for the rest of the series. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

Can't wait for the next book

This is a very exciting story. The action blends very well with the character development. I look forward to the next book in the series; I encourage you to try this book if you like martial arts or science fiction or fantasy.

& 1/2 stars. A very good debut.

The Prince of Shadow is Mr. Benjamin's debut novel, and it's a good one. I finished the book in 2 days, and by the end of it, was enjoying it a lot. The plot itself is ripe with potential and could yield lots of wonderful things. Mr. Benjamin's writing and story telling is above average. I only say this because, at times, it seems he's too eager to get from one part of the story to another, and merely glosses over events and situations that would have more impact and consequence if he took a bit more time in telling/showing them. Not that he must mire his story in wordiness, but if events are supposed to be important, then give them their due: love, torture, death, protection, betrayal, etc. Llesho's character, in the beginning, comes across very wooden and unsympathetic, and at times erratic and inconsistent in his protrayal. But by the end of the novel, I grew to like the character and did hope that he would succeed in his endeavor. Llesho's young and naive to the ways of the world and politics. Sometimes, this comes across as stupidity, arrogance and ambivalence. While these are not traits that I want in a 'hero,' these are believable traits for a 16 year-old. While I did come to like the main character, the 'arch nemesis' fell flat for me. There wasn't much in the story to build up the mystique of the enemy. I do hope that will change in the next book, that he'll develop an enemy that I will want to hate. Among some of the other characters that Mr. Benjamin creates, some were more memorable than others: Master Den, the laundry washer, whom I hope to see and learn more of; Mara, the healer; General Shou; Master Jaks and Bixei. All in all, despite some mis-steps, The Prince of Shadow promises to be very fulfilling a story. I look forward to reading the next book.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.