Just wanted to share a couple reviews I’ve posted on Goodreads. I’ve been reading some great books lately. I’ve also been working my way through Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. Not sure why I waited so long to read it. I am loving it so far. I recently finished The Wolves of the Calla and am almost ready to start Song of Susannah. So I’m getting close to the end. I think I’ll do a long post with my thoughts on the whole series once I’m done with it.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Prince of Thorns is dark, gritty, and very violent. Somehow Mark Lawrence makes me care about Jorg Ancrath, the fourteen-year-old protagonist who has few, if any, redeeming qualities and a penchant for doing whatever it takes to get what he wants. The flashbacks offer a glimpse into the torment that plagues him, but his pain certainly doesn’t make him a better person. He’s not supposed to be. To me that’s the power of this book. I hate what Jorg does, but somehow I’m fascinated by him at the same time. The first person point of view makes it a compelling story. Jorg tells it like it is, never apologizing for his actions and feeling very little remorse, but he has a certain charm that makes you invested in his story. Interesting world building also. I’m curious to see what awaits Jorg in King of Thorns.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an amazing, dark, and violent reimagining of the Peter Pan story. It is definitely NOT your Disney Peter Pan. In the author’s note, the author mentions that he was intrigued by this line in the original book: “… when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out…” I haven’t read the original, but I can see why this particular line would be so interesting. The Child Thief brings out the callous, selfish nature of Peter and combines it with celtic mythology to create a unique and fascinating tale. It is violent and rather graphic. At one point I started to feel like there were way too many heads cleaved from shoulders, but I couldn’t stop reading. I was riveted by the characters and the plot and raced through to find out how it was going to resolve.
Cindy Young-Turner 