The Desert Prince / Peter V Brett
fantasy
copyright 2021
read in October 2022
rated 7/10: well worth reading
Plenty of fantasy (and science fiction) books follow social trends and provide a strong heroine. Sometimes more than strong, heroines may be as violent and as bloodthirsty as Conan. Equal opportunity regardless of gender.
This book goes a step further.
Princess Olive is a pampered flower, dressed in frills, powdered perfumed and painted. Oh, and learning to fight.
Then she becomes Prince Olive and learns even more about fighting -- and killing. Yet the killing is, mostly, of demons, so not as nasty.
One character. Hero and heroine... extreme equal opportunity.
And it works. Olive -- in both aspects -- is a likeable and sympathetic character.
The action takes place in two main arenas: a benevolent democracy and a macho city of strong men and veiled subservient women. With Olive introducing a small amount of benevolence. Of course :-)
At the start of the book I thought, the world and characters are well introduced. With a few words, new setting and characters are quickly familiar.
As I read on I began to think... Have I missed a book one? There is a lot of back-story. A host of historic characters. Well introduced but... did they have a book of their own?
And then the book ended... with characters lost, needing to be rescued. Villains defeated but ready to return. There is a lot of to be continued... But it doesn't matter. The ending is satisfactory. The main characters are mostly safe (or dead).
An enjoyable book. With a unique main character.
Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved
===Politicians are like nappies -- just because you've changed the old one doesn't mean the new one's not going to end up being full of crap, too. (adapted from Alfred E. Neuman)
Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)
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