My title is immature, but the book started it. I didn't keep an accurate count, but there must have been at least a half dozen times the protagonist graphically describes shitting himself at the first signs of danger. That's too many times, and illustrates my main problem with the book Prince of Fools.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series and I don't know how much that matters. Prince of Fools is an extremely straightforward story with one plot thread to follow and only two main characters. That's unusual in a high fantasy novel, especially one that has 500 pages to fill. It also presents a problem for story telling. The two characters are based on broad archetypes; The Prince is a cad, a scoundrel and a bounder. Through a contrived magical plot device, he gets stuck with Snorri, a humongous bloodthirsty viking. It's a buddy cop movie starring Flashman and Conan the Barbarian. Whilst initially it serves as a fun set up, the problem is that the book doesn't do enough to develop these two characters beyond their stock roles. The prince will say something cowardly. The viking will bash things. Rince and repeat thirty odd times. I'm reminded of some naff Warhammer Gotrek and Felix stories I read as a kid, but I also remember those being somehow more fleshed out.
There is also kind of an issue with the world building. There is the obligatory map at the beginning, this one showing that this fantasy world is set in a Europe with half of England and Denmark missing. Adding further to the mystery, characters keep stumbling across modern (yet "ancient") inventions that are inconsistent with the middle age setting. By the end of the book there is still a lack of a satisfying explanation. Also there are loads of references to things like The Wizard of Oz that are so on the nose, the writer could only be using them to sett up for some big post-apocalyptic society twist. Either that or he just hasn't a clue how to write reference gags. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming the former.
I found myself losing patience with this book. The jokes wear thin on repetition. The story itself is too meagre to stay interesting. The magic that makes the story possible is way too convenient. With a B plot or a shorter length it would have worked, but without it, Prince of Fools is a barely competent story.
Prince of Fools: The Adventures of Prince Poopie Pants
My title is immature, but the book started it. I didn't keep an accurate count, but there must have been at least a half dozen times the protagonist graphically describes shitting himself at the first signs of danger. That's too many times, and illustrates my main problem with the book Prince of Fools.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series and I don't know how much that matters. Prince of Fools is an extremely straightforward story with one plot thread to follow and only two main characters. That's unusual in a high fantasy novel, especially one that has 500 pages to fill. It also presents a problem for story telling. The two characters are based on broad archetypes; The Prince is a cad, a scoundrel and a bounder. Through a contrived magical plot device, he gets stuck with Snorri, a humongous bloodthirsty viking. It's a buddy cop movie starring Flashman and Conan the Barbarian. Whilst initially it serves as a fun set up, the problem is that the book doesn't do enough to develop these two characters beyond their stock roles. The prince will say something cowardly. The viking will bash things. Rince and repeat thirty odd times. I'm reminded of some naff Warhammer Gotrek and Felix stories I read as a kid, but I also remember those being somehow more fleshed out.
There is also kind of an issue with the world building. There is the obligatory map at the beginning, this one showing that this fantasy world is set in a Europe with half of England and Denmark missing. Adding further to the mystery, characters keep stumbling across modern (yet "ancient") inventions that are inconsistent with the middle age setting. By the end of the book there is still a lack of a satisfying explanation. Also there are loads of references to things like The Wizard of Oz that are so on the nose, the writer could only be using them to sett up for some big post-apocalyptic society twist. Either that or he just hasn't a clue how to write reference gags. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt and assuming the former.
I found myself losing patience with this book. The jokes wear thin on repetition. The story itself is too meagre to stay interesting. The magic that makes the story possible is way too convenient. With a B plot or a shorter length it would have worked, but without it, Prince of Fools is a barely competent story.