tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25675853.post8038634536633696510..comments2024-01-21T09:25:55.810+00:00Comments on Civilian Reader: “Prince of Thorns” by Mark Lawrence (Voyager/Ace)Civilian Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10978134983999101494noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25675853.post-5911605800805076852012-12-19T16:23:18.474+00:002012-12-19T16:23:18.474+00:00I think the reconciliation is in being able to get...I think the reconciliation is in being able to get behind a wholeheartedly unrepentant protagonist who doesn't know any better than being a criminal and watching his grow, very slowly into a FAR better adult.<br /><br />He's so unlikable, so that the revelation when his growth and events around him change him, hits you likea tonne of bricks. <br /><br />At least that's how I saw it. Sure he's unlikeable, and a petulant, whiny, asshatted teenager...but can you take someone like that and show them their error without them realizing it? I think a big part of the Nuban's portion in the narrative stands as the first bullwark against Jorg's criminal mindset...and he succeeds to a degree. The Jorg who we read a bout in KoT, is a slightly different Jorg than we read about in PoT.<br /><br />It's about growth. <br /><br />I think starting and ending a story with a hero already a hero is all well and good...but I much prefer starting a story with a villain and watching him grow into the hero.GunMetalBluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10374362891687088611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25675853.post-72893488468304286122012-12-17T18:07:05.935+00:002012-12-17T18:07:05.935+00:00Reviews for Prince of Thorns have been pretty much...Reviews for Prince of Thorns have been pretty much all over the place. I had difficulty with Jorg's age (I aged him in my mind, actually, when I was reading PoT), but for me Mark's prose is just so good I had to keep reading - I read it in two sittings. There are lots of great scenes, and I did like the world Mark's playing around in. That being said, I know a lot of people who share Abhinav's opinion. It's a book that generates strong reactions, for sure.Civilian Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978134983999101494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25675853.post-54220595719229051752012-12-17T18:05:17.829+00:002012-12-17T18:05:17.829+00:00I don't think I've ever heard of Saberhage...I don't think I've ever heard of Saberhagen, either. I'll have to investigate.Civilian Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10978134983999101494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25675853.post-7503028424886857782012-12-17T15:42:48.519+00:002012-12-17T15:42:48.519+00:00interesting. I've had so many people tell me t...interesting. I've had so many people tell me to read it but my reluctance is stemmed from a similar source and I think I'd have a similar roadblock to enjoying it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25675853.post-63020077377160930112012-12-17T11:22:56.418+00:002012-12-17T11:22:56.418+00:00King of thorns does expand some of that worldbuild...King of thorns does expand some of that worldbuilding, and helps flesh in some of that sketchy background which confused me, too. <br /><br />I just find it endlessly amusing the parallels between this series and Saberhagen's work, even if Lawrence has never read him.Paul Weimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444942522624902562noreply@blogger.com