Blog Tour: The Luckless Prince

 

The Luckless Prince
Rie Sheridan Rose
Zumaya Otherworlds, 2011

When I saw this listed as an upcoming blogtour over at Pump Up Your Book, I knew I had to try to get on that schedule - very happy I was successful in that quest! The synopsis of The Luckless Prince, and the blurbs accompanying it, liken the tale to Tolkien, and I can definitely see how and why.

The Luckless Prince is one of those beautifully crafted stories that reads as ancient, treasured legend - only, you're living it as it happens. There's an intricacy to the story - so many layers, so many questions. The world of men collides with the world of elves (yes, beautiful, wonderful, mysterious elves! er, can you tell my favorite 'species' in Lord of the Rings?), and the two sworn enemies find themselves fighting elbow-to-elbow, struggling against forces of evil to save the life each adores. But it's so much more than just a battle against evil, there are rich characters - characters with mysterious pasts and yet more mysterious futures - who provide their own stories and intricacies, affecting every tiny nuance of the plot. It's a tale that caught my attention from the first few chapters and wouldn't leave my mind when I set the book down. The story itself carried me through the pages and to the end - holding my breath at each twist and turn, trying to figure out just where everyone fit into the big picture: who is the bad guy?, what's the history here?, so that's why -- ...

The writing is not pretentious or what I consider "heavy," but it is equally far from sparse. There are beautiful details, both in terms of physical descriptions as well as attention to the 'backstory' - readers are given hints and tastes of the things that have led to this moment, but discover the full truth of those matters alongside the main characters - particularly Roland and Stefan - with a sense of natural timing. There are legends and songs and the elves of Starlit Wood reminded me so very much of my beloved Tolkien elves, though they are not copycat duplicates, they have their own flavor.

In short, it's a story that drew me in and begged me to finish as fast as I possibly could - I had to know what happened next, how things worked out. The characters feel real, alive. I'm being deliberately vague in terms of exactly how the story progresses and refraining from divulging too many details - I don't want to ruin the surprises your reading journey will deliver, I want you to experience it all firsthand. I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed. (Though if you are, please tell me about it - I'd love to hear your responses!)

PS: If you click on the blogtour banner, it takes you to the official 'Blog Tour Central' page, with the full schedule (lots of great stops you should visit!), and...a teaser excerpt.

Book provided by publisher for review through Pump Up Your Book.