A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

A Confusion of Princes
Written by Garth Nix
Reviewed by Professor Birdbrain
Edition Published April 2014
337 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin
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★★★★★
I have died three times, and three times been reborn, though I am not yet twenty in the old earth years by which it is still the fashion to measure time. This is the story of my three deaths, and my life between. My name is Khemri.

Taken from his parents as a child and equipped with biological and technological improvements, Khemri is now an enhanced human being, trained and prepared for the glory of becoming a Prince of the Empire. Not to mention the ultimate glory: should he die, and be deemed worthy, he will be reborn...Which is just as well, because no sooner has Prince Khemri graduated to full Princehood than he learns the terrible truth behind the Empire: there are ten million princes, and all of them want each other dead.
Khemri, a product of the vast empire of mankind, is amongst the realm of Princes of the Empire. The Princes have many lives of luxury, for a prince of the empire, they rarely ever die permanent death. At the time of death, a Prince's actions are weighed by the Imperial Mind. If deemed worthy, he or she will be reborn or re spawned, as I like to think of the process.

In a vast empire comprising of trillions of humans, a terrible price must be paid by all parents, when the priests come planet side to test their children for the genetic markers. Those strong enough to allow the child to survive the massive modification process, required to become super human and become a Prince of the Empire of man.

Professor Birdbrain's Thoughts

The writing style was similar to that of an autobiography, told by the main character Prince Khemri which works well on many levels. It helps alleviate the initial absence of back story, which the author Garth Nix addresses quickly, giving the reader a basic overview of the technology that is key to the empire. You'll learn more as Khemri travels along his journey of his three deaths, and three consequential lives. Parts of the story will connect with the reader and resonate strongly. I personally found a rich connection to the story, and was riveted, on the edge of my seat.

Death is not approached as a glorious event, even though the prince will likely be reborn. The feeling of loss is present, and inspires deep reflection on the events that lead up to the death. These are examined in the story. Some of the technology is incredibly confusing and I had a hard time picturing what the author had intended to convey. The explanations of the three main technologies could have benefited with slightly more explanation. I found myself having to re read some parts of the story to understand the meaning that the author was trying to deliver, but could have due to the abundance of information thrown at the reader, all at once.

I felt lost trying to pronounce and remember the the unusual names given to the majority of the characters. I appreciate the diversity, but the story could have done with a few that were easier to pronounce, a Jane or Timothy wouldn't have gone astray. It's by no means a detraction from the book and readers will still thoroughly enjoy it.

Prince Khemri's story is told in past tense and as the story progresses, so does his development and your understanding of the empire as a whole. By the middle of the book you will see gaps in his decision making, and wants filled with a yearning for something more human. Master of Assassins Haddad, is the most prominent secondary character. His role is to protect Khemri from the other princes, and saves Khemri's life on multiple occasions. He exudes a strong sense of honour and duty to the empire, and Prince Khemri. There's little explanation regarding Haddad's history, but I'm hoping the bonus story included will help clear any confusion. He is a father figure in the story, trying to help a somewhat misguided son.

A Confusion of Princes may have benefited from a more descriptive text on the three main technologies used by the Princes. They were described well, but they were all described a little too closely together and somewhat intermingling in their description. No doubt this will leave some readers in the dark. I would have also liked to have read about more space battles in greater detail, only due to a personal preference.

The storyline is written in past tense, drawing the reader in to the story, making you sit on the edge of your seat as well as being unable to put the book down. Garth Nix created a rich backdrop for the reader to imagine. I personally felt the book playing out like a movie in my head, that I could identify with. The undertones of emotion combined with the richness of the story really do make you feel like Prince Khemri was a real person, and is easy to imagine you being in his place at times.

This book is fantastic! A hardcore science fiction with a surprising love story. Deep, rich, and features plot twists that will surprise readers. Simply, this story will mentally challenge the reader, making you contemplate sacrifice and honour.

11 comments

  1. Excellent review Mr Birdbrain, sounds like a great sci-fi read. I've heard good things about it and it sounds interesting :)

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    1. Birdbrain really does love his science fiction. I'm going to give this one a read too. He actually loved it so much, that he couldn't help but share storyline spoilers. So I'm determined now to see how awesome this one really is.

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  2. I hadn't heard about this one before but i've been int he mood for s good sic-fi read and i think this might just fit the bill! Great reveiw :)
    Lily

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    1. It's really more of a psychological science fiction according to Birdbrain. Perfect if you're looking for something completely different from your usual reads. Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much Professor Birdbrain! ;) I'm kind of on a sci-fi / dystopian slump right now, so I'm not sure if this would be the right read for me at the moment, but I'll make sure to consider giving it a try when I'm in the mood for a good sci-fi novel! :D

    ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

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    1. He said it's really heavy on the science fiction, so I think you'd have to be on your toes to take it all in. Definitely worth the read though Zoe.

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  4. Hah! Nice review. I have been wanting to read something by Garth Nix. This sounds like a really promising sci-fi novel.

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    1. Considering how big an author he is, this will be my first Garth Nix novel too. The dear husband said it was a really intelligent read, so I can't wait to give it a go as well.

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  5. I never saw anything from these author yet, this would be the first time. Its rare for me to read a book with a guy as the main character. It looks like a great book, I'll check it out sooner or later haha :D

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    1. Awesome Jules, I hope you enjoy it as much as he did. Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. Seems like Garth Nix can do no wrong with his books. I've only ever read Sabriel but enjoyed it a lot. Definitely will need to check this series out. :D

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