Prince of the Blood by Raymond Feist, continues on the story told in the Rift War saga. However, there are some new characters to be introduced as it is 20 years after that event Prince Arutha now has twin boys and this story follows them. This story is a departure from Feist's earlier books in this series as there is very little magic in it. In Prince of the Blood the main driving force of the book is politics and intrigue, it almost has the feel of a who-done-it type plot. Normally I don't like the who-done-it books but Feist was able to pull this off with a well developed setting, great characters, and a plot that seemed to always keep you guessing.
The characters development in this is again very good, as can be expected with Feist. Since I have started reading Feist's books I have been rather impressed by how well thought-out his characters are. There seems to be very little that is done just for the sake of doing. Each character remains consistent throughout the story, and more impressively, throughout the series. This book centers on the development of two characters, those being the sons of the prince. Each faces different challenges and pitfalls along the way. Each is faced with a different set of circumstances that force them to make decisions. These decisions go a long way in there development. With all of the Feist books I have read thus far, he has a knack for letting his characters show flaws. They are not these all powerful people that some authors have as their characters. The characters in this book get hurt, have doubts, and one goes through a lot by the end of the book.
The characters development in this is again very good, as can be expected with Feist. Since I have started reading Feist's books I have been rather impressed by how well thought-out his characters are. There seems to be very little that is done just for the sake of doing. Each character remains consistent throughout the story, and more impressively, throughout the series. This book centers on the development of two characters, those being the sons of the prince. Each faces different challenges and pitfalls along the way. Each is faced with a different set of circumstances that force them to make decisions. These decisions go a long way in there development. With all of the Feist books I have read thus far, he has a knack for letting his characters show flaws. They are not these all powerful people that some authors have as their characters. The characters in this book get hurt, have doubts, and one goes through a lot by the end of the book.
At the start of this book I thought the plot was going to be rather straight forward and almost boring. Yet, the more I read the more complex the plot became. By the last 100 pages of this book the plot is so involved you are not even sure who to believe or at time exactly what even happened (or is going to happen). By the end of the book however, everything is brought to a nice close and it all makes sense. I think a great benefit for this plot is the setting which is richly described and used to its fullest to get the greatest effect.
Feist is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors for his ability to weave a good story with good characters. It seems all too often most authors have one or the other and expect it to carry the book - while that can certainly be done - it's much more interesting when both elements are present. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre and have yet to read this book (or any other Feist books) you really should take the time and do so. Remember, to start at the beginning with Magician: Apprentice and follow it through. I think if one were to read this book first you may be a little confused, but not overly much so. All-in-all I highly recommend this.
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