Prince of Fools cover art

Prince of Fools

Red Queen's War, Book 1

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Prince of Fools

By: Mark Lawrence
Narrated by: Sean Ohlendorf
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About this listen

From the critically acclaimed author of THE BROKEN EMPIRE series comes a brilliant new epic fantasy series, THE RED QUEEN’S WAR.

The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire fear her as they fear no other.

Her grandson Jalan Kendeth is a coward, a cheat and a womaniser; and tenth in line to the throne. While his grandmother shapes the destiny of millions, Prince Jalan pursues his debauched pleasures. Until he gets entangled with Snorri ver Snagason, a huge Norse axe man, and dragged against his will to the icy north.

In a journey across half the Broken Empire, Jalan flees minions of the Dead King, agrees to duel an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath, and meets the ice witch, Skilfar, all the time seeking a way to part company with Snorri before the Norseman’s quest leads them to face his enemies in the black fort on the edge of the Bitter Ice.

PRINCE OF FOOLS is the first book in the series.

©2014 HarperCollins Publishers Limited (P)2014 Mark Lawrence Fantasy Genre Fiction Military War & Military

Critic Reviews

‘A savage voice which is telling you a good jest while trying to drown you in story’
ROBERT LOW (Author of the Kingdom Series and the Oathsworn Series)

‘Really excellent, gritty fantasy – I'm trying to avoid comparison with GAME OF THRONES, but I'm afraid it’s right there. But funnier. Very funny indeed’
YA and Carnegie-shortlisted author ANTHONY MCGOWAN
All stars
Most relevant  
This story has some interesting characters, reluctant heroes and a wealth of Norse mythology woven into a fantasy setting. Definitely a series with potential.

Great start to a new fantasy series.

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Has the perfect mix of humor, serious and excitement. Different vibe from the Prince of Thorns but just as good

So funny and just so good

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I laughed aloud and even teared up at a certain scene. I love Jalan. I love Snorri. Action-packed, with humour and darkness in equal measure, this is a fantastic story told by an engaging narrator (both the character and the actual narrator of the audiobook). Definitely recommend if you are in the mood for an adventure!

Wonderfully narrated

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my first Lawrence novel, I read and listened to this story ans loved both forms.

Great story and narration

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What aspect of Sean Ohlendorf’s performance might you have changed?

The story and writing are great but Sean Ohlendorf's performance doesn't quite capture the main characters personality. The narration sounds (to me at least) a bit flat. I might have a bias opinion of the books narration though having listened to it originally with Tim Reynolds who does an amazing job. I suggest playing samples from each narrator and making your own choice but I would definitely suggest Tim Reynolds version.

Great book, narration a bit off.

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Loved everything about it- (newly introduced to Mark Lawrence, his writing is hilarious) and thought the narrator was amazing!

Loved it

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An entertaining read but not as good as The Prince of Thorns trilogy I hope the next book in this series is better

Prince of Fools

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Christianity, the Norse panteon, how can these exist in a fantasy world? The existence of these religions implies the existence of real world countries, cultures, and associated history to these countries and cultures. Consequently, it broke my immersion to the fantasy world to the point that I could not get back in.

not my type of fantasy

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Initially, I struggled with this book - the main character and the narrator- reminded me of the Broken Empire's first book (I didn't finish Prince of Thorns-), but I stayed with Prince of Fools and it was okay. I especially liked the relationship between Prince Jalan Kendeth and the likable northman named Snorri ver Snagason. Maybe I am just always comparing to the Book of the Ancestor series which I feel is superior. I will tackle the rest of this series and if it gets better I might go back and try the Broken Empire series again.

Worth a read

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The story felt long-winded and aimless, with no clear direction or meaningful payoff. Characters moved through drawn-out scenes, but nothing of consequence ever seemed to happen. Despite decent narration, the pacing was slow, and by the end, I was left wondering what the point of the whole adventure was. Definitely not for those looking for a concise, engaging plot.

a frustrating listen

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