The Traitor Prince

November 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-The latest "Ravenspire" novel, inspired by The Prince and the Pauper, delivers an action-packed narrative of monsters, violence, and political intrigue. Javin, the prince of Akram, an Arabian Nights-style fantasy world, has spent the last 10 years at a military academy. His return home is disrupted when an illegitimate cousin, Rahim, impersonates him as part of a political coup. Earnest and naive Javin is thrown into the vicious Maqbara prison, where he must fight monsters in gladiatorial battles in hopes of winning an audience with his father, the king. The novel's strength lies in its fast-paced action sequences and inventive monsters. While Redwine introduces themes of systemic oppression through her portrayal of the dark elves, an enslaved and subjugated race in Akram, the novel's ironic refrain that "the only good elf is a dead elf" comes across as heavy-handed moralizing rather than a nuanced exploration of these ideas. Characterization generally takes a backseat to the action, and the romantic subplot that fills the second half of the book feels rushed and out of place between the many graphic scenes of violence. Redwine's fans will appreciate cameo appearances by characters from the other "Ravenspire" novels, but this installment stands alone as a dark fantasy for readers who love fight scenes and political plotting. VERDICT Purchase where the author's previous books are popular.-Molly Saunders, Homewood Public Library, AL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2017
A prince replaced by a double must reclaim his identity.The crown prince of Akram, Javan Samad Najafai of the house of Kadar, has spent the past 10 years at Milisatria Academy fulfilling his mother's dying wish. In his absence, a rebellious faction of aristocrats is slowly poisoning the king, and they plan on taking advantage of his addled state by replacing Javan with Rahim, the illegitimate son of the king's cousin. Javan thwarts the attempts on his life only to have Rahim's father identify Rahim as the true prince. Javan narrowly escapes execution but is sentenced to the Maqbara, a prison where prisoners are forced into gladiatorial combat against all manners of creatures and monsters for the viewing and gambling pleasure of the aristocracy. Pious, honorable Javan is horrified by this miscarriage of justice and by what's happened to his kingdom. He sets out to win the tournament to gain an audience with the king and prove his identity. He gains a reluctant ally, then friend, in the warden's slave, a pale-skinned girl with a secret. As they struggle for their respective freedoms, their evolution from friends to more is romantic and compelling. The action scenes are inventive, as are narrative moments from Rahim's perspective. In a change from previous Ravenspire settings, Akram is Arab-coded (a sensitivity reader is thanked in the acknowledgements), but there are unobtrusive references to the other books.An exciting, entertaining series companion. (Fantasy. 12-adult)

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