Title: The Prince of Treason

Author: D.S. Eanes

Genre: Epic fantasy

 

In D.S. Eanes’s The Prince of Treason, the Tanis house conquers the Edenfield house, taking over its kingdom, and the only surviving member is Prince Gabriel. Now fleeing and hiding under the protection of the Great Knight, Robert, Gabriel is trying to survive in a harsh world. Meanwhile, brothers Bryon and Randall of the Tanis house vie for their mother’s favor and the throne.

The book’s opening hooks the reader and sets the stakes high and the tone for the rest of the story. Gabriel’s father, Orrin, entrusts his son to Robert’s care and protection. The fall of the kingdom is at hand. What unfolds is political epic fantasy. Multiple points of view between clashing kingdoms and characters occur that bring the world of Mi’dern into harsh reality for it being a fantastical world.

The Prince of Treason is similar to A Song of Ice and Fire with the multiple kingdoms competing and the very flawed and shifty characters. No one is all good, although a few come close, but even they have their darker natures revealed. The darker characters are quite twisted and disturbing, but the power plays between even the least of characters keeps the pages turning. There’s not a dull moment. For a book well over 100,000 words, it’s a fast-paced read and the first in a series that will keep the reader wanting to come back.

The Tanis house is the most evil, and even Randall, the older brother who is marked to take the throne, although he seems kinder and gentler than Bryon, turns out to be as vile as his mother, Leona. The Tanis house will resort to any means necessary to keep their power. Laws mean nothing in a world where power is what rules. Eanes delivers this dose of darkness and evil with sobering realism that will sit with the reader long after the story is done, its level of disturbance deep, and that is a compliment to his skill as a writer.

The prose is overall cinematic, playing out like we are watching the story unfold on a big screen, especially in the wilderness and during the arena scenes. Fights playing out in sequences feel natural. Even minor characters are written with attention to detail, physically and emotionally. Their grittiness comes across as real.

With so many characters and points of view, there are multiple plot threads happening. The reader must remain patient for the next installment to keep the momentum going and to reap the reward. Eanes has set a magnificent stage in book one. That said, some readers may find frustration waiting for the narrative to return to certain plotlines and characters, in addition to book two.

A word of caution: there is extreme violence, akin to A Song of Ice and Fire. Battle and fight scenes do not hold back from gruesome detail, so this tale may not be for everyone. It may be hard for some to read such violent and brutal acts, knowing innocents are not spared. That said, the violence serves as a stark reminder of the power plays at work in this world.

For readers who enjoy morally gray fantasy that is ruthless in its politics and violence, The Prince of Treason delivers a well-told story. Lovers of A Song of Ice and Fire will find Eanes’s storytelling reminiscent of George R.R. Martin and his epic, sweeping narrative. Eanes has crafted an impressively immersible world that goes deep and dark, yet the pages turn fast and easy.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.