In the ancient moors of Scotland, the king of Calidon lies on his deathbed, cursed by a ring that cannot be removed from his finger. When a mysterious fey stranger appears to save the king, he also carries a secret that could tear the royal family apart.
The kingdom's only hope will lie with two young men raised worlds apart. Aric is the beloved heir to the throne of Calidon; Albaric is clearly of noble origin yet strangely out of place.
The Oddling Prince is a tale of brothers whose love and loyalty to each other is such that it defies impending warfare, sundering seas, fated hatred, and the very course of time itself. In her long-awaited new fantasy novel, Nancy Springer (the Books of Isle series) explores the darkness of the human heart as well as its unceasing capacity for love.
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[SPIRITS COAXED AND CALLED, sang and sighed in the wind outside the benighted tower where I sat beside my dying father, the king] ***(Tachyon Publications, 15 May 2018, ebook, 288 pages, copy from publisher and voluntarily reviewed)
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This is my first time reading the author. To the best of my recollection anyway.
The Oddling Prince is an okay read. Unusual for fantasy fiction, this appears to be a stand-alone, not the first in a series so you get the full story and no questions go unanswered. The core of the book is the intense connection between Prince Aric and the mysterious, Albaric, his alleged half-brother. They bond instantly, which is compelling but also a little fast. I would have preferred the relationship to develop a bit slower. It feels rushed at times. Also, there are moments when their relationship is almost erotic little potential lovers and this is very creepy. I loved the setting. I'm Scottish and the book is set in the ancient moors of Scotland. Yeah, books aren't set in my neck of the woods enough if you ask me. The cursed ring controls people. This reminds me a lot of The Lord of The Rings which is one of my favourite series ever so I liked the connotations. The style of writing is really enjoyable. The book starts off really well but after the halfway point it takes a downward spiral. The ring starts to feel like a plot device and becomes a bit tedious.
