Customer Reviews

The Prince of Shadow (Seven Brothers, Book 1)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book sort of sneaks up on you. The set up is pretty standard fantasy stuff, though with an Asian feel. Llesho, the poor slave who always seemed a little different, is really a lost prince of a conquered realm. His mentor dies, telling him that he must find his brothers, who have also been sold into slavery, and take back his kingdom.

There is a strong ensemble cast of supporting heroes, all of whom have their own motives. The humble laundry man with a mysterious past, the former assassin, Llesho's two young compatriots, even an overprotective bear. While they mostly seem a little familiar, they are still very effective. In the villain, we see the classic evil magician's rise to power. He is all the more frightening here because his motives too are unclear.

One of the real outstanding things about this book is the way Benjamin develops a sense of place. This is a large world with a range of fully developed cultures. We are not overwhelmed with long historical surveys or anything, but there is a sense of a living world with people and politics and religion.

The book itself is excellent. As a set up, it is even better. The ending has a twist or two that really raises the stakes for the rest of the series. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

I read the book in two sittings, and only stopped the once because I had to write a paper. I won't call the storyline itself brilliant, the basic line being a lost prince who is trying to get back to his homeland and free it. I actually had not been to terribly hopeful when I bought the book (else I would not have started to read the book *before* my paper had been written).

I was pleasantly surprised, about the book, anyway. Before I realized how engrossed I was, I was halfway through the book. The telling of the story is wonderfully discriptive and flowing. The actual plotline had an ending that I had not really anticipated, which to me is a big plus to the author. I hate reading a story, guessing the ending, and being right. That means it is being predictable. However, I didn't find this book that predictable, nor were the plot twists so strange that I could not understand what had happened (which tends to be the other extreme).

In fact, I am going back to read the book a second time to see what I missed the first time. I am also eagerly awaiting the next book in the series (it is almost irritating to discover a great writer when they've just begun their career).

I honestly think that if people like Mercedes Lackey or Anne McCaffrey, they will like this gentleman. His work is a little less on the thought and background than Lackey's recent books, but he does make up for that with diverse characters and creative plotlines.

This gentleman has a promising career in front of him, and he is worth keeping tabs on!

I was thoroughly delighted by Curt Benjamin's debut. This is an author I will watch for in the future, especially for the continuation of the story begun so well in The Prince of Shadows. Having read science fiction and fantasy for almost 50 years, I approach new authors with a mix of anticipation and scepticism. I was continuously pleased and never disappointed by Mr. Benjamin.

His plot, well laid out with interesting and very unexpected twists and turns, appears to have very loosely used Chinese mythology and history as a springboard to a world which includes magic, dragons, warlords, an emperor, a nomad enemy group, and many other interesting characters and groups. His characters are well developed and his hero and companions likeable well rounded, believable and likeable, with even his hero and deities having weaknesses as well as strengths, and a sense of humor. His descriptions of surroundings set the scene for the action very clearly and efficiently, giving a good picture of "where" you are without being tedious, and with nice touches to make each setting a part of a "real" world.

I raced through this story, turning each page to eagerly learn what would happen next, and finished it feeling well satisfied. Llesho, in his mission to find and rescue his brothers and free his homeland, encounters interesting and exciting adventures, setbacks and triumphs, with companions bringing their own distinct personalities, strengths and weaknesses to enliven the plot.

This is a keeper, and a book to re-read. Now that I know how it ends, I want to go back and see what nuances and hints of what is to come that I missed in my excitement to see what happens on the next page.

The Prince of Shadow is Mr. Benjamin's debut novel, and it's a good one.

I finished the book in 2 days, and by the end of it, was enjoying it a lot. The plot itself is ripe with potential and could yield lots of wonderful things.

Mr. Benjamin's writing and story telling is above average. I only say this because, at times, it seems he's too eager to get from one part of the story to another, and merely glosses over events and situations that would have more impact and consequence if he took a bit more time in telling/showing them. Not that he must mire his story in wordiness, but if events are supposed to be important, then give them their due: love, torture, death, protection, betrayal, etc.

Llesho's character, in the beginning, comes across very wooden and unsympathetic, and at times erratic and inconsistent in his protrayal. But by the end of the novel, I grew to like the character and did hope that he would succeed in his endeavor. Llesho's young and naive to the ways of the world and politics. Sometimes, this comes across as stupidity, arrogance and ambivalence. While these are not traits that I want in a "hero," these are believable traits for a 16 year-old.

While I did come to like the main character, the "arch nemesis" fell flat for me. There wasn't much in the story to build up the mystique of the enemy. I do hope that will change in the next book, that he'll develop an enemy that I will want to hate.

Among some of the other characters that Mr. Benjamin creates, some were more memorable than others: Master Den, the laundry washer, whom I hope to see and learn more of; Mara, the healer; General Shou; Master Jaks and Bixei.

All in all, despite some mis-steps, The Prince of Shadow promises to be very fulfilling a story. I look forward to reading the next book.

Curt Benjamin in The Prince of Shadow starts off the Seven Brothers Series quite well. The writing flowed incredibly easy from page to page and chapter to chapter, allowing me to immerse myself in the Eastern style world for long periods of time. Benjamin's unique style, enjoyable characters, and entertaining conclusion creates an entertaining mixture in a book that I rate highly on my fantasy bookshelf.

As a slave, Llesho dives for pearls day in and day out. He knows nothing different in his world until his mysterious tutor dies and leaves him a message. Lleck, his teacher, tells him to find his brothers and restore his lost Thebin Kingdom. But as the youngest of seven brothers, Llesho doubts his teacher's words. How can he leave if he slaves away in the pearl beds and why him and not one of his other brothers? Llesho decides then that his only way out of slavery will be to fight, to fight as a gladiator. Thus starts the impressive journey of Llesho's restoration of the lost Thebin Kingdom. Along the way he will meet Gods, find unlikely friends, and be chased across the lands by a ruthless sorceror. He has the skill and the talent to complete his quest, but will he have the courage?

The style and entertaining plot made The Prince of Shadow a fun read. Benjamin tells the story only in the eyes of Llesho, so I never knew which people were Llesho's friends and which were enemies. I heartily enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any fantasy lover out there. Enjoy!

Prince of Shadow is the opening salvo in a fantasy series that draws more from legends of the Orient than Europe, which is in and of itself refreshing. The plot, however, remains fairly typical with a foundling prince who is returned to the world stage by a series of mysterious, powerful mentors. Along the way, as all recent fantasy heroes do (see, e.g., Jordan's Rand al'Thor or Deborah Chester's Dain), he throws temper tantrums, engages in self-destructive behavior, and does a lot of whining and moping. Sadly, standard fare in modern fantasy novels.

Still, I greatly enjoyed reading Prince of Shadows. I began reading it reluctantly but quickly found myself drawn in. Once picked up, it is difficult to put down and one can't help but root for a happy ending. Of course, there is no ending as it is currently against the law to tell a fantasy story in anything less than three books. Since this series is called "Seven Brothers" it's fair to assume that readers will have to slog through seven volumes to learn whether hero Llesho prevails in the end.

I almost didn't read this. It takes part in what seems to be an Asian setting. . After reading fantasy for years, the plots get that old feeling. What a joy to read this story. The plot is described in the editorial reviews, so I won't go over it again, but this book was refreshing. A hero you feel for, bunch of sidekicks who are for the most part normal and magic underneath everything. Stayed up all night to finish it and I haven't done that in a long while. The story never drags, the characters are well developed--in that you care what happens to them--all in all a good read.

I mostly read fantasy. Maybe I'm not too choosy, but I would guess I am. I like (among many) David Farland, Eddings, Goodkind, Jennifer Roberson, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix (probably my favorite fantasy author of all time), J.K. Rowlings (yes, I admit it, I do like the Harry Potter books), Simon Brown, Trudi Canavan, and most recently, Curt Benjamin. The world of the Seven Brothers series is exotic (but not so exotic as to exceed comprehension), filled with fresh perspectives on typical fantasy settings/characters/etc, and so much more. It is a very rich reading experience. Personally, I loved it. As if you couldn't tell. I'm thinking about driving down to the bookstore before dinner to pick up the next one. It is easily one of the kind of riveting books that I hate putting down and slays the rest of my life because I just want to read it all the time. An outstanding, thoroughly entertaining read. Enjoy!

This book was so good, I actually had to remind myself that I had to put it down just so I could get some sleep. I was drawn in from the very beginning by the setting and the myriad of interesting characters. After reading so many books set in Medieval Europe settings, I found it very refreshing to to actually read a book set in a Medieval Asia setting. It was very good; I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

Curt Benjamin has written a wonderful novel that is part fantasy, and part sword and sorcery intrigue. THE PRINCE OF SHADOW has a varied cast of characters that are complex, much more so than usually seen in the genre. The plot has so many twists and unexpected turns that the reader will eagerly turn the page to see what happens next. This is the start of what promises to be a grand series.<