The Charnel Prince

The first book in the series was one of the greatest Fantasy adventures I had ever read. The sequel astonishingly is even better. The tremendous story continues, supplanted with some tremendous new characters. Greg Keyes continues his tradition of including rich, diverse characters that all of us can get behind.

I fell in love with the Briar King. After the Charnel Prince, I can't believe I will have to wait for the next one see what will happened. Because now I feel like things can go in any direction. How easy it would be for someone to die. For a love interest to turn in another direction. To discover your enemy was actually your friend. Wow! I could't possibly explain all that is going to on this novel. I will say the action continues. The characters are still on a mission. The author switches lead characters from chapter to chapter and almost every chapter is a cliff hanger. That's the only thing that drove me crazy. I always flip head to discover what happens and then flip back to continue where I left off. Regardless, I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the third!

Keyes is telling a great fantasy story and does well with character development, an engaging plot...it's just a great story...but his real strength is the layout and pacing of events. If you've read Robert Jordan, you know how a plot can wander leagues off-track, and Terry Goodkind goes off plot to preach sermons to the readers, but Greg Keyes just weaves the story with no added fat or sugar. Nothing but 100% good reading, all focused on the plot. Highly recommended.

With The Briar King, Greg Keyes created a masterpiece of a first book, so much so that it would be almost impossible to keep it up at that level. He tries very hard, however, and almost succeeds. The Charnel Prince suffers a bit from "middle book syndrome," but not as much as some series I've seen. Keyes keeps the tension high, introducing some wonderful characters to take the place of those killed off in The Briar King. The book is marred only by a massive coincidence that, while it can be explained, still strains the suspension of disbelief a bit. The biggest compliment I can give to Keyes is that I wish this series was done. Right now. I want to be able to read the rest of this and see how it comes out. Unlike The Briar King, Keyes ends this book on a bit of a cliffhanger. While Keyes doesn't break up the action with a vivid cliffhanger, one of the main characters is dealt a massive blow in a truly horrifying epilogue that shows just how evil one of the villains can be. What's even worse (or better, you could say) is that I had really grown to love this character, which made the ending even more of a shock. It left me with a pit in my stomach, which to me demonstrates just how good the characterization was. Keyes continues his deftness at this characterization. Princess Anne is probably the best, as she grows up a lot in the span of six months or so. I guess running for your life will do that to you, but most of the haughtiness has left her by the time she reaches her final scene. She's done the work of washerwomen, been threatened with a marriage fostered in darkness, and realized that the love of her life isn't quite as pure as she had always believed. All of her arrogance has been blunted by the news of the deaths in her family as well as the mystical fate that seems to be in store for her. Even better is Leoff, the composer who is on a journey to take a royal commission in the capital, not realizing what he's getting into. He's the true innocent, doing what he believes is right no matter what the consequences. The music in his heart and all around him captivates him, and the chance to write a piece of music that is unlike all others, despite what the church might say, draws him like a moth to a flame. His relationship with young Mery, who he finds hiding in his room, is wonderfully charming and innocent, as he takes the young girl under his wing and teaches her music. It's interesting to watch him deal with all of the political maneuvering going on around him because he is such a non-political creature. While he agrees to help Queen Muriele by composing a piece that will be unmatched, we get the feeling that he's doing it more to compose a piece like that than because he truly wants to help her. He is a good man, however, trapped in a world that could chew him up too easily if he missteps. There are too many other characters to name them one by one, but they are all wonderfully done, with the small exception of Robe

In this the second book of the Kingdoms of Thorn and Blood series the Briar King has awoken, and he isn't happy. People and things best left to the dark have encroached upon the lands he considers his. Creatures long thought dead or to be of myth have returned and in town after town the people are going insane. Aspar, Winna and Stephen struggle to catch up to and destroy the Briar King and meet along the way the Princess Anne Dare, her maid Austra and the swordsman Cazio who are fighting against assassins to get Anne home to her kingdom where her mother Queen of Crotheny is fighting a losing battle to save what's left of her home and people. Whew, did that leave you breathless? I've got news, so does the story! Trusts are being broken and not by whom you think. Anne must harness the powers she is discovering within her and truths must be deciphered else the world will fall and evil triumph over good. Rarely have I seen a series in which the author follows with a second book that absolutely keeps pace and bests the first. I absolutely love this book and the series so far. The only thing I dont like is the fact that I cant sit down and read the entire story until the final book is published.