The True Prince

The True Prince is a wonderful book set in London somewhere in the 1600's. It is a mystery, wraped in a play, tied in a cursed web of lies,seen through the eyes of an aprentice of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, and set in the mistery of a young man's life, a man who never had a childhood. That mystery is Kit: Merchendise of his own father at six, actor of so many roles at eight,and, what is he now? Which role did he ever play as himself? Is he all of them? Or is he none?...

The book starts off with William Shakespeare's playgroup practicing a new play, "The House of Maximus", which happens to be on e of the worst plays invented. A new player, Davy, arrives with a mysterious Welsh man. When the "Putrid Play", as it was nicknamed, was performed, the audience hated the play more than the players, showing their contempt by throwing their lunch leftovers. The next day, Kit, one of the best boy players in London, was in a court session for fooling around with Peregrine Penny, a corruptor of youth. Kit's bail was payed by a mysterious donor. After the court session, The troup returned to the Theater to find it locked up by Giles Allen, the landlord. So, the troup moved to another theater named the Curtain. Many plays and lawsuits later, to defend the Welsh Boy, as Davy is called, Richard fights Kit in a boxing match. This is where Dacy is somewhat revealed as what he really is, a theif trying to frame Kit. "King Henry IV", a great play, is thought up and soon they are performing it in the Swan, another theater. They perform the play many times until the summer tour, where Kit leaves the company right before the tour. Upon returning, Richard is launched into solving a series of crimes committed by Kit and his theiving friends. Eventually, with the help of the detective's assisstant named Bartholomew Finch and a penny gatherer named Starling Shaw, Richard is led to the Theater once more, where a kidnapping takes place and the mystery is solved. The previous posts did not lie. This is a great book and i recommend it to everyone who likes reading.

First may I say that the above 2 reviews do not exaggerate in the least! I have never read a book with such deftly drawn characters! The description also amazes me; I feel like I know Elizabethian London as if I lived there and I never get bored of reading more about it in this book, whereas normally I am dying for it to end so I can get on with the real story! Kit is a fascinating character, as are the rest. An amazing book, all in all. You must read it!

I recommend J. B. Cheaney's books "The Playmaker" and "The True Prince" to my community college literature classes for two reasons. First, these books have obviously been painstakingly researched because they give readers a "feel" for the time. Shakespeare emerged from and was nurtured by a vibrant, energetic (and a little dangerous) era, full of possibility. These times come alive in Cheaney's books. Second, in additon to the full-fleshed characters and engaging plots many young adult books have, Cheaney also gives readers something they don't experience as often: good style--"sparkling" one reviewer called it, and sparkling it is!

This is the second in JB Cheaney's series of novels about young Elizabethan apprentice actor, Richard Mallory(the first was the excellent, The Playmaker). It is even better than the first! Characters are drawn in great depth and subtlety, the story's a real rollercoaster of an intrigue, with disguised highwaymen, mysterious writers of 'putrid plays', hints of strange, malevolent magic, all part of the mix, and the atmosphere of Elizabethan theatre life and London streets is so vivid you can see it, smell it, touch it: and all done with a light, deft touch. A fabulous read. Don't miss it!