THE FIRE PRINCE is a classic fantasy tale with a reluctant
hero
traveling on a quest with companions to break a curse. THE
FIRE PRINCE, book two of The Cursed Kingdoms trilogy,
picks up
right where The Sentinel Mage left off, but Gee does a
decent job at explaining much of what happened in book one.
This is good, since book one was published 3-1/2 years ago.
An ancient curse is spreading across the land, turning
everyone who drinks the cursed water into a wild killer. To
combat the curse, a royal personage who is also a descendent
of witches must spill their own blood on three stones across
the kingdom. Only Prince Harkeld meets these criteria and
can save The Seven Kingdoms from the curse before it kills
everyone. Harkeld's evil father Esger has put a bounty on
Harkeld's head to try to prevent Harkeld from breaking the
curse, thus leaving the nearby kingdoms ripe for Esger's
takeover. Harkeld must hide from the populace as he and his
companion mages race to reach each of the three stones.
Harkeld is also pursued by Fithians- assassins who want to
kill all witches.
Harkeld has been raised to regard witches as abominations,
so the shapeshifters among the mages take turns shifting
into a human-appearing armsman, Justen, who keeps Harkeld
more calmed as they travel. Justen also guards Harkeld
closely as the group pelts across the countryside to reach
the second of the curse-breaking stones. Innis, the young
and talented female shapeshifter who is breaking a Primary
Rule in shifting to Justen's male body, is romantically
drawn to Harkeld. A brief love triangle occurs in book two.
Despite his fear and distasted for sorcery, in order to
save his life and his kingdom, Harkeld is now learning how
to use and control his fire magic.
There are two other entwining plots continuing in THE FIRE
PRINCE.
One concerns Princess Brigitta, Harkeld's half sister.
Left behind in the palace, intrigue and danger stalk her and
those she loves, including her armsman and her handmaiden as
well as her little brothers. The third shows Jaumé, a young
farmboy whose family members were some of the curse's first
victims. Jaumé has fallen in with the Fithians tracking
Harkeld and is struggling to fit in with this band of
hardened killers.
THE FIRE PRINCE is easy to read and fairly engrossing.
While the
plot is fairly straightforward, Gee provides compelling
descriptions and a dense of sustained tense drama throughout
the story. The pacing was excellent, and I find myself
chomping at the bit to get my hands on book three as soon as
possible.
The long awaited and much anticipated sequel to 2011's The
Sentinel Mage. The Fire Prince continues the saga of Prince
Harkeld, Innis the shapeshifter and the imperiled Seven
Kingdoms.
The Seven Kingdoms are in the grip of an ancient and
terrible blood curse. Thousands have died. Thousands more
will die. Only one man can end the curse.
The fugitive Osgaardan prince, Harkeld, is that man—whether
he likes it or not. But the bounty on Harkeld’s head is
high. He has outrun his father’s soldiers, but he can’t
outrun the assassins who seek him—Fithians, trained in the
art of killing. Even the Sentinel mages who guide and guard
him are no match for Fithian steel. Faced with the
ever-present threat of death, Harkeld must learn to use his
fire magic. Or die.
Meanwhile, dark plots are unfolding in Osgaard’s gold-tiled
palace, snaring Princess Brigitta and those she loves. And
in the eastern kingdoms, young orphan Jaumé journeys with a
band of mysterious and dangerous fighters, heading north for
a purpose he does not understand.
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