Oh, how to I start ... This is Mark Lawrence's first full length novel, PRINCE OF THORNS and I pre-ordered the second in the series about half way through reading the first one. The most entertaining, page turning, real and just plain exciting book I have read in ages.

Ages that is a good place to start. The protagonist is a young boy; he is not even ten years old when the book starts with the most horrible event a young boy can witness. This event changes and shapes our young Jorg and it is how his life starts also. Jorg is a Prince. I am not giving anything away here were I tell you about this event, it happens in the first pages, the journey after that is the true story of hardship, manipulation, sorcery, Kings, love, castles and of men who know nothing but a hard life on the road, Brothers. Jorg was on the road with his mother, the Queen and his younger bother William. There was a great love between them and the evil men of King Renar destroy that with a violence that should not even be in nightmares. Torture, but before Jorg could be captured his guard threw Jorg into a thorn bush, not just any thorn bush either, but a hook thorn bush that people avoid at all cost. The guard threw Jorg in deep and the more Jorg struggled the deeper the hook thorns bit into his flesh, all the way down to the bone. He watched everyone die and he struggled trough pain unbelievable to help his mother and his younger brother.

Renar's men did find him eventually in the bush and a few suffered the thorns to try to reach him, but they could not and would not risk themselves. His father's men cut it out piece by piece hurting both Jorg and themselves to get him out, it took a very long time. You can easily say that the hook thorns not only buried themselves into Jorg's flesh, but also into his mind. He will carry the mental and physical scars for life.

So here the story begins of young Prince Jorg who leaves everything behind to live on the roads and seek vengeance. He says that by thirteen he will be King and by fifteen he will rule the Empire. When Jorg says something, trust it will happen.

So now Jorge and his band of Brothers roam the road, taking what they need. So young a boy to lead men like these, men hardened by prison, starvation, torture and lives that no one really cares about.

Prince Jorg is changed, you will root for him, you will be stunned by what he does, how incredibly intelligent his is and to what lengths he will go. What does he want? Even he does not know at first but when the true Jorg emerges he is unstoppable.

One of the best reads ever. It made my top five best books easily. Thank you Mark Lawrence. PRINCE OF THORNS is a truly great novel.