Prince of the Blood

By Raymond E. Feist

Prince of the Blood is a work that explores strength and weakness, hope and fear, and what it means to be a man—in a kingdom where peace is the most precious commodity of all.

If there were two more impetuous and carefree men in the Kingdom of the Isles, they had yet to be found. Twins Borric and Erland wore that mantle proudly, much to the chagrin of their father, Prince Arutha of Krondor. But their blissful youth has come to an end. Their uncle, the King, has produced no male children. Bypassing himself, Arutha names Borric, the eldest twin by seconds, the Royal Heir. As his brother, Erland will have his own great responsibilities to shoulder. To drive home their future roles, Arutha sends them as ambassadors to Kesh, the most feared nation in the world. Borric and Erland will be presented to the Queen of Kesh—the single most powerful ruler in the known world—at her Seventy-fifth Jubilee Anniversary.

But they have not even left Krondor when an assassination attempt on Borric is thwarted. Aware that he is being provoked into war, Arutha does not rise to the bait. His sons’ journey will not be deterred, for nothing less than peace is riding on it. Yet there is to be no peace for the young princes. When their traveling party is ambushed, Borric disappears and is presumed dead—sending Erland into spirals of rage and grief as he is forced to navigate alone the court intrigues at Kesh. But unbeknownst to anyone, Borric lives and has escaped his captors. In a strange land, with a price on his head, Borric must use all his wits and stamina to find his way back to his brother.

On separate paths, the two men—one a fugitive and one a future king—make their journey toward maturity, honor, and duty. For every step they take could sway the fragile peace of the land, as those who crave war rally against them—and become ever more daring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 18, 2007
• ISBN: 9780307418289

Raymond E. Feist

Raymond E. Feist is the author of more than thirty previous books, including the internationally bestselling “Riftwar Cycle” of novels set in his signature world of Midkemia; the Empire trilogy co-authored with Janny Wurts; the stand-alone novel, Faerie Tale; and the epic fantasy series, the Firemane Saga. He lives in San Diego, California.

Reviews for Prince of the Blood

[morhavok · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Prince of the Blood is an action / adventure / coming of age story. It follows the princes Borric and Erland as they are sent to the court of Kesh for the imperial jubilee. Along the way there is an attempt on their lives where Borric is separated from the group. Eventually they meet back up in Kesh after many trials and figure the whole mess out. The novel itself is engrossing and kept me very involved. I usually do not like coming of age stories, but this one did not bug me as much as other ones, since it was not focusing as a coming of age novel, and rather had that theme more half hazardly thrown in as an afterthought. Which unfortunately is how the book is ended, half hazard and as an afterthought. Everything is just wrapped up in a bow within a chapter or two of pages. The author should have easily taken another 100 pages to find a creative and less run of the mill way to end the book. That is the main knock I have against this book. Other than the ending this book decent read.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked this, but wished there was more of Arutha and less of his sons, who I didn't like so much.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great in-between series book starring Erland and Borric along with Nakor. Typically solid work from Feist.

[willowcove · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good continuation. 

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a bridge book. It is set in Midkemia, and mostly concerns the Kingdom, as did the Riftwar trilogy. However, this is about the next generation of Kingdom rulers and their companions. It expands what we know about Midkemia and its people, and sets the stage for the next trilogy, along with the book that follows. I liked it, and it stands well on its own.

[readafew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Prince of the Blood is part one of a two part set, in Feist's world of Midkimia. This story takes place some years after the end of the Rift War and Arutha's twin sons are the main characters.Someone wants to start a war between the Kingdom and Kesh and the easiest way to do so, it seems, would be to eliminate one or both of the Arutha's sons. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and unlike most of Feist's Midkimia books this one was more of a who-dun-it. Since I like mysteries as well I thought it was a nice change from the rest.