Queen of Fools

By Xlibris US

Everything was a lie. In thee beginning he gave me his cell phone
number 217-469-3150. The area code was Illinois and I asked
him about this. He said he had lived there before moving to
Delaware. After the scam I looked into the cell phone number and
found that it is actually a landline in St. Joseph, Illinois and calls to
that number get automatically rerouted to Malaysia. So you never
have any idea that you are calling Malaysia.

He supposedly flew from Delaware to California to make a
presentation to win a big engineering contract in Malaysia and
after a few weeks he told me it was offered to him. And I believed
him. But he was never in California. And remember that I said that
everything was a lie. I am sure that he has never even been to the
United States.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493128716

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Rose Maxx PhD

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013923729

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4931-2870-9

                Softcover        978-1-4931-2869-3

                eBook             978-1-4931-2871-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 06/18/2014

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

551693

Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Epilogue

The Final Word

After the Final Word

For my mother who treated me with much more generosity

than I deserved when this mess happened

Victor Lazlo: Were you lonely in Paris?

Ilsa Lund: Yes

Victor Lazlo: I know how it is to be lonely …

Ilsa Lund: I was lonely. I had nothing. Not even hope.

—Casablanca

Foreword

I f Columbia University came to me and said, We are going to revoke your PhD, I couldn’t argue. Not because I was academically inadequate. No. I excelled academically. But I am an idiot in life.

I thought long and hard about publishing this book. It was written, but I couldn’t decide if I should go ahead and publish it. The reason for this is that I really didn’t know if I wanted to reveal myself to be the idiot that did all the things this book details. It has been extremely hard for me to accept that I did all the ridiculous things in this book, and I didn’t know if I wanted to show that to others.

How and why did this happen? Well, I have to look back on my life to understand why I credited John with the honesty and integrity that I did. Here’s the thing: I knew the night I met my husband that I would marry him. I knew that he was a man of integrity; every positive thing you could say about a man, you could say about Charles. And it was true. We married five months after we met, and in the 28.5 years until he died, I never knew him to do a single dishonorable or duplicitous thing. I didn’t know how lucky I was. Now enters John, four-and-some years later. He seems wonderful, too good to be true, in fact. But he was a sociopath, a totally duplicitous person, a person with an extreme talent for manipulation, really the scum of the earth. But that wasn’t obvious at first, and I credited him with all the good qualities Charles had. I did unbelievably bad things for him because I couldn’t conceive, at least not at first, that he would lie to me. Charles never lied to me. Boy, was I stupid.

My psychiatrist told me that John is a sociopath, that these people are professionals. To use a term that he had encountered when he was in training, he said that I had been mind-fucked. Boy, was I ever. I am still reeling from the pain.

I hope that this book finds its way to others who might be vulnerable to what happened to me. All I can say to you is this: Don’t believe the BS. Don’t believe the flattery. Never send anyone any money. Just don’t do it. Think with your head, not your heart.

Rose Maxx PhD

Warning—you are going to meet a truly evil character here, and it is not me. He is a nefarious liar, an extreme predator, and a shameless extortionist. I could go on, but you get the point.

What you are about to read defies belief. I have no excuses except what was told to me by a very wise person: when you want to believe something, you do.

Chapter 1

I am sixty-four years old. I got my PhD from Columbia University at the age of twenty-seven. I worked as a college professor. So how dumb could I be? Well, pretty dumb, as it turns out. And an easy mark, too. Let me just tell you that I had a long marriage to a truly wonderful man who handled everything pertaining to our finances. He would never allow us to have any debt. When we bought a house, he paid the mortgage off within about six months. But as for me, I never had a checkbook or a credit card. I bought everything with cash. He gave me $140 a week to run the house, more as the years went by. I had no idea how to manage money, and I guess that predisposed me to what would happen four years after his death.

About 3 months after Charles’ death my sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had two brain surgeries, the second of which put her in a wheelchair. It was beyond horrible. She also lived in Manhattan with her husband but we were afraid that he was going to put her in a nursing home so we—my mother and I—stayed very close at hand. She died after one year. My husband was dead. My sister was dead. Then my father died. A trilogy. Could things get any worse? Well, yes they could.

Time passed, and eventually I started to think it might be nice to go out socially, but it really was impossible to meet anyone.

I decided to try Internet dating. I would see all these ads from various dating sites about all the marriages that resulted from their sites. So I took a picture of myself and signed up. And I heard from someone. He sent a very brief e-mail giving his name and where he lived and said he loved my profile and picture and would be so happy if I wrote back to him. And I sent back a very brief e-mail asking him to tell me more about himself.

He said he was glad I wrote him back. He said he felt we had similarities and that we could work on these. I would love to meet you if we find the connection here. I would love to continue and see where this takes us. Where this takes us—it took him to the bank; it took me into debt. He described himself as spontaneous, as someone who wanted to live life to the fullest with that special someone. He said he was looking for someone who would complement him and whom he would also complement. Are you the one????? If so, tell me, and let’s start writing our destiny together. He said there was something missing and that that might be me, said he had a lot to offer in a relationship, and talked about the magic in a relationship. He said, I want you to know that honesty is something I hold up and I say what I do.

The fact that he said we would meet was very reassuring to me. I could not know it then, but there was zero percent chance that we would ever meet. This was just part of the ruse.

Chapter 2

D oes he sound like a sociopath yet because clearly he is a sociopath—an extreme sociopath. He was presenting himself as this upstanding person with wonderful qualities—sincere, honest, and truly looking for the love of his life. I didn’t see anything here to put me off. Maybe it was a little over the top when he asked if I was the one and if so to tell him so we could start writing our destiny. That was a bit weird, but I didn’t react negatively.

He then gave me a long list of his favorite things, favorite colors (red and blue), and favorite foods (Mexican and Italian or steak). He said he loved the mountains, doing yard work, flowers (they all smell so beautiful and sweet), and snuggling up and watching a movie. His favorite treat was chocolate. He said—and this really touched me—When I love a woman, I love with all of my heart and soul. I want to love someone so much that it hurts when she isn’t around me. The next thing he said is pretty unbelievable when you see what happened, what he did to me. He said, I love God and all he brings to my life. As time would go by, I came to see this sociopath as a very religious person, a devout Catholic, someone who prayed daily. What was he praying for? That I wouldn’t figure out what was going on?

And then the honesty theme again. If I expect honesty from my partner then I should show honesty. I hope you have the same committed attitude towards me. A relationship is a three part play: you + me = US.

Regarding committed attitude, I just have to say that right now, from where I stand, committed is what I should have been. I should have been committed.

But overall, I responded positively to his e-mail. It sounded genuine and sincere. I didn’t see any red flags. I know from the reading I have done that often sociopaths are not detected as sociopaths. They can appear very normal, even fooling professionals. So I don’t know if anyone sees anything here that should have been a warning. As you will see, he created a story of his life that sounded pretty believable. He had thought of everything, and I am sure that none of what he told me is true.

At this point, I was just responding to what he was saying but not offering much in exchange. So he wrote to me again, a long e-mail.

He said, I am a straight forward person… I am honest… I do not play games.

This was the third time in just a couple of days that he had told me that he was honest. Looking back, I should have reacted to that. Why did he keep telling me that? It was so not true. He turned out to be a total thief, and he turned me into one too. I never would have thought that that was possible, but he made me steal the $8,000 my mother had in a safe-deposit box and steal $3,000 from her checking account. I mean, I did it—I am to blame—but he made me do it. He made me do it by creating desperate situations that put him in the position of needing money. But I am getting way ahead of myself.

Chapter 3

B ack to the first few e-mails where the foundation of a relationship was being built. He told me things about his years growing up, and they just sounded very real to me. He said,

I was raised by some excellent cooks. My Mom’s side were all farmers and my Grandmother could make anything taste great! I grew up growing fruits/vegetables and canning with her. I also spent weeks with my Italian aunt making hoards of homemade pasta for huge family reunions.

There is something great about horseback riding. When I lived in the mountains in Denmark, my neighbors had horses and I often exercised them by riding through the forest. One of the horses was a retired race horse and did not like to be ridden! He often threw his owner off, but would always nuzzle up to me. One day I tried to ride him… he actually let me get away with it for about ½ a mile and started to buck… so we both had a nice long walk in the beautiful forest.

I absolutely love fast cars… My Grandfather loved cars and I spent time with him talking about

Reviews for Queen of Fools

[crazybatcow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well. Extremely reminiscent of Game of Thrones ('winter is coming theme' where the undead are plotting a world domination). Does this make it bad, no, not really... just derivative. But it was overall entertaining. You don't really have to pay too much attention to what is going on because there are lots of scenes that are just there for decoration and don't advance the plot or the characters... kinda just like GOT, where we have sections intended to show just how evil or how strong or how magical XYZ character is.

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've just finished the Broken Empire series and moved onto the Red Queen's War series since I'm on a Mark Lawrence binge. This is a very different book from the first series with different characters though we get some overlap (yay Road Brothers and Katherine), more of a 'buddies on a trip vibe.'Jalan is a lovable rogue, a prince who's only interested in sex, drink, and larks. He gets hooked up with Snorri, a captured Norseman. In an attempt to weasel out of his sizable debts, he throws Snorri into a fighting pit, then later the two of them are caught in a spell from the Silent Sister, the old witch who aids Jal's grandmother, the Red Queen.In a bit of a twist, Jal gets the 'light' side of the spell, a moralizing angel, while Snorri gets the 'dark' side, the daughter of Loki. Snorri is a good man trying to rescue his family from the Dead King and his minions, but the spell binds the two men together. The two travel north, trying to outrace the Unborn and rescue Snorri's family, though Jal is pretty much dragged kicking and screaming.I'm not one to like fantasy novels where there's a lot of wandering around as I usually find them boring and slow, but Mr. Lawrence is an excellent writer and he keeps things moving. Jal and Snorri are constantly involved in various fights and mishaps, usually initiated by Jal, which pushes the plot along. It's a very enjoyable start to the series, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[andorion-259107 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars easily.

This book is quite a different experience from Prince of Thorns. Jalan is a rogue - the man-about-town - interested in women, gambling, in debt - he in many ways starts off as a Wodehousian protagonist. But that is just the starting point of his character arc. Snorri is the opposite - brave, honest, honourable, he is the perfect foil to the wily Jalan.

I loved getting back into the Broken Empire world. This story which seems quite a bit lighter than Thorns is actually masterfully crafted and layered. I loved the gradual peeling back of the layers and the gradual explication of the story.

My favourite parts were when the story intersected with Prince of Thorns. It was well written and it added an extra outsider perspective to Jorg.

I had a hunch about Jalan from the beginning and that was confirmed in the end. I also loved the gradual telling of Snorri's tragic story. I have another hunch about Jalan's locket. Lets see how that turns out in the sequels.

[jrg1316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd give this book 4 stars. This is a very interesting story, and the characters are pretty likable with my favorite by far being Snorri. Jalan was also likable, and it's their chemistry together that makes the book as good as it is.

My major complaint with the story is their journey through Ancrath. It felt just a little too forced to bring in some characters from the Broken Empire trilogy, which wasn't necessary. The story and characters are strong enough to stand on their own.

Overall, this is a very good intro to the second trilogy in the Broken Empire world. I look forward to reading more!

[letora · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew when I began reading to expect nothing of Jorg's traits in Jalan (Jorg being the main character from Lawrence's Broken Empire Trilogy). In fact I found that he was close to being the polar opposite of Jorg. It's amazing to see Jal's acts of cowardice being mistaken for bravery. You can see him starting to change though, in subtle ways, whether it's by his attention to certain details or reactions to scenarios. I thrive on character development and I can't wait to see just how Jal grows.It was nice to see characters from the previous trilogy pop up. We even see Jorg briefly : ) and Snorri's encounter with Rike was priceless.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jalan Kendeth is forced into becoming a hero besides himself. He's caught, with Snorri ver Snagason, a huge Norse axeman in magic, a magic that forces him to become a hero, to step up to the plate, do the hard things and fight the good fight. And it works, add to the fact that Snorri and he can't go far from each other and things get interesting quickly.Snorri is such a boy scout. Jalan is such a rogue and together they make a great team.

[keyboardscoffee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don’t even know how to review Prince Of Fools properly. I had a hard time following the plot, but I think that has more to do with my attention span and memory rather than the story. I have a hard time reading detailed fantasy novels for this exact reason. And yet, I still enjoyed Prince Of Fools.

How do you explain Prince Jalan to someone? If you have a good way, let me know in the comments. I loved him from the first moment he entered the pages. His sense of humour was on point, and his personality just radiated. I find it hilarious that he’s such a coward, but he fully admits he’s a coward, so it gets him into some interesting scenarios. He’s that friend that you keep around because you KNOW he’s going to make everyone have a good time.

Snorri I had a hard time getting to know, although he had a good personality. I’m hoping that the more he opens up to Jal, the more inside his head we can get because by the end of the book I still wasn’t sure what was going on with him. He’s a man of few words which doesn’t really help. I just know he’s a good person and he’s looking for his family. And he’s a viking. A very big viking.

What I could follow of the plot was alright. Snorri is heading North to save his family, Prince Jalan does not want to head North at all but is forced to because of the curse the Silent Sister placed on him. I’m still not 100% sure who the bad guy from the North is (obviously since I can’t even remember his name). And the army he has is also confusing to me, but it might be because I wasn’t following the story as much as I should have been.

Because of my comprehension skills, I might not continue this series. I don’t know if it’ll be worth trying to get through the next one if I already don’t remember a good chunk of Prince Of Fools. Maybe I should start keeping notes as I go.

[ptom3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While I am a huge fan of Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire trilogy, I enjoyed Prince of Fools twice as much. I love the Jal and Snorri combo.Prince of Fools is this first book in The Red Queen's War trilogy, and indirectly, and sometimes directly, is tied with the Broken Empire trilogy. (Is it necessary to read the BET first? I don't think so. Would I recommend doing so? I would, if just for some additional insight into the land, and "time" period).There is a lot brewing in this first book. The Red Queen is Jal's grandmother. By her side is the Silent Sister. Not many can see her. Jal can. A war is coming. They use Jal as a pawn. The enemy is the Dead King. However, the main storyline is quite simple (and that is not a slam against the writing). Prince Jalan Kendeth and Norseman, Snorri ver Snagason are connected by a magical curse. Dark and light. Until it is broken, or one of them is dead, the curse requires them to remain close together. An unlikely pair, the two set out to reverse the curse and, an unusual bond --a friendship-- is formed. Additionally, Snorri is on a mission. It is why they must travel north. He has business to settle with Sven Broke-Oar, and can't rest until the mission is completed. Since Snorri's reason is compelling, and he and Jal cannot be far from one another, Jal agrees to accompany Snorri.A war is coming. An undead army is after them. The terrain is treacherous, and their cash low. Necromancers, Red Vikings, Sven Broke-Oar . . . Just like in the Broken Empire books, there is a rotating cast of fantastic characters. Some of the best, and most heartwarming parts of the book come from Snorri's back story. It is compelling, and while sad and depressing, a sort of beacon of hope amidst the grimdark death and blood and guts that surround them.Lawrence tells a story like few others. I have Liar's Key beside me, and once this review is done I will begin reading book two, with relish!Phillip TomassoAuthor of the fantasy novel, WIZARD'S WAR

[quibee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a lot of fun.
Seedy, disreputable prince magically tied together with a heroic barbarian and forced into a heroic adventure despite himself. Nicely narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds.

[lisa.isselee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars

I really wanted to love this book for so many reasons. But I feel a tiny bit disappointed after finishing it.
The characters were fabulous, and the world he created was very original and well constructed.
The first 100 pages really had me hooked and it seemed like an interesting plot, but then the middle bit of the book happened and I had to struggle to get through it... And then the last 70 pages the pace is picked up again and the plots gets interesting.
So yes I liked the idea and the main characters a whole lot ! But it just didn't keep me hooked throughout.

[glitzandshadows · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was going to give this 4 stars because the pacing was a little off to me but Jal. JAL. J A L. He's one of the greatest characters I've ever encountered. I do love a good coward. I loved him so much. SO MUCH. I can't wait for the rest of the series. Also I need to finish the Broken Empire trilogy as I've only read the first.
And there's my disjointed review, hey

[bookaholiccat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 ½ Stars - Review to come

[tanya8dogearedcopy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I burned through the insanely brilliant Broken Empire Trilogy in 72 hours. I became delirious with lack of sleep wrought by potent imagery, and keen anticipation of what the sociopathic protagonist, Jorg of Ancrath would do next. When the trilogy was finished I actually threw a temper tantrum, because I didn’t want it to be over. The stories weren’t perfect (The revelation about the setting was too long in coming in Prince of Thorns; the forces battling with Jorg weren’t as clearly delineated as one might have wished in King of Thorns; and I wasn’t thrilled at the pacing at the end of the Emperor of Thorns…); but all this palls with just how thrilling it all is; and I will admit that maybe the “flaws” may be ironed out on re-reading at a more sane rate.It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I started Prince of Fools. Could I have started with Prince of Fools without having taken the time to read the Broken Empire trilogy? Could Prince of Fools be as good as its contemporaneous book, Prince of Thorns? If I couldn’t have more adventures with Jorg of Ancrath though, I would take whatever else I could get about The Broken Empire and I dove in…And YES!YES, as in Yes, you do need to read the Broken Empire trilogy before you head into Prince of Fools. There is just no other way around it. The Broken Empire trilogy creates the world and perspective that the reader needs in order to get the humor and understand some of the issues at play beyond the pages of Prince of Fools that have bearing on the plot.YES, as in “Yes, it is different from the Broken Empire in significant ways.” You need to adjust your expectations, but you won’t really be disappointed. The different POV enriches the Broken Empire:Mark Lawrence gives more play to humor in Prince of Fools. Another anti-hero, Prince Jalen of Kendreth, tenth in line to the Red Queen’s throne, is a self-professed liar, cheat and coward, not to mention a profligate who is always trying to stay one step ahead of enraged husbands, protective brothers and bookies. An unapologetic, short-sighted opportunist who nonetheless lacks a bone of malevolence, he is very aware of his shortcomings, though it does little to keep him out of mischief. We know Jalen primarily through what he tells us of himself via a lens of self-deprecating humor. His self-assessments inform his actions (cf Jorg of Ancrath whose actions tell the reader more of who he is than his internal musings.) In Prince of Fools, Jalen finds himself ensnared in a spell and bound to a viking named Snorri. The two make their way North from the Red March (analogous to Southern Eastern France/Western Italy) into Scandinavian territories where they seek to break the spell and exact vengeance against the the Dead and dark forces that have cast them together. There is no lack of action or violence in Prince of Fools, but it is not nearly as dark as in The Broken Empire trilogy. Because Jalen is not an aggressor or a risk taker, and in fact reactionary, his schemes are defensive in nature.YES, as in “Yes, if you have read the Broken Empire Trilogy and need a little Jorg fix, it is here when Jalen and Jorg cross paths at an inn.” This whole section works as a companion piece to the Broken Empire Trilogy. There is so much I love about this section, but talking about it would spoil the fun…And now a word about the narration:I can see why Tim Gerard Reynolds was cast as the narrator for Prince of Fools: He is Irish like the author; He has had success with the the humorous and fantastical tale of The Infernals (by John Connolly) and the Science Fiction epic fantasy, Red Rising (by Pierce Brown) which would indicate comedic timing and a sensibility for SFF respectively. All that said, I don’t think the book was best served by this choice of a narrator. Jalan hails from the Red March on the Mediterranean Coast, not from the Drowned Isles (which would correspond to what we know as England.) So, even given that there is a (Broken) Empire accent in play, it’s hard to imagine an Irish accent given dominance for the narrative. It’s disconcerting, but not a deal-breaker. But then there’s the fact the Jalan is a twenty-two-year old; and well, Tim Gerard Reynolds is not, either in fact or sensibility. Again, not a deal-breaker, as Reynolds is a middle-aged Irish man and there’s just no getting around that. But then there’s the poor female characterization, poor character delineation, and overall failure of direction in the first chapters that launch the the book. Then, there’s the whole tone of the book, which is fast and slick (think Eddy Izzard or Ben Aaronovitch); but for which we get John Cleese a la 2014. Alright, I think I could have borne it all, and maybe you could too; but then, there was this, very early on in the book:“I didn’t stop to reply but vaulted down into the bushes, which were thankfully the fragrant rather than the thorny variety. Dropping into a thorn bush can lead to no end of grief.”The narrator threw away the line, like he had no idea of why it was written or why it would be important, so there was no irony in the interpretation. And this, yes, this was the deal breaker for me. Perhaps all my quibbling prior to this last peeve listed was a result of my not being able to recover from what I consider an egregious oversight, so he was damned nearly from the start. That being a given, I will still be willing to listen to Red Rising (by Pierce Brown, and upon the strength of which Reynolds earned the accolade of an AudioFile Magazine Best Voice of 2014; but I will be reading The Liar’s Key, the second book in the Red Queen’s War trilogy (to be released in June 2015) in print.OTHER: I received a CD library edition of Prince of Fools: The Red Queen’s War, Book 1 (By Mark Lawrence; Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds) from Recorded Books in exchange for a review. I receive no monies, goods (beyond the audiobook) or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.

[tottman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is a new contender for favorite fantasy duo. Jal and Snorri, the main characters in Mark Lawrence’s newest novel Prince of Fools, book one in The Red Queen’s War, are as mismatched and ultimately complementary pair as you are going to find.Jal is a minor royal, far enough from the throne not to take anything seriously, close enough to use his connections to further his favorite pastimes of drinking, gambling and seducing women. Snorri is a fierce norse warrior with a strong sense of honor and a single-minded purpose. When the Queen’s Silent Sister, who appears to be seen by few except Jal, sets a deadly trap that nearly kills Jal, the resulting magic binds Jal and Snorri together. As the pair quest north, it’s unclear if they will stop a war, or if they are merely pawns in a battle long in the making.Lawrence’s writing has greatly matured and the narrative in Prince of Fools flows smoothly from beginning to end. The characters are dynamic, the plot moves forward rapidly and the book is filled with humor and powerfully descriptive, memorable phrases, such as ripping a bear “from groin to growl.” While Snorri is an immensely likeable character, it is Jal who is the more complicated one. He studiously avoids both responsibility and heroism. He is an accomplished liar, but the person he may be lying to the most might be himself. There are depths to him and not all the lessons he was taught growing up went as unheeded as he likes to pretend. His journey with Snorri, and Snorri’s unflagging confidence and sense of purpose, give Jal a sort of confidence or excuse to be a better person.There is a lot going on in Prince of Fools, a magical binding, a potential war, an undead army and unscrupulous and formidable foes both in front and behind Jal and Snorri. The battle scenes are fun and intense, but the strength of this story is the characters.I listened to the audio version of this story. The narration by Tim Gerard Reynolds was incredible. The character of Jal walks right up to the edge of obnoxious and unlikeable, but is ultimately endearing. That sort of character takes great skill to write and equal skill to narrate. Reynolds does it brilliantly. The character voices are distinct and he perfectly captures the flow of the narrative, enhancing the enjoyment of the story and never getting in the way of it.Mark Lawrence is one of the best writers of fantasy working today and I think Prince of Fools is his best book yet. I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment. Highly recommended!I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of the audio recording of this book.

[rosenstern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jalan is no Jorg, to be sure. If Jorg was an apple, Jalan is the non-planet planet Pluto. Lawrence's witty humor has not changed and I LOVE HIM FOR IT> "The thing is, I don't like a knight in shining armor. I like them tarnished, covered in mud, or better yet, camouflaged, so they observe in hiding, snickering, while the foolish heroes rush in first and die."Jalan is your typical wimp. The man who runs in the opposite direction of the rest of his army. He likes women with... casual morals, comfort on demand, luxuries of the utmost quality and abhors responsibilities. Jalan is balanced by the great Norseman Snorri. The gigantic monster of a man is on a quest to avenge his fallen family. Jalan is sort of dragged along because of this curse that binds the two of them together. He in no way, shape or form wants to be a part of the quest but he also noted that the direction Snorri was going was in a nice 180 degree angle from a witch woman who seems to be after Jalan. The two develop an interesting relationship. One teeny weeny downside- both characters need to be developed a bit more. Their actions were slightly predictable and a famous Lawrence twist, mix things up, is in order.

[mamzel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had so much fun listening to this book in my car. I would frequently take the long way home or otherwise delay my arrival to have more time with Jal and Snorri (I'm guessing at the spelling).Jal is a member of the royal family of Vermillion and when war breaks out he joins forces with Snorri Snorgersen, a huge blond Viking, and the two travel together and have all sorts of adventures. Jal is a spoiled brat with little in the way of real life skills. He does major growing up as the two of them battle unborn (a kind of undead creature), necromancers, and other nasty stuff. Jal eventually discovers he has a gift of healing, which comes in very handy.The narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds, was also a real winner. He had the perfect tone for this story and really enhanced the humor that Lawrence writes so well. The dark violence is well balanced with the friendship of the two men and the humor. I will definitely listen to this again to enjoy the story and the humor.

[marquillon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Prince of Fools is a very good fantasy book. The characters were well defined and will really draw you in to a story like this. I really knew that I would be hooked on Snori from his first fight scene. Not wanting to give anything away, all I can say is that it was greatly done and that one scene alone would have gotten me to buy the book if it was a teaser at the end of another book. Every time that I thought I knew where to story was headed there was an unexpected twist that made sense, and yet caught me offguard. In addition to the great writing, the reader was excellent as well.

[renbedell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the audiobook and it was nothing short of amazing. Two things that make this book work so well are the prose and the narrator. Mark Lawrence writes so well that his descriptions and thoughts of the protaganist are incredibly entertaining. The narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds, does such a good job with voice acting the different characters and his delivery makes Mark Lawrence even funnier. I have not read the Broken Empire trilogy and I feel I didn't miss anything in this book. The story itself is good and the protagonist reminds me of a few Cary Elwes roles. I'm hoping to see more growth of his characters in the following books, as that would be my only minor criticism.

[gkarlives · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This review is for the audio book version of this title.This is my first book by Mark Lawrence so I was not sure about the world and mythology; however, it is not important to read his first trilogy unless you want a broader feeling of the world. This book can stand very well on its own. I was pleased that, while Jalan Kendeth is basically a wastrel the author managed to make him likable if not a friend I would like to have. Jalan's interplay with the Norse Warrior he magically connected to is quite humorous and while he does do the right thing in the end, he has to be dragged kicking and screaming all the way. The world was rich and believable and hinted at further depths to be gleaned in other books or series and has enticed me to consider his debut trilogy for more understanding of this world. Some may find a similarity to the Elric novels in feel. Definitely a recommended read.Now for the reading. Tim Gerard Reynolds does an admiral job of bringing the story to life, including the Scandinavian accent of the Norse warrior. His timing for the humorous sections was great; however, there are times when he hangs onto the Norse accent into Jalan's lines, causing confusion. In addition, the publisher thought breaking up the story into 3 minute intervals would make it easier to mark your place. I used a MP3 player that allowed me to stop and pick up where I wanted without using the track number. The extended pauses caused by the track system were mildly bothersome, but the story was good enough for me not to notice too much. Be prepared though because this is a 12 CD set.

[dani14-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First off I have to say this is my favorite of the books I've read this year! I love the way that Mark Lawrence writes. There are so many genuine emotions in this book. I laughed so many times at the back and forth between Jal and Snorri and at Jal's inner monologue. Truly great characters! There were also many moments when I had tears well up. Jal talks about the words pulling him into Snorri's story, as a reader you feel the tragedy and heartbreak.I like the fast paced nature of this book too. There aren't any unecessary scenes or events. All the details fit together. I thought the tie-ins with The Broken Empire series were a nice touch. You get to experience certain characters from that series with a different perspective.I love how promising this series suggests it is going to be and I'm excited to see more of Lawrence's futuristic post-apocalyptic world! This a series that I will be impatiently waiting for Lawrence to finish :)

[stefferoo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am glad we’ve not heard the last of Mark Lawrence’s universe of the Broken Empire, even if Jorg’s chapter of the saga has concluded. As far as endings go, that was a curtain call which was necessary and felicitous, though I couldn’t be happier with the way things played out. But of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve had enough of this brilliant dark world.Enter Prince of Fools. Regarding his latest novel, Mark Lawrence has stated that what did not want to do was give us Jorg Ancrath again but in new clothes. Well, Mr. Lawrence, you can rest easy now. I don’t think anyone can mistake the wicked, tortured young psychopath we first met in Prince of Thorns with his new protagonist of The Red Queen’s War.Courage is overrated, as a character like the glib but glorious Prince Jalan can attest. A self-confessed liar, coward and cheat, our main character is also a bit of a rakish playboy, with an easy charm to him that makes him instantly endearing, for all his foibles. See? Nothing like Jorg. But the two of them are contemporaries, if you are wondering where The Red Queen’s War fits in relation to the original trilogy. As such, I don’t think fans of The Broken Empire will find much of a problem settling in. We even get to meet Jorg and his Brothers, albeit very briefly, in an unforgettable scene. Despite the mostly new faces though, Mark Lawrence has no trouble convincing me I am back in the haunted, post-apocalyptic milieu with which I first fell in love. As strange as it sounds, it was a bit like coming back home. But while the writing style and setting may be instantly recognizable, we have a story here that is altogether very different. And yet, even the slippery Prince Jal can’t avoid running afoul of the dark sorcery rife in this Broken Empire. Finding his fate magically bound to that of an escaped slave named Snorri ver Snaggason, the two strike up a partnership in order to try to break the spell. We had an inkling of the Broken Empire’s vastness back in Jorg’s story arc, and here we are given the chance to explore even further as Jal and the Norseman’s journey takes them to the frigid and icebound north, towards Snorri’s homeland. The two encounter many dangers along the way, including necromancy and other unseen malevolent forces. There is no escaping the Dead King, whose plans run far deeper than anyone can expect. Nightmarish beings called the Unborn are raised and fed by the stolen potential of lost infants, sent to carry out his bidding. Gruesome, disturbing elements such as these serve to push Prince of Fools into Horror territory. And yet there is also a glimmer of optimism, a thread of light that I can easily pick out amidst the doom and gloom, making me feel that this book is actually “less grimdark” than the original trilogy. Prince Jalan who assures us he has little ambition – beyond getting drunk, winning bets and seducing women – is really more of a hero than he gives himself credit for. I see a young man who wants to be more than just “that prince who is tenth in line for the throne”, even if he doesn’t care to admit it to himself. The idea of the unlikely hero is not a new one, certainly, but the difference is Mark Lawrence actually makes me believe that Jalan has it in him. Jal’s growing friendship with Snorri also brings to light a hidden side of him, and vice versa; I think the two of them play off each other perfectly. The story displays the classic quest narrative, one that is very character driven. Forced to work together, the relationship dynamics between this pair of disparate and conflicting personalities is what makes this dark adventure shine.There is no doubt this is a Mark Lawrence novel – pick it up and you will immediately see the hallmarks of his storytelling and writing style which made The Broken Empire trilogy such an addictive read, replete with his darkly droll humor and very quotable dialogue. Fans won’t be disappointed. But rest assured Prince of Fools is also a one-of-a-kind tale featuring a very different protagonist. Jal has immense potential, and if this is what Lawrence can achieve with his character in just one book, I can’t to see what’s next.