Prince of Thorns

I recommended this book for Fantasy book of the month in our book club Dragons and Jetpacks. Which is a shame really, as I really didn't like this book. - Changed from 2 stars to 3.

I didn't like it for a number of reasons, and it wasn't because of the violence, rape etc.I realise with Fantasy you often have to suspend some belief, however, to belive that Jorg was the age he was pushed my imagination just too far. I found it nigh on impossible to believe it, even given the terror of his childhood etc. The book seemed to be placed somewhere between real world and fantasy world (e.g. mentioning Roma, popes, Shakespeare, Plutarch etc), yet the dead walk at times, the map doesn't look like real world among other things.REVISION: It has been pointed out that the story is set in the distant future of our world after a nuclear war... which makes this make a lot of sense and is actually pretty cool.At one point in the book when Jorg etc are in the cave of Leucrota, they appear to be confronted with an electronic(?) panel which speaks to them - yet this doesn't seem to be a big deal. REVISION: The presence of the panel makes sense now that the nuclear war part has been established, however I still have issue with the fact that no body seems to think this is odd. Did I miss the part where everyone is aware that the past had this stuff?And, perhaps crucially, I just didn't enjoy the story. I felt it was quite woolly, and didn't like the way it was written. I realise that the book has been shortlisted for the David Gemmell Legend award, which means my opinion is likely to be conflicted with most people's, but that's how I felt!The things I don't like are most likely deliberate by the writer, and I wouldn't say he shouldn't have written it like that, he is obviously free to write his own stuff, but these are just reasons I didn't like it!The book receives two stars though, as it wasn't allllll bad, there were some good scenes, and a couple of moments which made me smile. Perhaps he is just not an author for me, I'm not in any rush to pick up the next one that's for sure.