The Oddling Prince
Ratings2
Average rating4
15
Ratings2
Average rating4
"In the ancient moors of Scotland, the king of Calidon lies on his deathbed, cursed by a ring that cannot be removed from his finger. When a mysterious fey stranger appears to save the king, he also carries a secret that could tear the royal family apart. The kingdom's only hope will lie with two young men raised worlds apart. Aric is the beloved heir to the throne of Calidon; Albaric is clearly of noble origin yet strangely out of place. The Oddling Prince is a tale of brothers whose love and loyalty to each other is such that it defies impending warfare, sundering seas, fated hatred, and the very course of time itself. In her long-awaited new fantasy novel, Nancy Springer (the Books of Isle series) explores the darkness of the human heart as well as its unceasing capacity for love"--Pg.4 of cover.
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Visit my blog for the full review: https://vicsense.wordpress.com/2018/06/29/arc-the-oddling-prince/
I received a copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
SUMMARY
Alric is the only son and heir to the throne of Dun Caltor, until a mysterious, otherworldly being appears one night, claiming to be the king's other son. Albaric, born from the queen of fey and king Baldric (Alric's father), he develops a fierce love for his half-brother and vows to protect him and follow him to the ends of the earth, if need be. Meanwhile, their father grows to hate his second son, more and more with each passing day, until he starts to hate his first son and his wife for wanting to protect Albaric. The more the king hates Albaric, the more the latter loves his brother and follows him everywhere, never leaving his side. The two brothers must stand united against their raging father, as well as against the threat of a looming war.
REVIEW
I was attracted to this novel for two main reasons:
1) it's based on an old Scottish legend
2) it promised a strong brotherly love, which is hard to come by these days.
This novel reads like a long fairy tale, with elements of magic interspersed throughout the narrative, blending with the very real day-to-day life in medieval Scotland. I thought the characters were well thought out and I especially loved the intense and unshakable brotherly love. I thought that the king was downright mad because of his incessant hatred of Albaric, despite him not doing anything to be hated for (on the contrary, he is the most useful, capable, and skilful person in the castle). Albaric was sweet and utterly devoted to his half-brother, which made the pair very endearing. I wanted Albaric to be loved by his father, the way that he loved him. His innocent fey personality made him vulnerable and warranted protection and love from those around him. Luckily, Alric loved him as fiercely as he did, so at least he wasn't completely alone in the human world.
The narrative flowed beautifully and was very lyrical. I loved the way old medieval Scotland came to life and was painted so vividly. The characters described very realistic and historically accurate things that they encountered in their daily lives. The writing style might be a turn-off for some readers, but personally, I really enjoyed the ‘old English'-ness of the text. It added to the overall feeling that I was reading an ancient fairy tale.
If you like fairy tales, old Scotish legends and a fierce brotherly love, you should give this one a shot. I was pleasantly surprised and I'm happy I picked it up to read while on holiday.
