The Desert Prince: New epic fantasy series from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Demon Cycle

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Well, the usual caveats. I got this book for free, in the form of an Advance Reading Copy. Peter V Brett has been a friend of mine for years. But I don't think either of those things will affect my review of this book. Ok I have to start by saying that I have not read the preceding trilogy the Demon Cycle but now I really want to ! This book is set fifteen years after the parents of Olive and her friend Darin succeeded in taking down the Demons that had plagued the world. Yes a few stragglers escaped but the legends of what these people achieved elevates them in everyone's eyes and indeed hearts. So you can imagine how difficult it is for their children to live within their shadows. Personally when I got into it I enjoyed the story and the world’s political struggles, but I didn’t love the intersex ‘plot point’ being a big focus. I think there could have been other ways to handle this topic and to have integrated it into the story, but it reads a little clunky to me in this one.

Oo this was so good with a pace that just kept building. The author gives us a story of adversity and courage but also one of manipulation and pain. I loved Olive and the progression of this characters sexuality felt relevant. Perhaps not precisely hermaphrodite but certainly Olive is finding a way to not only live in the circumstances forced their way but to thrive. I'll admit that I'm not even finishing this one. I got about halfway through the book before I stopped, and in that time not a single moment even vaguely resembled the Aladdin story. It was so boring, and a retelling of Aladdin should never be that. I am not familiar with the original Aladdin fairytale, but as a story this is a great addition to the series. I also feel that Cassie grew up quite well in this tale.The plot. The first part of the story is setting up the world and the characters, and every single thing that happens in the first part pays off later. Great plot. Plus the romance was enjoyable and never felt forced or rushed at all. This book is a young adult fantasy novel with a romance. Though the third in the series, you can understand this story without reading the previous ones. the characters: All the characters were well done. Cassie is a fun protagonist; I liked how she was practical and smart but also caring. Zaid was awesome; he felt like a fully developed character in his own right. And all the side characters have roles that impact the plot; nobody was there just as a filler. The book undoubtedly had some good parts. The theme of the characters learning who they are is a prominent one. Olive was born as an intersex individual and assigned the sex of female because the alagai hora believed it provided her a better chance of survival. Olive has fully visible, and by Leesha's belief, working male and female parts. This presents a challenge as the world has been told Olive is woman. She has to hide her male parts and often must stay away from the eyes of others. It leaves her feeling isolated and unsure of herself. Darin has limited control of his powers and every morning is like fire on his skin as the sun rises. People expect to see the Deliverer Arlen Bales in Darin, but he is quiet and withdrawn. He doesn't like to fight. Both Olive and Darin fear they are disappointments. The story is told from the tight first person points of view of two very different characters. Both are teenagers, but I would not characterize this book as young adult, even though in many aspects these characters and their friends are all coming of age. Both characters are intriguing and their development bodes well for the next book.

Despite my luke-warm reaction, I will definitely be reading the next book when it releases, I'm invested in this world and series enough to be intrigued about it's future. Heart-wrenching, smart, and modern . . . The Desert Prince has set a new standard for fantasy.”—Wesley Chu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The War Arts Saga Endlich dürfen wir wieder in die Welt der Dämonen und Schutzzeichen eintauchen. Mit "Der Prinz der Wüste" beginnt der Auftakt einer Trilogie, welche die Geschichte der nächsten Generation aus dem Dämonenzyklus erzählt.Great news for all! The Desert Prince is now available on audio read by Saskia Maarleveld & Michael Crouch. This is the starting point of a new series set in this universe. One could use this as a starting point but I strongly recommend reading The Warded Man (it is the best book set in this universe) first to understand this world. In this one, we follow the exploits of the children of our heroes in the first series.