Author : Michael Michel
Book : The Price of Power
/Fantasy/
Publication date : February 6th 2023
Blurb:
Prince Barodane could not hold back the darkness. Not even in himself. He laid an innocent city in its grave and then died a hero.
In his absence, war whispers across the land.
Power-hungry highborn dispatch spies and assassins to the shadows as they maneuver for the throne, while an even greater threat rises in the South. Monsters and cultists flock to the banners of a mad prophet determined to control reality…and then shatter it.
Destiny stalks three to the brink of oblivion.
A dead prince that isn’t actually dead. Barodane buried his shameful past in a stupor of drugs, drink, and crime, and now, he’d rather watch the world fall apart than wear a crown again.
An orphan with hero’s blood who is forced to make a harrowing choice: betray her country or sacrifice her first love.
And a powerful seer who has no choice at all–her grandson must die.
If any of them fails to pay the price…
The cost will be the world’s complete annihilation.
My thoughts:
As I'm dipping my toes in the grimdark fantasy more and more, The Price of Power was absolutely fascinating read. Character focused with lots of action, political scheming, intriguing folklore and my favorite of all morally gray characters. The whole story is narrated trough multiple POV'S and each of them equally gripping with its voice.
Barodane - the Mad Prince presumed to be dead, living anonymously in the shadows.
Ishoa - with no much time to prepare for all the political scheming going on, she is next in line to the throne of Namarr.
Thepos - hopeless and lost all-purpose to live for….combined with not so much good company…expectedly leads the priest to heavy situations.
And finally – the mysterious and powerful grandmother tasked with an impossible decision…but as the story develops we see more of the motivations and backstory that motivated all her deeds.
Really strong character work with plenty of layers to them, backstory and their own distinctive flaws that made them so likable and make you seamlessly connect with them.
The worldbuilding is developed perfectly with numerous different races, cultures making the immersing feeling stronger and fuller.
I would say that this book have a wonderful foundation that can only serve for a brilliant series of books moving forward!
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