Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdom series and Shade’s Children, combines space opera with a coming-of-age story in his YA novel A Confusion of Princes.
Superhuman. Immortal. Prince in a Galactic Empire. There has to be a catch….
Khemri learns the minute he becomes a Prince that princes need to be hard to kill—for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.
There are also mysteries. Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and is dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle, he meets a young woman, called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces there that have very definite plans for his future.
**
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Khemri, now 19, was taken from his parents at birth to be molded into a superhuman, nearly immortal prince of a vast intergalactic empire, joining millions of others like him who carry out the work of the mysterious "Imperial Mind." As his training wraps up and he is set to begin his duties, Khemri discovers that being a young prince of the empire is not all he hoped it would be, and he must prove himself worthy of the title. A year into his service, he is stripped of his super powers and sent on a secret mission where he falls in love and begins to question his destiny. Conceited and overconfident with grand plans of rising to Emperor himself, Khemri soon realizes there is more to life than immortality and all-encompassing power. Garth Nix weaves an intricate plot (HarperCollins 2012) and creates a fascinating futuristic world with enough action, space gadgetry, and tech lingo to appease hard-core science fiction fans, while providing a rich story and deep characterization that will win over those hesitant to delve into the genre. Michael Goldstrom's crisp voice brings the character to life, delivering the first-person text with an initial air of cockiness and later humility as the prince undergoes his internal transformation. He uses unique and sometimes electronically enhanced voices to distinguish the cast of characters, making this a highly enjoyable listen.-Amy Dreger, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, OHα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
Space battles! Political intrigue! Engineered warriors! Techno-wizardry! Assassins! Pirates! Rebels! Duels! Secrets, lies, sex and True Love! What more can anybody ask for? (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
Nix’s fantasy has enough gadgets, escapes, battles, duels, deaths, and near-death experiences to keep die-hard adventure story readers enthralled. Happily, Khemri is also a thoughtful, winsome, and somewhat complex character, and his cheerfully self-deprecating tone and unpredictable choices make this romp entertaining on multiple levels. (Horn Book (starred review) )
Nix once again proves his mastery of speculative fiction [as] he manages to tell a tale that is grand in scope with vivid characters and imaginative technology. (School Library Journal (starred review) )
[An] exciting space opera. (Publishers Weekly )
Khemri’s first person point of view, along with a fast-paced, action- and plot-driven story, is sure to appeal to fans of the Star Wars universe and any number of first-person shooter video games. (ALA Booklist )
Garth Nix’s A CONFUSION OF PRINCES is YA FOUNDATION meets DUNE. (Tor.com )
“Exuberant and insightful. The rocket-powered pace and epic world-building provide an ideal vehicle for what is, at heart, a sweet paean to what it means to be human.”— (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
Description:
Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdom series and Shade’s Children, combines space opera with a coming-of-age story in his YA novel A Confusion of Princes.
Superhuman. Immortal. Prince in a Galactic Empire. There has to be a catch….
Khemri learns the minute he becomes a Prince that princes need to be hard to kill—for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.
There are also mysteries. Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and is dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle, he meets a young woman, called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces there that have very definite plans for his future.
**
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-Khemri, now 19, was taken from his parents at birth to be molded into a superhuman, nearly immortal prince of a vast intergalactic empire, joining millions of others like him who carry out the work of the mysterious "Imperial Mind." As his training wraps up and he is set to begin his duties, Khemri discovers that being a young prince of the empire is not all he hoped it would be, and he must prove himself worthy of the title. A year into his service, he is stripped of his super powers and sent on a secret mission where he falls in love and begins to question his destiny. Conceited and overconfident with grand plans of rising to Emperor himself, Khemri soon realizes there is more to life than immortality and all-encompassing power. Garth Nix weaves an intricate plot (HarperCollins 2012) and creates a fascinating futuristic world with enough action, space gadgetry, and tech lingo to appease hard-core science fiction fans, while providing a rich story and deep characterization that will win over those hesitant to delve into the genre. Michael Goldstrom's crisp voice brings the character to life, delivering the first-person text with an initial air of cockiness and later humility as the prince undergoes his internal transformation. He uses unique and sometimes electronically enhanced voices to distinguish the cast of characters, making this a highly enjoyable listen.-Amy Dreger, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Beachwood, OHα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
Space battles! Political intrigue! Engineered warriors! Techno-wizardry! Assassins! Pirates! Rebels! Duels! Secrets, lies, sex and True Love! What more can anybody ask for? (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )
Nix’s fantasy has enough gadgets, escapes, battles, duels, deaths, and near-death experiences to keep die-hard adventure story readers enthralled. Happily, Khemri is also a thoughtful, winsome, and somewhat complex character, and his cheerfully self-deprecating tone and unpredictable choices make this romp entertaining on multiple levels. (Horn Book (starred review) )
Nix once again proves his mastery of speculative fiction [as] he manages to tell a tale that is grand in scope with vivid characters and imaginative technology. (School Library Journal (starred review) )
[An] exciting space opera. (Publishers Weekly )
Khemri’s first person point of view, along with a fast-paced, action- and plot-driven story, is sure to appeal to fans of the Star Wars universe and any number of first-person shooter video games. (ALA Booklist )
Garth Nix’s A CONFUSION OF PRINCES is YA FOUNDATION meets DUNE. (Tor.com )
“Exuberant and insightful. The rocket-powered pace and epic world-building provide an ideal vehicle for what is, at heart, a sweet paean to what it means to be human.”— (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )