The Prince Without Sorrow is a story about grappling with legacy. It’s about wanting to make change, but not knowing when it will actually happen. And if it will be too late. Keep reading this book review of The Prince Without Sorrow for my full thoughts.
Summary
A prince born into violence, seeking peace.
Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.
A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.
Shakti is a a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.
In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Immediately I was intrigued by the consequences of power in The Prince Without Sorrow. We have characters who grew up with power, who feel like their hands are tied, and those who are afraid of their power. They know the consequences their power has on their future. It’s a culture of fear, of being accused of being a witch. And The Prince Without Sorrow is about the pace of change. We can want change to happen overnight, we know the system is rotten. But how can we go about actually making that happen?
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The Prince Without Sorrow is a promising series starter. In some ways, it felt very much like a series starter. There’s this sort of large exposition feeling as well as a, at times, plodding pace. But it’s also a story I was interested in about grappling with legacy and our choices. We have to ask ourselves whether harm is avoidable and who we will accept as consequences. How far will we allow our revenge to go? Find The Prince Without Sorrow on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.