Cels Reviews: Garth Nix's - "A Confusion of Princes"

I have been a willing hostage to the imagination of Garth Nix for almost half my life, so of course when I found out there was a new novel being released, I was more than a little excited. And the verdict? Wow! If you have entered one of Nix’s worlds before, you know that Nix is a master storyteller not to be missed, and A Confusion of Princes certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Meet Prince Khemri. Taken from his parents as a small child and equipped with biological and technological improvements, he is now an enhanced human being, trained for the glory of taking his place as one of the Princes of the Empire. If he dies and is deemed worthy, he may be fortunate enough to be re-born. Which is just as well, for upon his graduation, his dreams of instant glory and gratification are soon shattered. The Empire is well versed in secrets and half-truths and Khemri soon finds that he is only one of ten million princes- and they all want each other dead. This may be the greatest game of chess ever played- and we are all the pawns.

A Confusion of Princes is more than just advanced tech, heroic battles, far flung space and alien life forms. This is a tender tale of love and one young man’s fight to regain humanity. This is a space opera at its epic best. Khemri is a strong and commanding lead who will have you fully vested into his plight. Told entirely from his point of view, this is his memoir and his “voice” will wrap itself completely around you have you desperate to see just what mayhem he stumbles upon next.

The world is visually rich and will transport you right into the thick of the action and the complex layers surrounding the mysterious Empire will have you digging through trying to find the truth at its core. The added bonus of an all new short story set in the world certainly adds to the enjoyment.

Even if Sci-fi isn’t your normal genre of choice, A Confusion of Princes is certainly worth stepping outside of your comfort zone. This is a stellar intergalactic adventure with a lesson for us all.

A Confusion of Princes- Garth Nix

Allen and Unwin

337 Pages

ISBN:978-1-74175-861-0

Released April 8 2012