It just wasn't for me, when it sounded like it was.

I read some of Nancy Springer's works when I was younger, and adored her Enola Holmes series so much, so when I heard about The Oddling Prince, I was so excited to get my hands on it, especially since it was set in Scotland. Unfortunately, it didn't really click with me.

One of the things I enjoyed with this novel was how it focused on family dynamics : the entire plot is centered around the royal family, their complicated dynamics and yet how they loved each other. It could also be a flaw at times, because outside of the family, none of the secondary characters made a lasting impression on me, I felt like they weren't fleshed out at times. I really liked Marisa though, I was a bit sad she arrived so last, but her awesomeness made me revise my judgement a little on the fact that there were next to now female characters in this one (the first time we saw girls of Aric's age, they were shallow and were just there because they wanted to become his bride...... nope).

I was particularly excited to read about Aric and Aldaric's relationship, they're brothers who didn't know each other/they had a brother until they were seventeen, and while I loved that they would burn the world down to the ground for each other, their relationship made me uncomfortable at times. Other reviewers have pointed this out, but I totally agree, I had to go back to check they were actually brothers and not having a romantic relationship. The resolution of their storyline was also very weird, I don't understand why this happened... While I'm on the topic of relationships : The Oddling Prince kinda had a romance at some point, when they said multiple times that one of the characters involved was a child ? I dunno, maybe I would have been okay with it if it hadn't been about marrying and what it involved ??

However, I did really like the world it was set in, with the light faerie aspect and the atmosphere ! But for the rest, it felt rushed all the time, when it could have been so much more, because this novel isn't even 300 page long. It felt more like a middle grade novel and not like a young adult one, even though the main character was seventeen, which isn't a criticism per se, but it was labelled as YA and it didn't feel like YA that much, maybe it was marketed for the younger part of YA?

Overall, this is my second big disappointment of the year and I'm so sad about it, because I thought that I would love it! Alas, we can't love every book we read.

Initial thoughts:
So this book has VERY mixed reviews. I, on the unfortunate hand, did not enjoy this book. I don't doubt that this book will have it's appeals too other people, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I didn't enjoy the writing because it felt too awkward and repetitive to me. The plot took too long for me to understand what the point of the story was. And the magic, or more appropriately, lack of magic and lack of fey disappointed me. Altogether, very sad to say I didn't enjoy this one. 

Plot:
THE WRITING in this story took me by surprise. Generally when reading YA stories that take place in this time period, I’ve only experienced that the dialogue uses old language, but a majority of the rest of the writing is fairly modern still. This book however utilized old language throughout the entire book. This could just be me, because many seem to enjoy the writing in this book, but I found it often times difficult to get through. There were many times where I had to reread lines and passages to really understand what the author was trying to tell me. All in all, I felt like the writing was awkward read and repetitive. Repetitive because the author had a tendency to use the same words over and over to describe different things. For example) the word uncanny at first was used in a way I don’t see it generally used, so it stood out to me. Then I continued to see this word pop up a lot through the rest of the book.
THE BROMANCE was borderline lovers instead of brothers. At times, their brotherly love went a bit overboard, but nothing seemed to be truly incestual. Still, sometimes I had to remember that they were brothers and not romantically involved with one another. What really sucks though is how suddenly their brotherly relationship came to be. Literally Aric and Albaric meet and on the SAME day, maybe only a few hours later, they are already willing to die for one another (before Aric even finds out that Albaric is his brother). That did not make any sense to me, even if Aric can telepathically understand how Albaric feels. Which, by the way, was never truly explained, it was just… there. Not to mention, their relationship gets even weirder in the end.
THE STORYLINE was not gripping enough for me. Going back through my Goodreads updates, you can see that the entire time I was CONFUSED. I could not for the life of me figure out what the point of the story was. I felt like the entire time I was just reading about Aric’s life and how there’s a growing strain on his relationship with his father because of Albaric. The events that kept taking places all felt discombobulated or random. The one consistent problem was that King Bardaric did not love Albaric and appeared to be turning into a dark cruel man. The mention of the real conflict did not come until the very end and even then, didn’t mesh well with the rest of the plot.
THE ENDING was odd. First of all we have this romance that really really made me uncomfortable. The love interest is brought to the castle under the pretense that she’s “too young” for Aric and that she not “womanly enough” yet for him to really like her in a romantic way. And yet… he falls in love, almost instantly, in the short time she’s there. Secondly, there’s an introduction of a new character that both felt random and causes yet more strain on the royal family. Then the “resolution” that the author chose to go with was just plain WEIRD. And everybody just accepted it. And things kind of just went from completely bad, to all better in 1 page. Abruptly, if you will, like a majority of things in this book.
OTHER THINGS I did not like include the extreme lack of magic or magical elements except when it was convenient right in the end. I did not like how magic in this world and the ring remain completely unexplained and yet something magical was used to resolve the whole family feud and final conflict. Then there’s the fact that this story is being sold of the basis of “a tale of brothers whose love and loyalty to each other is such that it defies impending warfare, sundering seas, fated hatred, and the very course of time itself.” But I wasn’t delivered any scenes of war. There was only 1 short moment of being in the sea and it wasn’t particularly sundering. And there’s no mention of time being a player in this plot except for the fact that Albaric doesn’t understand what it is. Then there are the character names… C’mon… Aric, Albaric, Bardaric… I’ve got nothing else to say about that.
 
Characters:
I have no emotional attachment to any of these characters. Didn’t love em, didn’t hate em. Guess I’m glad Aric at least has somewhat of a character arc. That’s really all I have to say.
 
Overall:
Being completely honest, it’s not that I can’t see the appeal of this book. I can completely understand why some people love this book. It just really was not my cup of tea.

I was sure I would love this book. Sadly I was mistaken. This book and me ... we just didn't work out.

The Oddling Prince takes place in the ancient moors of Scotland (yes, please!) and starts with the King deathly ill. He has a ring on his finger that is of elfin origin an cannot be removed in any way. Then a handsome and mystical stranger appears to save King Bardaric. He has his very own reasons for doing so, and the secret he carries with him could very much destroy not only the royal family.
It is a tale of two brothers, fiercely loyal to each other and having to face, wrath, hatred, war and maybe even fate.

I loved the premise of two brothers finding each other and standing up against everyone else together, truly loyal to one another. But, I didn't click with the story and it was certainly not what I expected. Their relationship was too quick and their feelings sometimes bordering more on the romantic side than the brotherly type. But they never crossed the line, so it was all fine. Still, rubbed me the wrong way. Even so, that wasn't the main issue for me. The plot was basically non-existent for the first half, at least excitement-wise and after that, it felt a bit all over the place, too quick and predictable in certain plot points.

The writing style is very fairytale-like. And irked me so much! I couldn't stand it. It created a distance to the characters that prevented me from caring whatsoever what happened to them.
In the style of fairy tales, everything was quite simplistic. Their feelings very clear, the rage enormous, the sentences short and the plot .. well, not really that engaging tbh (not that that is the case in fairy tales. I usually adore them).

I debated dnf-ing this book at least three times, but as I hate to do that, I powered through. And that was a good thing as the last third of the book did pick up and was sometimes fairly entertaining.

The only two characters I liked even a bit were Marissa, with her honesty and innocent bravery, and wise Queen Evalyn. I disliked pure Aric, didn't care for Albaric or anyone else sadly. And since I prefer characters over plot ... well, you see my difficulty with enjoying this book.

I can certainly see why some people enjoy it so much. As I said, it read very much like a longer fairytale, a thing I always wanted to read. I liked the focus on the brotherly relationship (even though it was too quick, too pure for my liking) and the end was enjoyable too.

'Albaric came in the window, another sort of Elfin ring -- the glimmering red-gold coil of his mother's hair -- in his hands. He tucked back into his tunic and sat on the floor beside me, his silence asking many questions. As did mine. But before I could settle on one, Mother said simply, "It was like this," and she told her tale. Clash of metal on metal, sword upon sword. Screams of men in rage or mortally wounded. Those were the sounds that had awoken her and her handwomen from sleep two mornings ago.'

This is an example of the writing style. Which in theory, I quite like, just that it creates a distance to the story, the characters that made it hard for me to connect, to care. But if you don't think that will be an issue for you, go ahead and read this book. It does have a lot of potential. It might just be a case of: It's me, not you, book.

It was very disappointing as I thought I would fly through this book and love it. It was supposed to be my easy read and get me back into reading. It was quite the opposite. I had to force myself to pick it up for the first 60% of the book. As I already said, the part after that was better, easier to read and as Marissa came into the story a bit more enjoyable.

Aric is grieving for his ailing father who seems to be cursed by a ring that came out of nowhere when Albaric appears at the palace steps to save the King.

The story is told in Aric’s perspective and the language does need some getting used to since it is written in an older language. While reading I did see that some words that appear are from the Brittonic language and some words are Scottish. Nancy’s writing style is very poetic and beautiful, and this also took me a while to get used to. I typically do not have the best of luck with poetically written books because the words typically go over my head. There were times when I took the time to try and appreciate a song Albric sings, but I just couldn’t appreciate the meaning. I hate myself sometimes.

My mind was expecting two brothers and a grand adventure, but this is not what this book is about. There are no long action sequences or evil dictators needing to be overthrown. The only fantasy elements in the book are the Fae, magical artifacts, and magical creatures. Their presence is minimal too. The book is centered around a royal family learning to open up to each other so that they can love one another. Albaric’s presence really did shake the foundation of the love and fealty Aric and his parents held for one another.

I loved the instant bond between Aric and Albaric. They stick up for one another and give each other another perspective to consider. I grew frustrated at the actions of the King and I felt angry when there seemed to be no way to pacify the King’s fears. This story has a very slow pace as the story takes time to explore the family dynamics. While very different from what I was expecting I did enjoy the story enough to find out how everything would end.

From the premises, The Oddling Prince sounded like a great book but in the end I didn't like it very much. I was glad that one of the topics was the family and its relationship and I liked the worldbuilding, but what I didn't enjoy was the lack of development. Sometimes the story felt so rushed that I didn't understand what was going on. Also, I didn't get attached to any characters and the relationship between Aric and Aldaric was... weird. Sometimes it felt like a romantic relationship than a sibling one. I don't know, maybe it was me, maybe I expected too much from this book.

I didn’t have the patience for the flowery language, and I wish there had been better character development. It seems like she was going for a very specific style of storytelling, but it just didn’t work for me.

When I opened up this book I was delighted by the lyrical quality of the prose, then about five chapters in it began to annoy me, but I pushed through that to find a very strange tale, somewhat medievaloid. By the time I got to the end I really liked it. It certainly didn't go in the direction I expected. It's a book about unintended consequences, love and loyalty, and the darkness of the human soul. It's very fairy-tale like in feel.

Set in ancient Scotland, the king of Caledon lies on his deathbed, cursed by a ring that he can't remove. His life is saved by a mysterious fey stranger, Albaric, to whom the young prince Aric (age 17) is immediately drawn. It turns out that Albaric is also the king's son from a time-out-of-time spent in the Fey world as a captive lover of the fae queen. The king can't accept this forgotten time and will not accept Albaric. Aric and Albaric bond and from then on we see the king's descent into darkness, directed against not only Albaric, but against those he loves.

Aric is an honest and noble character, trying to balance his (deteriorating) relationship with his father and his loyalty towards Albaric. Part way through we meet Marissa, the daughter of an enemy who becomes Aric's intended, though she's actually a hostage for her father's good behaviour. She's a great character and although she doesn't get a lot of page-time, she makes the most of it.

There is an unexpected (magical) resolution which I didn't see coming, but which fitted the story perfectly.

I guess this is YA, but it crosses boundaries.

(This E-ARC is from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

The king of Calidon is dying, cursed by a ring that cannot be removed from his finger. The fey stranger that comes to the castle to save him has a major secret that could tear apart the royal family. The kingdom’s only hope lies with two young men raised in two entirely different worlds - Aric, the son of the king of Calidon, and Albaric, a mysterious person who is clearly a member of the nobility but is strangely out of place.

It's been a while since I've read a YA fantasy novel by Nancy Spinger, but when I was younger I loved I am Morgan le Fay and I am Mordred. I've read some of her other works that I've enjoyed, but just based on those fantasy books I was really looking forward to her newest outing in the genre. While I liked the story well enough with her interpretation of the fey, the setting of ancient Scotland, and the idea of ring which totally reminds me the One Ring of Lord of the Rings. I don't know about you, but I had issues with the writing style and language. To me it came across as little stilted, especially when it comes to the characters. I had a difficult time investing myself in the cast of characters. I don't know if it was just me, but I also had a hard time keeping the characters straight in my head. I mean with names like Aric, Albaric, and Bardaric, I had trouble remember who's who throughout. I have to admit, too, that names like Escobar and Garth were unexpected.

Overall, there are many elements I liked about this new story from Nancy Springer, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. My favorite aspect is definitely how the fey are portrayed, but unfortunately I didn't find myself invested in the either of the leading characters. If you're interested in the fey or any of this author's earlier YA fantasy novels, you may be interested in her newest outing.

This is quite an interesting little book. There is a very restrained, old-fashioned, almost innocent tone to the story. It's not a children's book, but doesn't fit the mould of current adult or even YA fantasy. In other hands it could have been easy to describe it as an "insta-love bromance", but it is much more classicly styled than that.
It is perhaps closest in tone to authors like Patricia Mckillop, or Juliet Marillier, with the reader having to work harder to see the layers beneath the seeming simplicity.

Warning: Minor Spoilers ahead (depends on how you take them)

I think this book isn't for me...

The Oddling Prince is no doubt brilliantly written. I love the author's style, and yes, the 2.5 stars are for it alone. It was worded using archaic language, almost like in King James version of the Bible, and thankfully, it's my favorite version so I find the writing of this book fascinating. The words are flowery, lyrical and poetic.

Now with the content, I have so many complains. It was boring. I was expecting this book to be high fantasy, with faes and elves, but what I got is a tale, though the words used were beautiful, it wasn't told properly. Maybe it has something to do with the narrator, Aric, that as a character, I dislike. I'll get to the characters later... Anyway, it started with the kingdom's misery with the King, King Bardaric, lain in bed dying because of some stupid ring. Then the arrival of Albaric. From then, Aric chose to narrate their everyday activities, worse, their everyday activities aren't that interesting. Such as how Albaric chose and tame a horse and how he sings to it. And Aric even narrated Albaric's bath because the aforementioned horse made him sore and bruised, aching all over. (And mind you, there are plenty of baths in the story.)

I do understand such scenes are necessary so the reader understand how new Albaric is in his new form but it gets boring. It takes at least 40% of the book, the introduction I mean, before they get into an adventure. And the said adventure isn't the kind of adventure I was expecting. It was lame.

The world, though seems fantastic isn't that amazing. It's also underwhelming. Just another kingdom and it's neighboring realms.

The characters... Aric and Albaric are the corniest characters I've ever encountered. And that twist in the ending didn't even made it better for me. Why? Because the twist just explained why they were so close though they were raised worlds apart. It didn't change the fact that their actions and words are too soft. Too feminine. It would've been so much better if this book turned out to be LGBTQ. It might have redeemed the characters for me. Ah!!! I would've loved them more if they were... And I almost think the story will turn into something taboo the way they interact with each other but it didn't. Though I wouldn't have mind if it came to that (I'm a GoT Fan). At least that would've explained so many things...

Obviously, I didn't like the ending though the twist might surprise others, I find it eeeewwww!!! Like I hate to imagine them now.

This book might not be a bad book for others, even I, won't call this like that. This isn't just for me and this is just a different-than-usual book...

Happy Reading guys and hope you like this more than I did. I mean look at how gorgeous the cover...

This was a totally different take on the fae and I found it to be a beautiful story full of love and understanding. It is about two brothers who find each other and will do what ever it takes to keep each other alive. It is historical fiction with a touch of magical realism.

Aric is the prince and only child of Queen Evalin and King Bardaric. He is often described as young and unsure, and people worry that he will not be strong enough to be king. Albaric is the fae son that the king does not remember. Raised in Elfland, but not loved there, he comes to help the king recover from his illness. The king takes an instant dislike to Albaric and can not understand his son’s fascination with him. What unfolds is a wonderful story of loyalty, what it means to be brothers and doing everything with in your power to save the ones you love.

Aric was a fascinating character with a lot going for him. He was a young man on the brink of adulthood, but unsure of his place in life. He was devoted to his king and his people, but wasn’t sure he wanted to be king.

Albaric was also a great character. Half fae and half human and totally out of his element. He knew next to nothing of the human world when he arrived, but was determined to get the king to notice him and perhaps love him as he did in Elfland.

The story centers around Aric and Albaric’s relationship, and how they save the kingdom and the King and Queen from death and destruction. It is historical fiction set in Scotland and the setting is just beautiful. There is a small romance, although it is very period appropriate. Lady Marissa is the daughter of a rival kingdom, and a seer. She is a delight, and I loved see their relationship develop.

The writing is suburb and you really feel like you are there with all of the sights and sounds of medieval Scotland. The magical realism is not overpowering but adds a nice subtle touch to the story. The ending was not at all what I expected, but beautiful and perfect.

A beautiful and riveting story of loyalty and what it means to be brothers. Although slow at times, it is a truly magical story that should not be missed.

For fans of The Lord of the Rings, The Oddling Prince is a tale of two brothers and their father, the King, and a ring of power that has plans of its own.

The Writing and Worldbuilding

The beginning of this book was somewhat difficult to really get into, as the book was written differently than any book I've ever read before, with a very storybook, almost Shakespearean style. I feel that it would be great as an audiobook, because the 1st person narrative has many asides and interjections from Aric, the protagonist, that it seemed to be a story being told. Once I got used to it, I really enjoyed the writing. There are many terms that might be unfamiliar to many readers, so I would only suggest this to people who are fluent in English and at high school reading level or greater.

I loved the world! Elfland was so intriguing, and the fey elements of the story were very well done. The prophecy of the White King was wonderfully interspersed throughout to maintain suspense without being overbearing or exposition. I absolutely loved the ring! It had the potential to just be a LOTR copy, but instead it was unique and interesting and acted as a great plot driver. It really was a chaotic neutral force sometimes, and almost seemed to be a character in its own right.

The strange bromance between Aric and Albaric really could and should have been done better though. It was insta-love, really, and didn't feel familial until over 50% into the book, because Aric kept commenting on how beautiful and lovely and wonderful and astounding and skilled Albaric was like some lovesick puppy. Some of their behavior, like touching each others hands and cuddling felt like was I do with my sisters, and as men of their era, that was odd though not unwelcome. It was Aric's constant praise of Albaric that was so off-putting. Siblings don't act that way.

I loved how the conflict with the king grew slowly and deeper with each chapter. It really kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat.

The Characters

Aric: Besides his creepy obsession with his brother, he was a really fun character! I loved his sense of humor and his carefree, fun nature. He was kind of ADHD but I loved that, and found him so incredibly endearing.

Albaric: He was definitely my favorite character! His struggle with being a previously immortal being trapped in a mortal body and with unrequited love for his father was so well done and unique. I've been really wanting a well done fey character ever since I read A Court of Thorns and Roses and found it incredibly lacking in every magical regard (besides other things) and so this character and this book really hit my fantasy spot. Also, his humor and banter with Aric was fantastic! I love utterly clueless but well-meaning characters so much!

King Bardaric: He was so interesting. His dark descent into madness was such a great character study and really kept me guessing and second guessing its origins.

Queen Evalin: She was so great! She is seriously the best, strongest, most elegant lady I've ever read in any book. She's seriously what I needed right now. She's so supportive and wise, and so determined. I really loved her.

Marissa: She was somewhat of a surprise, and I was determined to not like her (given the fact that I didn't much see her point at first) but her girlish charm won me over and I relented.

Conclusion

This might be a new favorite, I'm not totally sure yet (might need to let it settle for a bit) but either way, it was a great fantasy adventure, and really gave me everything I needed when setting out to read a book from such a genre. It made me feel nostalgic, for what, I don't know, but nostalgic nonetheless. I seriously really enjoyed this and I want all of you to read it too once it comes out, because it's totally worth it.

“A breath of fresh air, wonderful world building and a must read for Fantasy lovers.”

P L O T

Nothing complicated, I felt at ease when reading this book. There is a bit of drama, lots of magic, and I didn’t have to worry about romanticizing anything because this isn’t a romance book but a book about two brothers and finding their place in the world and being happy.

From the very first chapter until the end, I couldn’t stop reading. Early in the book during breaks I would talk to my mom about this amazing book I just started and I even caught her interest.

His suffering was not simple but a vast and fearsome tangle of many hurtful thorns.

C H A R A C T E R S

There aren’t a lot of characters to be confused with which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book very much. Everyone had taken their own journey in this book but it was the two Prince’s journey that was the center of it all.

Aric

Son of the King, thinks his mother would be a better King if she weren’t born a woman. He feels incomplete and is seeking something but doesn’t know what it is.

I knew that my quest in life must be to find him peace.

Albaric

A Prince who doesn’t belong in the world he was born in so he sought love and belongingness elsewhere.

Both are pure of heart and would put others first before themselves.

W R I T I N G

Nancy Springer has a gift for fantasy writing. It’s not an easy read with that old Scotland language with the English words getting mixed up, but it is a joy to read. The world she created and the magic that came a long with it is something I’ve never read in any other book before. It’s very unique.

O V E R A L L

I love this book, the way it is written, the characters, the world Springer created. Everything felt magical and I truly felt like I was in the world with them. I am so blessed to be one of the people who got to read her work and surely this will not be my last book written by her.

I would have to say that The Oddling Prince is my first real foray into fantasy since I read Harry Potter, and my first in this type of Epic fantasy since the Lord of the Rings trilogy before that, which I read while in college about 15 years ago. I know I’m aging myself here!

1525827722480.jpg

Anyway, I loved this book. The tale was spun beautifully and I was delighted to have a fully resolved story in one volume instead of stretched in to a trilogy. Don’t get me wrong, I love a trilogy, but sometimes you just don’t want to wait to see what happens!

1525827673585.jpg

This tale of a kingdom in peril and the princes that are destined to save it is full of beautiful imagery and wrought with emotions. It is easy to find yourself fully immersed in the land of Dun Coltier and the plight of our two heros. I don’t want to give that much away as it is integral to the story and it’s ending but trust me it’s awesomely beautiful.

1525827788124.jpg

If you are a fantasy buff this might be a bit too easy for you but I still found it well worth the read. I think it may be a good place to start of you are interested in starting fantasy fiction. It is a lot easier to read than the Lord of the Rings trilogy for sure, as good as that was I found myself tiring of it.

1525827594645.jpg

So my lovely booklings, that is my suggestions. So go forth and read-eth! 😉

1525827637660.jpg

Thanks to NetGalley for offering a copy of the Oddling Prince for a fair and honest review.

I loved that book very very much!
I am amazed at the writing of the author and I loved the action and the characters.
The first thing that got to me was the title and I immediately decided that I wanted this book ad that I wanted to read it ^^
I am not disappointed and I hope everybody else gets to enjoy it as much as I did.

It was difficult trying to figure out my jumbled thoughts about this one. It has a fairytale quality about it that I liked, but the story was slow and quiet, so I was bored by it. It started out interesting enough. The ring and ailing king and mention of elves made the beginning quite compelling.

The ring made me think of the One Ring from Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring series because of its cunning and the effect it has upon the wearer. This plot device had a lot of potential. I didn’t expect what became of it by the end because I read expecting, and hoping, for a darker, more complex story.

I loved the mention of elves and that the tone of the story has a fairytale quality to it, as if I was reading a fairytale retelling. But there too the story fell short for me because I thought it would be emphasized. The fey are significant to the plot in that the elf queen’s action is what created the situation we read of but I expected, wanted, more fantasy and wonder in the story but didn’t get it.

As the story progressed, I lost interest. It just wasn’t appealing and Aric, whose perspective we read from, was not a compelling character. So despite the few fights and short adventure (which I thought was pointless), the story was largely uninteresting.

However, I kept reading because the story is fairly short, about 280 pages or so, and I didn’t mind the writing, though it was sometimes distracting. The writing is descriptive, which I always like, and made it easy for me to imagine the Scottish moors in which the story is set. However certain words, which I think are used to emphasize the place and period of the setting, distracted me because I was unfamiliar with them and they popped up often. Like “troth” and “sooth” and “forsooth.” It took me a while to get used to them. (That’s not something negative, but it’s part of my reading experience with this story so I mention it.)

Though I didn’t find the overall story appealing, aspects of some characters interested me. If I should select a favorite character from the story, it would be the king. He is the most nuanced. I love that we see him slowly devolve into an antagonist. In comparison, all other characters are quite flat, including the protagonist, Aric, which is probably why I think him so boring. But the king we see change over the course of the story. He becomes suspicious, choleric, and inconsiderate, and by the end has become a tyrant instead of the wise, wonderful ruler we are told he was.

As I read, I wondered at the cause of the king’s change in personality. Because we read from Aric’s naïve perspective, we are led to believe that the king becomes a dark version of his former self because of the ring’s effect on him. However, as I read I instead chose to consider this story as similar to fairytales that indirectly speak of dark truths of human nature and began to wonder if the king’s change is due to trauma that he’s incapable of overcoming alone.

Why the king changed

Major spoilers!!

The elf queen placed the ring on the king’s finger to make him fall in love with her, but her plan backfired and instead she fell madly in love with the king. The elf queen stole the king away to Elfland against his will and forced him to stay there and become her lover. She got pregnant with Albaric and the king helped to deliver and raise him. But missing his human family, the king became depressed and because she felt sorry for him, the elf queen released the king.

End major spoilers

The more I read, the more I believed that such an experience was horrific to the king because he was raped. He was taken advantaged of, forced to participate in acts he didn’t agree to, was bound to an unfamiliar world filled with unnatural beings, and prevented from returning home or seeing his family. He was prisoner. Because of this I sympathized more with the king than any other character in the book and became frustrated when other characters criticized him for being suspicious of a random dude who shows up saying he’s the king’s son and coincidentally happens to know how to save him. (Nothing’s a coincidence.)

I believe the king becomes darker, negative, and untrustworthy because he doesn’t know how to cope with his experience. He may not have remembered exactly what happened before, during, and after visiting Elfland, but subconsciously he reacts to the product of that experience — Albaric — who he is forced by his family to accept and is constantly chided for rejecting. I can imagine him feeling angry and possibly disgusted with himself and his family and especially Albaric but not understanding why, which drives the king mad by the end.

Because we read from Aric’s perspective, we are told that Albaric is the loneliest person (something like that), but I disagree because Albaric always has Aric and sometimes even the queen. The king is the loneliest and the most misunderstood. As a man, he feels shame for what happened in Elfland and as a king, he feels dishonored. He can’t confide his feelings in anyone because he lives in a patriarchal society and must always portray an outward appearance of strength and capability, so he suffers alone and is tortured by it.

Aric and Albaric’s relationship: why the king hates it

Aric and Albaric’s relationship were of huge interest to me as well because of how much the king disapproved of it. I can understand his reasons. As a king, one would not want one’s son and only heir to become chummy friends with a stranger who randomly pops up in the nick of time to save the kingdom and then claim to be the king’s bastard. Though Albaric refuses his claim to the throne, it still seems a bit fishy.

Also, based on what I’ve said above about the king’s time in Elfland, it’s possible that the king felt an immediate aversion to Albaric, though not knowing why, and so does not want Aric, his son and heir, to be associated with someone who brings up such strong negative emotions.

However, in addition to those reasons, I think the king is homophobic. The story is set in a kingdom that is strongly patriarchal where men must always prove their masculinity. Albaric is part fey and impossibly beautiful. People are awed by his appearance. As I read, I gathered that he’s probably also effeminate in appearance because after gaining a scar on his face, the king says that Albaric looks less like a “mollycoddle” after gaining it.

So…I think the king suspects the depth of love Aric and Albaric have for each other and disapproves of their relationship. Sure, Aric believes Albaric is his brother but the way Aric speaks of how connected they are, how in-tune they are with each other…I couldn’t help thinking of them as lovers rather than brothers.

In my mind, this is insta-love because Aric totally fell for Albaric the moment he saw him. He was immediately smitten and became more so the more time they spend together. I mean, the descriptions of Marissa, who later becomes Aric’s intended, doesn’t match up to the passages where Aric speaks of Albaric, how beautiful he is and how connected they are. Dude is totally in love.

How I read the story

So this is how I read this story: A king was kidnapped and raped by a woman and is deeply traumatized by the experience. It’s such a horrific experience that he doesn’t remember it but subconsciously reacts to it (his ailment and changes in behavior). Thus he is unable to welcome the strange boy who randomly pops up saying he’s the king’s son. When said boy befriends the king’s heir, the king becomes angry because not only does he dislike this random boy but the king’s “true” son has fallen in love with him. How unmanly!

Meanwhile, Aric is worried as his father nears death. He doesn’t want to lose his father, whom he loves dearly, and is unsure if he’ll be able to rule as well as his dad did. A random stranger shows up and save his father. A beautiful half-fey knight in shining armor on a white horse. Aric immediately falls in love with the stranger and grows more strongly connected and enamored of him the more time they spend together. His mother approves of the relationship. His father hates it (it’s not manly!) and Aric is torn between his love for his dad and wanting to please his father and the love he has for Albaric, his half-bro and true love.

Reading the story that way made it more complex and satisfying though it also made me hate the ending. Whether or not I read it this way, I wouldn’t have liked the ending. I liked the healing parts, but nothing else.

Overall: ★★☆☆☆

I rate based on enjoyment and I was mostly bored by this. However I am glad that I completed it. The story wasn’t appealing and I didn’t like the end, but I like that it was easy to consider the events and characters in a way that sparked some interest in me and pushed me toward completing the book.

<REVIEW> THE ODDLING PRINCE
•
•
• ⭐️:3,75/5
•
•
💬: In the ancient moors of Scotland, the king of Calidon lies on his deathbed, cursed by a ring that cannot be removed from his finger. When a mysterious fey stranger appears to save the king, he also carries a secret that could tear the royal family apart. The kingdom’s only hope will lie with two young men raised worlds apart. Aric is the beloved heir to the throne of Calidon; Albaric is clearly of noble origin yet strangely out of place.
•
•
🔰: I received an Advance Reader's Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The one thing that really make me give plus points to this book is the writing style, I loved the way it feels like your hearing an old legend or a fairytale. I’m not used to read books with this kind of style but I discovered that I didn’t disliked.
The characters were very interesting, and we see a lot of bromance (a little intense...at some points I thought they would cross the line of having an incestuous affair and I’m glad they didn’t do anything). I loved Aric and his always so trustworthy and courageous spirit, also Albaric makes me swoon. Albaric is a fey and doesn’t understand the concept of time and mortality but Aric teaches the way of humans and that’s how they become close (and because they find out they are brothers). But Marissa was by far my favorite character!
All the magic aspects and the celtic songs that Albaric sings sets a mysterious and whimsical mood to the story, reminding me a lot of Wuthering Heights (something about it made me relate to this book but the stories have NOTHING in common).
The plot was very fast and I adored how each scene had something to add to this story. It wasn’t a random things that only fills more pages. It made sense and until the end, each paragraph, interaction and dialogue...were not trivial. They were important and necessary. Some parts even made me held my breath (there is one scene in particular that really got to me actually).
Overall, this book is a great experience for those who like adventures mixed with fantasy aspects and intense relationships (family). The characters are amazing and well build, even if the plot has nothing we haven’t seen before...it’s a book that’s worth to read.

"The Oddling Prince is a tale of brothers whose love and loyalty to each other is such that it defies impending warfare, sundering seas, fated hatred, and the very course of time itself. In her long-awaited new fantasy novel, Nancy Springer (the Books of Isle series) explores the darkness of the human heart as well as its unceasing capacity for love."
Interesting novel set in medieval Scotland with kings, queens, and fae!

I can see why this was a bit polarising but I adored it. I loved the style and language. I really enjoyed the story – fae prince and mortal prince explore the bonds of love, loyalty and the darkness underneath. This had great characters, a Celtic setting, an old style mythic feel and a slow burn fantasy story with deep themes. Exactly my cup of tea. I will have to check out Springer’s other books now.

What attracted me to request this book (apart from the cover) was the bromance storyline. There is nothing I love more than loyalty/bonds between two people that are not based on romance so I was hyped to read this. Unfortunately, I did not like this as much as I thought I would

What I didn’t like
- The writing is in old English, very fairytale-ish which I realized I did not like. Sometimes, I did not even know what certain sentences meant. I think this book would have been better as an audiobook.
- This book had non-romantic insta-love which I did not even know existed. Albaric, a half-fey, half human boy comes into the palace to help the king who was suffering from an affliction, and claims to be the half-brother of prince Aric and while the King is suspicious of Albaric, Aric immediately starts being protective/ loyal and it seemed too fast for me. This instant connection spoiled the bromance for me because I wanted their relationship to grow gradually. Honestly, at some point, their relationship was weird, like almost romantic weird. It got to a point where I thought it was THAT type of book and I was really glad when a love interest was introduced lol
- This book didn’t have a centred plot but a bunch of subplots. The only constant thing was the loyalty between Albaric and Aric so I guess this is a character-driven book

I did like some things though
- There is this ring that has the ability to control people. It reminded me of lord of the rings which I love. I liked the interactions between the ring and characters
- Although there was barely a romance, I found the little glimpses of it to be cute
- I liked the main characters Albaric and Aric and I felt really bad for Albaric because the king hated him. I did enjoy some of their bromance moments when it wasn’t weird.
- I liked learning why the king was so distrustful of Albaric
- Like I said, there was no centred plot so I wasn’t really sure where the story was going but I was pleasantly surprised at the ending and I found it unique.

Overall, it was an okay read but not something I would read again.