The Blood Prince, a short story by Jeff Wilson, introduces a world in which new civilizations are emerging from out of the collapse brought on by the great battle between the Sigil Order and the dark sorcerer Ulensorl, marking the end of the last great age.
Centuries have passed since the last of the great Sigil Knights, practitioners of lost arts, walked the earth wielding spiritual powers that are now only spoken of as part of myths and legends. Captain Aisen, a military officer in the newly re-founded Sigil Order, is returning home where his life will be altered forever.
His grandfather, Duke Kyreth Edorin, has died, and his body lies in preparation for a burial in the family crypts. As the heir to House Edorin, Aisen will be forced to leave his life as a solider behind and assume the role of the next leader of his house. With help from his younger brother, Beonen, and his allies within the Sigil Corps, Aisen hopes to build relationships with the other noble houses and gain the respect of the people entrusted to his care.
Confronted by betrayal, Aisen will be shaped in ways which will give rise his reputation as the feared Blood Prince, and threaten to throw the nation of Nar Edor into a deadly internal conflict.
The Blood Prince serves as an introduction to a larger story told in the full length novels of the trilogy.
For the Archon Sigil Series by Jeff Wilson, it is important but not imperative that you read this novella/ short story before you read the trilogy.
The Blood Prince sets the stage for many, many things for Prince Aisen. It completely explains all issues with his family, his house, his inheritance, his country, his vassals, his army, his nickname, why he wants to run away and hide, his issues with the King, and why he gave away his sigil sword. That is a lot to cover in a short story.
This is great information to have about Aisen going in to the Sigil Sword. Makes all the difference. I, of course, read them in the opposite order. Go figure... Recommended!
I was honestly a bit bored at the beginning of the story with all the details that seemed to be flying out. It felt a bit like x begat x begat x and so on. Though it all serves a purpose. As soon as "The Event" (being spoiler free here as much as I can) kicked in my boredom was choked away leaving only a tight grip of "What is driving this to happen?" type questions to emerge. For a moment it seemed as if I knew, but then nope, I was wrong. Try again to figure this out I must. When "The Event" is over most definitely one life had emerged with altercations yet to be realized. Tensions have been set. Run Forest Run. I wouldn't mind learning what is behind "The Event" or what was behind ending it. It would be fair to ask "What are the goals of that which caused "The Event"?" I can see where destiny has landed, where a good plot, if not great one, has been founded. Many questions need to be answered now and I hope it will be an entertaining ride getting them. Just like a box of chocolates I am curious to see what filling is inside.
This is a promising start to what I hope (and expect) will be a great addition to the genre of fantasy. The form and style of writing reminded me of all the greats in high fantasy, everything was well fleshed out and felt realistic and credible. I was appreciative of the fact that it was so professionally written unlike many e-books that contain amateurish writing. I particularly enjoyed the main character Aisen and how his personality was explained through his reluctance as well as his ultimate actions in the finale of the short story. I was impressed with the depth of his character in the short amount of time in which he was introduced, and was excited by not knowing if he was intended to be a hero or a villain within the Archon Sigil Trilogy. I'll be happy to work that out when the first book is released this year. So congratulations Jeff for writing something that has me more than willing to read the full novels when they are released.
That being said, there were a few things that made the reading of this short story and prequel difficult. One was the confusing aspect of Aisen's name. There were 2-3 instances in the story where instead of Aisen he was called Edryon (or something similar, can't quite recall the exact spelling) and I had to edit that in my head as I read. There were a few typos as well that halted the flow of an otherwise interesting and engaging tale. Another thing, which is mostly just my own opinion, is the challenging beginning, where the specifics in names and places, and the general background of the world we are introduced to was overwhelming and confusing. I had to ignore the specifics I was being handed in favor of the generalities of the story. There was too much name-dropping for me to keep track of things in such a short amount of time. I would've appreciated being fed the specifics at a slower rate. Though, when the fighting began, Jeff was so detailed that I could see every thrust and parry, every move and counter move vividly.
When all is said and done, if you enjoy fantasy genres and kings and peasants, knights and mystical swords, then give this a go and see if the novels are going to be something you'll love. I can say for certain that if you like any of the above things, you'll love this short story (and probably the novels when they appear).
This is a great introduction to Jeff Wilson's world he has created. He is wonderful at creating detail and explaining situations. It did take me a little bit to get into it because of all the back story put into a short period of time but once it got into the nitty gritty parts I flew through it. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan or Lord of the rings, Song of Ice and Fire, David Eddings books, and Terry brooks.
I am excited to see what comes next and what happens to the main character of this short story.
This short story gave me a glimpse of the dynamic world created by Jeff Wilson and leaves me hungry for more. A well crafted story that captures the birth of a future hero and explains much of what shapes him into a very complex character. I can't wait for the release of the first book of the trilogy.
I downloaded The Blood Prince as a free novella from Amazon. This is a set-up or prequel to another book, so it only contains a specific incident. Well written and interesting enough to draw the reader in-- I'll be checking out other books by this author.
This novella is a prequel to The Sigil Blade. It explains the misfortune and tragedy that consumes Aisen's life. He was forced to kill his brother in self defense, which his brother forced on him. His brother wanted the reigns of power that he felt was rightfully his, twisted as they were. In truth Aisen did not want a succession of power, rightfully his upon the death of their grandfather. Now he is filled with a life of despair and the title of the Blood Prince.
It's refreshing to find fantasy that grapples with weighty themes, built in a world that has depth beyond the story’s actual narrative. This short story is satisfying as a standalone tale, but serves to wet my appetite for the promised trilogy it serves as a prequel to.
Great introduction to a new world. We are introduced to Aisen in this short story and given a glimpse into the world and its people. The story is fast paced with just enough information given to intrigue the reader into wanting more. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.