Indie Book Review: Rise of the Prince by Nicholas C. Rossis (Pearseus #2)

Review:

This was my bedside table book: a slow burn with diverse, multi-faceted characters which, for me, was best consumed in small but regular servings. I reviewed the first book here and this sequel blows it out of the water in scope and scale. I could never be sure where this book was heading, save for the nods to the Greco-Persian Wars, but since this was a science-fiction tale I knew I couldn’t rely on that ;). Truthfully, I had trouble deciding who was meant to be the ‘good guys’ or even who the ‘real’ main character was, and I mean this as a compliment. After all, real life is not so clear cut, is it? The story is told through so many characters’ eyes over their evolving and challenging lives, a true epic.

While the culture and warfare was more ancient world, the touches of scifi and relict energy weapons (seen through the eyes of characters whose limited understanding of the technologies often interpreted it as magic) reminded me of where these people came from, and the book even comments on where we could be going. The concept of ‘the eternal games’ sticks in my mind.

I think this will definitely appeal to lovers of epic stories and historic retellings (is that a genre? It should be). A unique mix of space-age science fiction, fantastical spirits, and epic history.

Nicholas C. Rossis’ Blog.

Rise of the Prince, by Nicholas C. Rossis

Pearseus #2

Book Length: 372 pages

Scifi Epic/Historic retelling (Adult Fiction)

According to the Blurb:

This is the best-selling book 2 of the Pearseus series. Game of Thrones meets Dune in this rich and thought-provoking story of humanity starting afresh on the remote planet of Pearseus. Three hundred years have passed since the first humans crash-landed on Pearseus. Following the disastrous schism of year 18, their descendants have split into three competing factions. In the process, the electronic books containing humanity’s vast knowledge are lost, forcing humanity to rebuild its civilization from scratch. Peace of the Eclipse, an uneasy truce between the Capital, the Loyalists and the Democracies, still holds – barely. While man turns against man, the First, Pearseus’ indigenous people, wage their own ancient war against a shadowy enemy; an unceasing struggle that threatens to destroy all of humanity. Egged on by unseen forces, the increasingly paranoid ruler of the Capital terrorizes her subjects. As war looms ever closer, the protagonists find their lives in danger at every turn. Pearseus is a page-turning Science Fiction adventure, which tries to answer the question: “What good is justice without compassion?” Following Pearseus: Year 18, Rise of the Prince is the first book in the Pearseus trilogy. Mixing blood-curling drama with psychology, religion, history and philosophy, it offers a rich tale with surprising twists.