Prince of Lies is the enthralling sequel to the Avatar Trilogy. (If you have not read the Avatar Trilogy, read no further in this review and proceed instead to the review for Shadowdale to begin your adventure. Prince of Lies, and this review of it, contain spoilers for those books.) Set in the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms, this novel follows the continuing adventures of Midnight and Cyric after their ascension to godhood. The plotline is creatively conceived and has a depth of thought that is sometimes missing in fiction. The story brings some realistic problems, such as religious persecution and government corruption, into focus while using a fantasy setting to allow the reader to fully consider them from a comfortable distance. The story features heroes who are truly, sacrificially heroic and a villain whose actions plumb the depths of depravity. Readers who enjoyed the first novels in the Avatar set should find this one equally enjoyable.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 5 mild obscenities; 7 derogatory names. Note: The word “damned” is used to describe souls enduring eternal torment. (Not tallied.)
Violence/Gore: A few verbal threats; a report of executions; bones and blood are used in magic rituals a few times; characters have visions and dreams of death and destruction; a few reports of a fights; report of a death in childbirth; several reports of murders; characters are tortured a few times (not graphic); animals are mistreated in captivity; a monster is burned to make it obey; a few fight with medieval weapons and magic with minor injury; a character is stabbed; minor property damage; a character is killed by a monster in a non-graphic manner; many people are killed in a fire; architecture made of still-conscious humans and human remains is described a few times; a fight with medieval weapons and magic with gory injury described; many people are maimed or killed as a ritual sacrifice; a character is impaled; a character is torn in half.
Sex/Nudity: A man kisses a woman’s hand; a few mentions of prostitution.
Mature Subject Matter:
Prostitution (mentioned); torture; animal cruelty; extreme poverty; wealth inequity; religious persecution (in the context of fantasy religions); slavery; mental illness; alcoholism; political corruption; the topic of racism is briefly touched on (in the context of fantasy races).
Alcohol/Drug Use:
Adults drink alcohol.
