A Confusion of Princes (Garth Nix, A&U)

Khemri is a prince of the empire, which governs the staggeringly huge population of humanity scattered across the galaxy. Taken from their parents as children and equipped with the ultimate in technological and biological enhancements, each of the million princes exist to enforce the will of the imperial mind, the consciousness at the heart of the empire. Should a prince die, the imperial mind can even restore them to life. This does not mean that the life of a prince is easy. Khemri soon discovers that his world is filled with deception, uneasy alliances and murder, as the princes vie for power and prestige. Garth Nix’s books have always had a wider audience than just young adults, and in this book he walks the line between his various readers so well that I doubt that anyone who likes science-fiction will not enjoy this immensely. It’s part space opera, part coming-of-age story, with an exploration of the perils of power and a hint of romance. On top of all this, A Confusion of Princes is also a tie-in to the ‘Imperial Galaxy’ online game and will have a serious social media presence. Be prepared for this to be huge, you have been warned!

Stefen Brazulaitis is a freelance reviewer and the owner of Fantastic Planet, a specialist genre fiction bookstore in Perth

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews