Nix, G. (2012). A
Confusion of Princes. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
ISBN-13: 978-0060096946
Genre: Science
Fiction, Adventure
Reading level/
interest age: 15+
Plot summary:
Prince Khemri is one of ten million other Princes in line
for the throne. With only one Emperor chosen every twenty years, the odds for
ascension are slim. As Princes are selected at birth based on genetic information,
they never have the ability to know their families. Princes are unlike other
humans because of their combination of technological and biological
augmentation and training. These chosen children are raised in temples and
taught the ways of the Empire by priests. Upon turning sixteen, a Prince must
connect with the Imperial Mind to receive orders and reduce the chance of
assassination. During Khemri’s ceremony to connect, he is ambushed and must
flee his home planet with only one assistant to direct him to the next
connecting station. Khemri quickly discovers that his life’s training is only
partially useable and struggles to gain the knowledge he needs to survive.
Forced to join the navy as a protection from further
assassination attempts, Khemri connects with the Imperial Mind and begins to
learn valuable skills. However, he dreams of piloting his own ship and seems to
be missing something else important in his life. A surprise attack on the navy
base earns Khemri honors which allows him to be appointed to a faraway
asteroid. Once there, he learns that the Empire has secret plans for him and is
cast out on a special mission. Khemri loses his augmentation abilities and
finds himself stranded in the middle of space. He is able to make it to the
remains of a nearby ship and finds the only survivor is a human named Raine. Khemri
and Raine must work together to get off the ship and stop an imminent pirate
attack. Quickly, the two become attached but with the Empire’s plans for him,
can Khemri find happiness?
Reader’s annotation:
Being a Prince isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. With ten
million others in line for the throne, what’s a guy to do?
Information about the author:
“Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia, and spent his
childhood in Canberra. Before attended the University of Canberra from
1984-1986 he spent time travelling in the UK. Emerging in 1986 with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in professional writing, Nix soon became heavily involved in the
publishing industry after moving to Sydney, working his way up the corporate
ladder until finally becoming a senior editor in 1991 with HarperCollins
Australia.
“He left to travel through Eastern Europe, the Middle East
and Asia in 1993, returning to work in 1994 with an IT public relations and
marketing firm which in 1996 led to him co-founding PR firm Gotley Nix Evans
Pty Ltd. In 1999 he joined Curtis Brown, an Australian literary agency, as a
part-time agent after a stint as a full-time writer in 1998.
“However, in 2002, Nix once more became a full-time writer.
He has worked as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve, serving
four years in an Assault Pioneer platoon, and as a bookseller, book sales
representative, publicist, editor, marketing consultant and literary agent. His
books are published around the world and have been translated into 36 languages….
"He currently lives in Coogee, Sydney, with his wife, Anna,
and his sons, Thomas and Edward Nix” (FantasyBookReview.com).
Curriculum ties: N/A
Booktalking ideas:
1.
In Khemri’s world, would you rather be a prince
or a human?
2.
How do you think Khemri will adapt to life after
the end of the book?
Critical evaluation:
Although this was a bit of a quick read, A Confusion of Princes was enjoyable.
This is one of only a few novels in the Young Adult genre that appears to be
focused on a male audience. The attraction that Khemri feels towards Raine has
a very different flow from most other young adult novels and is focused more on
his desire to protect her than on their relationship. Khemri’s story is easy to
follow and the reader may not be able to pick the book down once it is begun. A Confusion of Princes has quite a few
action scenes and most flow easily from one to another. The pace of the book is
fast which keeps readers entertained and interested to learn more about
Khemri’s quest.
The only fault is that in the beginning of the book, the
descriptions of the different types of technology are difficult to sort out and
only start to make sense later on in the story. Mektek refers to mechanical
technology, Biteck refers to biological technology, and Psitek refers to
psychological technology. The combination of all these forms of technology help
the reader feel more disconnected from their reality and are interesting to
read about due to their relation to the plot. The book also contains alien
races but these are not focused on in detail and leave the reader wanting more
information on them.
Challenge issues: N/A
Why included:
As there are few books tailored for the male audience in the
Young Adult genre, I wanted to include A
Confusion of Princes as an attempt to reach this neglected half of the
population. I found the book interesting and hope that it would appeal to young
adult males.
Reference:
FantasyBookReview.com. (2014). Garth Nix biography. Retrieved August 23, 2014 from
http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/Garth-Nix/biography.html
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