God gave us horses so we could run away faster.

Cowards divide into two broad groups. Those paralysed by their fear, and those galvanized by it.
― Mark Lawrence, Prince of Fools

I’ve always felt that the placement of a man’s testicles is an eloquent argument against intelligent design.
― Mark Lawrence, Prince of Fools

Prince Jalan is the third son of the third son of the queen of Red March. Despite being a long way off from the path of succession, he’s successfully used his title of prince to maximum effectiveness. He’s a gambler, a womanizer, a liar, and a coward.

He’s hungover and exhausted the morning he and his cousins are summoned by his grandmother, the queen. Upon arrival, she explains that Red March is under grave threat from undead warriors and that her grandchildren must rise up and lead their people against this otherworldly threat. To emphasize the severity of the situation, Jalan and his cousins are forced to listen to fearsome tales from foreign lands, as told by recently captured slaves. One such captive is a viking named Snorri Snagson.

By the end of the day, Jalan is running for his life. He is accompanied by Snorri, who is determined to return to the icy north of his homeland to rescue his family from the supernatural horrors that his nemesis, Sven Broke-Oar, wields.

Jalan is forced to go along with Snorri until they can find a way to break a mutual curse. Until then, Jalan is dragged along on the viking’s quest, where they battle reanimated corpses, mercenaries, and the unwelcome strengthening of newly acquired powers.

Jalan is a brilliant anti-hero. He is a total coward and he owns it. Being trapped on a suicidal quest with an upstanding warrior is the last thing he wants to be doing. Jalan is the voice in the back of one’s head that wants to run away and hide when everyone else is pressing forward. He is a terrible person but, despite his cries to the contrary, the collection of lies and deceits which make up his character contains a moral core. Snorri, his traveling companion, is his total opposite. Snorri is brave, upstanding, and hell-bent on revenge. Jalan’s only hope of survival is to use Snorri as a shield and hope that the viking can keep them both alive long enough to break the curse, allowing him to scurry back home.

There are two more books in this trilogy and I’m diving right into book two, The Liar’s Key. This story is a perfect distraction during the thin, cold days of winter and the dark nights that follow.