The most recommended prince books

I’ve always loved Moorcock’s work – I find his writing can be quite beautiful stylistically, even while he’s telling a compelling story. The Knight of Swords is the first in the Corum series, two trilogies, which is also part of the eternal champion multiverse. (It’s actually Moorcock who coined the term “multiverse” in a novel he wrote in the 60s.) I prefer Corum to his arguably more famous other protagonist, Elric of Meliboné. Corum is significantly less emo and whiny than Elric and I also really enjoyed the allusions to Irish mythology. But both of these characters are examples of what Moorcock calls the eternal champion – a hero that emerges whenever the universe experiences imbalance. This hero appears in many different realities, the multiverse, and is set the task of righting the balance between Law and Chaos. If you like high fantasy, and you haven’t read Moorcock, you really… show more.

When my roommate suggested I read The False Prince, I did not expect to be drawn in and read the entire 5 book series in a week. What’s a sleep schedule?

Sage is the kind of character that can keep everyone guessing…including the reader, even though you are reading from his point of view. He is guarded and defiant. As he is being sculpted to be what someone else wants him to be, he remains spitefully himself, even when it might mean his demise. He might not technically be a spy, but he embodies everything I love about the genre.

Sage has an unwavering knowledge of who he really is, and I can only hope I can have that for myself someday.

An absolutely favorite read, A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears is a perfect blend of humor and fantasy—exactly the sort of thing I strive for with my own writing. With characters that actively defy the author and the constricts of the plot, this book was meta before meta was cool. A classic tale of love told in a very not-classic way, this is the first book I can vividly remember making me laugh the whole time I read it. It’s a distinct feeling, and one I have been chasing ever since.

This is a refreshingly unique take on a classic fairy tale that we all know and love with some very dark themes.

This is my first book series with this author and she got me to laugh, cry and root for these characters that she’s created. I was so sad when I finished this series!

Experiencing Roshani Chokshi’s prose is like biting into the most satisfyingly decadent piece of cake. This is a story where you can feel the magic seeping through the words.

A Crown of Wishes is the second in a series, but you don’t need to read the first book to understand it. It’s a fairy tale. Gauri is a princess held captive in her own home. She escapes with help from Vikram, the prince of a neighbouring country. He requires her help to win The Tournament of Wishes, where they must use all their wits to survive poison, dangerous magical creatures, and riddles to come through alive.

This book is beautiful and so much fun.  

The rival clans of Wizards and Warriors, sworn enemies in the dark forest, come together when a young warrior princess gets caught by an arrogant young wizard and his gang of fairies and beast, and discover that they are not as different as they feared.

My daughter loved the characters, especially the fairies, and the giant snowcats, and enjoyed the fast pace of the story (plus the illustrations)

Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper is super well-known, even if you don't know that you know it. This switching places story has been adapted and re-done a hundred different ways. The plot has been featured in multiple TV show episodes, some faithful film adaptations, and children's cartoons. It may be the most well-known story of switching places ever written. Mark Twain is considered to be one of the greatest American authors. He wrote books in the same era as Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and many of the greats of classic literature. 

This book and its plot still hold up pretty well. It's built on themes of class distinction and rich versus poor that are still relevant and still uncomfortable to discuss to this day. It's full of Twain's characteristic humor and it's a generally fairly easy read, mostly because you've seen the plot enough times… show more.

I only picked up this book because I was trying to read all of the Hugo Award nominees. I didn’t expect much since it’s such a short read. I was pleasantly surprised once I started reading.

It reads like a dark fairy tale, reminiscent of the original Brothers Grimm. Our heroine is given three impossible tasks and, through stubborn determination, begins to make her way through them.

What I liked about this fairy tale is that the princess didn’t wait to be saved by anyone. She didn’t even want to marry a prince. Instead, she does her best to kill one.

Holly Black is the queen of fairy tales, but not the happily ever after kind. The world building is lush, from the exotic fruits, foreign, but gorgeously detailed landscapes and lush parties with Fae royalty to the variety of magical creatures: Beautiful women with horns and cloven feet, princes with tails and kissable lips, and humans who find themselves immersed in the Fae games, which could very well result in life or death.

I could choose many of her books, but Wicked King is my absolute favorite. Yes, it’s the last book in a trilogy, and sometimes that is a letdown. Not true here. There is tension, passion, intrigue, and nonstop action all the way to the end, which I won’t spoil for you, but I will say left me completely satisfied.

This sweet story told in rhyme begins with the usual trope of a royal family holding a ball to find a bride for the prince. One maiden, the bravest in the land, is not thrilled. The racially diverse cast of characters, illustrated in bright colors, find an ending satisfying to all when the maiden falls in love with the prince’s sister.