C.K. Crigger, The Prince’s Cousin

The Prince's Cousin

C.K. Crigger

Amber Quill, 2003, 170 pp.

ISBN: 15927989777

A year has passed since the assassin murdered King Jaynor and his widow now hosts a birthday bash for their preadolescent son Rhian more to impress her potential consorts. However, during the gala, to force Queen Maevelene of Dragos to marry him, Boswell Flamewright sends mercenaries led by Shade to abduct the honoree Prince Rhian. Also kidnapped at the same time is Rhian's older cousin Tomasella Icassian, who is in service to her prince as his nanny. The mercenaries err in thinking that she was the lad's mother by the way he reacts towards her.

Boswell immediately realizes who the woman is as he once raped Tomasella when she was a young teen. In camp Emory the wizard and Boswell abuse her, but she escapes due to some indirect help from Shade. Tomasella hires Shade to begin a quest to rescue her charge. However, if they are to succeed Tomasella needs to quickly learn to harness her farseer power to counter Emory's spells and overcome the odds of Boswell for the life of the lad is at stake.

THE PRINCE'S COUSIN is a fabulous fantasy tale starring an intelligent ethical heroine. However, Shade is the more complex individual who at first look seems like another paid assassin, but is deeper due to a code of conduct that he adheres to in spite of working for odious employers. Though Boswell is too evil to do anything but detest, readers will enjoy joining the trek of the PRINCE'S COUSIN, which is more like microeconomics to macroeconomics when compared to epics, but is as exciting and fun to read.

Harriet Klausner