Bad Prince Charlie

by John Moore

Book Overview

After the king of Damask dies, Bad Prince Charlie is put on the throne to divert attention from his uncles' plan--to procure Weapons of Magical Destruction--in this latest parody by the author of The... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441013961
• ISBN13: 9780441013968
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 230 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Not Bad At All!

This is perhaps John Moore's second-best comic fantasy, second only to The Unhandsome Prince Actually, it almost qualifies as science-fiction. Playboy Prince Charlie is maneuvered into place as ruler so he can do such a bad job that the people will hate him and thank his greedy uncles to take over, but Charlie just can't seem to help doing good instead of bad. He ends up saving the kingdom, and his uncles get their just desserts, and Charlie abdicates to be happy ever after, but elsewhere. Great fun. watziznaym@gmail.com

Which way to go

I'm giving this a 4 star, hesitantly, because I enjoyed much of the humor in it (microbrews, Starbucks, WMD) but the story itself was just okay for me. I found it enjoyable enough and liked the subplots and subterfuge going on; however, I also found it highly predictable. I liked the characters presented and yes it is a parody on Hamlet with other stories thrown in but then "Unhandsome Prince" was the same way with fairy tales and I enjoyed it much more. I'm not going to run down the plot as other reviewers have done that for us. The book is good enough to read and doesn't require much thought processing. I loved the cracks on footnotes ala Terry Pratchett, et al. As fantasy parody, it's good enough but the market will continue to draw others into it so Moore needs to step up what he's doing. Of the three John Moore books I've read, 'Heroics for Beginners' is my favorite. Overall, good enough to read and enjoy even for the average $7 price tag at your local bookstore.

Bad Prince, Good Book

What if Hamlet didn't want to become king of Denmark? If Polonius was really on the side of the prince? And Fortinbras had nuclear weapons? In Bad Prince Charlie Moore does a riff on the Hamlet story, with his tale of a reluctant prince who has to take over the kingdom in order to get work-study credit at college. Along the way the author pokes fun at everything from Kahil Gibran's The Prophet to microbrewed beer. It's a fast and funny story and, in my opinion, his best work so far. While the other stories were inherently predictable (because they were based on fantasy cliches) this one kept me guessing right to the end. What I particularly like about the 20 Kingdoms series is -- they are not a series! Each one is a stand alone novel. I have grown so tired of discovering a new fantasy author only to find I'll have to wait seven years to learn how his book ends. Or buying volumes one, four, and five but finding that two and three are out of print. Moore is a delightful writer than I don't have to commit myself to.

Very Entertaining

"Bad Prince Charlie" is a good diversion from the real world for an afternoon or so. It doesn't ask much of the reader, just to be entertained, and for that it provides very well. Bad Prince Charlie (whose nickname was obtained in a rather silly way) is the illegitimate son of the recently deceased king, chosen to reign as Prince Regent until he can alienate enough of the country to have it be taken over peacefully (and profitably, for his uncles) by the larger country just over the mountains. While the premise is basic enough, there is a twist thrown in - there are rumors of a WMD in Charlie's small country. Yes, a Weapon of Magical Destruction has been created and is hidden somewhere in Damask. After this discovery, Charlie is determined to make sure that, no matter who is ruling the country, the weapon never falls into the hands of either his uncles (who probably murdered his father) or the leader of Noile (who has plans for expansion). Along the way he receives help and hindrance from a beautiful woman he's locked in a tower, a High Priestess (literally), a Faithful Family Retainer, and a cast of other various castle regulars. I would recommend this book to fans of medieval/fantasy novels who are looking for something with a little more comedy than the average story.

Not So Bad

Damask is a poor country with doubtful resources. It was once joined with a more prosperous kingdom on the other side of the mountains. But currently it is an independent drought-ridden nest of corruption. With the death of the king a plot is formed to put an undesirable on the throne to cause a revolt and have the neighboring kingdom take over. All they have to do if create a regent and get him to alienate the rest of the country, nobles and peasants alike. The king's illegitimate son Charlie (nicknamed Bad Prince Charlie) is the choice for regent. But Charlie is no sooner in power than things begin to go awry. Charlie has no trouble alienating the nobles as he discovers the corruption that is strangling the kingdom. Rain has been scarce so he knows there will be hunger. Public works programs are brought in. But then Charlie discovers that the real reason for everything is a supposed weapon of magical destruction, WMD for short. Although the possibility of such a device is probably wishful thinking as magic has never been strong enough everyone seems sure that it actually exists. If it does exist Charlie must keep it out of everyone's hands and destroy it. But while searching he has to feed the hungry, deal with romance, fight intrigue, save his own skin, get overthrown, deal with traitors, face prophesies, and that's just the beginning. John Moore takes a slightly different direction with this one although it is still pure comedy. Classic fantasy and medieval politics combine to create an original tale. At first one wonders if this will be another take on Hamlet (there is ear-poison here) but it really isn't. Moore shows that he is quite familiar with more than just fairy tales and heroic fantasy. If you have enjoyed his other novels, then this one should do the same. If you are unfamiliar with Moore but like Terry Pratchett, you will see some influence. Check it out.