cover image The Rebel Prince

The Rebel Prince

Celine Kiernan, Orbit, $14.99 paper (243p) ISBN 978-0-316-07707-1

Politics, revenge, and high-strung emotions dominate the dramatic conclusion to the Moorehawke Trilogy (after July 2010’s The Crowded Shadows). At long last, the barely postadolescent protagonists—woodcarver and cat whisperer Wynter Moorehawke, bastard prince Razi Kingsson, and crippled musician Christopher Garron—have located the hidden camp of Razi’s rebellious half-brother, Alberon. Intent on brokering a peaceful resolution between the prince and his father, they are shocked by Alberon’s audacious, ambitious plans to protect the kingdom through dubious alliances with its worst enemies and the development of a terrifying war machine. An odd blend of complex and delicate political maneuvering and teen soap opera histrionics leads to an abrupt ending, but there’s enough action and emotional payoff to make this a worthy wrapup that will content fans of the earlier books. (Oct.)