Being a prince takes on dangerous new meaning in A Confusion of Princes, the latest from Garth Nix (Sabriel; Lirael).
Since being plucked from his parents in infancy, Prince Khemri has known he is destined for greatness. Princes of the Empire, in addition to undergoing technological enhancement to levels of almost superhuman strength and skill, are trained to fight, dominate and rule. The competition among the 10 million Princes in an Empire composed of 17 million systems is fierce. Khemri has never questioned the Empire, its Emperor or the Imperial Mind that can connect to and witness for the Princes. Everything changes, however, when the Empire's plans for Khemri take him, in disguise, to the Kharalcha system, where he meets Raine, an unusual girl who makes Khemri, for the first time, feel something for someone besides himself.
Nix creates an invigorating blend of science fiction, coming-of-age adventure and futuristic dystopia. As the narrator and the novel's primary character, Khemri is vivid and dynamic. Readers first meet him as a new Prince who's still quite naïve, arrogant and presumptuous. As the story grows, so does Khemri. Though still occasionally arrogant, he also learns patience, acceptance and the meaning of sacrifice. In Confusion, Nix imagines a world of intrigue and adventure where loyalty is never guaranteed and even death is negotiable. --Kyla Paterno, retail coordinator and blogger, Garfield Book Company