Cover Image: The Oddling Prince

The Oddling Prince

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Member Reviews

I really struggled with wanting to like this book. I love the passion and vision that went into the long descriptions, but found them tiring after a while rather than alluring. It didn’t draw me in as I wish it would have. I did enjoy the character development, but again found it muddled under long, drawn out descriptions. This could likely be a matter of different styles and tastes. I also struggled to see this as fitting into the young adult market considering the level of reading that goes into a book like this. Overall, I wanted to like this one, but it wasn’t for me.

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This book wasn't for me, sadly. The writing style was very confusing to me. A lot of times I had to go back and reread a passage because I realized I read it wrong or didn't understand what was going on. This made my reading slow, and after a while it became frustrating to me.
Another thing that made me stop reading was the relationship between Aric and Albaric. For me it felt like Aric was in love with Albaric from the moment he saw him, it didn't feel like a brotherly relationship to me at all.

It is said that the Elfqueen Theena was en evil ruler and all, but Albaric said that she fell in love with the King from the moment he put that ring on and wasn't eveli anymore. Then WHY does she still force him to sleep with her? And why is that seen as a normal thing? At that point she's not supposed to be evil at all.

I decided to DNF this book around 30%, I wasn't enjoying myself.

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I obtained a complementary copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Oddling Prince tells the tale of Aric, a young prince whose father (the King of Calidon) lays dying from an inexplicable curse. When a stranger called Albaric comes into Aric’s life and miraculously breaks the curse, Aric finds himself instantly attached to the new comer. But Albaric is not of this world, he is the fruit of the unrequited love between Queen Theena of Elfland and the King, and therefore Aric’s half-brother.
This is a beautifully written historical fiction (historical in the sense that the story is set in the past, but all characters are fictional) mixed with elements of magic and fantasy.
It is the tale of a stranger who has come to a new land, renounced his origins and is now trying to fit in and be accepted into the mortal realm. It is something that I can oddly relate to as someone who has moved away from their mother country and is trying to find their place in a different one.
The brotherly love and mutual understanding between Aric and Albaric is beautiful and I feel like, as an only child myself, should someone have come into my life declaring to be my sibling, I would have welcomed them with open arms in the same way that Aric does Albaric.
The only person that Albaric cannot seem to please is the King himself, his father, who has no recollection of ever being involved with the Queen of Elfland (because he was under a spell) and completely rejects Albaric, seeing him as an intruder come to usurp his throne. The character of the King is interesting because the more the story goes on, the crazier he gets and he starts seeing conspiracy theories everywhere. He also starts making crazy and dangerous decisions and because he is the King and has all the power, no one can stop him. Funnily enough, this reminded me of Trump: another idiot in a position of power who thinks he can do all he wants because he is on top of everyone else. Although, unlike Trump, the King does regain his senses in the end and love wins.
I really enjoyed this book: the writing is beautiful, the story is consistent and it does transport you back to times past. Oddly enough, I had never heard of Nancy Springer before, but I will be making sure to check out some of her other books as she has written loads! This is definitely an author that I will remember.

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I really thought I was going to love this book, but more than anything I just was a little disappointed. It was really good at first, the writing style was so unique, but it really slowed down and very little was happening.

There was just so much potential with how the story started but I really had pacing issues with it. I also just have to point out the lack of world-building in the book too, it really could have used some more thought and maybe a sequel could fix the missing elements (I'd maybe consider trying a sequel tbh if it was better paced!)

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Thank you to Net Galley & Tachyon Publications for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn to this one because of the stunning cover and I was super excited to read a story that wasn’t 2 guys fighting over a girl, a bromance if you will. Sadly it wasn’t a bromance it was a strange obsession that felt on the verge of a romantic relationship but the author didn’t want to go there. I honestly might have enjoyed that story more. The relationship between Aric and Albaric felt forced from the beginning and although their connection is explained it never felt natural.

I was NOT a fan of the King. Although his nasty attitude is explained I never felt the “greatness” that is talked about throughout the book.

I did enjoy the 2 main ladies were my favorite part. The Queen and Marissa who is a ball of strength and joy. The Queen does her best to support her husband while also being there for her son and his “friend” (I out that in quotes to not give anything away). Again the relationship between Marissa and Aric felt forced to move the story forward I loved their interactions.

The style of writing did not bother me as much as I thought it would however it did slow me down at times.

In the end, this one was not for me but I would recommend it to readers who enjoy similar stories.

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Back when I started reading SFF, longer ago than I care to remember, there really weren't that many writers to choose from in that genre represented in my local small-town library. However, Nancy Springer was one of those writers and I remember going through her Book of the Isle series avidly. As a result, I suppose I was borne away by a wave of nostalgia when I saw her name pop up on Netgalley with a new book - apologies to Ms Springer, I didn't realise she was still writing! Although she's subsequently written a number of Arthurian books, which are my absolute Kryptonite to be perfectly honest, the blurb for this sounded promising so I asked and duly received.

The basic premise of The Oddling Prince is that it's set in a vague post-Roman period bit of Scotland where our main character Aric is the only son of a king who (we later discover) fought his way to the throne by killing his older brothers. At the time the story starts, Aric and his father have gone out hunting and his father has been kidnapped by fae and spent a number of years with the Queen of Elfland, only to return exactly as he disappeared so nobody remembers it. He has, however, in that time away been busy doing problematic things with the Queen and produced a son called Albaric who is the spitting image of Aric, just prettier.

One thing I liked about this book was that it dealt with the dubious consent around the whole 'whisked away by the fae and made to fall in love with the Queen by magic' trope, which often gets hand-waved over when it's a guy who's on the receiving end of it. On the other hand, because of the time differential nobody on this side gets to think about the fact the king has been away at all and also it pretty much never gets mentioned again. So, for example, when the king is acting like a jackass towards his new-found son, nobody goes 'hey, maybe being raped by the Queen of Elfland has had an effect on the king!', which felt like a missed opportunity.

Anyway, beyond this, The Oddling Prince is a book where a lot of words are expended to support a fairly meagre plot. Aric and Albaric become besties, there's an ongoing threat to the kingdom from a moustache-twirling duke, while Aric turns out to be the heavily-foreshadowed White King who is going to magically make life better for everyone. All in all, this book felt very much like the books I was reading from this author back in the 1980's and I was a little disappointed by that. Another throwback were the comments about how pretty Albaric was and how people would think he was gay, questioning the relationship between the brothers as a result - though those are coming from the king (exclusively, I think) and he's not the most reliable character throughout, those kind of comments made me feel like I was reading something from the 80's and not in a good way.

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I have to be honest, I loved the cover and being a Nancy Springer reader, naturally I clicked the request button on this title but this was different. It took me a while to get into the story, the writing made it a little difficult for me to really get sucked into the storyline. Nevertheless, I persisted.

The king is on his death bed with a strange sickness, which seems to be caused by the ring that he is wearing and cannot be removed. The king's only saviour is a stranger, Albaric, who happens to be his long lost son from the Fey Queen. The catch is that the king ends up having an extreme hatred for Albaric, but his human son, Aric, builds an equally strong relationship with his half-brother.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the relationships that Nancy Springer built between the brothers. It was so refreshing to read a story where siblings don't turn on each other and is not centered on rivalling brothers fighting for their father's attention. Instead it is a story of growth and finding happiness even with all the negativity that surrounds the characters and the story.

However, I do have to point out that there was a severe lack in world-building that really did, eventually, take from the story. I think that if there is a sequel, Nancy Springer can most definitely iron out any missing elements. That being said, this book was one that I liked, though it was long-winded at times and was paced slowly.

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When a mysterious ring appears on King Bardaric's hand, the king falls ill and approaches the door of death. Prince Aric is a true-hearted and faithful son, not yet ready to become king of Calidon. He rejoices when an elfin figure calling himself Albaric removes the ring with his magic and saves the king's life. The prince feels a kinship with the stranger, and an inseparable friendship develops between the two. But when Albaric claims to be Aric's brother, begotten and forgotten by the king in the timeless realm of faerie land, the newly healed King Bardaric rejects his savior and becomes angry and vengeful. A sequence of adventures follow, with danger lurking when least expected and love and hate snarled into a tangled web throughout the court of Calidon. Aric is pushed to choose between his loyalty to his father and his troth to his friend. In the end, he must decide whether he will trust the trickery of the magic ring when all else seems lost.

This book fascinated me from beginning to end. The plot concept of Alabaric's origins felt wholly original and yet, at the same time, wholly mythological and ancient. The characters of Aric and Albaric reminded me of Jonathan and David from the Bible, and Albaric even had the detail of being a harper to solidify the comparison. The language was written in an old style reminiscent of Howard Pyle's books about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, a style which I happen to enjoy immensely. This book has received many mixed reviews, so it may not be for everyone, but I found it wondrous, gripping, and thought-provoking.

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For my complete review, visit my blog: https://vicsense.wordpress.com/2018/06/29/arc-the-oddling-prince/

SUMMARY
Alric is the only son and heir to the throne of Dun Caltor, until a mysterious, otherworldly being appears one night, claiming to be the king's other son. Albaric, born from the queen of fey and king Baldric (Alric's father), he develops a fierce love for his half-brother and vows to protect him and follow him to the ends of the earth, if need be. Meanwhile, their father grows to hate his second son, more and more with each passing day, until he starts to hate his first son and his wife for wanting to protect Albaric. The more the king hates Albaric, the more the latter loves his brother and follows him everywhere, never leaving his side.

REVIEW
This novel reads like a long fairy tale, with elements of magic interspersed throughout the narrative, blending with the very real day-to-day life in medieval Scotland. I thought the characters were well thought out and I especially loved the intense and unshakable brotherly love. I thought that the king was downright mad because of his incessant hatred of Albaric, despite him not doing anything to be hated for (on the contrary, he is the most useful, capable, and skilful person in the castle). Albaric was sweet and utterly devoted to his half-brother, which made the pair very endearing. I wanted Albaric to be loved by his father, the way that he loved him. His innocent fey personality made him vulnerable and warranted protection and love from those around him. Luckily, Alric loved him as fiercely as he did, so at least he wasn’t completely alone in the human world.

The narrative flowed beautifully and was very lyrical. I loved the way old medieval Scotland came to life and was painted so vividly. The characters described very realistic and historically accurate things that they encountered in their daily lives. The writing style might be a turn-off for some readers, but personally, I really enjoyed the ‘old English’-ness of the text. It added to the overall feeling that I was reading an ancient fairy tale.

If you like fairy tales, old Scotish legends and a fierce brotherly love, you should give this one a shot. I was pleasantly surprised and I'm happy I picked it up to read while on holiday.

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I’ll be honest, The Oddling Prince was mostly a cover based request… It was just so pretty and the synopsis did intrigue me a bit too. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in to this one since I’d seen both rave reviews and others that described it as boring. I can see both sides of the argument here and didn’t feel strongly either way.

Aric a prince in Northern Scotland and his father is laying upon his deathbed, at least until a mysterious stranger rides into the castle yard. This stranger is Albaric, who is a prince of the fae and Aric’s half-brother. Albaric saves the king (his father) from the enchantment put upon him by the slighted fae queen and all should be well. Except it is not. While Aric and Albaric immediately click, their father dislikes Albaric immensely and is hostile to the point of violence in some cases. This book primarily focuses on Aric and Albaric’s growing brotherhood and how they handle their father’s treatment of them and his changed personality since his miraculous recovery.

The Oddling Prince is written in a very classic fantasy style – think a style similar to Tolkein- rather than the more modern prose that most fantasy authors are using. Also, while not lacking in action, it’s certainly not the main focus of this book, which focuses far more on the relationships between our characters. I think these two factors are the biggest reasons why people are less than happy with this book. I personally didn’t mind that there was less action than in many fantasy books and this ended up being a leisurely read. My gripe with this book wasn’t so much the book, but rather Aric’s father. I couldn’t stand his character and felt like he was being a jealous a-hole and super paranoid, especially since both Aric and Albaric were clearly good hearted.

I liked that this book defied my expectations for Aric and Albaric’s meeting. I expected the usual immediate rivalry between the half siblings, but to my pleasant surprise they hit it off and became inseparable. Their interactions tended to be melodramatic at times but it worked with the storytelling. The Oddling Prince had a strong Celtic lore influence and it ended just as strangely as these tales tend to do.

This was a book that I liked but it didn’t grip me the way other books have in the past. That being said, it was well written and quite different from what’s being published in the mainstream fantasy field presently. The ocean scene at the end has quite a few people puzzled, but I thought it was a nice ending and a scene that I would like to see illustrated. This is a great book to break up the monotony of reading the same ol’ stuff all the time, but it definitely won’t be a good fit for everyone.

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Long ago in the highlands of Northern Scotland there lived a kind and just king. However, one day he returned home from a hunting trip with his son Prince Aric and found that a cursed ring had suddenly appeared on his finger. With no way of removing it, the ring quickly caused the king to sicken until he was close to death. But just as his father was about to slip away, Prince Aric noticed a mysterious young man riding hard for the castle. Using his magic, this newcomer was able to remove the ring just in time to save the king’s life. He then introduced himself as Prince Albaric from the Faerie realm, revealing that he was also Prince Aric’s half-brother, conceived when the Fae queen seduced the king and transported him to the otherworld. His story also explained how the enchanted ring first came to be on the king’s finger.

But rather than feel grateful towards Albaric, the king refused to even acknowledge him as his son. Worse, as Aric and Albaric grew closer, their brotherly bond only caused their father’s hostility to worsen. No longer good and just, the king became bitter, paranoid, and angry. Concerned for his father and troubled by the changes wrought on the kingdom, Aric also started to worry for his half-brother. Exiled from the land of the Fae and with no home to return to, Albaric’s only hope was to be accepted by his mortal father, but sadly, the king’s mind would not be easily swayed.

In order to save the kingdom, Aric must somehow find a way to help Albaric make peace with their father before the king’s resentment can bring ruin upon them all. In essence, this familial conflict serves as the backbone of The Oddling Prince. A fantasy inspired by folklore and mythology, the novel lends itself to be compared to stories of Arthurian legend, as it is written in a style that evokes that same kind of quaintness and sentimentality. Much of this is due to the book’s somewhat archaic tone and language, which was elegant and lyrical but also served to bog down the prose. As a result, it took me quite a while to get into the flow of the story, for the same elements used to impart an old-fashioned flavor also made it very awkward and slow to read.

Tales of this type are also often heavy in metaphor and deep in meaning, but lighter in terms of character and story development. So even though I found The Oddling Prince to be a sweet and charming little book, I was not surprised to feel little to no connection to the characters. Like a Disney movie, you just knew deep in your heart everything would work out fine, despite all the seemingly insurmountable challenges thrown in the protagonists’ way. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say this novel was completely devoid of surprises, there were simply no genuine threats or high stakes to make you feel any real concern. There was also this thick layer of idealism in the depiction of Aric and Albaric’s relationship—which was intentional, I am sure, given the sentimental nature of this story. But again, this just made them feel like cardboard heroes out of a fairy tale, not real enough to relate to.

Still, there were a lot of aspects I really liked. Despite the book’s fanciful tones, there were some powerful tensions between Aric and his father. I wouldn’t say this story had a real antagonist, but with the king being such a huge jerk, I would say he came the closest. In the face of his irrational fury and jealousies though, Aric remained steadfastly on Albaric’s side, refusing to be cowed. This loyalty to his brother was heartwarming and beautiful, and ended up being the highlight of this book. And even though she was a rather late introduction, I also loved the character of Marissa. The portrayal of her relationship with Aric may have left a lot to be desired, but her personality was so lovable that she immediately became a favorite.

In the end, I thought The Oddling Prince was an enjoyable read, though at times it felt a little too light and lacking in substance. However, if you like reading fantasy stories that are heavily inspired by fae-related folktales or mythological influences, this one might be worth checking out. The underlying wistfulness and dated feel of the writing may take some getting used to, but all the same, these elements might prove to be the novel’s biggest selling point for those seeking an evocative tale told in an old-timey, sentimental style.

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Did not like the style of writing or the story. There was no goal to the plot, it just went wherever, which is not a type of story I enjoy reading.

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I honestly just found the language to stilted and occasionally hard to comprehend. I understood the feel that Springer was going for, and at times it was successful, but for the most part I just found myself getting frustrated, particularly with the dialogue and the way Albaric was written. I may revisit Springer's work at another time, though, as it definitely has potential.

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I read Springer's "Book of the Isles" series when they came out and loved them. Then her work fell off my radar. Shame on me.
The Oddling Prince again shows her style and passion.
A tale of love and difference. Of having to live and deal with love, anger, and forgiveness and acceptance. Read for pleasure and learn and a lesson.

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This was absolutely beautiful. What got me first was the writing style. It was quite prosaic, elements of older English mixed in, as well as poems and songs. It seemed to flow in a tranquil way, calm. I don’t know another way to describe it, but I fell in love with that writing style.

I have to admit, that in the beginning I had some problems finding into the story. But the more I read, the deeper I got sucked into it, understanding the characters more and more. The setting is a war-torn Scotland, but in the beginning the reader does not realize this completely. We get an introduction to the fey first, and while they are beautiful and wicked, they are not evil. Yes, they manipulate humans but they can also feel for them, though not like them. So this makes for some tension between some of the characters.
The king is on his death bed, a strange sickness taking him over. The source seems to be a ring he is wearing but that does not come off his hand. He can only be saved by a stranger, a fey named Albaric, who is the king’s son from the Queen of the fey. While the king does not accept him, even loathes him, the king’s human son, Aric, finally feels complete. The two brothers become inseperable, even defying the king. I loved the relationship between the two of them. It was so wonderful, the two boys love each other unconditionally, they are two parts of a medal. Where one has a weakness, the other has his strengths.

To be honest, I loved the relationships in general. I also loved to see how they change (or don’t change), when the king gets sucked into the madness of the cursed ring, when he starts seeing treason everywhere, wanting to get rid of everyone and everything. But despite everything, the people around him try to save him and his kingdom, all the while finding happiness on their own.

I also liked how the story was centered around the two brothers and their relationship with their father. Even though there is a love story as well, it only has a small part, but a beautiful one nonetheless. Even this relationship is pure gold.

While I thought this was going to be a hard read, I enjoyed it all the more. The writing style, the story, the characters. I came to love everything in the end.

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When I heard that Nancy Springer was releasing a YA fantasy book, I was thrilled. If you didn't know I absolutely love her book, I Am Morgan le Fay. It is about the King Arthur's half-sister. It was one of the books that solidified my love for fantasy back in grade school before Harry Potter came out. I loved her writing and the dark, atmospheric setting. Morgan is a fascinating morally-gray character and it is still one of my favorite standalone fantasy books to this day. I will put up my review of the book on my blog soon. It's up on Goodreads already if you are interested. Can you tell how I'm subtly (not-so-subtly) trying to push this book on you? Read it. 

If you aren't familiar with Nancy Springer's writing, you might be a little confused when you read The Oddling Prince. This is not like present-day YA fantasy books. Nancy Springer has a very classic way of writing, and this is enhanced even more in The Oddling Prince because of the Old English that is used. The story takes place in Ancient Scotland so expect a more classic, almost-Shakespearish writing style. 

Synopsis
In the ancient moors of Scotland, the king of Calidon lies on his deathbed, cursed by a ring that cannot be removed from his finger. When a mysterious fey stranger appears to save the king, he also carries a secret that could tear the royal family apart.

The kingdom’s only hope will lie with two young men raised worlds apart. Aric is the beloved heir to the throne of Calidon; Albaric is clearly of noble origin yet strangely out of place.

The Oddling Prince is a tale of brothers whose love and loyalty to each other is such that it defies impending warfare, sundering seas, fated hatred, and the very course of time itself. In her long-awaited new fantasy novel, Nancy Springer (theBooks of Isle series) explores the darkness of the human heart as well as its unceasing capacity for love.

Writing Style
I love Nancy Springer's writing and this was her "coming out of retirement" book. She is pretty famous in the fantasy world for her children's fantasy books. The writing and characters are just so...pretty. I'm not sure how to explain it. While I Am Morgan le Fay was dark and foreboding, the writing in The Oddling Prince is delicate and light. This reads like a fairy tale but not like the fairy tales where the hero/heroine gets raped or someone has to dance until they die. This is more like the otherworldy, pretty, fairy tales you read as a child. Enchanted forests, queens and kings, fey, elves, and pretty maidens. It almost reminds me of Stardust by Neil Gaiman. 

The world-building is a little lacking in this one. We get hints at the fey world, but no specific details on how their magic works or how they live. We simply accept the world as it's given to the reader. 

Background Info
Now, I can't explain the story without sharing small spoilers. However, these spoilers reveal themselves very early on. Read on if you are still interested. 

The story is about two brothers, Aric and Albaric. Aric is the prince of King and has a wonderful relationship with his parents. In fact, this whole book is all about loyalty to family and to the crown. This is Ancient Scotland so fealty is important. The book starts off with Aric worried about his father. During a hunting event, the King found a magical ring appear on his finger. Since then, he has slowly become ill. At the beginning of the book, the King is on his deathbed when suddenly a fey being, an elf, appears in the courtyard. He claims to be there to help the king. Aric feels an immediate connection with this person and accepts his help. Turns out this elf, is actually half human-half elf. He has a strand of his mother's hair, Queen Theena of the Fey. This strand contains his mother's powerful magic and with it, he is able to remove the ring. This person is Albaric and he is half-brother to Aric. That's right. The King of Calidon and the Queen Theena of the Fey had a romantic affair. 

Unfortunately, the King had no idea this happened. The Queen tricked and kidnapped the King. During their time together, the Queen commanded the "trickster" ring to make the King stay with her. But it only made the Queen fall in love with the King. She ended up getting pregnant with Albaric, and Albaric and the King had a great relationship. However, the King was very unhappy as his thoughts kept going to his son Aric and his mortal wife, Queen of Calidon. In the end, the Fey Queen releases the King and allows him to go back home, but he returns with no memory of any of this happening. Time runs differently in the fey land so no time has passed in Scotland. 

"He possessed to the fullest an Elf's carefree, feckless, thoughtless beauty, yet he possessed also a heart; he knew affection and loneliness and longing."

Whew! That's the backstory. I know, it's long but I had to share it so you get an idea of the relationship between Aric and Albaric. Albaric is the Oddling Prince, since technically, he is prince in both lands. His mother is the Queen of the Fey and his father is King of Calidon. However, he is rejected in both lands so he is the oddling prince. Even though he gives up his immortality to save his father, his father rejects him as his son and hates him. 

The Brothers
Aric and Albaric have a really strange relationship. It almost seemed romantic at first because they are so connected to each other. Like Rhysand and Feyre mate connection status. When one is alert and nervous, the other feels it. They both attribute it to being brothers and the fact that Albaric is half-fey. As their father becomes more and more scornful towards Albaric, the brothers' relationship become more close. Aric for the first time in his life is unable to recognize his father. Albaric has no other family who loves him except for Aric. They make oaths to protect each other no matter what. There is a reason for their connection, but it isn't revealed until the end. 

Overall Thoughts
I enjoyed this book. I loved being back in NS' writing, but the story was a little lacking for me. The pacing was steady and kept me engaged. The first half of the book is very good and starts to get a little slower towards the end but no prolonged dragging of the story. The side characters were a little flat for me. They all seemed a bit like caricatures of characters you see in fairy tales. This somewhat contributes to the fairy tale vibe of the story, though, so perhaps it was intentional. The only side character I loved was Marissa. She represents the sweet maiden, but she was also very wise and is a seeress! 

I gave it 3.5 stars since I was expecting an amazing read. I feel like I hyped myself up too much because of my love for I Am Morgan le Fay.  I still really enjoyed it. I think it will be great for those who are a bit tired of the YA fantasy books out on the market right now and are looking for something different. Also, this is labeled YA but I feel it's totally fine for middle-grade readers too. I have a feeling it was given the YA label because of the Old English.

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Happy dances are most certainly appropriate. This was quite possibly one of the best YA fantasy novels I have read in some time and I am purchasing the hard cover for my collection. Who knows maybe the dust jacket will take a place on honor in the wall paper of books too.

This is a must read and is completely enthralling and addicting. I would recommend this time and again.

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I posted the wrong review on this book unfortunately. I still have yet to write one for this but I really enjoyed it.

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The Oddling Prince was a bit of a sleeper surprise for me. I enjoy King Arthur tales and this had the same feel as those legends of lore. Much like when Aric first set eyes on Albaric, I was attached to this book from the start. So many YA fantasy titles today have a love triangle and spends too much time on "does s/he love for me the way that I love them." There was none of that nonsense here. It's a story of true friendship, brotherhood, and loyalty. A story of reflection of the demons we each have in our soul and how to overcome them. I haven't read anything else by Nancy Springer, but I will definitely be checking out her other titles.

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I just read the novel "The Oddling Prince" by Nancy Springer and overall I was a little disappointed. I read the synopsis and was pretty excited about the story to come. I didn't really enjoy it. The language of the book felt inconsistent and a little archaic which pulled me out of the fantasy world frequently and made it hard to flow.

The story takes place in a land where a king falls ill on a hunting trip and comes home to die. A mysterious figure saves him in the night. This mysterious figure saves him by removing a ring from his finger. When all is revealed, the mysterious figure is actually the King's son with the Elvish Queen. Since he has a son and wife already, the King is rather put out and since he doesn't remember raising and training this second son (due to Elvish magic making him forget), he pretty much eschews this new boy. Luckily for the Elvish son, Albaric, the king's human son, Aric, forges an instant bond with his brother and they proceed to have an adventure together for the rest of the novel.

I felt that the relationship between the brothers was just out of place. Not that they couldn't have one, or that it had to be negative, but we have this teenage boy who immediately bonds with this stranger and for the rest of the novel has these insights and realizations about this other boy which essentially propel the story along. Not really believable for me. I think also there are some serious "hints" about myth and other stories that aren't really explained which left me feeling the story was a little incomplete.

After I finished the book I went and read some reviews who just were completely 5 star reviews to see if I was missing something. People were comparing her past work to some of Fantasy's Greats and so I then had to search what else she had produced. Most of her work I'd not heard of, then I got to a short story she wrote in 1986, "The Boy Who Plaited Manes". This was one of my favorite fantasy short stories because it was the perfect blend of eldritch elven behavior and the comparative stupidity of man (as a race). Not sure if this means I'll go search out her stuff or if I'm content thinking of her as a short story novelist. But it is something to consider.

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