I really enjoyed the Demon Cycle Books from Peter Brett, although I don’t think I actually finished the series off! I was therefore excited to read The Desert Prince – the start of a Saga set in the same world, 15 years after the events of the last series.

Although this is a sequel series - with the main characters being the children of the characters in the other series, I think it works quite well as a standalone. There are detailed explanations of the magic system and demons, but enough references to known characters, places and events to keep a fan of The Demon Cycle happy. The book alternates in perspective between Olive, an intersex individual who has been presenting as a Princess for most of their life and Darin, an outcast with a famous father who feels like everyone is waiting for him to fulfil his destiny. I enjoyed both characters and thought they had distinct narrative voices. The chapters don’t strictly alternate, and in some places you have several chapters from the same point of view, which really helped to immerse you into the story.

I particularly enjoyed Olive’s perspective and the story of them living as a man and training as a soldier were my favourite. All of the fighting and battle scenes are really vividly portrayed in great detail which allows you to imagine what is happening. There are also a great cast of secondary characters and I particularly liked Selen and Micha. The story ends on a bit of an overarching cliff-hanger for the rest of the series, but it wraps up the events in this book nicely so could be read as a standalone if you don’t want to get too invested in a whole other series. It’s a bit of a beast at over 650 pages long but I never felt that the pace dragged, and I looked forward to picking it back up to see what would happen next.

Overall, The Desert Prince is a great introduction to a new series, but will delight fans of The Demon Cycle books as well. I’m looking forward to the next instalment! Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins UK – Harper Fiction & Voyager for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this but I feel like I really missed out on that extra special 'something' by not having read The Demon Cycle series before this. This world was completely new to me and I did feel like I was missing out on all the world building and lore behind the story. The writing is great, immersive and fast paced with characters that feel well developed and interesting - if very much YA and on a journey of self discovery. But there was always that little something missing. And that's all on me, and not the book, by deciding to read this as a standalone in an established series. Perhaps I'll revisit this is I ever go back and read The Demon Cycle series because overall I thought the story was great.

Peter V. Brett’s The Desert Prince is an epic fantasy set in a somewhat Middle Eastern/North African feeling setting. It is the first book in a new series, though set in the same world as his earlier books – fifteen years on. This was my first Brett book, and I did notice a lack of context at times, though it largely stands on its own merit and knowledge of the earlier books is not necessary to follow the story. It just gives an added dimension to it, and I imagine makes it easier for readers to pick up on cultural references between characters that I likely missed. What makes The Desert Prince stand out from other epic fantasy is that Olive, the main character, is intersex. Always aware of the unique body they were born with, Olive was socialised as a girl and over the course of the story struggles with the confines of that identity. But it did feel like this was often simplified, and I would have loved to see Olive really find a non-binary identity and communicate that, rather than letting themselves be boxed into places that don’t entirely fit by others. All in all, The Desert Prince was an entertaining book – in many ways traditional epic fantasy battling demons, betrayal and politics with chosen ones at its centre, but a fun twist on it. I may well pick up the sequel.

This is a quality read well written clever gripping imaginative, with superb characters throughout, the only problem was my ageing brain and memory keeping track of them all. Plenty of action throughout some quite gruesome. This is the first book I have read by this Author but it certainly won't be the last, especially as the somewhat open ending leaves room for more from the survivors and me wanting more,
Completely recommended.

I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

The main theme in this book, is identity. And it makes it to an interesting story where we follow Olive that can be fully functional female and male, and this gives her questions like which gender to go with. We also follow Olives path with finding love and her self.

I think a lot of people will be able to relate to this story, cause a lot struggles to find their identity.
But I also find this book much better then the lastly books in this series, and easy to follow.
I can recommend this book, but you need to read the rest of the series to understand better what goes on. And I felt entertained through the book.

Apologies for such a late reply. I had a lot of projects last year and didn't get half the read done that I usually do. I'll post proper reviews on my site, GR and Amazon soon.

I also have two copies of different signed editions of this book. So nice!

Oh my goodness. This book was fantastic! I read it as a stand alone book, not realising that in fact it is the first book in a trilogy series (The Nightfall Saga), set fifteen years after a different series of 5 books (The Demon Cycle).

There is a dictionary at the back of the book; so if you're reading reviews before you read the book then I hope this is helpful!! I did not realise until the end.

Even though I was unfamiliar with the world and the characters, i felt fully immersed in the storyline. Now I know there are other books, i don't think I missed out by not reading them, as a lot of the information you needed to understand was explained quite thoroughly.

I enjoyed this book so much that I'm adding the original series to my want to read list and will be eagerly awaiting the books to follow.

I would hands down recommend this book. I'm unsure how to explain the plot without giving anything away, but the story is full of the whole spectrum of emotion, and it truly is a coming of age story to remember.

I could not put this down and am so happy for it to be the first book I've read of 2022. It's ignited my passion for reading again.

Received arc from Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for honest read and review.
This is a wonderful book that had me hooked from the very beginning.
The action did not let up and everything I like in a book..It is set 15 years after the Demon Cycle.
Centres around Darin and Olive and it was an enjoyable experience.Loved it.

It's the first book I read by this author and now I have a lot of books to read because it's brilliant.
Well plotted, fascinated world building and a gripping plot.
The characters are well developed, flawed and interesting.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Desert Prince follows two main characters, Darin Bales and Olive Paper. Darin is the son of a great hero who ended the demon war 15 years ago. Darin now bears the weight of his father’s reputation, feeling like he constantly disappoints people by not being the fierce warrior they expect.

Olive is the Princess of Hollow, whose fiercely protective mother is determined to shape her into the perfect ruler. Sick of being kept away from the real world, Olive escapes her nanny during a supervised trip and travels beyond the city’s protective wards, believing that the threat of demon attacks ended along with the war.

But Olive is predictably wrong on that account, and both she and Darin are involved in separate, surprise demon attacks, the return of which is the premise of this new trilogy.

TDP is a difficult book to review. There are some things I really loved about it and some things less so, but I will start with the former.

I absolutely loved Princess Olive. She’s a vividly realised character who brings a freshness to the warrior-in-training fantasy sequence, which can be really satisfying when it’s done right, which Brett has.

Olive was also born intersex and was raised a girl in a society with strict gender roles. As she escapes her mother’s influence and faces new challenges, she begins to explore her gender identity, struggling to understand who she is while not wanting to be confined by society’s binary perception of gender. Given the political events of the story and Olive’s role within them, this personal journey is also pivotal to the overall plot.

I don’t think I’ve ever come across a character acknowledged as being intersex in fiction, let alone sci-fi or fantasy. That’s pretty strange given that, as a quick Google search reveals, over 1 in 100 people are born with intersex traits. So, apart from being a unique and inspiring character journey, it’s really lovely to see this representation on the page. That said, Olive’s being intersex is explained as an unexpected side effect of magic, which doesn’t do a lot for awareness.

TDP alternates between Olive and Darin’s (first person) perspectives. Unfortunately, I didn’t find Darin’s story quite so interesting. His primary story arc is about dealing with his insecurities and finding self-worth when he consistently fails to meet the expectations of others. I like that all of the characters in Brett’s story are portrayed as survivors of adversity, but I felt that Darin’s journey is something I’ve read before.

You don’t need to have read Brett’s Demon Cycle series to understand TDP. However, I don’t know that it’s entirely successful as a separate story. There’s a lot of ‘where are they now’ explanations and references that don’t necessarily enrich the plot. There are (obviously) also massive spoilers for the Demon Cycle series, which personally put me off wanting to go back and read it. I think it would have made more sense, or at least have been easier, to write a new series based on entirely new characters or settings, not the children of the previous protagonists.

In terms of worldbuilding, it falls somewhere between being too much information for veteran readers but not quite fleshed out enough for new ones like me. I was certainly able to follow the story, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I lacked the context that would make the magic system feel more consistent or the demons more intimidating.

Overall, I’m glad I read this book as I really enjoyed Olive’s storyline, but I didn’t find the other characters and story elements quite as memorable. Despite the ending being a little anticlimactic, if book two continues to focus heavily on Olive’s story, I might just be tempted to see what she’s up to.

Many thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger warnings: abduction, bullying, cutting/self-harm, drugging, death of family, homophobia

Firstly, thank you very much, HarperCollins and NetGalley, for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
For clarity, I had not read The Demon Cycle, so this was a whole new world to me and, therefore, no expectations. I was intrigued by the precis and the cover, and then I loved the story!
This book is epic fantasy, introducing a cast of characters and the progeny of key characters from the original Demon Cycle. The storyline also introduces friends, family, and those associated with the conclusion of the Demon Cycle.
I found Brett’s writing leaps from the page and the story and its subplots fascinating. The exploration of gender identity and intersex that comes with this story was both unexpected and welcome. That was a vital facet of the story. Brett did not shy away from its integration and the challenges that it brings to some societies.
I was engaged from Page 1 and found the gradual development of pace and story to be well managed. That ensured that I became immersed in the story rather than drowning in information and background.
What also helped was the glossary at the end of the book. I picked up many of the meanings pretty quickly, but occasionally, I referred to the explanations.
I highly recommend Brett’s book, and I look forward to the next book in this series!

I was so impressed with this book, the world building alone is something to take your breath away.

I was invited to read this book and I had not read any of the previous Demon Cycle books but this one is the start of a new series set within the same world.

Events in this book take place after the Demon Cycle books but you don’t have to read those to make a start on this new series.

The book follows two main POVs of Princess Olive and Darin Bales. Darins father saved the world but it left Darin with the weight of his legacy on his shoulders and everyone looking to Darin to be the next saviour. Olive on the other hand is a bit unusual in that she has both genitalia due to absorbing her brother in the womb and as such she can appear as both sexes. During the start of the book she is female but hides what she is from the others. She is the heir of Hollow and unlike her other siblings, she is claimed by her mother and has her surname of Paper instead of her fathers.

Olives existence is troublesome for her as she can conceive and also father children, if this knowledge were to reach her fathers sons and they thought her to be a threat to the skull throne, they may come for her life.

Olive lives safely tucked away in a palace behind the great wards which keep demons at bay. Since the war itself no one has really seen demons but are told they are still out there. Olive and her young Aunt Selen want to go on the Borough tour where they tour villages outside of the great wards. Olive is banned from going but forms a plan with Selen to drug their nannies and guards and flee over the great ward.

Needless to say this did not end well and Olive and Selen got their first taste of Demons. While fighting, they discover that their nanny Micha isn’t quite who she said she is and backup isn’t far behind.

At this exact time, Darin Bales is also having his issues with Demons too, he’s practicing his pipes to keep the demons away but the demons keep coming. His Aunt is gravely hurt and he has no choice but to call for his mother.

It’s no coincidence that the two heirs were attacked at the same time and with dire warnings foretold in the dice, Darins mum Renna and Olives mum Leesha form a plan to find the demon hive and protect their children. They leave with a contingent of guards and Hollow lancers.

The events from here will spoil the rest of the book if I go into too much detail! So I’ll leave that out of my review here.

Needless to say these characters are so well formed and I love Olive. The struggles she has been through to discover her identity, she can be one or the other or even both if she so chooses. She doesn’t let other people decide her fate. Selen is just as much of a force to be reckoned with! Darin is adorable and is fighting to find himself without his dads shadow casting over him. I also have a lot of love for Micha too!

It’s such an interesting story and so immersive. You really do get sucked in and it reads like a movie in your head. I cannot wait to see where the story goes, it’s going to be just as epic! No doubt about that.

I will be investing in the demon cycle books while I await the rest of this series.

Epic is the best word to describe this book.

An old enemy is lurking beneath their peaceful land. Fate binds Olive, Selen and Darin to step up, out of the shadow of their parent's legends.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a new series set in the author's established Demon Cycle world, with some of the same characters etc. I have not read the Demon Cycle books - I don't think it's necessary to have read them first, as The Desert Prince builds the world nicely; but I think I would have appreciated some of the characters more if I had.

The narrative is split between Princess Olive and Darin, but I thought that this was 100% Olive's story.
Olive is intersex, but has been raised as a princess by her somewhat overbearing mother, Leesha.
Growing up in a palace, she never feels like she fits in anywhere, and only her aunt/sister-figure Selen really understands her.
She has little to do with her father Ahmann Jardir - the ruler of the desert people, who have antiquated views on the roles of women. But Olive's skin is naturally darker than those around her, and it's just one more thing to make her feel different and separate.
When she turns fifteen, she goes on a tour of the wilderness, to escape her carefully-controlled life. There's demons, and chaos, and Olive starts to learn about the secrets of those around her.

Darin is the only son of the famous Jongleur whose magic was so strong, he rid the land of all demons, at the expense of his own life.
Darin has lived in his shadow - everyone thinks they are being kind to him, but Darin can smell their thoughts and feelings. No matter what they say, everyone is waiting for him to be a hero like his dad.
His magic isn't the stuff of legendary warriors, it's quiet and simple. He's fast and 'slippery'; his senses are heightened, and he's affected by the sun.
When his home is attacked by demons, his mum decides it's time to put aside her conflict with Leesha, and return to the palace.

I thought the first quarter was very slow and wandering. It felt like the book didn't know what direction it wanted to go in.
I only started to connect once Olive gets kidnapped by the Majah and dragged into their battle against the remaining demons.
I thought it was interesting to see her journey; the freedom she feels in being seen as a man for the first time in her life. She's surrounded by enemies, but tentatively starts to make friends with the other Sharum-in-training.

I enjoyed the exploration of relationships in this world.
Hollow is LGBTQ-friendly; whereas the Majah are much more old-fashioned. They accept that young men that train together might sleep together, but they're expected to marry and have kids.

The not-so-good.
As previously stated, it was slow to get going, and felt like a very long book.
Darin's chapters helped to build the world, but I didn't connect to his character as much. It felt like his sole purpose was to follow and rescue Olive, and to provide more details on the larger world.

I was also not sure about some of the decisions made by our main characters.
Darin and Selen find evidence that their families are gone - either killed or captured by demons - but instead of trying to do something in the Hollow, they decide to traipse across the desert to find Olive instead.
The fact that the parent figures of so many characters might be dead is skimmed over emotionally; ignoring that threat, to deal with the current big bad.

I was hooked in the end, to find out what choices Olive would take, and I'm keen to see where the series will take them.

Thank you netgalley and HarperCollinsUK for a copy of The Desert Prince in exchange for an honest review.

I went in to this not having read the previous books in this world; I don't think you necessarily have to. Some parts referred to previous books but there was enough information given by Brett to understand the world. It has however encouraged me to look up the previous books and purchase them. The world, for seasoned readers of this series, is already well established but it takes no time for a new reader to feel immersed.

I really enjoyed the chapters from the perspective of Darin. The internal and external pressures placed upon him to be like his father is captured so well; I really connected with his character. That's not to say our other protagonist, Olive, isn't as strong; Olive goes on an incredible journey of self discovery. I just found Darin's narrative more interesting.

My main criticism is that the novel starts off a little slow with a lot of internal monologues that seem quite childish - but I guess that's what happens when you're writing 1st person perspective about two fifteen year olds. But in this instance I did feel like in parts this was distracting. I also think that the book could stand to be a little shorter; at times I did feel like it was dragging on a little and had to take a break - which is not like me.

As the opener into a new series I did find this very interesting and the world felt very unique to me, unlike anything I've read before. For that reason I will definitely look into the next book.

Would I reread this one? I would probably read over my highlights to glean what I might need for the next instalment but unsure I'd be ready for a full reread in the immediate future.

3.5 stars from me.

I had not read Brett's previous series but honestly it wasn't necessary to, to read this one. It did however make me want to read the series, haha. Judging from other reviews, this may have a more YA feel to it than the first series but I really enjoyed it. There were so many great aspects to it and I enjoyed a lot of the characters (and that meant that I was definitely a little heartbroken because of that lol). One thing I wasn't too sure of is the tone of how Krasia is viewed compared to the Greenlands but I'll dive into that more on my blog.

Fun read, the pacing was kept up really well especially given the length of the novel. I do wish there'd been more Darin chapters but I thoroughly enjoyed Olive's as well! 4/5 cups of coffee and thank you so much to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

ARC provided by the publishers—Del Rey & Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 stars

I won’t lie; I’m disappointed with The Desert Prince, but I have to acknowledge that this is a case of “not for me” due to having read The Demon Cycle.

The Desert Prince has been heavily advertised as a new beginning, or a spin-off, to The Demon Cycle by the author and publishers for at least months now. This is more like a continuation to The Demon Cycle than a spin-off; reading the previous series would make every encounter with the past characters more nostalgic. And believe me, there’s a LOT of characters from the previous series making a return here. I honestly always feel cautious whenever I approach a sequel series to a completed series. Don’t get me wrong; sometimes they work incredibly well, but statistically—from my experience—they often failed to deliver, and The Desert Prince just didn’t work as much as I hoped.

“You are what you want to be… And no matter what, I love you and will always be there for you.”

The Desert Prince takes place fifteen years after the end of The Core, and it revolves around two new main characters: Olive Paper and Darlin Bales. Both Olive and Darlin are descendants of the heroes of The Demon Cycle, and both of them are teenagers with their own struggles. Olive is an intersex who has her entire life planned out by her mother. Even though it was done to protect her life, Olive wants freedom and the life of a normal teenager. Darlin, on the other hand, faces a different kind of challenge. The weight of legacy is heavy around his shoulder because everyone expects greatness from him, but he’s only great at hiding. One night, when both Olive and Darlin step across the wards, it turns out that not all the demons are gone. Now, I’m going to start with the parts that I liked about the book.

Brett made a bold decision to use a first-person present-tense narration for both of the main characters in The Desert Prince. This was never done before in The Demon Cycle, and I think Brett truly nailed the voices of the two main characters. I’ve read a few series that used multiple first-person narrations, and the characters ended up sounding too similar. That’s not the case here; both Olive and Darin have a distinctive voice to them, and I never felt like they sounded the same. Personally, having read The Demon Cycle ended up being a double-edged blade for me. The positives that came from it to me would be seeing the returning characters again. It felt great and nostalgic to meet these characters again after many years went by. Honestly, the returning characters and their role in this novel were the strongest factors of the book for me.

“Mother says we cannot blame a whole people for the decisions of their leaders.”
“Perhaps… But leaders who do not reflect the will of their people do not remain in power. Take my word in this.”

Unfortunately, the other side of the blade resulted in disappointment. Olive and Darin totally felt like the main characters in a not good YA fantasy; not because of their age, but because of their internal thoughts. So many pages were spent on them being angsty thinking about who gets to kiss who, about the act of kissing, love triangle, enemies to lover, complaining, and more. Both Olive and Darin were a far cry from the characters of The Demon Cycle; they’re just not intriguing enough to follow for more than 600 pages long. Also, I had issues with the pacing. I found that the narrative spent too long in one character’s POV chapters consecutively before shifting back to the other main character. It felt jarring, and the pacing made the book felt even longer than it already is. The Desert Prince is undoubtedly a sequel series; almost everything is related to what happened at The Demon Cycle, plus the references and background explanations were constant. However, the entire novel itself doesn’t add anything much or new to the main story told in The Demon Cycle already. Lastly, The Desert Prince has one of the most anti-climactic closing chapters to a book I’ve ever read. Reading the final chapters actually made me lose interest completely to continue to the sequel.

All of these bring me to the conclusion that it might just be better for you to read The Desert Prince if you haven’t read The Demon Cycle. Seriously, it’s weird for me to recommend that method because this means you will lose a lot of background and character development. But I think having read The Demon Cycle made this novel weaker than it should be. It’s sad to admit, but I won’t be continuing with The Nightfall Saga. Believe me, no one is more down about this rating than I am, but I have to always be honest about my opinion. Take my opinion with a grain of salt, though; this is definitely a “not for me” case. The previous series was great despite its issues; the first and the fifth book were incredible. After the darkness and intense story told in The Demon Cycle, it was frankly difficult for me to be reading a YA fantasy version of it. If you’re reading this review and you are indeed interested in reading this book, I sincerely hope you will love it more than I did.

“Let others determine your worth, and you’ve already lost, because no one wants people worth more than themselves.”

You can order the book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

I literally flew through this book!

Not having read a Peter V. Brett book before, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the writing and the plot! I adored the magic system- it was so complex and wonderful. The characters were so distinct and well-written, that it made me want to keep reading, and I was hooked after the 30% mark! As this is the first in a brand new series, there is a lot of information to digest, but overall this was so much fun! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when I can! I fell in love with Olive and Darin and I just can't wait for the sequel ^^

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

What a roller-coaster of a story this is and full of originality. A page turner that kept me happy and hooked to the end as I did my best to work out what was coming next and a little sad at the end because I now have to wait for the sequel to appear.

I do not do spoilers and so you really do need to read this book for yourself; you will not regret it and you will definitely not want to be disturbed once you start reading.

I loved the original series. I waited (a long time) until it was complete before reading the whole story. After being burnt by series such as Game of throne/name of the wind/Scott Lynch's gentlemen Bast***s, I usually wait till a series ends before starting. Having enjoyed the original series so much, I took a gamble.

Set 15 years after the first series, the new protagonists are the children, Olive and Darin. They have a troubled existence, suffocated by the shadow of their parent's glory; they struggle to find their place and purpose in the world. Teenage self-doubt and inner turmoil take a back seat as Olive becomes kidnapped, and the story starts in earnest.

You should read The Demon Cycle first. Honestly, I needed to read a synopsis despite having read The Demon Cycle. It's been so long.
I loved this book; my only regret is how long it will be till the next book.
Fans of the Demon Cycle should buy this at once. Anyone wanting to read a fantastic fantasy series should buy the Demon Cycle first.

Ok I have to start by saying that I have not read the preceding trilogy the Demon Cycle but now I really want to ! This book is set fifteen years after the parents of Olive and her friend Darin succeeded in taking down the Demons that had plagued the world. Yes a few stragglers escaped but the legends of what these people achieved elevates them in everyone's eyes and indeed hearts. So you can imagine how difficult it is for their children to live within their shadows.
Our story begins with Olive desperately wanting to be treated like everyone else but she's cosseted, protected and frankly stifled. Darin might have a more relaxed and normal life than Olive but he is full of self doubt and occasionally even self loathing. Yet Darin has amazing abilities that to be blunt took this reader a while to fully understand but when I did wow now thats someone who should stand proud. When Olive is kidnapped the story truly becomes something that is mind blowing with jealousy, greed and vile machinations in play. Forced to face her innermost fears Olive rises to become more than a pampered Princess but the deceit and lies that lie behind her are nothing compared to what she will now face !
Oo this was so good with a pace that just kept building. The author gives us a story of adversity and courage but also one of manipulation and pain. I loved Olive and the progression of this characters sexuality felt relevant. Perhaps not precisely hermaphrodite but certainly Olive is finding a way to not only live in the circumstances forced their way but to thrive.
There is without a doubt way more here about Olive but fear not Darin steps up to follow his friend along with Selen and this was a wee bit confusing. Selen is a similar age to Olive but is her aunt. Plus we get Micha who is Olives Nanny and also her sister ! Yes I know this has an Arabian sort of feel with desert and palaces but learning Olives very absent father has seventy children was a tad disconcerting. I do feel that perhaps these tangled family dynamics might have been easier to understand more quickly if I had already read the Demon Cycle series . However I can honestly say that apart from initially metaphorically scratching my head it didn't ruin my enjoyment one iota. I had fun reading this and honestly didn't want to put it down. Yes I recommend it and yes I'm definitely off to buy more books from this new to me author .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair