Prince of Thorns

From being a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos, violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father's castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him. Mark Lawrence's powerful debut novel tells a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paints a compelling, brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne. (Description from back cover of trade paperback edition)