Review: The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer

The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.

I have apparently never read any Nancy Springer before, and what a pity, because this book was wonderfully beautiful in all the best ways. Her writing reminds me of a combination of Dahlov Ipcar (A Dark Horn Blowing) with a dash of Peter Beagle. No, there were no unicorns in this book, but the utter dreaminess of the story took me back to The Last Unicorn.

In this story, Prince Aric of Calidon (at one point there seems to have been a typo of Caldor and it made me giggle a bit) is about to lose his father the king, Bardaric, to the power of a supposedly evil ring. No one knows where the ring came from or why it is wasting him. As the moment of his death arrives, a man blazing white shows up at the castle and, amid a huge spectacle, saves the king's life. He reveals himself to be Albaric, the half-fey son of the king, conceived while the king had been held prisoner by the queen of Elfland. Bardaric doesn't remember this because the queen sent him back to the moment she had stolen him, with the ring she had placed on his hand. The king refuses to accept Albaric as his son, instead choosing to believe he is a "fetch," or evil fey thing come to steal his own son and possibly the throne.

Aric, on the other hand, immediately and intensely loves his new half-brother. The two share a connection almost unbelievable, but it is so real that neither can deny they are brothers and bound to one another. Meanwhile, King Bardaric grows ever more distrustful and sinister. The brothers must find a way to return him to himself, a previously generous and good king, before he kills everyone around him. Intertwined with this story is the legend of the White King, the one who will come and restore the kingdom to peace. Bardaric is more and more afraid of someone, anyone trying to steal his throne that he even begins to loathe his own son.

I enjoyed the story, the pacing, and the characterization. At times the relationship between Aric and Albaric was a bit over-the-top, and I pretty much saw something of what was coming at the end as soon as the White King was mentioned. But this is absolutely a fey story - it draws you in slowly, entrances you as if you're in a dream, and then knocks you over the head with how beautifully it's written.

Highly recommended for fantasy readers of all ages - especially those who love the dreamy quality of Peter Beagle and others. I loved every minute of this and plan to add more Nancy Springer to my (constantly growing) TBR pile.

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