The Ring of the Slave Prince by Bjarne Rueter


This epic story, told from the point of view of a young half- Irish boy, is filled with adventure, danger, and shocking plot twists. It is a coming- of- age story of a lad who must use his nimble mind and silver- tongue to help him survive in the hostile and barbaric world where pirates rule and wars are constantly raging. Though full of action, this tale is not lacking in comical moments, which include a talking gecko, a cross- dressing man, and several strange conversations about Hippocrates.

Throughout the book, the theme “the destructive power of greed” stands out on every page. The main character has to overcome his greed to save his friend, minor characters lose their livelihoods (and oftentimes their lives) due to their insatiable greed for riches. This theme is a large factor in the every day life of a normal person, and the book gives many insights into this self- destructive behavior.

The plot of this story is reasonably easy to follow, but the author changes the tense in which the story is told several times, confusing the reader and lowering the quality of the story altogether. Also, in conversations between the characters, they often speak of each other as “he” or “she” as opposed to the traditional “you.” Though this wording is not technically incorrect, it distracts from the story and requires the reader to translate the meanings of even the simplest sentences.

All together, this book is a good read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in pirates and journeys fraught with peril.