A Confusion of Princes

Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdom series and Shades Children, combines space opera with a coming-of-age story in his YA novel A Confusion of Princes. Superhuman. Immortal. Prince in a Galactic Empire. There has to be a catch.... Khemri learns the minute he becomes a Prince that princes need to be hard to kill-for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken. There are also mysteries. Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and is dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle, he meets a young woman, called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces there that have very definite plans for his future. Editorial Reviews Nixs fantasy has enough gadgets, escapes, battles, duels, deaths, and near-death experiences to keep die-hard adventure story readers enthralled. Happily, Khemri is also a thoughtful, winsome, and somewhat complex character, and his cheerfully self-deprecating tone and unpredictable choices make this romp entertaining on multiple levels. - Horn Book (starred review) In this exciting space opera, 19-year-old Khemri is a Prince of the Empire, one of 10 million Princes who rule much of the galaxy under a mysterious Emperor and an AI called the Imperial Mind. Raised in splendor by mind-controlled slaves, physically and psychically augmented, and virtually immortal, Khemri, like the other Princes, is intensely self-centered, assuming that he will someday become Emperor. A year into his formal training, however, he is sent on a mission to the fringe world of Kharalcha where, stripped of his augmentations, he must fight space pirates and the forces of the Empire. Falling in love with a naval reserve officer, Khemri takes the painful first step in learning what it means to be human. Writing in the mode of Robert A. Heinlein or Andre Norton (to whom the book is dedicated), Nix (the Keys to the Kingdom series) has crafted an adventure filled with hostile aliens, deadly spaceship battles, cybernetic wonders, humor (often involving Khemris naivete), and a touch of romance. The book is tied to a planned online MMORPG, Imperial Galaxy. Ages 13-up. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (May) - Publishers Weekly Khemris first person point of view, along with a fast-paced, action- and plot-driven story, is sure to appeal to fans of the Star Wars universe and any number of first-person shooter video games. - ALA Booklist Garth Nixs A CONFUSION OF PRINCES is YA FOUNDATION meets DUNE. - Tor.com Nixs fantasy has enough gadgets, escapes, battles, duels, deaths, and near-death experiences to keep die-hard adventure story readers enthralled. Happily, Khemri is also a thoughtful, winsome, and somewhat complex character, and his cheerfully self-deprecating tone and unpredictable choices make this romp entertaining on multiple levels. - Horn Book Gr 9 Up--Khemri is one of the newest Princes of the Empire and as yet unaware that mortal peril accompanies the luxuries, servants, and technological augmentations that come with his rank. The intergalactic Empire is directed by the Imperial Mind but run by millions of Princes who all compete to become the next Emperor. First among Khemris servants is his Master of Assassins, Haddad, who guides and protects him on his first journey to the Naval Academy. There Khemri meets Morojal, a mysterious priestess who tells him that the Emperor has plans for him. From that point onward, Khemris life takes many strange turns, even to the point of having to live as a regular human beyond the bounds of the Empire. It is then that he meets Raine and learns with her that it is possible to care for s