
The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet
The Princes of the Golden Cage is a fine debut fantasy by Nathalie Mallet. Mallet sets her fantasy in a vaguely Arabian setting, with a Sultan and his many princes by many wives. The princes are kept caged in sumptuous captivity, a reaction to previous generations having raised armies and warred upon one another to eliminate competition for the throne. Now the princes war merely upon one another, seeking out reasons for offense and therefore excuses for duels to the death.
Prince Amir has opted out of the competition altogether. He is a mid-level prince in any event, not likely to ever see his name anywhere near the top of the list of succession. He is, in essence, motherless, his mother probably having traded her son for riches and freedom from the very moment he was born, as was her right under the peculiar laws of the harem. He has no o... Read More