Book Review:  A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix

Imagine that you have always been told that you are far superior than everyone else.  Your entire life you have been led to believe that when you become of age, you will be a full-fledged prince of the empire, held in high esteem and able to get and do whatever you want.  Your body has been enhanced with machinery, telekinetic powers, and all the advanced technology available.  

Then imagine that you become of age, and the first thing that happens is someone tries to kill you.  This is the life of Prince Khemri, a prince of the Empire, who discovers that being a prince is not all it is cracked up to be.  He finds that he is one of millions of princes who constantly backstab, duel, form alliances, double-cross, and kill to get what they want.  They are able to be reborn into a cloned adult version of themselves if they are deemed worthy by the "Imperial Mind", the omniscient and omnipresent being that can see everything in the empire, but in some situations they never come back.

Khemri dreams of being a prince that has adventures all over the universe, but he finds that being a prince is more about doing what you are told by the imperial mind, superiors, and even his Master Of Assassins.  When Khemri is given an offer he cannot refuse, he must shed all of his princely powers and technology, and learn how to survive as a human.  Khemri must learn the value of life and what it means to be human if he ever wants to return to his rightful place as a prince of the empire.

Overall, I liked the book.  The narration was great - Khemri is recounting his life and adds little snipits here and there that show his sarcastic and humorous side.  The storyline is unique - I found it interesting how princes are "created" and not "born" and anyone, male or female can be a prince.  I also liked the transformation Khemri undergoes from cocky prince to helpful human.  I must admit, however, space-y sci-fi is not my forte.  I had a hard time with the names and explanations of various types of star cruisers, solar systems, worm holes, and the like.  But I could see the story underneath all of that, and I liked it.  

So, if you are a space-y sci fi kind of person, try this book out!