Take William Shakespeare's "Hamlet", throw in a dash of "Ocean's 11" and a heaping helping of Mel Brooks' sense of humor. Mix thoroughly and enjoy.
Now while this might sound like a pretty unusual recipe for a novel, it actually works really well. In fact, I absolutely loved the book. This is the third novel by fantasy/humor author John Moore that I've read and like the other two, I enjoyed it immensely. (Though, to be fair, The Unhandsome Prince was a weaker tale than Heroics for Beginners or Bad Prince Charlie. However, that's not to say that it wasn't entertaining. Far from it.)
The tale follows the titular character as he comes home to attend the funeral of his king and father, and gets drafted into a plan to revolutionize his country (literally). His shifty uncles have devised a plan to sell out the kingdom to their neighbor country in exchange for a hefty payoff. All they need is a "puppet" to manipulate into getting the kingdom primed for a mock hostile takeover. Needless to say, their plan does not go off as they had hoped. Charlie turns out to be much more intelligent than they originally thought (in fact, Charlie is more clever and lucky than most of the characters suspected).
Moore clearly had fun writing this wry take on "Hamlet" and that sense of enjoyment comes through in every page of the book. He deftly weaves an entertaining tale filled with comedy, satire, action, and drama - all while making it seem effortless.
In fact, one of my favorite aspects of this novel was the manner in which it concluded. It was all wrapped up in a neat little bow: no dangling plot threads; no "to be continued"; and no dark, depressing resolution – just a happily-ever-after ending that brought a smile to my face. Sure, Moore's next book will likely be set in the same realm (as have the previous two), but there have never been any overlapping characters or events. Each tale is completely self-contained, and I love that. I don't have to have read any of Moore's other novels in order to understand this one. If only more writers could try this approach (at least every once in a while).
And, try as I might, I found no problems with this book. Nothing that I thought could have been added or changed or removed. Moore put together a perfect little fun read. And I encourage everyone who's looking for a little more humor in their life to check it out.
