Throne of Nightmares

 For the bookworms who dream

"Throne of Nightmares"by Kerri Maniscalco is the third book in her "Prince of Sin".  This book is, without a doubt, a love letter to all those who are passionate about reading and who allow their imagination to soar.

Kerri Maniscalco has a skill for creating a mystical atmosphere in her dark fantasy books, which lends them greater depth. The protagonists are interesting because they don’t fit the mold we’ve come to expect from the author. On one hand, we have Lore, an eternal optimist and romantic who loves books and their stories. On the flip side, there’s Prince Sloth, her opposite in almost every way. He sees books as a source of infinite wisdom and a direct link to his power. Both are united by a single goal: locating the Book of Nightmares. The question is, what are they willing to give up in exchange for the book?

Throne of Nightmares tackles multiple themes that are directly addressed in each chapter. On the one hand, there is love, which is used as a weapon to break Lore’s spirit and make her doubt herself. The perpetual uncertainty regarding the distinction between fantasy and reality takes shape in a universe where the unreal intertwines with the tangible, blurring the boundaries between the imaginary and the concrete. The book immerses us in a dimension where the impossible becomes reality and the concept of time fades in the face of the immensity of our surroundings. Lore and Prince Sloth constantly doubt everything, and so do we.

At every turn, there is a new uncertainty and a new challenge in a different world that demands a great deal of emotional and psychological effort from its protagonists. Although the concept is very entertaining, the execution leaves much to be desired. That is the book’s main problem: it never makes clear what each trial means, and because of this lack of clarity, Kerri Maniscalco tends to repeat herself constantly—whether by reminding us of what just happened in each trial or how dangerous the Book of Nightmares is. 

Another problem I see is that Prince Sloth neither embodies nor resembles what the word “sloth” implies, which usually involves a lack of care, a numbing of the spirit, an aversion to spiritual effort, and a reluctance to love or engage with life. I can understand that these are undesirable traits for a protagonist, but in my opinion, there are different creative ways to bring Lore and Prince Solth together while still staying true to the original idea. What I’m saying is that if you’re not willing to portray “sloth” for what it represents, then why choose him as the protagonist?

In the end, I think this third book is better written than the first and second; its flaws aren't that bad, and the story of Lore and Prince Sloth is significantly more entertaining than anything Kerri Maniscalco has written so far.