Book Review: The King of Dreams

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The King of Dreams     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Robert Silverberg
Class/Genre:   Fantasy
Series: Prestimion # 3
Eos, Jun 2001, $25.00, 464 pp.

Thanks to the weak rule of the previous Coronals and Pontifexes that went before him, Prestimion had many internal battles and a war to fight before his kingdom Marjipor found peace. For the next two decades as the Coronal, he kept things calm, but when the Pontifex dies, an old enemy surfaces challenging Prestimion's ascension as the new Pontifex. Count Mandralisca has aligned himself with the Five Lords of Zimrod in order to gain independence for his nation. He controls machines that invade the minds of people, which force them to go mad and do terrible things to themselves or others. He has managed to have Prestimion's brother kill himself and send dreams infecting the ruler's wife and daughter. When the Pontifex and his new Coronal learn what Mandralisca plans, they hope to stop him and his allies without costing the lives of thousands of innocent people. Book three of the Prestimion trilogy concludes the powerful epic fantasy where magic and the mundane peacefully co-exist side by side. Robert Silverberg provides his usual interesting novel that paints a make believe world so real readers will believe he visited the place. Marjipoor may be his greatest creation in an illustrious career and hopefully Mr. Silverberg will return his audience there sometime soon.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner