Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools

Philip Caveney

Apr 2008 · Sold by Delacorte Press

About this ebook

The lord of Laughter, the Monarch of Mirth–if only the bumbling 17-year-old Sebastian Darke could be a successful jester like his father. The problem is Sebastian’s not funny. But after his father’s death, with no choice but to beg in the streets, the half-human, half-elf teen sets off with Max, his father’s slightly cynical Buffalope, to offer his services as a jester to King Septimus of Keladon. On the way they meet Captain Cornelius Drummel, small in stature, but the fiercest of fighters. The three rescue the fair princess Kerin, who’s being held captive by brigands, and happily escort her home. If only Sebastian knew the kidnapping was engineered by the evil King Septimus!

Ratings and reviews

This was a fun read, perfect for young adults/teens who like a good adventure story. The characters were quite believable, even if there were talking animals (but not of the Narnian variety). A couple of times the story started to take on a predictable literary direction, but would veer away at the last moment. That kept it interesting and leaves the door open for several points to be addressed later in a sequel. The villains were ruthless and the action exciting, but the dialogue remained clean. Blood and tears were shed, but neither too graphic to make the reader uncomfortable. Even the romantic bits left me cheering for the hero, nothing so gross as to embarrass a young teenage boy. At 338 pages, the book was enough to fill a couple evenings and an afternoon at the pool, perfect for summer reading. I have not read any other Philip Caveney books, but am certainly interested to see what he has to offer in the adult category.

Poor Sebastian Darke is just not funny. For most people, this is a minor inconvenience, but for the son of a successful jester, this is bad news. After his father's untimely death, Sebastian is forced to put on his father's costume and continue his trade. The jester outfit doesn't really fit and neither does the profession. Undeterred but mostly just desperate, Sebastian sets off with his father's Buffalope, Max, to offer his humorous services to King Septimus of Keladon. On the ensuing journey, the half-elf, half-human teen and his partner/pack animal meet the fierce but pint-sized Captain Cornelius Drummel and rescue a beautiful princess named Kerin. The four think their problems are over when they reach Keladon, but with a corrupt king on the throne the trouble is just starting. SEBASTIAN DARKE: PRINCE OF FOOLS by Philip Caveney is a fast and fun-filled ride with bad jokes and worse villains. While the jokes are never good, the characters are wonderfully atypical. Philip Caveney follows in the rich tradition of evil crones, hair-brained schemes, and talking animals, and seems to have a lot of fun with it. One of my favorite characters was Osbert, the barely intelligible but lovable royal Buffalope. An added plus are the pictures. And though I won't ruin the ending, I will say that it's refreshingly unexpected.

About the author

Philip Caveney has written many novels for adults. This is his first book for young adults. He lives in England.