Prince of Fools cover art

Prince of Fools

Red Queen's War, Book 1

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Prince of Fools

By: Mark Lawrence
Narrated by: Sean Ohlendorf
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

From the critically acclaimed author of THE BROKEN EMPIRE series comes a brilliant new epic fantasy series, THE RED QUEEN’S WAR.

The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire fear her as they fear no other.

Her grandson Jalan Kendeth is a coward, a cheat and a womaniser; and tenth in line to the throne. While his grandmother shapes the destiny of millions, Prince Jalan pursues his debauched pleasures. Until he gets entangled with Snorri ver Snagason, a huge Norse axe man, and dragged against his will to the icy north.

In a journey across half the Broken Empire, Jalan flees minions of the Dead King, agrees to duel an upstart prince named Jorg Ancrath, and meets the ice witch, Skilfar, all the time seeking a way to part company with Snorri before the Norseman’s quest leads them to face his enemies in the black fort on the edge of the Bitter Ice.

PRINCE OF FOOLS is the first book in the series.

©2014 HarperCollins Publishers Limited (P)2014 Mark Lawrence Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Military Royalty War & Military War Funny Scary Witty Norse

Listeners also enjoyed...

 One Word Kill cover art
Kings of Paradise cover art
The Malevolent Seven cover art
Forsworn: A Powder Mage Novella cover art
The Cycle of Arawn cover art
The Impostor Prince cover art
Many Are the Dead cover art
The Ember Blade cover art
Free the Darkness cover art
Red Rising cover art
The Very First Damned Thing cover art
Off to Be the Wizard cover art
A Demon in Silver: Book One of War of the Archons cover art
Unfettered cover art
Unbound cover art
New Spring cover art

Critic reviews

‘A savage voice which is telling you a good jest while trying to drown you in story’
ROBERT LOW (Author of the Kingdom Series and the Oathsworn Series)

‘Really excellent, gritty fantasy – I'm trying to avoid comparison with GAME OF THRONES, but I'm afraid it’s right there. But funnier. Very funny indeed’
YA and Carnegie-shortlisted author ANTHONY MCGOWAN
All stars
Most relevant
Mark Lawrence is, by far, my favourite author for fiction. The story's all based around one era and intertwined to one another makes for some fantastic entertainment.
I would love to hear more about Taproot, some story of his travels and collection of gossip + circus animals and performers.

Read the book, listened to the narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
At first, I wasn't sure what to think of as the main character isn't your average heroic type - but once I embraced this as part of the story, the whole experience was quite fun! It gets me laughing as much as it gets me furrowing my brows, wanting to punch a character or two.

The voices are well acted out as well, you can easily distinguish which character is speaking from the accents and voices.

If you've been listening to a lot of serious fantasy stories with gritty struggles and tragic, heart-wrenching deaths... This is a good and enjoyable listen to break up the black, grey, and blood red.

As in, it'll at least have a giggle between the grey and blood red.

Give it a listen!

Fun Book To Listen To

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What did you like most about Prince of Fools?

You recognize bits of it,it is the same world. But two very different perspectives, from very different characters. It has much more humor, The story is as good and well written, drawing you in and leaving you wanting more.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Prince of Fools?

if you want to make a clean escape getting stuck in a toilet windows not good.

Which character – as performed by Sean Ohlendorf – was your favourite?

It has to be Jalan or Snorri, but I can not choose which.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I almost did, it just keeps pulling you along.

Broken empire,but fromadifferent view.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
terribly flat and boring narration. his accents are all over the place. nothing like the guy who narrated the last series. shame

terribly flat & boring narration, which grows on u

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the broken empire trilogy, Jorg was such a unique protagonist you loved to hate. Jarlan is probably better! Much more likable adding much needed comic relief to the journey with serious giant Viking as a partner! A must listen!!

Great start to another trilogy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews