The Prince of Nowhere: review

I was lucky to get a finished copy of this book through HarperCollins and I am so excited to share my review with you all!

Rochelle Hassan grew up reading about dragons, quests, and unlikely heroes; now she writes about them, too. The Prince of Nowhere is her first novel. Her young adult fantasy, The Buried and the Bound, is due out in 2023. She lives in New York. You can find her online at www.rochellehassan.com.

Title: The Prince of Nowhere

Author: Rochelle Hassan

Release Date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Middle-grade fantasy

Page Count: 336 pages

Find it: Amazon /B&N/ Walmart /BD

This sweeping middle grade fantasy debut by Rochelle Hassan follows Roda and Ignis, who embark on an adventure filled with magic and mystery—perfect for fans of Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.

Roda isn’t afraid of the monsters that roam the wilds of the Aerlands. She’s safe in her small town, which is surrounded by a wall of freezing, enchanted mist that keeps the beasts away. So when Roda rescues an injured crow on the instruction of her secret pen pal, Anonymous—whose letters arrive without warning and correctly predict the future—she’s surprised to learn she’s brought one of the so-called monsters home. Because her crow is really a shape-shifting boy named Ignis.

Ignis doesn’t remember where he was going before he crashed. But Anonymous brought him and Roda together for a reason—and the only way to find out what Anonymous wants is to follow the trail of baffling clues in Roda’s letters. Their perilous journey leads them into the mist and beyond, to a mysterious place called Nowhere. But Ignis has secrets, and the farther they get, the more Roda doubts she can trust him.

As a nefarious force closes in, they’ll have to put aside their differences and work together. For they might be each other’s only defense against an enemy who threatens their past, present, and future.

Bold statement time: this has to be one of the best middle-grade books I have ever read. This is a hill I will gladly sit on forever.

Big thanks to Harperkids for the review copy! I wish I could fit the synopsis in here but I will put the link to buy in my bio, so you all can purchase it.

The vibes I got from this book were: Return to Oz, Mirrormask, and just about every Miyazaki film ever made. These are all the movies I love, so in turn, I loved this book. Roda is thrust into an adventure to save her mother when her anonymous pen pal guides her to seek out a mysterious place called Nowhere. Paired up with a once injured crow-now-turned boy named Ignis, they climb onto dragons, fight automatons and navigate twists and turns all while deciding who to trust and who not to trust.

There are so many aspects of this book that took me back to watching all Jim Henson's movies like Labyrinth and Dark Crystal, as well as the aforementioned Mirrormask and Return to Oz. Being introduced to those movies was one of the best times of my childhood. The time travel element is reminiscent of Howl's Moving Castle.

Oh, and it's masterfully written. Roda is fierce and determined while Ignis is a little crass but endearing. Ignis's past is very heartbreaking (that scene toward the end though WAHHHHHH) The family elements and Roda's love for her mother and aunt are also well done.

I want to end this review with a pleeeeeeease write a sequel! The book does have a self-contained ending, but there is so much more to explore. I had so much fun reading this book and I hope you all will enjoy it too.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐