Review: The Prince and the Program ~ Aldous Mercer

[nia_kantorka]

This review contains spoiler - I don't know if it's possible to write a spoiler free rev about this book.
anemonen, it might be helpful :)

Canada 2012. Mordred, King Arthur's bastard son and murderer of his father, is banned to seven years of human living in Toronto. The reason for this punishment was his crime seven months ago in Japan. Mordred has to find a job soon. He must earn some money for the living because he can't use his magic properly, his arcane bank account is closed and his human bank account is in dept. He wants to be a software engineer although his c++ skills aren't the best. But he has some experience of fairy life (around 1,500 years), he is smart, loves logic and is very good at mathematics and statistics. Mori Pendragon is lucky. He gets a job in a small start-up.

Yes, that is just the start of the story.
Mori becomes periously addicted to coffee, he recognizes that he hates ping-pong and starts to fancy the head developer of the company, Alan. He hasn't met Alan in person yet, the company has a mole whistle-blowing its secrets, the new CEO is a slavedriver, intelligence of different countries are blocking the streets and the arcane security service sees a concentration of demon powers in Toronto. If that aren't enough problems, Mori finds out that Alan is an electronical form of Alan Turing, technical genius died 1954 in London, who lives now in the company's Apple Mac book. And Alan isn't interested in giving up his electronical form of living.

Perplexed? Yep, that's going to happen when you read The Prince and the Program. This book is full of odd and bizarre ideas challeging the reader. I asked myself more than once if this book was too high for me, in particular when Alan discussed with Mori his hypothesis 'to see the person (engineer) behind the program' as a short version of Shakespeare's Macbeth. At that moment I wasn't sure, if I needed more brain cells or some doors of preception to get the meaning. But at other moments I was squeaking with joy. Eg when Mori had to fundle the nose of a Bansky rat to get some help or while he was chatting with Alan electronically. I loved their conversation.

I also appreciated Aldous Mercer's way of telling Alan Turing's sad story. He didn't pity him (although his story as a convicted homosexuell in the UK after WWII is one to be pitied) and transformed his character into one radiating intelligence, hope and humour. Well done.

But I do have two complaints about The Prince and the Program:
First, I loved Mori and wasn't amused when Alan didn't give him a chance. I mean, this old and experienced soul fell for someone he couldn't even see most of the time. That was awesome. And Alan? Said 'sorry' and nothing more. Mori took his repeated rejection (they were in a time wrap at these moments) with dignity and my heart was bleeding for him. I really liked Alan in the beginning but he lost some of his appeal in the end.
Second, this book is announced as book one of The Mordred Saga but I couldn't find a hint about a sequel, not on Aldous Mercer's homepage, not on Amazon or on Goodreads. I f**king hate THIS situation! Now I'm asking myself: Will there be a sequel? If so, when? Will Mori be able to gain Alan's love? I want to know what's going to HAPPEN. Dear author, will you PLEASE give your readers some information. Thank you!

I wrote this rev some time ago and there is still no new information. I'm screwed.

Bansky Rat Picture by Martinho/Martin Reis.