With "Prince of Persia" hitting theaters this week, the latest installment of Weekend Reading looks at three books written by or inspired by the work of "Prince of Persia" creator Jordan Mechner.
A best-selling video game franchise and now a live-action film, "Prince of Persia" has had a long life since Mechner created the original game in 1989. Along with various sequels on the gaming side, there have also been two "Prince of Persia" graphic novels published, as well as an original story, "Solomon's Thieves," written by Mechner.
Let's take at all of 'em, shall we?
"Prince Of Persia" by Jordan Mechner (creator), A.B. Sina (w), LeUyen Pham & Alex Puvilland (a) - First Second: Published in 2008, the original "Prince of Persia" graphic novel has little to do with the existing game franchises or the live-action film. The story follows the adventures of two princes in the 9th and 13th centuries who are united by the land in which their tales unfold.
Those looking for a tie-in with the game franchise or the film won't find it here, but the book does offer a spiritual and tonal partner to the existing "Prince of Persia" universe. Sina's story jumps around a bit and can get a little confusing at times, but the way the parallel timelines intersect keeps things interesting in both narratives.
"Solomon's Thieves" by Jordan Mechner (w) LeUyen Pham & Alex Puvilland (a) - First Second: In many ways, "Solomon's Thieves" is more similar to the "Prince of Persia" games and movie than Mechner's original "Prince of Persia" graphic novel, as it offers a straightforward adventure story more similar to the creator's other works. While it doesn't feature any of Mechner's well-known characters or setting, it does feature a small group of knights who attempt to pull off an epic heist.
"Solomon's Thieves" is a fun, sword-swinging adventure that features great characters and a cool premise, but stops short of getting to the real meat of the story. Clearly intended as the first chapter of a larger tale, the book ends a bit abruptly, and we never get to see the actual heist — only the characters getting put into place for it.
Here's hoping we get to see the rest of the adventure play out, as Mechner has a good start here.
"Prince Of Persia: Before The Sandstorm" by Jordan Mechner (w) and Tom Fowler, David Lopez, Bernard Chang, Tommy Lee Edwards, Cameron Stewart, Niko Henrichon, Pete Pantazis, and Dave Stewart (a) - Disney Press: Of the three books I've reviewed here, this is the tie-in that mainstream fans will most want to check out. While it doesn't serve as an official prequel or parallel tale to the games or film, it does connect very clearly to the history of "Prince of Persia" known best to fans.
Of course, it also helps that Disney has assembled a veritable all-star cast of artists to bring the story to life.
In the story, five different people offer tales of their own direct or indirect experiences with Dastan, the hero of the "Prince of Persia" universe. Hoping to gain reprieve from a death sentence, they explain how their interaction with Dastan changed their lives, and why their current predicament is a direct result of those experiences.
The five narratives are woven together impressively, and the story feels like a single tale with five parts, and very much within the known "Prince of Persia" universe. It also offers some great insight into the character's origin for those who might not be as familiar with him.
All three books are available now. Let us know what you think of them in the comment section or on Twitter!