Sarah Deeming Prince Questions

2019 is the year of the prince!

Throughout 2018, I asked friends and contacts what they thought made a good princess. You can find the answers to those questions here

This year, I will be asking authors from a variety of genres as well as a host of others from editors to academics, what they think makes a definitive prince.

This month we are joined by Sarah Deeming. Sarah is the editor of book reviews for the British Fantasy Society, which gives her all the excuse she needs to read and enthuse about books with anyone who’ll stand still long enough to listen.

She also enjoys writing and occasionally gets around to submitting things. Her work has appeared in anthologies and magazines around the world including Enchanted Conversation and Timeless Tales.

When she isn’t lost in a story, she can always be found on Twitter @SarahLDeeming.

1. A prince has to win the trust not only of his people but of his chosen princess - and very quickly! What three qualities would you need a prince to show before you’d be won over to their cause?

Intelligence, an ability to listen, and a willingness to act.

In Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy, there are two princes, Regal and Verity. Verity is quiet, not extravagantly dressed, and doesn’t throw parties like his brother Regal. He might not be the most exciting prince, but throughout the trilogy, Verity sacrifices every part of himself to keep his people safe while Regal does nothing.

I read this trilogy as a teenager, and I’m certain the way these two princes handled their positions of authority has affected my view of princes going forward.

2. All princes are armed, but what is the best weapon or weapons for a prince? (Magical weapons are allowed).

Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight is the saying, and this is as true for princes as everyone else. I don’t believe there’s a one size fits all when it comes to weapons; it needs to match their environment and I have to feel they have chosen this weapon for themselves.

In Joseph Brassey’s Drifting Lands, one of the characters is a missing prince (no spoilers) and when he is finally reunited with his ancestral sword, he connects with it in a way he hasn’t with other weapons.

Magic, swords, guns, curses, I don’t mind what they use, but it has to be true to their environment.

3. Disney princesses often have an animal companion to share their trials with. If the same applied to princes, what kind of animal would be a good choice for a prince?

Something that can be his eyes and ears. Princes should really be one step ahead. They need to know what’s coming in order to protect their people.

A bird of prey would be good, like an eagle or a hawk, or something more cunning like a fox.

4. The Disney princes were a pretty unmemorable bunch. What kind of prince - or saviour-hero - would you like to see in future Disney movies?

Well, now Disney own Marvel, they have one: Thor. In the beginning, he is quite shallow. His public persona is more important to him than what is right, but by the end of his story arc as a prince of Asgard, without giving anything away for those of you haven’t seen the films, he has shifted his priorities to his people.

This is reflected in his clothing as well as his actions. In the first film, Thor wears golden armour with a luxurious red cloak. By Thor: Ragnorok, everything about his appearance has changed, just as he has changed into someone unrecognisable from the first film.

5. The focus on princesses is often what they wear, but what would be a good look for your ideal prince?

I prefer my princes to wear something practical. In Tadd Williams’s Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, Prince Joshua wears plain black leather - functional, unfussy, demonstrating that he is focussed on his role as a servant to his people rather than parties.

There are exceptions to this. In V.E. Schwab’s A Conjuring of Light, Prince Rhy is immune to a sickness that is killing his people. He dresses in shining armour and walks in the darkness to heal people, spreading hope as he does. There is nothing wrong with a bit of bling for the right reasons.

6. Which fictional prince is your favourite, and why?

Definitely Marvel’s Loki. Despite the chaos he causes, Loki also demonstrates the qualities I like. There’s no doubt he’s clever. When imprisoned on Asgard, he spends his time reading. He is able to manipulate most situations for his benefit, and that requires something more than just charm, it requires intelligence.

Part of Loki’s ability to cause such mischief (although I maintain he is just misunderstood) is through his understanding of people and how they work. He listens to them and twists their words back on them to suit his purpose. It’s a shame he never turned this skill on what Thor was really saying to him. If only Loki had heard and understood he was Thor’s favourite, he wouldn’t have tried so hard to win Odin’s favour.

And Loki is never afraid to act. The first time we realise he’s not as trustworthy as he appears is when he lets the frost giants into Asgard to ruin Thor’s coronation. He’s also not afraid to fight, often helping Thor despite all his previous actions suggesting he is more likely to stab his brother in the back.

In the end, while Loki always acts in his own best interests, he grows enough to realise that helping his people is in his best interests.

Sarah Deeming Prince Questions

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