There are mysteries within mysteries in Maria Pita’s new novel The Way of the Prince. A young woman finds herself suddenly abandoned in a dark, threatening place that terrifies her. She has no recollection of her past, except that it was her parents who have left her here, for an unknown reason. She is cold and miserable, but has the presence of mind and the desperation to seek shelter. And with that her adventure begins.
This is one of the most unusual novels I’ve ever read. Mystery is sustained throughout perhaps two-thirds of the story to the extent that one simply cannot predict how events will unfold. The mysteries are resolved well in advance of the novel’s end, leaving narrative space for resolving the interpersonal situations of the main characters.
Regarding genre, The Way of the Prince is not easily classified. It has a strong element of fantasy literature, but with a touch of science fiction as well as romance and, intriguingly, religious philosophy and Christian mysticism. I do not recall having ever encountered quite that combination of literary strains before in the same work. The text itself is often dreamlike in that many things happen without clear and obvious explanation, or with a logic that is emotional and associational. That aspect of the novel adds creatively to the mysterious situation in which the main character, Abigail, endures, observes and explores, attempting to find her way forward (or perhaps back) to understanding.
Readers who are familiar with the more elaborate adventure video games—there should be another term for them that better conveys their aesthetic and exploratory character—will see a parallel in the way Abigail investigates the world in which she finds herself. I personally found these parts of the novel both strongly poetic and very enjoyable. The author has a special gift for imagery, and I found myself marking many of the descriptive passages of the book so I could return later and reread them.
The author engages her readers through her poetic vision and visual imagination, which replaces violence in her storytelling. I think we need more of that in literature. It both appeals to our better natures and is frankly more realistic about how people actually interact with one another most of the time.
Without giving away too much, I’ll just say that there are themes and devices employed in this storytelling with which some readers will be unfamiliar. Those who have read other recent writing from this author will recognize some of her continuing concerns, although literally in a novel context. The author also includes a note at the end of the novel to point readers to some further background reading. Best to leave that note to the end, though, as the author intended—making her story an exploration of ideas and experiences which the characters encounter just as does the reader: as mysteries that challenge and invite wonder.
Both the title of this novel—which relates only obliquely to the story’s events—and the ending suggest to me that there may be more to this tale than this single novel. We shall see. In any event, The Way of the Prince is a voyage into a world we do not commonly experience. Buy a ticket, and take the trip.
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