Of Princes and Patriots turned out to be quite different from what I expected going in. It starts with Chanchai’s journey and gradually becomes a much bigger story involving history, friendship, love, spirituality, war, and a supernatural mystery.
I really enjoyed following Chanchai/Kit through the different stages of his life. His experiences in Siam, England, and later Thailand slowly shape his personality, and I liked seeing how his education and relationships continued to influence him even after so many years.
The supernatural side was probably what kept me most curious. His unusual healing ability, his connection with Tae-soo, the strange beings, and the questions around his identity kept making me wonder what was really happening. I also liked that the book doesn’t reveal everything at once.
The relationship between Kit and Perth was another part that stayed with me. Their friendship, the feelings they carry for each other, and the time they spend apart gave the story some genuinely emotional moments.
There are historical and political sections that take the story in a different direction, and at times the pacing felt a little slow for me because of the amount of detail. But I appreciated how much the author tried to bring different elements together rather than keeping the story limited to one genre.
What I took away most was the importance of identity, friendship, sacrifice, belonging and making the most of the time we have with people we care about.
By the end, I felt like I had followed only one part of Kit’s much larger story. There are still plenty of questions left unanswered, especially about his past and the supernatural side of his existence, which definitely makes me curious about what comes next.
~ Shivam Maurya, via Goodreads
Immortality, buried secrets, impossible survival—and a love that has waited far too long to be spoken. Of Princes and Patriots is a story that keeps revealing something new the deeper you go.
Laura Lee Dooley’s ma’am Of Princes and Patriots brings together historical elements, Thai culture, fantasy, supernatural mystery, romance, friendship and survival in a story that becomes much bigger than it first appears.
What really pulled me in was Kit’s mysterious past and his connection with Tae-soo/Chanchai. The further the story progresses, the more questions arise about his identity, his unusual existence and the supernatural forces surrounding him.
The tsunami sequence was one of my favourite parts. It was intense, emotional and showed Kit’s courage and willingness to protect others even when his own life was at risk.
But beyond the fantasy and mystery, the book also carries some beautiful lessons—value the people you love, don’t take time for granted, say what you feel before it becomes a regret, and find the strength to keep going even when survival feels impossible.
I especially loved the emotional depth of Kit and Perth’s relationship. Years of friendship, unspoken feelings and finally confronting those emotions made their story feel genuinely bittersweet.
What I appreciate most about Laura Lee Dooley’s ma’am work is the amount of imagination and detail behind this world. Blending history, Thai culture, mythology, supernatural elements and deeply personal relationships requires a lot of thought and world-building, and that effort is visible throughout the story.
And the ending leaves you with exactly what I want from a first book in a series—answers, but also even bigger questions.
Who is Kit really? What is the truth behind his past? And what is waiting beyond this story?
Of Princes and Patriots is ultimately a story about love that survives time, friendships that survive change, people who survive the impossible, and secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Thank you, Laura Lee Dooley ma’am ,for creating such an intriguing beginning to the Chronicles of the Threlphax.