In 1864, Chanchai, a young orphan from a village in Siam, witnesses bright objects falling from the night sky into a sugarcane field. Little does he know his life is about to change forever. After a chaotic impact, strange shimmering tentacles envelop Chanchai before he blacks out. He awakens feeling healthier, having been sickly for many days. Accustomed to a lonely life of scavenging, he ends up on a sampan that leads him to Bangkok. Soon, he is taken in by a family of street children, later by a fruit seller, and by sheer luck, he is accepted into a royal school. When the Siamese monarch grants Chanchai a chance to study in England, he accepts. All along, since he arrived in Bangkok, Chanchai has noticed strange things about himself. He not only heals extraordinarily quickly, but also experiences visions. Find out more in Of Princes and Patriots: Chronicles of the Threlphax by Laura Lee Dooley.

If you are looking for a historical novel blended with science fiction, a touch of drama, mystery, suspense, and plot twists, Of Princes and Patriots by Laura Lee Dooley is an enthralling pick. Dooley draws readers into Chanchai’s world, taking them back to nineteenth- and twentieth-century Southeast Asia and Western Europe. The vivid depictions brought the story’s settings to life on the pages. As I followed Chanchai from his village to the streets of Bangkok, I got a clear picture of the kind of life Siamese children had, especially those on the streets. It must have been a harsh world for young girls, seeing that gangs would freely claim them against their will, and society did nothing about it. I also learned about Siamese culture, including their obligations and relationship with the Buddhist path, royalty, and nature. The story spans two centuries and not only covers important historical events in Siamese history but also global events such as WWI and WWII. The sentiment in the narration, conversations, and introspection helped me to understand Chanchai’s personal struggles.

Of Princes and Patriots is the first book in the Chronicles of the Threlphax by Laura Lee Dooley. The story follows Chanchai, a sick and lonely boy in nineteenth-century Siam. One night, falling stars strike a sugarcane field, and translucent tendrils surround him. Chanchai discovers that his illness has vanished and that his body heals quickly while he ages slowly. As the decades pass, he travels from Bangkok’s streets and Buddhist temples to England, royal circles, political movements, and military service. He meets princes, teachers, reformers, and patriots while Siam becomes modern Thailand. Chanchai witnesses revolutions, external forces, and war change his homeland, yet he is still plagued by questions. While the Korean War is raging, his efforts to rescue an injured Korean soldier take him one step closer to understanding what entered him under the stars.

Author Laura Lee Dooley created a fascinating story that is educational and entertaining at the same time. I loved Chanchai and how his long life was portrayed. It was as much a blessing as it was a curse. He was loyal, curious, and craving to belong somewhere. He felt alienated, lost, and a little tired of living for so long. Secondary characters Prisana, Kit, Prince Vajirañāṇa, and Pridi complemented Chanchai’s dilemma and made him feel more human. The pace of the narrative is perfect to support Chanchai’s growth and character development. The narrative style is very realistic while maintaining the element of mystery and suspense. The Korean War scenes are dramatic, and the discovery by Kim Tae-soo makes the story very compelling. Reading it made me feel like I was right next to Chanchai. Of Princes and Patriots was a fantastic novel, and I loved every moment of it. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Chronicles of the Threlphax: Of Princes and Patriots by Laura Lee Dooley follows Chanchai, a sick orphan in nineteenth-century Siam who survives a falling star that leaves a tendrilled presence inside his body. Bangkok changes his path when Prisana’s orphan group teaches him how street children survive, while a Chinese fruit seller gives him shelter that leads to palace notice. King Chulalongkorn sends Chanchai to England so his education can serve Siam. As Chanchai returns under a royal name, he tries to keep faith with the country that claimed him, while suppressed memories of the night in the sugarcane field keep breaking through. Across Siam’s transformation into Thailand, his long life is linked to service as the being inside him draws closer to the surface.

Laura Lee Dooley’s Of Princes and Patriots is superb historical science fiction, especially once Chanchai goes into the Phuket restaurant years after Korea has altered his sense of self. Banyan Tree Bistro has an inviting rhythm through the computer café beside the beach, where ordinary work shows how much history still lives in Chanchai’s body. The pacing has elegance in the 2004 tsunami section, moving from a warning toward Chanchai’s rescue of Kartika through scenes that stay close to what his body can bear. The supernatural writing is at its finest when the threlphax presence answers danger before Chanchai understands the message inside his healing. Dooley makes this book a rewarding choice for readers who want Thai history merged with speculative mystery.

Laura Lee Dooley’s Of Princes and Patriots follows Chanchai Thanadorn Noratpattanasai, a Thai orphan whose body changes after a falling star strikes a sugarcane field in 1864. Raised under the patronage of King Chulalongkorn, Chanchai grows up into an educated servant of Siam while hiding that he heals from wounds and does not age. A silver-haired stranger named Enkidu knows the truth about the tendrilled being inside him, yet each encounter leaves Chanchai missing time. As Thailand passes from a monarchy into modern political turmoil, Chanchai tries to keep his promise to serve his country. When Korean corpsman Kim Tae-soo dies in his arms during the war, Chanchai’s life changes again, forcing him to protect two selves in one body while searching for Tae-soo’s lost sister.

Laura Lee Dooley’s Of Princes and Patriots is a sweeping blend of historical and speculative fiction, and Dooley sets this gorgeous story from 1864 Siam to modern Thailand. Dooley breaks down both social and political order through the stages of Chanchai's life and who he becomes. We witness him go from poverty to a palace education, to war and natural disasters, and his status, his speech, and his duty to the country grow every single time. Chanchai is a genuinely likeable character who is always putting others first. As a child, he risks death trying to stop an abduction, and later he protects another child when the boy’s mother needs to escape from Bangkok. The most fascinating character to me is Enkidu, an enigmatic character who will stop at nothing to hide what Chanchai carries. Well written and immersive, readers who enjoy historical speculative fiction shaped by Thai history will adore this, as I have.