In The Nameless Prince, Dominick Domingo elegantly explores a young boy’s search to discover his past and to learn who he truly is.
At only ten years of age, Seth Bauman is a precocious and curious child. He was only a few weeks old when his mother mysteriously disappeared, and as a result, he has deep abandonment issues. His Uncle Troy, with whom he lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, is unwilling to provide answers as to why his mother left, leaving Seth confused, frustrated, and angry.
He likes to draw and read, but he is stressed by his uncle’s underworld dealings with the local gang, the L.A. Maya Order (LAMO). His way of escaping and coping with the stark realities of life is through drawing and creating his own imaginary world.
He attends Allesandro Elementary School in L.A. and is tasked with escorting Elena, a young Mexican girl newly arrived with her family, back and forth to school.
One day, while exploring the L.A. Wash, the two are accosted by Carlos, the leader of LAMO, whose younger brother has a grudge against Seth. Seth tries to divert their pursuers by urging Elena to run one way while he runs toward the river. When Seth slips, falls, and hits his head, he is immersed in the very fantasy world he imagined while drawing in his bedroom.
On an unconscious level, Seth is coping with two realms: the Interior and the Beyond. The Interior represents his internal struggles to make sense of his life, who he truly is, hence the title of the book, The Nameless Prince.
The Beyond comprises Celestia and the Underworld, two forces battling for domination of the Interior. For the last 500 years, the gods of the Underworld have had the upper hand, causing the people of the Interior to endure corruption, fear and poverty.
In Celestia, the God Esperon and the Goddess Joy have twins: Amado and the Nameless Prince. Amado is switched at birth and raised by King Dominus and Queen Apatha of the Interior Kingdom, while the Nameless Prince is given to a human family.
Dirus, the God of Fear, is threatened by the great kindness and goodness Prince Amado displays and has Amado’s parents struck dead. Heartbroken at their deaths, Amado hurls himself off a cliff. When the Goddess Joy learns of Amado’s death, she makes a deal with Dirus – her life in exchange for Amado’s life to be restored.But King Amado does not return to his kingdom whole. He and his people yearn for freedom and look for a Contender, a champion to restore their world. They believe Seth is the Nameless Prince and their champion.
Seth is tasked with an odyssey where he must journey to find prophets who will give him riddles to solve in order to determine his true name, his true self. This journey of riddles represents the mysteries and unknown aspects of his life. Along the way, Seth spreads goodness and light, justifying his birthright as the son of Esperon and Joy of Celestia. After solving the riddles, Seth must still solve one final riddle – learn his true name in order to save the Kingdom, which in essence represents himself. In addition, his worry grows about where the kidnapped Princess Elena is being held.
“We know more than we know we know” is one of the many riddles Seth comes to terms with as he navigates his odyssey.
Author Dominick Domingo elegantly underscores Seth’s search for his true self in both the real world and the fantasy world, as well as his determination to save his friend Elena.
The weaving of reality versus the fantasy world – Seth’s subconscious desperately trying to make sense of his life and Elena’s whereabouts is written masterfully.
Although considered a YA novel, this book addresses, in elegant language and symbolism, how the subconscious through the dream world can help us face our fears in the waking world, making it an enjoyable and thought-provoking read for older adults as well