book review of the false prince

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THE FALSE PRINCE

From the ascendance series , vol. 1.

by Jennifer A. Nielsen ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2012

Readers of this multifaceted, well-crafted tale will eagerly await Sage’s further adventures.

A brazen 15-year-old orphan living in the imaginary kingdom of Carthya becomes embroiled in a treasonous power-play to install a false prince on the vacant throne.

For years, Sage has survived by lying and stealing in Mrs. Turbeldy’s Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys. When scheming Bevin Connor removes him, Sage assumes he will serve Connor, but he quickly discovers he’s one of four orphan boys chosen by Connor for a more dangerous game. Connor plans to secretly transform them into gentlemen and select one to impersonate Prince Jaron, who is missing and presumed dead. Carthya’s current king, queen and crown prince have been murdered, and war could erupt at any moment. When the regents meet in two weeks, Connor plans to produce long-lost "Prince Jaron," who will rule as his pawn. Competition becomes fierce as the boys realize the one chosen to play Jaron will be the only survivor. Sage’s disdain, defiance and reckless arrogance mark him for failure, but his boldness, instinct and innate decency indicate there’s more than meets the eye. Could Sage become Prince Jaron? Sage reveals his story in the first person in slowly unfolding layers guaranteed to shock. Ruthless ambition, fierce action and plotting, complex characters and lots of sword play and hidden passages keep pages flipping.

Pub Date: April 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-545-28413-4

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2012

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

From the girl of fire and thorns series , vol. 1.

by Rae Carson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011

Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...

Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.

Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra , but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra —can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011

by Rae Carson

More by Rae Carson

From the Legend series , Vol. 1

by Marie Lu ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 29, 2011

This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes

A gripping thriller in dystopic future Los Angeles.

Fifteen-year-olds June and Day live completely different lives in the glorious Republic. June is rich and brilliant, the only candidate ever to get a perfect score in the Trials, and is destined for a glowing career in the military. She looks forward to the day when she can join up and fight the Republic’s treacherous enemies east of the Dakotas. Day, on the other hand, is an anonymous street rat, a slum child who failed his own Trial. He's also the Republic's most wanted criminal, prone to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. When tragedies strike both their families, the two brilliant teens are thrown into direct opposition. In alternating first-person narratives, Day and June experience coming-of-age adventures in the midst of spying, theft and daredevil combat. Their voices are distinct and richly drawn, from Day’s self-deprecating affection for others to June's Holmesian attention to detail. All the flavor of a post-apocalyptic setting—plagues, class warfare, maniacal soldiers—escalates to greater complexity while leaving space for further worldbuilding in the sequel.

Pub Date: Nov. 29, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-399-25675-2

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: April 8, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2011

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE

by Marie Lu

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Marie Lu’s ‘Legend’ Will Be Adapted for Series

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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Review: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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Book Review: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: The False Prince Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen Series: The Ascendance Trilogy #1 Genre: Fantasy YA Amazon | Goodreads Publisher: Scholastic Release date: April 1, 2012 Challenge: TBR Challenge

Summary: In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

I’m getting this TBR Challenge off to a good start, friends. I am DETERMINED to make a dent in the number of unread books on my shelves this year, and if THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer A. Nielsen is any indicator of the gems I’ve got stashed, I’m in for some goodies. This book is the first in a fantasy series about a country on the verge of war, where secrets and danger and political games may not only mean the fate of the country, but also hold the lives of three young boys in the balance. DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.

THE FALSE PRINCE begins with Sage, a defiant, too-clever-for-his-own-good orphan living on the streets of Carthya when he is taken from his home by a nobleman named Conner. He winds up in a cart with two other boys about the same age, and they all go off with Conner, who clearly has something planned for them but is cagey and mysterious to the max. Sage, being the snarky, sharp, trouble-maker that he is, doesn’t necessarily go easily, and seems determined to be a pain in the ass until Conner orders the murder of one of the boys right after announcing his plan to turn one of his orphans into the long-lost (and believed dead by most) Prince Jaron. From that moment on, THE FALSE PRINCE moves at a clip, and Sage is tossed from one intense, life-threatening drama to another.

Jennifer A. Nielsen really did a great job with Sage. He’s a really vibrant character, and she made sure that he was constantly walking a tight-rope: one false step, one mistake, say one wrong thing, and he would be another casualty of Conner’s pretty ballsy plan. There were times in THE FALSE PRINCE when Sage bothered me, though. Something about his attitude, I think. He always seemed determined to make trouble for himself just for the sake of being difficult and unruly. He is only 15 years old, but occasionally his flippancy got to me. For the most part, though, Sage is what makes the book work, and he’s certainly got spark.

Another thing that Sage has–and, well, everyone else in THE FALSE PRINCE , too–is secrets. He’s got some pretty big ones, too, that really weren’t surprising to me at all, and likely won’t be surprising to anyone else, either. Still exciting, though. Conner has secrets, too, and is an interesting villain. Sometimes he’s very obviously the bad guy, other times it’s not so clear. It’s hard to know if Sage should trust him, and Jennifer A. Nielsen makes it easy to see why Sage both fears him and seeks to push his buttons.

I was pretty impressed, too, with the world-building in THE FALSE PRINCE . There’s so much drama that there is never a shortage of things going on, but there’s really great context, too. Carthya’s neighboring countries are frothing at the mouth to start a fight if there is even the slightest indication of uncertainty about the succession or the royal family, the remaining members of which have not been seen for some time, in addition to Prince Jaron being assumed dead. Jennifer A. Nielsen also gives us some interesting history with the royal family. I have a feeling that in the coming volumes, we’re going to get a bigger taste of the politics and life at court, too, which makes me happy. But the world-building here was good and not overwhelming. A good place for a reluctant fantasy reader to start, I think.

If I had any complaint about THE FALSE PRINCE , though, it would probably be this: For the most part, I thought the pace was great. Like, REALLY great. The story moved at break-neck clip, and I found myself unable to put it down unless I had no choice. But there were also times in the story where it seemed like things happened too fast, with little preamble. Occasionally things were a little jarring, almost like Jennifer A. Nielsen was trying to cram TOO much action in and she had to cut out some of the less dramatic filler bits that set the stage and flesh things out. I don’t know if that makes much sense unless you read THE FALSE PRINCE , which I totally recommend you do. I don’t know how truly terrible a complaint that “there was too much action and things moved too fast” really is. Especially as I usually find greater issue with books that are too slow and boring. I can promise you this: THE FALSE PRINCE is absolutely neither of those.

With as much drama as Jennifer A. Nielsen packed into THE FALSE PRINCE –even if some of it was predictable–there’s still lots of tension in the air at the conclusion, and LOTS of sticky wickets still remaining for Sage, not the least of which are two young ladies he’s got hanging around. THE FALSE PRINCE is a really promising start to a fantasy series that is great fun.

AHH THIS BOOK! I need to read it. The male main character. The secrets. The action! FANTASY!

Oh you DO need to read it! I’m telling you: it’s FUN. And Sage is pretty awesome.

This sounds BRILLIANT. You know I’m always looking for a new fantasy to read – sounds like I need to add this one to my list!

Definitely add this one! It’s got lots of things going on. Good, twisty political fantasy!

I need to read The False Prince. It’s been on my TBR list since it was released last year! I want to read more MG books, too, so I need to get this ASAP.

Thanks for the review.

This one was on my TBR for a long time, too. I’m so glad that I got to it. It wasn’t perfect, but I really enjoyed it! It definitely straddles that line between MG and YA. In my mind, MG is a little bit younger than the characters in this book (Sage is 15, and the other boys are about the same age or older), but there’s definitely a more MG vibe to the story and the plot–there’s definitely nothing inappropriate for, say, an 11 year old to read, you know? I hope you like it!

This sounds really good! I’ve been eyeing this one for a while… Maybe I should get to it soon! 🙂

You should! It’s fast and fun and full of secrets and backstabbings and drama!

You’re right, a series like this is a great place for a reluctant fantasy reader to start! So far, it’s almost more like a historical that just happens to be set in another world. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this one Amy, reading your review got me all excited for the next book again–I can’t wait!

I’m curious, have you read The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner? If not, you should–it’s a good read alike for this but BETTER.

Agree. There’s nothing magical or creature-like that makes this much different from a historical fiction book. I love fantasies like that as much as I love fantasies about dragons and magicians and such. I’m looking forward to book 2 for sure! As far as The Queen’s Thief goes, I’ve read the first book and liked it, but I need to read the rest! I feel like I didn’t like the first book as much as other people did, but I’m still interested in reading more! I’ll check the next books out soon!

I am so glad that you loved this because I also have it at home and have yet to read it!! I am always wary to start a new series. *sigh*

This poor book is languishing on everyone’s TBR! lol. Too many books, too little time! I think this is a good series to start, though. It moves quickly, and the second book is coming out shortly!

Oh. Im reading this right now. I must say, sage is really cool!!! Conner seems really mysterious.

sage you mean jaron right oops spioler alert

i mean iread this book in aday AMAZING then read all three books sage = jaron Imogen +jaron= Marrige

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Book Review the False Prince Jennifer Nielsen

Book Review: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

April 10, 2013 By Jessica Filed Under: Book Review 11 Comments

The False Prince

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince.

The False Prince is such a refreshing fantasy book. Yes, it follows the pattern of traditional fantasy but it didn’t take itself too seriously. There was a lot of humor and wit. The very best part of this book is the anti-hero, Sage. He had every characteristic that a hero shouldn’t have. And somehow they all came in handy. He was very much a young Han Solo that lived in a kingdom instead of a galaxy far, far away. Sage’s character contrasted so well with Tobias, who seemed like the kind of character that would have been the hero in most other fantasy books. Sage is the most well-written character I’ve read in a long time. Just when you can’t take any more snark or cheek from him, he shows an incredibly human side. I adored his character.

Honestly, I saw the end coming. The plot seemed somewhat predictable which I usually frown upon, but I still enjoyed the story a lot mainly because of Sage and how utterly fascinating he is. I found as the story came to the end, it had a beautiful, bittersweet tone to it that I wasn’t expecting.

Another thing I found quite intriguing was the theme about our expectations of people based on how we label them. Do we see certain characteristics as virtues or vices because of the label we’ve given them?

I also loved the little ways that it reminded me of Annie , Aladdin and Pirates of the Caribbean like in the opening scene where Sage is running through the streets being chased by guards because he stole some meat.

Overall, though it had a slightly predictable plot, it was a sensational and entertaining fantasy book with a stunning main character that you shouldn’t miss.

Content Rating : Mild , for some very mild violence.

About Jennifer A. Nielsen

Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster. In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has forgotten to do that has allowed her any spare time.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

eBook Challenge 2013
YA and MG Fantasy Challenge 2013

April 10, 2013 at 8:05 am

I LOVED this book. Yes, the ending was a tad predictable, but I love the whole concept of this book. The 2nd one is just as good if not better. Sage surprises me at every turn!

April 11, 2013 at 7:30 am

I think Sage was just as interesting (if not more) in the second book!

April 10, 2013 at 4:09 pm

I’ve heard great things about this book! I love that the main character is more of an anti-hero and the other character is more of a typical hero! And the fact that you said he was the most well-written character you’ve read in a long time definitely makes me want to move this up on my TBR list! Great review!

April 11, 2013 at 7:38 am

Anti-heroes are the best :) See also Iron Man. Definitely move it to the top of your TBR!

April 11, 2013 at 7:08 am

If I were to attempt to sum up my love for this book it would result in MANY keysmashes, exclamation points, and ridiculous flailing. :) Such a wonderful novel.

April 11, 2013 at 7:41 am

LOL putting how awesome this book was into words was hard :)