Book Review: "The False Prince" by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Book: “The False Prince” by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure
Pages: 342
Rating: 3/5 ⭐
Synopsis:
“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.”
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• Sage - Main character. He is an “orphan” boy who doesn’t like to follow the rules and would rather make his own path in life. He is a very rebellious, sarcastic, and intuitive character. He also has many secrets up his sleeve.
• Tobias - An orphan boy who is a well educated and smart character who tries his best to be perfect and knowledgeable about everything.
• Roden - An orphan boy who is not the smartest but he is the strongest.
• Imogen - Works for Connor as a servant to pay off the debt he put on her family.
• Belvin Connor - A noble who collects orphan boys to masquarede as a prince who is either missing or his death is uncertain.
• Mott - Connors vigil who is very loyal towards the people he serves.
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• King Eckbert - Father of Prince Jaron.
• Queen Eckbert - Mother of Prince Jaron.
• Darius Eckbert- Brother of Prince Jaron.
• Princess Amarinda - A young princess who is obligated to marry the prince ( future king ) to seal the alliance between her country Bymar and Carthya.
My Review:
What I liked:
• This book is the first of the “Ascendance Series” and I would say that this book is an easy, enjoyable read with a great plot and suspense level. The settings have great descriptions and each of the characters adds a level of importance to the story. I was pleasantly surprised with how the book tied things that previously seemed a coincidence or too good to be true into a plot twist that reeled me in more.
Favorite Quotes:
“.....Just because it's possible doesn't mean its wise”
“A person can be educated and still be stupid, and a wise man can have no education at all.”
“...a strong heart will always overcome a strong body”
What I didn’t like as much:
• One thing I didn’t particularly like about the book was the a good bit of the dialogue felt tacky and some of the scenes were predictable but it was still a decent book.
Why you should read this book:
• If you are looking for a clean action series with a great plot that gets better with each book, I would definitely check out this series by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Plus if you are a parent or teacher looking for a series to get your kids into, this book is clean of any content that is too gruesome and there are no curse words or anything inappropriate.