The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Reading Level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 342 Pages
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Library

The Ascendance Trilogy
Book One: The False Prince
Book Two: The Runaway King (3/1/13)
Book Three: Unknown

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Author's
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Goodreads Synopsis:

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

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.

My Review:

Woo! I finished reading the False Prince a whole week ago, and I'm STILL fangirling over it's epicness. I can't even begin explaining to you, in coherent words, how much I have idolized this book. Whether I'm waking up in the morning, brushing my teeth, or doing math equations in school, I always find myself drifting off and pondering how much I LOVED this novel. While I was rambling to myself, trying to find a reason not to adore this book, which I didn't, I actually walked into a wall. I kid you not! My mental stability is on the verge of completely abandoning me.

My first impressions of The False Prince? I glanced at it in Barnes and Noble, but my reaction pretty much equated to mehh, and I walked off to find something better to read. Weeks later, it was in almost all of my recommendation tabs for each of my favorite books. Whatever I did, The False Prince just wouldn't leave me alone! So finally, I relented and decided to request it at the library.

Even with the novel in my hand, I wasn't too excited to read it. You see, I'm not a huge fan of male protagonists, because I don't feel as connected to them as I do to female protagonists. Because let's face it. Boys have a COMPLETELY different mindset then girls do. However, as soon as I cracked this novel open, I knew it was a keeper, because I was immediately entranced by the mindblowing world Jennifer created. Huh that's weird....the majority of my favorite novels are written by authors who's first names are Jennifer. I'm beginning to see a trend....

The protagonist, Sage, is so freaking amazing! So amazing that he's equally amazing and might even surpass Percy Jackson on my scale of amazingness! Wow, I need to widen my vocabulary. Anyways, in this story four orphans are selected for the chance at a life of lavishness and comfort. What's the catch? The only away they can achieve that life, is to impersonate the long lost prince of Carthya, Jaron. Each orphan embodies a single trait, like strength and intelligence. Sage, the boy who stole my heart, expresses cunningness and the ability to worm his way out of tough situations. He was strong, brave, perceptive, and above all, compassionate towards people, even those who have crossed him countless times. When I picture Sage, I see an eighteen year old guy, while in reality he's only fourteen going on fifteen. Which is so hard to believe, because his way of speaking and some of his more distinct mannerisms remind me that of an adult! As most guy characters are, he has a tendency to be slightly arrogant, but I loved him too much to care!

The other characters in the novel, mostly the other prince impersonators, had my head reeling! One second they were the good guys and then they were the bad guys. I couldn't predict anything, because their actions constantly changed for the better or for the worse. Throughout the whole novel, I found myself talking to who knows what, saying things like, "Trust him Trust him!" and then "Ohh wait...I take that back trust the other guy!" a little while later "Crap..never mind I'm going with my first instinct, and around and around it goes. The False Prince was completely unpredictable, and that's one of the biggest reasons why I loved it! I actually guessed what was going to happen at the end correctly, prior to reading the book. However, as I was reading the novel, I forgot all about my hypothesis and ended up being flabbergasted by the change in events! Now that my friends, is a telltale sign, of an majorly skilled and talented author.

The action was super well paced. Once I started this novel, I couldn't put it down even if my life was depending on it. I was hanging breathlessly to every single word that was being said and each twist and turn that occurred. There was NEVER a single moment, where I got bored or found a spot to stop and call it a night. And once again I became a walking corpse in school, because I read until three A.M. xD

For those of you who only read novels for the romance....you might not have the same views on The False Prince as I did. There was little, if any, romance in this book. Which I'm totally fine with, because I only read books for the action!

Overall, The False Prince has probably made it to my top five favorite books of all time. Which is a huge deal, because I have read a countless number of books in my lifetime. It was chock full of action and had me gasping at every twist and turn on the road. And that ending!? Held me absolutely flabbergasted even when I should've saw it coming. I would recommend this novel to both boys and girls of all ages, and especially to fans of the renowned Percy Jackson series. However, one thing that you should definitely do is set aside enough time to finish this novel in one sitting, because The False Prince will capture your attention and leave you breathlessly flipping pages, begging for more!

Favorite Quotes:

“Hail His Majesty, the scourge of my life," Conner said to Roden and Tobias as he stomped up the stairs. "I fear the devils no longer, because I have the worst of them right here in my home!”-Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince

“A person can be educated and still be stupid, and a wise man can have no education at all.”  -Jennifer A. Nielsen, The False Prince

Hero- 6/5
Romance- N/A Not a romance book. :P
Action- 6/5
Comedy- 5/5
Writing- 6/5
Overall- 6/5

 

 

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