The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

I haven't been posting as much as I probably should :( But since its Spring Break (WHOOHOO!) I will try to post more than I normally do. So here is today's review...

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Published: 2012 by Scholastic Press
Pages: 342
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy #1

Sage is an orphan boy in the far away kingdom of Carthya. One day a nobleman named Connor, buys Sage and three other boys to bring him back to his manor. Once there, Sage and the others are told that they are being groomed to take the place of the missing prince of Carthya. Succeeding will mean ruling the kingdom, and failure will mean death. Who will become The False Prince?

I can't even remember when I first heard about this book but I do believe it was back around its original publication. I have been with the trilogy since the beginning and I have loved every single page of it.

What originally drew me to this novel was that the story was different. I haven't read that many books that have a mid-evil/Renaissance feel to it lately. It was a breath of fresh air from the normal dystopic books I normally read. Princes, and broadswords, and horse drawn carriages, oh-my!

So Sage. Sarcastic Sage. The hero of the story is kind of a pain in the ass. He is from the neighboring kingdom of Avenia and could care less if Carthya falls because it doesn't have a ruler. He does care about not dying however, which is the only reason he actually tries to succeed. He is defiant, yet quite clever. I found myself rooting for Sage even though he's kind of an ass. I just feel like he is one of those people who have had a rough life and should be given a shot.

There are a few other characters that are important to the story such as Mott (Connor's right hand man), Roden and Tobias (Sage's rivals at becoming the Prince), and Imogen (Connor's servant who becomes a friend of Sage). These characters will push Sage to his breaking point and some will help him try to succeed.

I really honestly, and truly love this book. It is a great read for boys if someone you know wants to get into a good book. It gets two thumbs up from me! As a matter of fact, I think I will go re-read it right now! 

Now go read for yourself to see if Sage becomes The False Prince!

-Shawnee Smith