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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
This was quite the book!
The author really knew what she was doing when writing this. The characters were all unique, and I loved how all of them seemed to have their own little subplot. And Sage! He was done really well! His depth, and the way he thought really launched you into his life.
I love the debate over whether to live life a lie or not,
While the book doesn't end on a direct cliffhanger, it definitely ends with you thinking, "What happens next?" and now I really want to read the next book and find out what happens! And if the plot twists of this book are anything to go by, the next book will be really good.
The author really knew what she was doing when writing this. The characters were all unique, and I loved how all of them seemed to have their own little subplot. And Sage! He was done really well! His depth, and the way he thought really launched you into his life.
Spoiler
I've never seen an author keep a secret from the reader that the main character knew like that! For awhile I wondered if Sage was the prince, but I kept thinking, "there's no way that would fit into his life." And somehow, IT DID! When I found out he was, I was literally almost screaming.I love the debate over whether to live life a lie or not,
Spoiler
and Sage's struggle with whether to return to who he used to be or keep being who he was then, who he was more comfortable with, was really cool. I loved when he chose to do the right thing.While the book doesn't end on a direct cliffhanger, it definitely ends with you thinking, "What happens next?" and now I really want to read the next book and find out what happens! And if the plot twists of this book are anything to go by, the next book will be really good.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars.
Wow! I was very impressed by this book. It started off quite slowly though but about halfway through, the story became extremely exciting to the point where I just couldn’t put the book down!
Wow! I was very impressed by this book. It started off quite slowly though but about halfway through, the story became extremely exciting to the point where I just couldn’t put the book down!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“i don’t want to kill you sage”
“lucky coincidence, i don’t want to be killed”
“lucky coincidence, i don’t want to be killed”
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not the greatest of YA, but it was cute and kept me hooked, without a lot of eyeroll moments. Sage is sassy but not in an obnoxious or forced way (:cough: Violet Sorengale)
This is one of those times where a book hit me just right, and it was just what I was in the mood for at the time of reading it. I was craving something fluffy and maybe a tad predictable, yet comforting, after reading some downer books about tough subjects. And this perfectly fit the bill. I'm not the target audience for this book, at all, but I still really enjoyed it. (I would have been obsessed if I'd read it when I was a kid.)
The premise here is that our main character, Sage, is a fourteen year old orphan in a made-up land. One day, Sage, fresh from stealing a giant roast of some sort, is sold out of the orphanage he's living in to a noble named Conner, who is collecting orphans for some seemingly nefarious plan. Turns out the orphans are Conner's bid for the throne. The royal family has been poisoned (the king, queen, and their first born son, Darius), and the regents are trying to keep it quiet for now until a new king can be chosen, so that civil war doesn't break out. Conner's plan is to train up one of the orphans, who all look very similar to one another, to pretend to be the lost second son, Prince Jaron, who died at sea after his ship was attacked by pirates four years before. Conner knows for a fact Jaron is dead, but since a body was never found, he knows he can bring *a* Prince Jaron back to the capital, and thus secure his own power and essentially rule the kingdom by proxy.
What follows is a surprisingly satisfying game of political intrigue played between the orphans and the nobleman. Sage is a fun protagonist. He's kind of a smart arse, and he's very clever and sneaky. It's fun to watch him try to win Conner's game while not giving in and fully becoming Conner's man. He's also very emotionally conflicted. He doesn't *want* to be king, but it's pretty clear that the boys who aren't chosen won't be leaving the competition alive. Conner's secret will be protected with murder.
If you're in the mood for some smart middle grade fluff, you could do a lot worse than pick this up. I read it in only a couple of hours.
Read Harder Challenge 2018: The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series.
The premise here is that our main character, Sage, is a fourteen year old orphan in a made-up land. One day, Sage, fresh from stealing a giant roast of some sort, is sold out of the orphanage he's living in to a noble named Conner, who is collecting orphans for some seemingly nefarious plan. Turns out the orphans are Conner's bid for the throne. The royal family has been poisoned (the king, queen, and their first born son, Darius), and the regents are trying to keep it quiet for now until a new king can be chosen, so that civil war doesn't break out. Conner's plan is to train up one of the orphans, who all look very similar to one another, to pretend to be the lost second son, Prince Jaron, who died at sea after his ship was attacked by pirates four years before. Conner knows for a fact Jaron is dead, but since a body was never found, he knows he can bring *a* Prince Jaron back to the capital, and thus secure his own power and essentially rule the kingdom by proxy.
What follows is a surprisingly satisfying game of political intrigue played between the orphans and the nobleman. Sage is a fun protagonist. He's kind of a smart arse, and he's very clever and sneaky. It's fun to watch him try to win Conner's game while not giving in and fully becoming Conner's man. He's also very emotionally conflicted. He doesn't *want* to be king, but it's pretty clear that the boys who aren't chosen won't be leaving the competition alive. Conner's secret will be protected with murder.
Spoiler
I will admit that I knew before I even started the book that Sage was obviously the lost prince Jaron. I figured that he would have some sort of amnesia, or have been too young remember, or he would have repressed the memories. But the way she plays it out is a little more interesting than that. Sage turns out to be an unreliable narrator. He knows he is the prince the whole time, but the narrative is written so that we aren't let in on the secret until he's ready to let us know. This made it a little more interesting, to see the ways she wrote around it, had him think thoughts that could mean two things at once. Regardless, the predictability of knowing the twist didn't at all hinder my enjoyment of the book.If you're in the mood for some smart middle grade fluff, you could do a lot worse than pick this up. I read it in only a couple of hours.
Read Harder Challenge 2018: The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series.
My 14 year old niece loved this. I can see why, but my 35 year old self did not. At least I know what kind of ya fantasy i can now recommend based on this book.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes