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sunny_r's review against another edition
5.0
I ripped through this book so quickly I honestly don’t remember much other than spending all day at Barnes and Nobles loving it (11/19/19)
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
I'm still surprised that no one ever told me about these books, that I don't see these books all over the internet and bookstagram. Because for me this book, just like the two previous books in the series, is just perfection. I couldn't be happier that in London, while wandering through a bookstore, I stumbled upon this one and decided to buy it even though I didn't have the other two books yet. And I'm also still glad that I did read the other two books first, because I really love the very small (so yes, you can totally read it as a standalone) easter eggs.
This book sets a totally different atmosphere than the other two books. I needed a little time to get used to the terms and the world, but quite soon the kingdom, the characters and the story started to grow on me and I just couldn't stop reading. Like the rest of the series the book has a great pace and a nice balance between emotional scenes and action scenes.
The fairytale that formed the base of this story is not one I'm particularly familiar with, but not one element in the story felt forced or stood out. It was impossible for me to say which elements were borrowed from the fairytale "the false prince" and which ones were created by Redwine for this unique story. And I'd say that proved that incorporating the fairytale elements into the story worked out perfectly.
But once more this book displays how amazingly Redwine is when it comes to writing characters and relationships. Both Sajda and Javan are layered, complicated and flawed. But they're so very human and feel very realistic. It's hard not to like them and even harder not to root for them and their happy ending. Their relationship takes time to grow and Redwine gives them the time. She builds a solid friendship first and then slowly moves on to the next stage, without sacrificing any of her characters and their strengths. The ending almost had me in tears, because of how telling it was for both characters and their love for each other.
I really really can't wait to dive into Blood Spell now and I hope that this series will go on and on and on for a little long while.
This book sets a totally different atmosphere than the other two books. I needed a little time to get used to the terms and the world, but quite soon the kingdom, the characters and the story started to grow on me and I just couldn't stop reading. Like the rest of the series the book has a great pace and a nice balance between emotional scenes and action scenes.
The fairytale that formed the base of this story is not one I'm particularly familiar with, but not one element in the story felt forced or stood out. It was impossible for me to say which elements were borrowed from the fairytale "the false prince" and which ones were created by Redwine for this unique story. And I'd say that proved that incorporating the fairytale elements into the story worked out perfectly.
But once more this book displays how amazingly Redwine is when it comes to writing characters and relationships. Both Sajda and Javan are layered, complicated and flawed. But they're so very human and feel very realistic. It's hard not to like them and even harder not to root for them and their happy ending. Their relationship takes time to grow and Redwine gives them the time. She builds a solid friendship first and then slowly moves on to the next stage, without sacrificing any of her characters and their strengths. The ending almost had me in tears, because of how telling it was for both characters and their love for each other.
I really really can't wait to dive into Blood Spell now and I hope that this series will go on and on and on for a little long while.
fairytalearista's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
So, the common theme it seems with the reviews of this book is "Great story, not very much like the Prince and the Pauper, but I'm not familiar with the other fairy tale that it retells, so maybe it's closer to that?"
Well, the False Prince and the True happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales (It was actually one of the fairy tales I did back when I was writing fairy tale commentaries: https://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2012/01/false-prince-and-true.html)
So ... how does it stack up as a retelling of The False Prince and the True?
TBH, it's still pretty loose. There's actually a lot of influence of P&P in this retelling, for, in FP&T, the true prince has no idea that he's actually the king's son, and the false prince has no idea he isn't. A certain aspect of the ending (concerning the king himself) seems to be more an influence of P&P as well, and also the emphasis of Javan learning how his people actually live. That said, the fact that Javan prioritizes Sadja's safety and happiness at the end + she influences the outcome with a "story" has a distinct feel of FP&S, as well as the fact that Javan is sent to prison after attacking the false prince.
Sadja, however, is hugely changed from the heroine of the fairy tale - who happens to be one of my favorite fairy tale princesses. (Seriously, this girl goes out and rescues a prince to break her own curse, hoping for, but not expecting him to love her for it. It's awesome.) (And also, her curse is that she's trapped in the physical form of an old woman.) I liked Sadja, and she certainly does better fit Redwine's world, I'm just a little sad that she had to be changed.
At the end of the day, this is a retelling set in the deliciously dark world of Ravenspire, and this world's retellings have always been rather loose. This one is, perhaps, the loosest so far (I still need to read Blood Spell, which is waiting for me on my shelf), but neither of the original sources of this story are as dark as either Rumplestiltskin or Snow White are.
I am hugely happy that a retelling of this obscure tale exists, and if I want one where the heroine is actually a teen trapped in the body of an old woman ... I guess I'll have to write it myself?
Well, the False Prince and the True happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales (It was actually one of the fairy tales I did back when I was writing fairy tale commentaries: https://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2012/01/false-prince-and-true.html)
So ... how does it stack up as a retelling of The False Prince and the True?
TBH, it's still pretty loose. There's actually a lot of influence of P&P in this retelling, for, in FP&T, the true prince has no idea that he's actually the king's son, and the false prince has no idea he isn't. A certain aspect of the ending (concerning the king himself) seems to be more an influence of P&P as well, and also the emphasis of Javan learning how his people actually live. That said, the fact that Javan prioritizes Sadja's safety and happiness at the end + she influences the outcome with a "story" has a distinct feel of FP&S, as well as the fact that Javan is sent to prison after attacking the false prince.
Sadja, however, is hugely changed from the heroine of the fairy tale - who happens to be one of my favorite fairy tale princesses. (Seriously, this girl goes out and rescues a prince to break her own curse, hoping for, but not expecting him to love her for it. It's awesome.) (And also, her curse is that she's trapped in the physical form of an old woman.) I liked Sadja, and she certainly does better fit Redwine's world, I'm just a little sad that she had to be changed.
At the end of the day, this is a retelling set in the deliciously dark world of Ravenspire, and this world's retellings have always been rather loose. This one is, perhaps, the loosest so far (I still need to read Blood Spell, which is waiting for me on my shelf), but neither of the original sources of this story are as dark as either Rumplestiltskin or Snow White are.
I am hugely happy that a retelling of this obscure tale exists, and if I want one where the heroine is actually a teen trapped in the body of an old woman ... I guess I'll have to write it myself?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
erawebuilt's review against another edition
2.0
oh boy those pacing issues... so many chapters began with large time skips of a week or two when the book itself only takes place across a few months. it is such a lost opportunity for more character development because, as is, the cast fell flat. sajda appeared with some potential at her introduction, but that was rapidly subsumed by the dull, dull javan and their romance. the antagonist, rahim, is decidedly one note despite multiple chapters from his perspective.
the prose could be nice, though. so there's that.
the prose could be nice, though. so there's that.
fairytalearista's review against another edition
5.0
So, the common theme it seems with the reviews of this book is "Great story, not very much like the Prince and the Pauper, but I'm not familiar with the other fairy tale that it retells, so maybe it's closer to that?"
Well, the False Prince and the True happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales (It was actually one of the fairy tales I did back when I was writing fairy tale commentaries: https://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2012/01/false-prince-and-true.html)
So ... how does it stack up as a retelling of The False Prince and the True?
TBH, it's still pretty loose. There's actually a lot of influence of P&P in this retelling, for, in FP&T, the true prince has no idea that he's actually the king's son, and the false prince has no idea he isn't. A certain aspect of the ending (concerning the king himself) seems to be more an influence of P&P as well, and also the emphasis of Javan learning how his people actually live. That said, the fact that Javan prioritizes Sadja's safety and happiness at the end + she influences the outcome with a "story" has a distinct feel of FP&S, as well as the fact that Javan is sent to prison after attacking the false prince.
Sadja, however, is hugely changed from the heroine of the fairy tale - who happens to be one of my favorite fairy tale princesses. (Seriously, this girl goes out and rescues a prince to break her own curse, hoping for, but not expecting him to love her for it. It's awesome.) (And also, her curse is that she's trapped in the physical form of an old woman.) I liked Sadja, and she certainly does better fit Redwine's world, I'm just a little sad that she had to be changed.
At the end of the day, this is a retelling set in the deliciously dark world of Ravenspire, and this world's retellings have always been rather loose. This one is, perhaps, the loosest so far (I still need to read Blood Spell, which is waiting for me on my shelf), but neither of the original sources of this story are as dark as either Rumplestiltskin or Snow White are.
I am hugely happy that a retelling of this obscure tale exists, and if I want one where the heroine is actually a teen trapped in the body of an old woman ... I guess I'll have to write it myself?
Well, the False Prince and the True happens to be one of my favorite fairy tales (It was actually one of the fairy tales I did back when I was writing fairy tale commentaries: https://knittedbygodsplan.blogspot.com/2012/01/false-prince-and-true.html)
So ... how does it stack up as a retelling of The False Prince and the True?
TBH, it's still pretty loose. There's actually a lot of influence of P&P in this retelling, for, in FP&T, the true prince has no idea that he's actually the king's son, and the false prince has no idea he isn't. A certain aspect of the ending (concerning the king himself) seems to be more an influence of P&P as well, and also the emphasis of Javan learning how his people actually live. That said, the fact that Javan prioritizes Sadja's safety and happiness at the end + she influences the outcome with a "story" has a distinct feel of FP&S, as well as the fact that Javan is sent to prison after attacking the false prince.
Sadja, however, is hugely changed from the heroine of the fairy tale - who happens to be one of my favorite fairy tale princesses. (Seriously, this girl goes out and rescues a prince to break her own curse, hoping for, but not expecting him to love her for it. It's awesome.) (And also, her curse is that she's trapped in the physical form of an old woman.) I liked Sadja, and she certainly does better fit Redwine's world, I'm just a little sad that she had to be changed.
At the end of the day, this is a retelling set in the deliciously dark world of Ravenspire, and this world's retellings have always been rather loose. This one is, perhaps, the loosest so far (I still need to read Blood Spell, which is waiting for me on my shelf), but neither of the original sources of this story are as dark as either Rumplestiltskin or Snow White are.
I am hugely happy that a retelling of this obscure tale exists, and if I want one where the heroine is actually a teen trapped in the body of an old woman ... I guess I'll have to write it myself?
eireen's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Petualangan masih berlanjut di buku ke 3 seri Ravenspire karangan C.J. Redwine. Buku berjudul The Traitor Prince ini mengadaptasi cerita The prince and the Pauper karangan Mark Twain yang pertama kali dipublikasikan pada tahun 1881. Masih sama seperti tema buku Ravenspire lainnya. The Traitor Prince ini adalah cerita stand-alone yang bisa di baca terpisah, walaupun di beberapa bagian cerita ada sedikit crossover characters dari buku sebelumnya.
Buku The Traitor Prince ini sedikit berbeda dengan cerita originalnya yang dimana si pangeran dan rakyat biasa yang keduanya berwajah mirip bertukar posisi dan mereka tetap menjadi teman di akhir cerita. Sementara di buku The Traitor Prince si pangeran dan rakyat biasa tersebut bukanlah teman melainkan musuh. Si rakyat biasa tersebut berusaha menyingkirkan si pangeran dan merebut tahtanya. Selama perjalanan mengambil kembali tahtanya, Javan dibantu dengan temannya Sajda. Selama itu pula Javan menyadari hal-hal bobrok yang ada di luar kemewahan istananya dan menjadikan misinya untuk mengembalikan semua hal ke jalan yang benar ketika suatu saat nanti ia berhasil merebut kembali tahtanya dari tangan Rahim, si pengkhianat.
I like 'almost' everything about this book. Gaya berceritanya, karakter-karakternya, ide ceritanya, bahkan cover bukunya yang keren itu. Serius deh ini buku seri Ravenspire ngga ada satu pun yang jelek gitu covernya? Bagus-bagus banget dah! :D
Mungkin hal yang bikin agak bete itu ketika Rahim membunuh para sekongkolannya. Semudah itu ia menyingkirkan mereka dari cerita ini. Yes I know he is cruel, tapi dengan begitu dia (hampir) jadi satu-satunya orang jahat di akhir cerita ini. Jadi kurang greget aja gitu. And the way Rahim himself was subdued at the end of the story? Meh..This story can use a bit more flair.
“We should never apologize for speaking the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it might be to hear.”
Petualangan masih berlanjut di buku ke 3 seri Ravenspire karangan C.J. Redwine. Buku berjudul The Traitor Prince ini mengadaptasi cerita The prince and the Pauper karangan Mark Twain yang pertama kali dipublikasikan pada tahun 1881. Masih sama seperti tema buku Ravenspire lainnya. The Traitor Prince ini adalah cerita stand-alone yang bisa di baca terpisah, walaupun di beberapa bagian cerita ada sedikit crossover characters dari buku sebelumnya.
Buku The Traitor Prince ini sedikit berbeda dengan cerita originalnya yang dimana si pangeran dan rakyat biasa yang keduanya berwajah mirip bertukar posisi dan mereka tetap menjadi teman di akhir cerita. Sementara di buku The Traitor Prince si pangeran dan rakyat biasa tersebut bukanlah teman melainkan musuh. Si rakyat biasa tersebut berusaha menyingkirkan si pangeran dan merebut tahtanya. Selama perjalanan mengambil kembali tahtanya, Javan dibantu dengan temannya Sajda. Selama itu pula Javan menyadari hal-hal bobrok yang ada di luar kemewahan istananya dan menjadikan misinya untuk mengembalikan semua hal ke jalan yang benar ketika suatu saat nanti ia berhasil merebut kembali tahtanya dari tangan Rahim, si pengkhianat.
I like 'almost' everything about this book. Gaya berceritanya, karakter-karakternya, ide ceritanya, bahkan cover bukunya yang keren itu. Serius deh ini buku seri Ravenspire ngga ada satu pun yang jelek gitu covernya? Bagus-bagus banget dah! :D
Mungkin hal yang bikin agak bete itu ketika Rahim membunuh para sekongkolannya. Semudah itu ia menyingkirkan mereka dari cerita ini. Yes I know he is cruel, tapi dengan begitu dia (hampir) jadi satu-satunya orang jahat di akhir cerita ini. Jadi kurang greget aja gitu. And the way Rahim himself was subdued at the end of the story? Meh..This story can use a bit more flair.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Gah, I love this series so much! It's been hard to pick a favourite book so far, seeing as I read THE WISH GRANTER last week and was completely entranced by it, but THE TRAITOR PRINCE just might have taken the top spot! The story was engaging and interesting right from the get-go, and it was a huge adventure from there. The characters were fantastic! Javan was the kind of person you constantly wanted to cheer for (and who can slay monsters like nobody's business). Sajda is a super tough girl with a lot of baggage but who was easily one of my favourite characters in the book. Even wicked Rahim was interesting and compelling in his own way. The action was stellar and had me constantly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Of all the romances, this one is likely my favourite. There was fantastic chemistry and swoon-worthy passion between Javan and Sajda and I couldn't get enough. The entire story truly read like a fairy tale, and I'm thrilled to have this on my shelves. I honestly cannot wait for the next book, and hopefully more after that!
melanie_books's review against another edition
4.0
For the last ten years, Javan has worked to fulfill his mother's dying wish: excel at his schooling and finish at the very top so he can be the best ruler of Akram possible. Before he can return home victorious, he discovers a plot to take over the kingdom; sentenced to death, a compassionate guard takes him instead to Maqbara, a notorious prison, where he meets Sadja, the warden's slave who has secrets all her own. He quickly learns that the prison is host to a tournament that pits inmates against dangerous beasts. The prize for winning the tournament is a meeting with Javan's father - if they are both still alive by then.
This story is a bit like The Prince and the Pauper meets Gladiator with a Middle-Eastern flare. I found the beginning of the story to be slow but once Javan arrives at the prison, the storytelling got into a good rhythm. Javan was an honorable person in a terrible place, completely out of his element. His reliance on and partnership with Sadja was beautiful, especially to see how it gave her confidence and strength. The ending - both characters sacrificing themselves for the other - was lovely. Overall, a good retelling of a classic story.
This story is a bit like The Prince and the Pauper meets Gladiator with a Middle-Eastern flare. I found the beginning of the story to be slow but once Javan arrives at the prison, the storytelling got into a good rhythm. Javan was an honorable person in a terrible place, completely out of his element. His reliance on and partnership with Sadja was beautiful, especially to see how it gave her confidence and strength. The ending - both characters sacrificing themselves for the other - was lovely. Overall, a good retelling of a classic story.
l_noona's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25