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A review by eesh25
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
4.0
4.25 Stars
I picked this book up because I really wanted to listen to an audiobook, and this was the only one in my local library that was also on my TBR list. I knew what it was about, of course, but I somehow missed that it was middle-grade. So when I started it, I thought to myself that it seemed a bit young for a YA novel. The protagonist, Sage, is fifteen, so it could've gone either way. But my point is, I like that the book can sound like its genre. Something that I've had an issue with in a few other novels.
The plot is that Sage, a boy who lives in an orphanage, is taken/bought by a man named Conner. Conner's been around many orphanages looking for boys of fifteen who are similar in appearance. None of the boys know why until Conner tells them that the royal family has been murdered, and one of the boys is to impersonate the long-lost prince and take the throne. Hence the name of the book.
There are several important characters in the book, and I loved how the author handled them and the direction she took them. But I don't want to spoil any of the fun stuff so I'll just say a few things about Sage and move on. Because I have to mention Sage. Not only is he the protagonist, but he's also a very interesting character. There are quite a few contradictions in him that give him a layered personality. And as the book goes on, all the contradictions make sense. But they also open him up to much more growth.
The plot itself is fairly simple but engaging. There's a decent amount of world-building done because a large part of the plot is based on Carthya's relations with surrounding kingdoms, but also on the political situation in Carthya itself. And the book does a great job of not overcomplicating things, but also not talking down to its readers.
There was a part around two-thirds of the way in, or maybe a little later, that could've gone badly. But the author handled it well. I can't say more than that. But I think it was something that could easily have been very disappointing. Instead, it made the book better, just like the ending did. And I'm eager to see where the series is headed. There was an interview with the author at the end in which she said that things were only going to get more challenging, and I can't wait to see how.
One last thing, the audiobook... I don't have much to say. There was nothing bad about it, but also nothing notably great. It neither added to nor took from the story. The narrator did a perfectly fine job. And this is the one case in which I can say, for sure, that the medium I chose for the book did not affect my opinion of it.
Overall, this was a great read, and I would recommend checking it out.
I picked this book up because I really wanted to listen to an audiobook, and this was the only one in my local library that was also on my TBR list. I knew what it was about, of course, but I somehow missed that it was middle-grade. So when I started it, I thought to myself that it seemed a bit young for a YA novel. The protagonist, Sage, is fifteen, so it could've gone either way. But my point is, I like that the book can sound like its genre. Something that I've had an issue with in a few other novels.
The plot is that Sage, a boy who lives in an orphanage, is taken/bought by a man named Conner. Conner's been around many orphanages looking for boys of fifteen who are similar in appearance. None of the boys know why until Conner tells them that the royal family has been murdered, and one of the boys is to impersonate the long-lost prince and take the throne. Hence the name of the book.
There are several important characters in the book, and I loved how the author handled them and the direction she took them. But I don't want to spoil any of the fun stuff so I'll just say a few things about Sage and move on. Because I have to mention Sage. Not only is he the protagonist, but he's also a very interesting character. There are quite a few contradictions in him that give him a layered personality. And as the book goes on, all the contradictions make sense. But they also open him up to much more growth.
The plot itself is fairly simple but engaging. There's a decent amount of world-building done because a large part of the plot is based on Carthya's relations with surrounding kingdoms, but also on the political situation in Carthya itself. And the book does a great job of not overcomplicating things, but also not talking down to its readers.
There was a part around two-thirds of the way in, or maybe a little later, that could've gone badly. But the author handled it well. I can't say more than that. But I think it was something that could easily have been very disappointing. Instead, it made the book better, just like the ending did. And I'm eager to see where the series is headed. There was an interview with the author at the end in which she said that things were only going to get more challenging, and I can't wait to see how.
One last thing, the audiobook... I don't have much to say. There was nothing bad about it, but also nothing notably great. It neither added to nor took from the story. The narrator did a perfectly fine job. And this is the one case in which I can say, for sure, that the medium I chose for the book did not affect my opinion of it.
Overall, this was a great read, and I would recommend checking it out.