The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Ioanna Lee
February 28, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Let me tell you this: Jennifer A. Nielsen is what got me into young adult fantasy. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a short and engaging page-turner with a shocking (that is, if you are an eleven year old who hasn’t read any other medieval fantasies) twist at the end. The book starts by explaining the setting, in which Carthya is a kingdom on the brink of a civil war, the royal family is dead, and the youngest son, Jaron, has been missing for years and is presumed to be dead as well.
Our protagonist, Sage, is minding his own business stealing an especially slippery piece of meat from the butcher when a regent of the court purchases Sage from his orphanage. A few minutes later, Sage is introduced to three other boys who look nearly identical to him. He soon learns that Connor, the court regent, plans to produce the long-lost “Prince Jaron” in two weeks time. Claiming he only wishes to prevent war, he imprisons and brutally trains the boys day and night to become a complete clone of the pirate-slain youngest prince. The competition quickly becomes cutthroat, as the boys realize the ones who are not chosen to be Connor’s pawn will be -- of course -- silenced forever.
With nerve-wrackingly suspenseful chapters and a first-person narrator who doesn't seem to be telling us everything, this book kept me up late into the night. (Of course, I also started it late at night but that’s not the point here.) While I can’t talk about the huge plot twist (though many of you may be able to guess it), I can tell you that it definitely makes the book worth reading no matter what problems you may have with it. This novel had one of the most satisfying endings, the author doesn’t hold anything back when creating a beautiful story that will surely make you beam for no less than thirty seconds straight and more spontaneously at random points during the next few days. Sage’s arrogant, instinct, clever, and hilarious (to the point where it makes you unintentionally snort out loud) personality makes this book especially memorable.
Making it to my top ten list of my most favorite, nostalgic books from elementary, I believe The False Prince is a must-read for everyone before they grow up and get bored of these kinds of books or whatever. I hereby grant this book with the rating of 5/5 with a sincere recommendation and a high five or something to everyone who read and loved it as much as I did. It's also the first book of the Ascendance Trilogy, so make sure you read The Runaway King, and The Shadow Throne. And apparently it's not a trilogy anymore, as the author is releasing the fourth book in October this year! (I didn't even know that until I searched up the book for an image lol)
Great review! I remember reading this book with the same fascination as you did. It was definitely a 5/5 for anybody who is still in grade school or middle school. The ending is definitely the most memorable and was a complete surprise to me when I read it, it was incredibly satisfying to read and also kept me up at night because I was thinking about how cool it would be if the same thing could happen to me. Love the review and how genuine your tone was, I think I may have to read this book again.
ReplyDeleteI never read this book in elementary school, but now I wish I had. It looks like a fun, short read, and I love books with plot twists and satisfying endings. I like how your summary gives lots of reasons the book is great, including a funny narrator, smile-inducing passages, and thrilling suspense, while still not spoiling the surprise ending. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! This book actually sounds really good. These types of fantasy books are my favorite!The concept of the book seems really fun. I like how you talk about the suspensfulness of the book, and how it leads to a great ending. That, in my opinion, is what makes a great book great. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI remember this being my favorite book for a long time -- around fifth grade or so--, and I read it in almost one sitting. My favorite part of the book was definitely the plot twist, which I won't mention because of spoilers, and how the author hinted at it and built it up throughout the whole book. Like many other books, I didn't know this was part of a series, and now I really want to reread it and get into the series!
ReplyDeleteI do not think I have heard of this book before but it sounds fun! I think your writing style is really great and the way you describe the plot is easy to understand. I think you point out the most interesting parts of the book and why people should read it, which is why I think this is such a strong review!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I read this book for the first time two years ago and it definitely made an impression on me. I've read a book with a very similar plot recently, down to the snarky thief protagonist, that I actually liked a bit better (I won't say the name because it could be potentially spoiler-y) but I agree that this book is 5/5. Good job!
ReplyDelete