The False Prince

“A person can be educated and still be stupid, and a wise man can have no education at all.”

Amazing. I read this one by audio. As soon as the story began, I was riveted! The reader did a great job of really having a distinguished voice for each character. Pulled in almost from the beginning, this story was absolutely amazing. I held my breath during the tough parts, gasp with outrage or shock at all the appropriate parts and absolutely loved Sage! Imogen, Tobias, Roden, Conner and Mott - there was so much to each of them that I feel like their personalities were pretty well flushed out (enough that I knew who they were).

But, of course, Sage was my favorite. Sly and sassy, he was a master thief. I loved that he was an inconsistent show more narrator. You get the feeling, once the "rock" goes missing, that he isn't telling you everything he does at night and isn't telling all he knows, even to us - the person reading along.
I loved the twists and turns. I only called one of them, not all. Amazing, I will definitely keep reading! show less

I loved this. Despite it being simpler than the fantasy stories I typically read, it was still a lot of fun. Considering that this is YA, I think it struck exactly the right tone. The main character, Sage, has the exact right amount of mischief in him to keep the story, and his personality, interesting.

I am quite pleased with myself for guessing the main plot twist far before it happened, but it was written in such a way as to still keep me excited for what was to come, not disappointed that I already knew.

I couldn't stop grinning the entire time I was reading, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

There's a Queen's Thief shaped hole in my heart and I was like hmm what can fill that and this popped up somehow and OH BOY IT'S FUN. I will say I predicted literally everything but had a ton of fun getting there. It is spectacularly middle grade but Sage is very Gen to me for multiple reasons and I appreciate that lmao. The world is not nearly as drawn out as TQT (and by that I mean it is just flatly basic fantasy) but that's whatever because Sage carries the story. good soup thumbsup

So good. To start, the premise is an interesting one that pulls the reader in right away. Even though it has a competing-for-your-life set up (complete with training) that's so overdone in a post-Hunger Games publishing world, I didn't realize it until now. In other words, this story comes off as original and interesting (instead of tired). I loved the characters--Sage is wonderfully defiant, clever and charming, with a strong character (despite his sometimes questionable morals). The plot and politics, as well as the relationships are complex and intriguing. This is a smart, fast-paced read I'd recommend to all readers, but especially reluctant ones.

This series is definitely going to be in my top 10 for this year!! I read each book twice in three days. And then I wanted to go back and start the whole series over again. Now this is the kind of story I've been looking for! This story was so well-written! Everything that those other books I abandoned were not: complex, multi-faceted characters who struggle and grow throughout the series, witty dialog, vivid and memorable scenes, and more plot twists and turns than a snake with an itch! Did I mention I read each book twice in three days? Yes, it's that good! There were conversations and scenes and quips that stayed with me for days, as I turned them over and over in my mind -- trying to figure out exactly what they meant, why the show more characters did or said what they did, or just laughing at the humorous interactions between characters.

My 17- and 15-year-olds read them as fast as I could give them to them. I borrowed them from the library, but then I purchased the whole set to keep. This grabbed my attention and imagination as much as The Wingfeather Saga, The Wilderking Trilogy, and the series by Given Hoffman that starts with The Tournament's Price. I'd say it's more like Hoffman's books as far as setting: fictional country, but medieval type of time frame (swords and daggers, horses and carriages, no unusual fantasy creatures as in Wingfeather.)

I'd recommend for teens and up.
Some content considerations:
1) There is violence and murderous plots and battles, but I did not think it was overly graphic or gory. The main character gets threatened and beaten and injured a lot.
2) The main character curses a lot, but no actual curse words are used. It just says things like, "I cursed under my breath," or "I let out a string of curses." I did not have a problem with this, but some might.
3) When bad things happen, sometimes the main character makes statements such as "the devils must be playing a joke on me" and other such references to "the devils." I didn't find this offensive; I figured it's just the way he sees his life.
3) There are some sweet romances -- deep relationships based on friendships and forged through adversity. Some kissing, but I did not find it offensive or overdone (or "mushy"). show less

Oh, how I love a noble thief. In fact, Sage reminds me quite a bit of the Thief of Eddis from Megan Whalen Turner’s amazing Attolia series--in the best and worst possible ways. Purchased by a nobleman from an orphanage, 15-year-old Sage quickly finds that he is not being adopted into a warm and loving home. He is instead to be a pawn in a very dangerous game--one that will bring him to the brink of treason.

Carthya is on the precipice of a civil war. There is unrest throughout the country and trouble has befallen the royal family. The nobleman Conner has tracked down four orphans who bear a passing resemblance to the youngest prince who was killed in a pirate attack four years before. Enough questions surround the prince’s show more disappearance that Conner believes a few weeks of coaching and his own secret weapon will allow him to mold one of these boys into a false prince. What happens to the boys not chosen for this treachery is a question better left unasked. But Sage has no interest in playing the part of the nobleman’s pawn. Fighting him every step of the way with a sharp tongue and knack for trouble, Sage has little chance of becoming Conner’s choice for prince. And as intrigue and rumors of within the castle treason swirl about, he wonders why anyone would want to be. Lies and deceit are the order of the day if Sage is to survive and save those around him.

The False Prince marks the beginning of what is sure to be a favorite new series of mine. Sage is the sort of imperfect hero that makes you want to save him from himself at times but so clever that only too late do you realize that he’s the one who will probably save you.

http://tatalonline.blogspot.com/2012/04/false-prince-by-jennifer-nielsen.html show less

(First of 3 Ascendance trilogy. Fantasy, YA)
Re-read

A minor nobleman of Carthya, Bevan Conner, searches through the orphanages of Carthya collecting fourteen year old boys; his mission, to save the kingdom by grooming one of them to impersonate the long-lost Prince Jaron to take the throne and avoid impending war. The four boys he chooses are Latamer, Roden, Tobias and Sage. The story is told in the first person from Sage's point of view; he is rather a rebel and resists conforming to Conner’s plan. And though Sage constantly bucks against Conner's control, he is always ready with a clever answer.

I snorted. Conner turned to me. "You don't believe it's possible?"
"Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's wise."
With arched eyebrows,

show more

Conner said, "And you claim to have this wisdom?"
"I claim to have nothing, sir."

Four years ago at age ten, Prince Jaron was sent overseas to strengthen ties between the kingdoms of Carthya and Bymar. His ship was attacked by pirates and all on board were lost at sea. However, his body was never found and Conner plans to use this fact to pretend that he has found Jaron now. He has two weeks to groom the boys to find the best fit for the missing prince.

Nicely written and tightly plotted with an unexpected twist at the end. Actually I confess; this was a re-read for me. The book still read well both ways, even knowing the ending; in fact I could appreciate it from a different perspective.

I like this book; I first read it as a library book and consequently bought the series for my own shelves. It might not be earth-shattering but it is very enjoyable and stands up well to re-reading. I didn’t understand some of Sage’s motives in pushing Conner to his limits, as much as the teenager admitted that he himself didn’t either - but haven’t we all been there?

"Why didn't you tell Conner you'd lie for him, Sage? He stood right there and said he'd make you his prince. All you had to do was say you would lie."
I set my jaw forward, but said nothing. Even if I were inclined to explain myself, which I wasn't, I had no answer to give him.

I appreciated the boys, who are about the same age as my two currently are (though the characters behave a bit older) but that also made the twist a bit heartbreaking. Similarly, I liked the detail about the relationship between the brothers Darius and Jaron.

It never occurred to Jaron that Darius loved him. Protected him so that he could have the life Darius never could.

Adventure, suspense and a touch of heartbreak. Worth reading. And re-reading.

4.5 ****** show less