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Sunday, January 12, 2014

Reviewing: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson

The False Prince
In this first book in a remarkable trilogy, an orphan is forced into a twisted game with deadly stakes.

Choose to lie...or choose to die.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Let me just start out by saying this: I absolutely loved the main character. What can I say? I'm a sucker for sarcasm and wit and cleverness and Sage is a master of all three.

He carried the story, but he didn't completely drown out the other characters. And the plot twist. It completely fooled me. I was stunned. 

After I read this book the first time, I read it again just a couple days later, even though I remember books for a long time after reading them. It was just so completely awesome.

Along with being sufficiently packed with sword fights and mind games, the humor is flawless. I laughed out loud on more than one occasion.

The secondary characters also deliver well. They're somewhat cliché, but not so much that who they are is completely drowned out. 

4.5 stars.

Later,

Tansie G.

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