The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson is a fantasy novel, filled with thrills, twists and lies. The story is narrated from the point of view of the main character, Sage. Sage is a fourteen year-old orphan and thief. One day he is caught stealing from a butcher but is saved by a nobleman named Bevin Conner. Sage is then kidnapped by Conner to be used in his devious plan. Sage is to undergo training with three other orphans. They are forced to impersonate the long lost son of the late king; Prince Jaron. If they don’t, they will definitely be killed.

At first I saw the book as somewhat predictable, but as I continued reading, I found other twists and surprises in the story that you wouldn’t have been able to find out unless you read the whole book. I appreciated the main character; Sage. He was lighthearted, witty, clever, but sometimes rude and cheeky. He was sly but could be honest at times. I really enjoyed reading from his perspective and it really fit with the storytelling. I also enjoyed Mott. Mott was one of Conner’s assistants. He was loyal and kind, but had a tough exterior. He was smart and helpful. Many of the characters made impacts on the story, and they all had interesting personalities. The personalities of characters changed the story in different ways and I liked that they all had a sort of impact. At certain points in the story, I thought some things in the story were a bit far fetched and unrealistic but still enjoyable nonetheless.

The False Prince is a young adult and middle grade book with relatively short chapters and is a quick read. My expectations when beginning this book were low but as I continued reading, I really enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. I didn’t expect that I would want to finish the book when I had started reading, but I ended up finishing the book the same day I started it. The story captivated me and I couldn’t put it down.  After reading the book I looked into the series and found the Ascendance Trilogy. The False Prince is the first in the Ascendance Trilogy and I can’t wait to start reading the second book, The Runaway King.

-Nicole R.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.