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I'm finding it difficult to review this book without completely spoiling it. It has a lot of potential - the story follows one of three orphans being trained to impersonate a missing prince. He's prickly but smart, and the other two boys gradually reveal some complexity of character. Tension mounts as the planned impersonation draws near, plus there's a bit of action, and I can see recommending it to younger readers who enjoy stories of intrigue.
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Several friends have recommended this to me recently, notably Susan Dee and Tony Keefer. From the very beginning of the story right through to the last page, Jennifer Nielsen takes the reader on an incredible, action-packed journey, with many, many plot twists along the way. I'm dying to share this with my students but truly can't decide if it would be better to read it aloud to reach the largest possible audience, or let it start to float through the room to those who are interested. But it mos
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Intriguing characters and set up from the a start. I think it will appeal to many teens caught up in the dystopian reading frenzy who are looking for something just a but different
So gooooooood! Wasn't taken in by the plot twist, but that didn't diminish the story at all. Started out thinking it was going to be a rehash of The Whipping Boy, but was pleasantly surprised.
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actiony page-turner for middle graders (especially boys) who like their fantasy with lots of political intrigue and not a dragon in sight.
AAGGHHH! SO good!!! Fantastic character development, swift writing, action, adventure, bits of non-pukable romance. Awesomesauce. Cannot wait for the second book.
The main character is an orphan boy who seems to gravitate towards rebelliousness and trouble. Could he possibly be molded into prince material? Not likely. I think this was a well written story and I loved the twist at the end. I'd recommend this book to upper graders who love medieval settings with royalty splashes.
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Love sharing this book with the Lightning Thief readers who are ready for a new adventure.
An action-packed read with a sharp-tongued narrator. Loved the voice!
I don't know why but this book reminds me a lot with The Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. Maybe because Sage, the narrator, has the same characteristics as Gen (from The Thief). And the twist itself is a bit similar :) But I like The False Prince better, maybe because I can imagine the setting more easily, and the other characters are pretty convincing too (not like The Thief haha). I'm still eager to read the rest of Sage's adventures in the next books.
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Grades 4-9. RL 720. Great choice for fans of medieval-ish fantasy. When the royal family is murdered, a struggle to replace the king ensues. One of the Lords scours orphanages to find a boy that resembles a former prince lost at sea. Three boys compete with each other to see who will be presented as the false prince. The losers? Death. They have three weeks to learn reading, manners, horseback riding and swordplay.
Really enjoyed the first 2/3s, but the shift in the last 3rd required an awful lot of backstory, exposition, telling, and jamming in a lot in a way that didn't charm me as much. Still eager to read the next in the series, though.
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I was surprised by how very much I enjoyed this - marked possibly by the seemingly interminable wait until the next in the series is released! Need to recommend to some specific readers...
An exciting start to this series. Sage is an exciting, one-of-a-kind character.
Apr 16, 2012
Julie
marked it as to-read
Jul 17, 2012
Dest
marked it as to-read
Dec 27, 2012
Dan
marked it as to-read
Feb 21, 2013
Sarah
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2014
carissa
marked it as to-read
