The False Prince: Take 2

I'll admit, the reason that I am rewriting a post for The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielson, is because the first one made me die slowly and painfully inside as I reread it these many months later. It became one of those things that was always lurking on the edge of my subconscious, taunting me, reminding me of my first, fruitless attempt at writing a blog post. I think that it's safe to say that I am miles away from where I started. (At least, I hope I am.) And so, I came to the conclusion that, since I have made such progress, it was high time that I wrote a post that would do that book justice.

This book captivated me from the moment I read the first three lines:

          "If I had to do it all over again, I would not have chosen this life. Then again, I'm not sure I ever had a choice.

          These were my thoughts as I raced away from the market, with a stolen roast tucked under my arm."

Now, you can't tell me that this doesn't in the least bit intrigue you. I had been trying to get my twelve-year old sister to read this book for months without success (mainly because she is stubborn as a mule and doesn't like to be proved wrong). Finally, I persuaded her to read the first few lines. She then proceeded to read the entire trilogy. Funny how that works.

Told from the perspective of orphan and trouble-maker, Sage, Nielson takes us on a journey of murder, betrayal, and hidden agendas. Sage is swept up into this world, and whereas before his only concern was whether he was going to live to see the next day, he now has to decipher Nobleman Conner's treacherous plan, which at best is lunacy, and at the least, treason. I could go on and on about the summary of the plot, but I think that GoodReads says it best:

"The False Prince is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end... An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and actions, lies and deadly truths will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Although, it may just be that my favorite aspect of this book is it's characters. The main character Sage is never afraid to speak his mind, and hearing the story told from his perspective is refreshing and humorous.

With summer creeping up on us, I hope that you will go to the library to stock up on books, and that you check out The False Prince. I believe that my goal to write a better blog post has been achieved (it would be kind of hard to get worse than that first one) and I think that this book has now been sufficiently justified.

Have a great summer, and happy reading!