The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy, #1)

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The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)

by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 9,779 ratings · 2,100 reviews

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.

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...more

Hardcover, 342 pages

Published April 1st 2012 by Scholastic

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Mar 05, 2013 Small Review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, pages-300s, published-2012, scholastic, own, special-shelf

The False Prince is *THAT* book! I stayed up way too late in order to finish it...and I'm seriously considering throwing all notion of a sleep schedule out the window and rereading the whole book right now.

Originally posted at Small Review

I call dibs on Sage
(seriously ladies—don't underestimate me 'cause I'm small. I'll fight dirty.)

I knew this was going to be a Special Shelf book as soon as I "heard" Sage's voice narrating. Really, the story could have been downright awful (it isn't) and I st...more

48 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 Zabet The Dark Empress of Dark Chocolate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, fantasy, top-books-in-2012

This review can also be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: The cover doesn't stand out as much as I would like. It is simple and clean and I do like the gold crown and lettering on a blue background.

The Gist: As an orphan running the streets of Carchar, Sage has learned to depend on his quick wits and quicker mouth to survive. When he finds himself one of four boys bought by a wealthy nobleman with a dastardly plan to gain control of the throne, Sage must use every trick at his...more

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May 18, 2013 Jocelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, unforgettably-awesome, reviewed

There is little I can say about Nielsen's work that sounds original enough to provide any meaning for you. It was exciting, fun, suspenseful, and playful...well, what can I say? It was a delight to read, and I loved it.

Nielsen always seems to know the right word, the right way to twist the plot, the right everything. There's just an undertone of witty purposefulness permeating every corner of the story. And she's impressively aware of her audience, too--perhaps that's why every plot point and ch...more There is little I can say about Nielsen's work that sounds original enough to provide any meaning for you. It was exciting, fun, suspenseful, and playful...well, what can I say? It was a delight to read, and I loved it.

Nielsen always seems to know the right word, the right way to twist the plot, the right everything. There's just an undertone of witty purposefulness permeating every corner of the story. And she's impressively aware of her audience, too--perhaps that's why every plot point and character action seems to strike a chord every time it falls into place.

The plot is deceptively simplistic in its surface, and indeed its complexity lies not in its story alone but the psychology of her characters. The best thing about Nielsen's first-person narrative is that it's intimate not only with the protagonist Sage, but also the supporting characters, which is a pretty difficult accomplishment. Through the close viewpoints, Nielsen's evokes an atmosphere always brimming with tension and possibility and builds a convincing sense of danger on its own. Her characters' appeal is in the closeness of their psychology: it's complex and interesting, but also as close as if watching a movie that you genuinely feel as you're living in the story.

Yet for all its earnestness, it never takes itself too seriously, and so removes much of the potential melodrama authors seem to indulge so freely with in young adult fiction. The characters can be deeply sentimental and emotional, but it's not simply meaningless angst, it is a part of what Nielsen portrays in her characters--as people firmly convinced in their modes of thinking just as one would expect real people to be.

The unreliable narrator--well, yes, I'm sure one could make any number of complaints about it, that Sage omitted too much information, that the gaps in the storytelling were obvious, but to me that was the purpose: to elicit suspicion from the reader that he was always withholding some vital piece of information from the reader. I also found it to be a rather clever metaphor for Sage's own role in the story as a thieving liar subtly manipulating the pieces of the mystery to his favor, and (view spoiler)

(view spoiler)

And maybe this is an unfair bias, but one of the reasons I liked this book as much as I did was that it was so much better than The Hunger Games, which I had high expectations for but eventually fell flat. While Collins is wildly inconsistent, politically correct, laughably solipsistic and stilted in her storytelling, I found Nielsen to be fresh and exciting without a hint of pretension.

And by now I'm sure you're more than sick of my rambling, so I'll try to write a review later that better expresses my thoughts. Always a challenge to write about books I love...(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Experiment BL626 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, reviewed

CAUTION: Long Review, Slight Spoilers

Feeble Latamer. Boastful Roden. Bookish Tobias. Defiant Sage. Four boys. One throne. Who will become ~~America's Next Top Model~~ Carthya's Next Reigning King? In ANTM the reality TV show, the contestants choose to participate and if they lose then they are sent home. In The False Prince, the contestants are coerced to participate and if they lose then they are sentenced to death. At the end, there will be only one one winner, one survivor.

The False Prince is tol...more

23 likes · like · see review

Nov 03, 2012 Adrianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, favorites, own

This book...I loved this book. I can't even find words right now, so my speechlessness will have to suffice for my "review".
I really, really need book 2 now. As in now.

EDIT:
Okay, I've gotten some sleep and am ready to write something describing this masterpiece. -ahem- (please excuse any misspelling of names. I listened to the audiobook)

The royal family of Carthya have been murdered, this includes King Eckbert, Queen Erin and the crowned prince Darius. The throne is now up for grabs and so a...more

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Mar 18, 2013 TheBookSmugglers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2012

Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://bit.ly/HpTgmA

An orphan and gifted sneak thief, fifteen year old Sage has managed to get by since the death of his barmaid mother and drunken musician father. Passed from orphanage to orphanage, Sage has a wry but upbeat outlook on life. He steals what food he must to survive, and doesn't get caught. Well, he manages to talk his way out when he is caught. Most of the time.

Returning from his last unsuccessful heist (word to the wise: stealing a hot...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Nafiza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, 2012, books-for-review, favourites

All right! It is almost midnight and this is when I write my finest reviews (oh stop laughing) so I shall write the galumptious (how can galumptious not be a word? I feel affronted) (well, it is a word now) (hmph) review that The False Prince deserves because let me tell you this, the book is pretty freaking fantastic. Okay, before I go forth with this review, let me tell you that it is Finals time and I am rather batty (battier?) during these times so the following review maybe be interspersed...more All right! It is almost midnight and this is when I write my finest reviews (oh stop laughing) so I shall write the galumptious (how can galumptious not be a word? I feel affronted) (well, it is a word now) (hmph) review that The False Prince deserves because let me tell you this, the book is pretty freaking fantastic. Okay, before I go forth with this review, let me tell you that it is Finals time and I am rather batty (battier?) during these times so the following review maybe be interspersed with absolute nonsense. You are advised to ignore the nonsense and focus on the absolutely laudatory mumbles and just breathe in the panegyrics I may write if I don't restrain myself.

Anyway, The False Prince succeeds on almost all counts (with me) because of the irrepressible, irresistible voice of its protagonist. Ever meet someone and you know you will love them forever based on the first few minutes of conversation with them? Yeah? That's what happened when I first started reading The False Prince. Sage, the entirely irreverent protagonist of the novel, wins hearts with an ease that will leave you a bit wary. I think it is mostly his irreverence that won me over but I believe that the snark, and the wit (of course) that is layered in his complex character, is balanced by the vulnerability that shows up in times you least expect it to. However, he is not the only complex character in the novel. All characters, no matter how small their parts and how insignificant their roles in the grand narrative, have a personality that is not cardboard cut. They are not stereotyped representations of real people. They are real people or could be real people.

The writing flowed very smoothly and while it wasn't excessively choked with imagery, I felt that Nielsen handled the prose in a masterful manner that worked to further her story without interrupting it with descriptions about flowers and feelings. Not that those are necessarily bad things - they just have their own place. The point is, the writing was very well structured, it handled the movement within the narrative and sustained the suspense and intrigue until the words felt like they were windows through which you were seeing an entire world unfurl. Which is, in my opinion, a pretty grand thing.

The plot threw me for a loop. I had all these suspicions about the inevitable twist but when it did come around, I realized I had not really expected the twist to be as twisty as it was. The book isn't perfect and if there were stumbling points, I would say the plot contained them. Nothing overt, really. I just found myself left with some questions I don't know where to direct - maybe I will email the author but it really is not my style but then again, I want to know the answer before I start hypothesizing but then again...see? My mind, it whirls. Anyway, the plot points are not really significant because they are possibly a reflection of my personal reading manner and reaction.

The romance - it's there, not in great quantities but it's there. And there's a sliver of it that makes you hope that the next two books will develop it a little, not too much because we have a kingdom to save but enough to keep things light and just the tiniest bit sentimental. So let's see what we've got here. Hero? Fantastic. Writing? Fantastic. Plot? Fantastic. Do I really need to say more?

Oh okay, I will then. If you want something more, from a purely academic point of view, I liked how this novel explores the fluid nature of identity and, I'd argue, the book tried, to some extent, to redefine masculinity. There is also some pretty heavy stuff present about the cost of power and the meaning of it - and, a bit interestingly, the meaning of being a patriot. What is loyalty and whom (or what) do you owe it to? So yeah, if you want something to think about, this book is for you.

Actually, this book is for everyone!

Go read it!

Now! (less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Jennifer Estep rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy, young-adult

The False PrinceBook: The False Prince

Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Series: Ascendance Trilogy #1

Genre: Epic fantasy young adult

Summary: Sage is an orphan who's just trying to survive. However, fate has other plans for Sage, who is recruited along with three other boys and given a daunting task: learn how to impersonate a long-lost prince -- or else. Sage and the other boys travel to a country estate where they spend their days learning everything from sword fighting to etiquette in hopes of being...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Kami rated it 5 of 5 stars

- It was a nice change to read from a male perspective. Most of the books I read are from a female point of view. I think it is because I read more female author's books. Sometimes a female author just can't pull off a believable guy. I thought Nielson did a great job at capturing a believable rebellious boy.

- I like Sage's rebellious attitude. At times, he can be a bit too stubborn though. I have a bit of a rebel in me, and I always enjoy a good rebelliousness at times.

- The book was never du...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Sherwood Smith added it

I would have loved this fast-paced book at age thirteen: it hits all those adolescent id kinks right on target, in particular the "I'm secretly special" one. The thirteen year old still inside me kept reading far too late last night until I finished.

Things the adult me appreciated: the emotional spectrum of Sage, the first person narrator, specifically the PTSD. I loved the family traits as we learned more about Sage's background. Though most of the characters are male at the beginning, this is...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, kindle, own, 2013, fantasy, male-pov, 2013-favorites, middle-grade

The False Prince was a nice surprise of a read for me. I had thought about picking it up a month or so ago but decided to pass as I don't read much (or, really, any) middle grade fiction. In my limited experience, it can sometimes be a little too simplistic, tidy, and afraid to delve any deeper than skimming the surface of the story. But I'm glad I changed my mind on The Ascendance Trilogy as the first book, while intended for a slightly younger audience than the typical young adult fantasy, is...more The False Prince was a nice surprise of a read for me. I had thought about picking it up a month or so ago but decided to pass as I don't read much (or, really, any) middle grade fiction. In my limited experience, it can sometimes be a little too simplistic, tidy, and afraid to delve any deeper than skimming the surface of the story. But I'm glad I changed my mind on The Ascendance Trilogy as the first book, while intended for a slightly younger audience than the typical young adult fantasy, is a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

The story begins with a fifteen-year-old orphan boy named Sage stealing what turns out to be an incredibly fateful roast. He's plucked out of the dregs of the city along with two other orphans by a lord who reveals his intentions to squirrel the boys away to his manor home and put them through a series of lessons and tests over a two week period, at the end of which he'll choose one of the boys to present at the royal court as the king's youngest son, Prince Jaron, who has been lost at sea for four years after his ship was beset by pirates. The three boys, who rightly fear for their lives should they not be chosen, learn how to shrug off their orphan upbringings and pass themselves off as the erstwhile prince. In our protagonist, Sage, the Lord Conner finds himself with more than he bargained for with the brash, headstrong, stubborn, smartmouth, ledge-climbing, lying pickpocket who questions him and his motives at every turn yet presents the most compelling possibility as a princely stand-in.

The first half or so of the story is presented in a very straightforward manner. The writing is solid and technically sound. Sage is a likable enough protagonist whose street smart attitude is probably more admirable to a younger reader. To a young reader, he likely comes off as heroic with his reckless risk-taking. To an adult reader, there are some nice hints of melancholy in Sage's hard-earned life experience acquired far too early. The writing hints at layers: one superficial layer for an early teen reader and one deeper layer for an older reader.

The second half of the book, though, is where the story truly comes alive and everything is turned on its head. Deceptive appearances, mistaken and hidden identities, characters who keep information from each other and the reader, and one incredibly unreliable narrator made me want to go back and read the first half of the book again just so I could see all the pieces fall so nicely into place. Jennifer Nielsen does a wonderful job laying down a careful framework throughout the first half of the book without making it at all obvious what she's doing until the dominoes start to fall. Serves me right for assuming a middle grade book would be too simplistic. Out-clevered. Big time.

Apart from the great way the plot is handled, there are some other key aspects I really liked about The False Prince. One was the nice twist on gender the plot presents. There are plenty of books about girls who are transformed into ladies, princess, heroines, etc.. It was nice to see this done with boys instead. Sort of a Pretty Woman-ish scenario with more princes and less prostitutes.

I also liked that the boys used have such varied personalities. They possess good and bad qualities. Even our protagonist Sage can be plenty obnoxious — as fifteen-year-old boys can be. He mouths off and says stupid things that he knows he shouldn't despite being a pretty smart kid. He takes risks he doesn't need to take but enjoys the amusement of it. But, at the same time, he's got a good heart and lets his solid conscience be his guide — even if it means doing some things he doesn't want to do. He's not a saintly hero above lying or stealing. Similarly, the other boys he's competing against, Roden and Tobias, have the same shades of grey to their characters: they can be manipulative and nasty and petty but also kind and self-sacrificing. These boys have nice depths to their characterizations.

There were a few quibbles I came across and most of them were to do with the world as it was presented. It seemed a little too simple or glossed-over at times — perhaps in the hope of moving the story along which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But Nielsen has some interesting takes on the traditional pseudo-medieval fantasy world but doesn't delve too deeply into them. For one thing, it appears there's at least some kind of gender equality in this world as there's a woman who sits on the king's council. But at the same time, there's a foreign princess betrothed to the throne who says she'll be no better than a commoner if she's not married to a prince. (She's still the niece of a king so how common can she be?) It's difficult to decipher some of the "rules" of the world like the different levels of nobility and royalty because they just aren't detailed. If an author is going to detour from some of the traditional settings and aspects of a fantasy book, I want to know about them and how they affect the story and characters therein. Especially something as interesting as a somewhat enlightened, progressive society in a fantasy realm.

Other than that, everything moved along nicely. The pacing was good, especially in the context of the book's second half when the reader realizes how carefully some aspects of the story needed to be inserted. The foreshadowing is extremely well done and always with a very light touch which I appreciate. The wrap-up is quick and, mercifully, not drawn-out with a lot of post-climax fluff. There are some nice hints for what's to come as the trilogy continues but none of that awkward hanging around that some books insist on doing long after they should have turned out the lights and sent everyone home.

All in all, The False Prince was a good read that took me a bit by surprise, especially in a book meant for younger readers. I was in the mood for a fun, quick book with princes and deception and intrigue and I got it. This book, like its characters and premise, has more than meets the eye and I look forward to continuing on with the trilogy. If Jennifer Nielsen can bring the same kind of excellent plotting to the rest of the trilogy as she did to The False Prince, I have high hopes for this series.(less)

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May 02, 2013 Chris C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

The False Prince is an intriguing book from the very beginning. Sage, just a lonely orphan boy, is recruited by a regent of a faraway land. Him and two other boys are taken and tested to see which would be the best boy for a very hard task. Bevin Connor, the regent that recruits the three boys, believes that it is the only way to keep Carthya out of a civil war by making ine of these boys the prince of Carthya. His dangerous plan would result in all of their deaths if one tiny thing went wrong.T...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of high fantasy/political fantasy (but not exactly Game of Thrones)

Shelves: favorites

This book was something I would've killed for at age 13, and I love it with younger-me in mind. Nielson creates a fantasy world that is not overwhelming with info dumps, and it is not confusing to the reader. Sage is a really lovely protagonist, although there were times I had trouble believing he was a 15-year-old boy; sometimes his voice and actions sounded more like a 13-year-old instead. Other times, I felt this novel should be written with an older protagonist in mind, like a 17-year-old.

M...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Alison (AlisonCanRead) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrenyalit

If you don't have time to read my entire review, base your decision on whether to read The False Prince on this paragraph. After I read the last word on the last page, I set the book in front of my husband and said "Read this. Now." Not a request. A command. As the smart boy does in most circumstances, he immediately complied and loved the book. My copy of The False Prince was from the library. I waited until the last moment to return the book, re-reading favorite passages multiple times. Before...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: clean-young-adult

Despite the two downfalls of (1) a cover that looks like it was created in clip art, and (2) sharing an almost identical title to "The False Princess," a completely different novel that I read last year and liked less than half as much, "The False Prince" is an EXCELLENT book.

I have a soft spot for middle-grade fantasy books starring boys, and Sage is right up there with Percy and Harry where main characters are concerned. Although this story is high fantasy - it takes place in a different worl...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Skyla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, mystery, awesome-characters, awesomeness, cool-author, based-on-myth-legend, books-i-own, childrens-book, father-son-bond, first-time-reading-this-author, first-time-author

Find this and more over at the blog: http://happygolucky-skyla.blogspot.ca/

When I read the synopsis I was expecting something very different to what I got but what I got was even better than I thought it was going to happen.

The feel of this book is very Princess and the Pea, Anastasia and I guess Prince and the Pauper...sort of.

Even though this book is written for a middle age audience and as such is a younger read than I usually go for...however I couldn't pass up all those awesome reviews fr...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Sab H. (YA Bliss) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alamw12, own, own-arc, high-fantasy, fantasy-challenge, male-pov, reviewed-books

I really, truly loved this one. It's not as amazingly written as my favorite Epic Fantasies but nevertheless, it was great. Maybe just because it's first person narration, told from Sage's point of view (not all of it, but you will see that as you go) and normally high fantasies delve a little more into a poetic writing when written in third person. But Sage's voice seemed very modern and witty, which was one of the things I loved about him. So, by no means am I saying that the writing is less t...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-february-2012

Sage is an orphan. He and three other orphan boys have been picked by Connor because of their resemblance to the dead prince, Joran. But why, is something they don't begin to understand until they learn that the king and queen and their only other son have all been assassinated.
While I had a pretty good idea of where the plot was going, the author still did a very good job of hiding, and then revealling the twist. Sage has a good voice, and is often deceptive, so it was seldom obvious what he ac...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, fairy-tale-or-princess, pub-schol, audio-book, unfinished-series, read-in-2012, for-scott, for-the-boy, for-my-girls

I loved this story! It had a similar feel to books by Megan Whalen Turner. I guessed at a "surprise" element, but it was fun to see if it fit with the story and the things being said by the characters. This part of the story was not what the entire ending was based upon revealing to the reader, so it didn't ruin anything for me.

I think this book would appeal to girls and boys alike.

The audiobook was great. I think it's the same reader that does the Percy Jackson audiobooks.

PS - this took me a m...more

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May 20, 2012 Yarethzia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

http://booknookgirl.blogspot.com/2012...
05/18/12
okay, thinking time over.
This book was AMAZING! So amazing that it's become one of the best books I've read so far this year. The writing was gorgeous. You could feel for the characters but you couldn't feel the author in them. It was as if as soon as I opened the book, they took a life of their own. The details were wonderful, I could visualize everything the author described.
If there was a top ten list that named books you should read this year,...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

So this was my second time revisiting one of my favorites. Still love it and would still give it six stars. Yeah, now I am really excited for the sequel.

If there was a six stars I would choose it. I loved this story. In fact I finished it in 36 hours and sacrificed sleep all to find out what happened. Love it. I can't wait to Gabe to be a little older and we can re-read it together for school or just re-read it. I won't spoil the plot or due it an injustice, very interesting.

Also Nik, If you rea...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Yara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-need-a-movie, books-that-are-equal-to-the-second

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 13, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-lit, read-for-work

I'm a bit mystified by people's wild praise of this novel; as a result I was expecting more, and as a result am wavering between two stars and three. It was okay-to-I-liked-it, pretty good but nothing extraordinary—certainly nothing to merit such breathless enthusiasm. It's an often rousing story, pretty well-told in a market where many stories aren't told well at all. But ... [Fair warning: SPOILERS to follow. So if you're intending to read this one, skip this review.]

Most of my problems are ro...more

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May 28, 2013 Mochikat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow... just wow. The False Prince was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Recently, it's been getting harder and harder to find books that satisfy me. Maybe the authors nowadays are getting less creative, or maybe I'm just getting pickier.
Either way, this book completely exceeded my standards.

Review:
The story is about a boy named Sage, an orphan who likes to steal things. One day he is snatched away by a nobleman named Conner, along with three other boys. Conner hopes to groom one o...more Wow... just wow. The False Prince was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Recently, it's been getting harder and harder to find books that satisfy me. Maybe the authors nowadays are getting less creative, or maybe I'm just getting pickier.
Either way, this book completely exceeded my standards.

Review:
The story is about a boy named Sage, an orphan who likes to steal things. One day he is snatched away by a nobleman named Conner, along with three other boys. Conner hopes to groom one of the boys into a perfect imitation of the lost prince Jaron, placing them on the throne to take control of the kingdom. The boys are then locked in a fierce competition for the honor of becoming Conner's false prince.

I literally fell in love with Sage on the first page. (It rhymes!) He was witty, clever, hilarious, but he also had a certain depth to him that made the character more realistic. I swear during the climax, my mouth was hanging open the entire time at the sheer awesomeness of Sage. He has set a new standard for which every male YA protagonist will be judged. Unfortunately, I doubt many authors can produce a character as satisfying as Sage.

I loved how Jennifer Nielsen wrote the supporting characters, one of the biggest problems nowadays is that authors spend far too much time on the main character and not enough time on the supporting ones, who are, in my opinion, just as important. (view spoiler) The depth and personalities to all of the supporting characters made the story realistic, especially Tobias and Roden. While at first the reader expects the stereotypical big, brawny, stupid opponent and the wimpy, yet incredibly crafty opponent, Nielsen adds REAL personalities.

Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book, how delighted I was to find a series with a plot that hasn't been done a million times over. It was a pretty easy read, which was lucky because I stayed up until 3:00 a.m. trying to finish the entire book.(less)

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May 15, 2013 Jarrod Call rated it 4 of 5 stars

False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
Rating: ★★★★☆

Review

This was an enjoyable book that kept me interested from start to finish. It has adventure, personality, and surprises. I am typically not a huge fan of the Young adult genre, but this was a genuinely enjoyable story. It's themes of bravery, being true to self, and identity were interesting and caused me to reflect on who I am and who I I loved the character development of Sage, though some of the other characters seemed flat and static. I am exc...more

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May 13, 2013 Anna rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you're expecting a juvenile or generic read from this book, then you've come to the wrong place. I strongly believe that this book appeals to people of all ages, both male and female. Jennifer A. Nielsen really took me by surprise with this one, for what seems like a generic plotline has been completely transformed by her deft mind.

The first thing that struck me when I started to read this book was the protagonist Sage's amazingly strong voice. Immediately from the first page, his distinct c...more If you're expecting a juvenile or generic read from this book, then you've come to the wrong place. I strongly believe that this book appeals to people of all ages, both male and female. Jennifer A. Nielsen really took me by surprise with this one, for what seems like a generic plotline has been completely transformed by her deft mind.

The first thing that struck me when I started to read this book was the protagonist Sage's amazingly strong voice. Immediately from the first page, his distinct character leaped out and captured me. He easily reads as a man in his twenties despite him being only 15. It's so rare to see such a striking, well-developed, and realistic character that I was almost leaping off of my seat at this point. It was such a joy to read about the extremely clever orphaned rascal who can steal anything and escape notice, who infuriates people with his defiance, but at the next moment wins them over. Even if the other parts of Nielsen's book weren't good, I could forgive her because she wrote Sage so well.

Thankfully, though, Sage isn't the only good part of this book. The other characters are also tastefully written. They all seem like real people with back stories, which is a breath of fresh air after being trapped in the generic pits of today's YA fiction for so long. One of the greatest things about the other characters is that they have their own minds. Nobody ever did exactly as they were asked. They always had their own motivations for their actions, their beliefs differed from what they were told to believe, and their loyalty needed to be won. I applaud Nielsen for remembering that real people are not stupid enough to be duped by simple lies, which many authors seem to fail to remember.

Other than the characters, the plot was absolutely masterful. Nielson planned out this book with a sharp eye for detail that has my most heartfelt respect. Remember when I said that I almost leaped out of my seat when I read about Sage? Well, I actually DID leap off my seat here. That's how good it is. I could see no plot holes, and everything was connected to each other in a way that I didn't fully comprehend until the very end of the book. The pacing was perfect - neither too fast nor slow - and served to weave together the characterization and plot buildup while at the same time giving sufficient time to develop both aspects.

To complement and enhance the delivery of the wonderful characters and plotline, the dialogue was witty, clever, and engaging. Even if I only read the dialogue, I could probably tell which character was talking. For example, this quote perfectly demonstrates Sage's wit and cheekiness:
“If [Conner] put us in dresses, we wouldn’t suddenly become women,” I said. “You’re an orphan in a costume, Tobias. Nothing more.”

In conclusion, I simply cannot sing enough praises about The False Prince. To say I was completely blindsided by how good it was would be an understatement. Jennifer Nielsen has masterfully delivered amazing characters, a well-crafted plot, and witty dialogue. After the last page, I was left with a sense of awe, giddiness, and an itchiness in my hands that propels me to buy the sequel. You should read this novel as soon as humanly possible.(less)

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May 07, 2013 hopenomad rated it 4 of 5 stars

The False Prince proved to be an enthralling start to Jennifer A. Nielsen's Ascendance Trilogy. The best part of the book was it's witty protagonist, Sage. Thrust into dangerous situations and ugly realities, Sage never disappoints; constantly outsmarting his enemies and dancing his way through sticky situations. Always the trickster, Sage leaves readers in suspense as the full details of his plans are not revealed to the reader until the ramifications are brought down upon the heads of his ant...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Gina Wymore added it

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is the first book in a new trilogy. It is a compelling, young adult fantasy novel. The story takes place in the kingdom of Carthya where war is brewing. In hopes to unify the kingdom, a court nobleman, Conner, creates a scheme to seek out a new prince. The young prince who was once in line to inherit the throne was thought to be dead after pirates attacked his ship years prior. When the royal family is killed, Conner takes it upon himself to find a boy wh...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Brooke added it

I happened to pick up The False Prince at the bookstore, because I am a sucker for anything about princes and princesses. The book looked promising, so I decided to give it a shot.

Four orphan boys have been chosen by a nobleman to impersonate the long-lost son of the King and Queen, who have been murdered. Sage, protagonist and narrator of the book, is one of the boys chosen to compete for the crown.

I loved Sage’s quirky personality and wit, and the trouble he gets himself into when he refuses...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Ginger rated it 5 of 5 stars

As you can tell from my rating above, I loved this book! Normally, I do not allow my 10 year old daughter to read ANY Young Adult books as yet, but when we went to the bookstore to purchase her year-end summer read, the store employee suggested she try this new, hot book. It wasn't until I went to write this review that I discovered it is classified as a Young Adult read. D'oh! At any rate, my daughter loved this book as well and like me, couldn't put it down.

The best thing about this book is Sa...more

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the third book cover!!!	10	33	Jun 16, 2013 09:04pm
Why Do You Think Its Good or Bad?	7	56	Jun 11, 2013 11:26pm
YA Reads for Teac...: * May 2013 - The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy, #1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen	120	53	Jun 08, 2013 08:03pm
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YA Reads for Teac...: * April 2013 - Book Giveaway - The False Prince / The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #1 & #2) by Jennifer Nielsen	51	67	May 05, 2013 06:32pm
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About Jennifer A. Nielsen

Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster. In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has f...more

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Books by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy, #2)

Elliot and the Goblin War (Underworld Chronicles #1)

Elliot and the Pixie Plot (Underworld Chronicles #2)

Elliot and the Last Underworld War (Underworld Chronicles, #3)

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Quotes from The False Prince

“Master Graves was incensed and said, as punishment for my disruption, I would have to write my letters an extra ten times that day.
"Ten times the better I'll know them, then." I said. "How strange that you should punish me by ensuring I come out more educated than Roden, who has tried to obey you.” — 48 people liked it

“Hail His Majesty, the scourge of my life," Conner said to Roden and Tobias as he stomped up the stairs. "I fear the devils no longer, because I have the worst of them right here in my home!” — 44 people liked it

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The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)

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