The False Princess

Jun 04, 2012 Lissa added it

Shelves: 2012

The False Princess is a reverse Cinderella story, or, if you like, a Cinderella story. It can work both ways. Sinda’s nobility and heritage, her rank, wealth, and everything she identifies with is stripped from her and she must start from absolutely nothing and work her way back up to prestige and respect. This is because she’s cast out of royalty after spending sixteen years as a stand-in princess while the real girl was in hiding, to save her from a horrific prophesised death.

I liked Sinda, fo...more The False Princess is a reverse Cinderella story, or, if you like, a Cinderella story. It can work both ways. Sinda’s nobility and heritage, her rank, wealth, and everything she identifies with is stripped from her and she must start from absolutely nothing and work her way back up to prestige and respect. This is because she’s cast out of royalty after spending sixteen years as a stand-in princess while the real girl was in hiding, to save her from a horrific prophesised death.

I liked Sinda, for the most part. I found her easy acceptance understandable, if a little disparaging. She is not, at first, a strong character. But that’s okay, because on her journey, she learns and adapts and changes. It also made sense for her to have the big stranglehold over her magic, and I was always hoping she might improve just a little bit faster – but that’s not the point. I also liked her rare slow-burning romance with Kiernan.

Kiernan is a sweet enough guy, but at first I’d hoped he and Sinda would remain plutonic. Yet slowly, as the friendship developed, and things that had been an obstacle before no longer mattered, I became a fan of their relationship. Sinda’s need to still feel important led to many mistakes and problems with her communication with Kiernan, and she made some pretty bad choices: but this is a good thing! Bad choices are awesome: they create conflict. I don’t mean stupid choices, I simply mean bad judgement. Sinda wasn’t stupid, and neither was Kiernan. They were simply two teenagers learning how to communicate in a relationship. I quite liked their slow-bloom.

Mika and Orianne were also two pretty awesome characters. I loved Mika’s constant comparison to a fox: she was also quite abrasive, and not easily trusting. I really liked this about her – it lent a very nice difference to Oriannce, who seemed like the sweetest, most innocent thing. Of course, the stark differences to the girls was important to the plot, as were Kiernan’s feelings towards them.

Aunt Varil and Philantha seemed to both fill the same role, but in vastly different ways. Whereas Varil was unfriendly and unwelcoming, and thought Sinda was useless, Philantha saw the real Sinda, and loved her for it in her own peculiar way. I loved reading Philantha scenes – I was always looking forward to the next one. She was so funny in her oddness, and her speech was unique within the novel. I’d love to meet someone like Philantha in real life.

As for the magic in the world: it was quite simple to understand. Either you’re born with the gift, or you’re not. You can be trained either way, but there is only so far one can progress – like singing. I liked that comparison, because I’m a singer. The luck of the draw did annoy me a little, because Sinda had already been a speshul snow flake by being a princess for sixteen years, and then all of a sudden when the identity spell is lifted there’s all this magic in her as well. I loved the reason of the magic exposing itself as well: it just needs to get out and be used.

I think the only issue I really had with the book was the choice of narration. There were a few times later in the novel where we got stuck in Sinda’s head as she considered all her options for quite a few pages. It didn’t quite gel with me, but I’m sure some other people would like that. There were also some cases where interesting events were summarised, but I think that was done for the sake of word count. It wasn’t a case of ‘build up the next scene to make it so totally awesome then make all the action offstage’ a la Linger…

I really loved the plot. Once the mystery was revealed, I was racing along with Sinda to try and figure out the answer. However, I got there a lot earlier than Sinda did, and spent the rest of my time second-guessing myself. It became obvious to me after a few references of the same thing. I suppose that’s foreshadowing, and it can’t be helped. And I really loved the villain’s motivation! I totally could not see logic in it at all (view spoiler), but that’s the way I am with a few real life people, too!

It was still pretty damn good. It’s a really great court intrigue high fantasy novel and I really enjoyed it. I’ll be looking for Ms O’Neal’s future books as well.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2012 Krystle rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a really long time. Why? It has everything I like: magic, courtly intrigues, a slow burn romance, and a fairy tale touch.

What really struck me was how this book emulates the fairy tale of Cinderella. It follows the same plot trajectory being that someone goes from a position of status and wealth to one of a lower class and then finally balance is re-established once again when she rises up to her original level of superiority. What everyone reall...more 4.5 stars.

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a really long time. Why? It has everything I like: magic, courtly intrigues, a slow burn romance, and a fairy tale touch.

What really struck me was how this book emulates the fairy tale of Cinderella. It follows the same plot trajectory being that someone goes from a position of status and wealth to one of a lower class and then finally balance is re-established once again when she rises up to her original level of superiority. What everyone really forgets about the Cinderella fairy tale is that in the many written origin sources is that Cinderella (or her other names) starts off from a position of wealth and in many tales she’s either from nobility or royalty. I think this makes a very interesting parallel in this book.

I really liked the characters in here. Sinda is so conflicted but never slips into the morose or overly sulky. She has to deal with having her identity ripped away from her and then trying to remake a new one for herself, but also a detachment from a place of comfort she called home and the rejection of her supposed family members and also her actual ones. Yet, while she is gifted with special magical abilities, it’s never abused and always involves effort at mastering.

She tries so hard to prove to herself and others that she isn’t some worthless ploy to be tossed away when her usefulness has ended, and wants everyone to know that she is someone of value and that they should feel a great amount of regret and remorse at what they did.

I love Kiernan! He’s such a loyal friend who is always kind and while not necessarily scholarly inclined, he is quick on his thoughts and is willing to learn. I like that while he is outgoing and charismatic he does get emotionally hurt and shows it. Quite different compared to some other male leads that either brush it off like it’s nothing or keep their stoic exterior. It’s not bad to have your romance interest show some vulnerability, it makes them a lot more likeable and realistic in my opinion.

The romance was excellent. I always thought being friends with someone and knowing their quirks, vices, and character before entertaining the idea of entering a relationship with them is very prudent. This is why I enjoyed it here. The characters actually know each other and when their new feelings for each other start to show, they show it in more subtle and gradual ways rather than an all-consuming attraction and need. I totally loved how Kiernan did not care about her social standing and would be willing to make sacrifices to be with her – not like some YA males we know, in which the girl has to do everything to be with their partner.

While certain plot devices or twists are a bit predictable, it still is fun. I really enjoyed seeing Sinda be so forward thinking and set out to solve the mystery behind the princess switch ups and not have things suggested to her beforehand. The pacing might have been a bit slow in the beginning but it really picks up at the halfway mark, or slightly earlier than that.

This is a fantastic debut novel. The ending was one of most satisfactory wrap ups I’ve read in a novel in a while. I’ll say that if you liked Crown Duel or Brightly Woven, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Vinaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-liked, fantasy, ya-fantasy

I hereby declare that people should stop reading so many YA paranormals and begin to read YA fantasy! The genre has some really good literature that is slipping under the radar thanks to multi-million dollar deals about flowers and demi-gods. Pish!

Eilis O'Neal's The False Princess interested me from the day I first read the blurb for the book. I finally managed to get my hands on a copy, and it's lived up to my expectations. Plot, writing characterization — they were all up to the mark, and the...more I hereby declare that people should stop reading so many YA paranormals and begin to read YA fantasy! The genre has some really good literature that is slipping under the radar thanks to multi-million dollar deals about flowers and demi-gods. Pish!

Eilis O'Neal's The False Princess interested me from the day I first read the blurb for the book. I finally managed to get my hands on a copy, and it's lived up to my expectations. Plot, writing characterization — they were all up to the mark, and the thing I really liked about this book? It's a stand-alone. No threads are left hanging, in the hope of a multi-book deal, and for a change, I finally got to read a book with a satisfying ending!

Nalia discovers on her sixteenth birthday that she is not the crown princess of Thorvaldor, as she has been told all her life. A prophecy made to the king and queen upon their daughter's birth foretold that the princess would be killed before her sixteenth birthday. In order to avert this dire fate, they decide to hide their child and secretly replace her with a baby from a common family. Thus Sinda, the replacement baby, became Nalia and lived a lie for sixteen years.

Sinda is sent away from the palace almost immediately after being told the truth. She goes to live with her aunt, a dyer, who is unprepared to make place in her life for a niece who has been bred in luxury. But even as Sinda resigns herself to her fate and tries to fit in in the small village, she discovers that she may not be entirely insignificant after all. The beginnings of strong magical power sends her back to the capital Vavaskari, where she ends up becoming a scribe to an eccentric Master wizard. She also reunites with her best friend, Kiernan, and it is this reunion that changes Sinda's life yet again, as she discovers that things at the palace may not be so cut-and-dried after all.

The mystery parts of this story were well-handled. From Sinda's initial discovery to the hunt for the culprit and the eventual confrontation with the baddie, the story moves smoothly and quickly. But although the mystery is one of the important elements of the story, it is not the crux of it. This book is a chronicle of Sinda's growth from a pampered but submissive princess to a strong, confident young woman.

What I liked about Sinda is that she wasn't always the easiest of characters. Like every normal person, she has uncharitable thoughts, she loses her temper on occasion, she feels insecure and unworthy, especially since she has lost her entire identity. But although she managed to irritate me at points, I never disliked her. She's a perceptive, introspective character who doesn't mind taking a good, hard look at her own flaws, and this was something that made her journey towards self-realization a lot more meaningful.

The relationship between Sinda and Kiernan felt a little unequal to me; I guess it always happens in a story where one character knows much sooner than the other that they are in love. There were too many points where Sinda seemed to be taking advantage of Kiernan's love for her, without ever acknowledging that it was there. But eventually, when she had to go to him, I think the balance was sort-of redressed.

I felt like I would have liked the interpersonal relationships in this story to be a little more elaborate. The queen sent away the child she had reared for sixteen years, but received in her place the child she had borne. It would have been amazing if we'd gotten a glimpse into her life, and how she reacted to the situation. Most of Sinda's relationships, except possibly that with her aunt, are lightly touched upon; the complex undertones that ought to underlie such relationships are missing, leaving a void.

The False Princess, for me, was not a WOW! book. I liked it, a LOT, but I wasn't blown away by it. But I would definitely recommend it as being worth a read, especially for people who like character-driven fantasy. (less)

43 likes · like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

This sounds so much like the Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook. Other than being the exact same plot...

I liked this one much better than Dawn Cook's book. I didn't find myself having an extreme dislike for the main character. And I love the interactions with the main love interest. I hope to have someone make a smile burn across my face someday. :D

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Inge *Studying for Exams* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crap-romance, high-expectations-got-disappointed, magic, young-adult, royalty, meh

Nalia, princess of Thorvaldor, receives the scare of her life when she finds out she is in fact not princess Nalia, but Sinda, a girl without any royal blood whatsoever. Sixteen years ago, a prophecy about the princess was made; there was a chance that she would be murdered before her sixteenth birthday. So the king and queen switched their daughter with a regular baby and raised her as their own, only to be tossed aside after Sinda turns sixteen. A wizard removes the spell Sinda was under, maki...more Nalia, princess of Thorvaldor, receives the scare of her life when she finds out she is in fact not princess Nalia, but Sinda, a girl without any royal blood whatsoever. Sixteen years ago, a prophecy about the princess was made; there was a chance that she would be murdered before her sixteenth birthday. So the king and queen switched their daughter with a regular baby and raised her as their own, only to be tossed aside after Sinda turns sixteen. A wizard removes the spell Sinda was under, making her look like the princess. When she’s forced to live with her poor aunt, she starts feeling things. Magic. The spell had suppressed her magic and now that the spell has lifted, the magic wants out. As she struggles with her new powers and her new feelings for her old best friend Kiernan, she finds out that another girl is involved in the princess scheme. Turns out, the girl who took Sinda’s place is not the real princess either. As follows a hunt for the real princess to stop a certain someone from overthrowing the kingdom.

What I liked
The story actually had a decent plot. While it is revealed pretty early on who the villain is (or at least the suspicion of who the villain is), there’s still Sinda struggling with her magical abilities and approaching the two princesses. This was not a story filled with unnecessary romance crap, but dealt with more important things too.

There is no insta-love and no love triangle, which is always a good thing.

Sinda isn’t perfect. While I rolled my eyes at the fact that she was clumsy (hello, Bella), I liked that she never fully mastered her magical abilities. She kept struggling with it, kept learning, and she never knows if a spell will go right.

What I didn’t like
Pretty much everything else. This is a strong case of tell-don’t-show. The characters are two-dimensional and what could have been powerful scenes (like Sinda finding out she’s not a princess after all) were very poorly written and cast off easily. Because of that, you never truly care about any of the characters or the story. It’s been a long time since I last speed-read. Such a shame, because this book had a lot of potential, but just didn’t live up to it.

Sinda is a very uninteresting protagonist. When she’s told that she needs to leave the palace, that her parents aren’t really her parents and want her to leave, she goes without a fight and doesn’t protest at all. She’s sad because she’s alone, but she doesn’t try to make any new friends and she snaps at her only friend. Not to mention the cringe-worthy fact that she trips over everything because she’s so clumsy. I got bored of her after a while.

There was another subplot involving a secret passage in the palace, but they only used it to enter the palace during the crowning ceremony, which was very disappointing.

Conclusion
While the story has a lot of potential, it just wasn’t as good as the premise led out to be. I enjoyed it more than the average YA story (insta-love, love triangle, wimp of a protagonist), but it still wasn’t amazing.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: the Y half of YA fans

Shelves: reading-challenge, own, fantasy, love-geometry, no-sleep-tonight, plot-twist, little-romance

It was very, very difficult for me to rate this book. Before even opening it, my expectations were at a 3-star level. The first hundred pages or so were super enjoyable, so I started raising it to the 4 range. But after that my interest almost completely disappeared. I was debating between 2 and 3 stars, but as you can see I went with three.

Well, that was an interesting anecdote. If you can't tell, I am not exactly thrilled to be writing this review. When books don't elicit much of a response fr...more

19 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2011 Kailia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love fantasy. After reading so many different books about fantasy worlds and fantasy characters, I’ve been dying to get my hands on something really good. I heard about this book A LONG time ago and I’ve been waiting for it to be ready for reviewing. When I got my hands on it, I read it immediately. I was looking for something good. Eilis O’Neal delivered.

In most fantasies, a lot of the plot and story are focused on explain the world and how everything works. While this is a good idea, it’s no...more I love fantasy. After reading so many different books about fantasy worlds and fantasy characters, I’ve been dying to get my hands on something really good. I heard about this book A LONG time ago and I’ve been waiting for it to be ready for reviewing. When I got my hands on it, I read it immediately. I was looking for something good. Eilis O’Neal delivered.

In most fantasies, a lot of the plot and story are focused on explain the world and how everything works. While this is a good idea, it’s not always the most fun stuff to read about. It was not the case with this book. O’Neal took her time explaining everything about this world and its people. It was not at all loaded because everything had its own time to be revealed. Oh the secrecy! And the twists and turns and the seemingly predictable plot. Believe me, O’Neal thought this plot out through because just when I thought I knew who it was or what was happening, BAM! Something would come in and change all of that.

O’Neal has a great clear cut writing style that takes time to develop but it’s not too fast or too slow; it’s just right. She writes her characters to be believable people and people we can relate to even though they live in a fantasy world. She gives her characters a defined voice and is able to write it that way throughout the novel. The False Princess is a great start to a wonderful writing career!

Now if I found out that I wasn’t the real princess but rather a poor girl in the real princess’s place, I’d freak out. Actually, “freak out” doesn’t even begin to cover what I’d be doing. Sinda, though, takes it so well. She’s struggling yes and it’s upsetting, but she realizes early on that that’s not going to help her. If she’s going to figure out what’s going on, she’s going to need to be calm and collected. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it. She grew up never changing what she believed in and I was happy when after the reveling, she didn’t change her beliefs. Kiernan was a great friend and he’s always there for her. O’Neal doesn’t jump to the two of them falling right in love but she takes time to develop their relationship as Sinda and Kiernan, not Kiernan and the Princess. He was a great character who was well developed and come on, there was romance, GOOD, well written romance, so of course I loved it. I think you will to! J

One of the best fantasies’s of this year so far and one of my favorite books, The False Princess was a well written book. It had great characters, romance, danger, surprises, twists and turns, sword fighting, a bad guy; it had everything! If you’re looking for a good fantasy, check this book out. Of course, if you want to just read something worthwhile, this is also the book for you! I’m looking forward to anything else O’Neal writes!

(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: want-to-own, blog

Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

The False Princess by Ellis O'Neal is the story of Nalia, a 16 year old princess who finds out shortly after her birthday that she is not the princess after all. After a prophecy that stated the princess could die before her 16th birthday, the king and queen and their trusted magical advisors secretly switched the true princess with a peasant to keep her safe. Now that they have reached 16, the princess will live, and it is no...more Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

The False Princess by Ellis O'Neal is the story of Nalia, a 16 year old princess who finds out shortly after her birthday that she is not the princess after all. After a prophecy that stated the princess could die before her 16th birthday, the king and queen and their trusted magical advisors secretly switched the true princess with a peasant to keep her safe. Now that they have reached 16, the princess will live, and it is now safe to bring the princess, who has no idea who she is out of hiding. This means that Nalia, or rather, Sinda must leave. She is sent with no training or preparation to live in a small village with an aunt who believed her dead, and was happy to keep it that way. But it would be too easy to end our story there. There is far more in store for Sinda. She just has to wait.

The False Princess is a strong story. It has all the elements necessary to a great book- The writing is engaging, clear and vivid. The characters are unique and individuals. There are no stock characters here. Each has their own personality, their own tastes, their own motivations. And the story itself, Oh the story! Everyone likes the idea that we are more than we first imagine ourselves to be. That there is something within each of us that is destined for greatness. Sometimes, the circumstances of our birth give us the opportunity to cultivate that, to let it out. Sometimes, they conspire against us to keep us down. And others times, as with Sinda, things get so twisted up that you barely know up from sideways anymore. But no matter what our circumstances would dictate our lives to be, we make of them what we will, and we grow into who we would be.

While this story isn't a fairy tale retelling, it does have the elements important to a fairy tale, and it leaves a reader with a feeling of Once Upon a Time. It has a princess, heroes in unlikely places, a dashing love interest, magic, evil, surprises, and hope. It is a story that will speak to everyone who has ever wished to be a princess, to everyone who has ever wanted a little bit of magic in their life, and to everyone who has wanted to make a difference in the lives of those around them.

The world and character building of O'Neal here is spot on. She has brilliantly captured what it would be like to go from royalty to peasant in the space of an afternoon. When she gets to her aunt's house, she has no idea what to do, or how to work. She has never had to do any of these things on her own before. She doesn't make friends easily, doesn't understand the people around her, and doesn't feel like she is ever going to fit in. She also begins to see the world from an entirely new perspective. She begins to understand the casual cruelty that comes from never having wanted for anything, from being given everything you have ever wanted or needed. The king and queen took her from her family as an infant with no thoughts beyond saving their daughter. If a peasant girl had to die in the process, so be it. They don't think much about their people because they don't understand their life. So what if they are a little poor. They should just work harder. The gift they gave to her aunt for taking Sinda into her home is useless. In theory or thought, it's a lovely gift, but one with absolutely no use in her life. Sinda never noticed things like this as a princess, and as she begins to realize these things, she changes. She grows as a person.

No review of this book would be complete without some mention of Keirnan, who has been Nalia Sinda's best friend for as long as they can remember. He is the perfect friend for Sinda, carefree where she is more serious, and always there for her. You don't see a lot of him in the beginning section of the book, after Sinda leaves the castle, but the few times we do get to meet him, it is very clear how much he cares for her, how much he wants her to be happy, and yes, how much he cares for her. He's exactly the kind of best friend (male or female) that everyone needs.

Overall, this is a book worth reading again and again. This is O'Neal's debut novel and I find myself eagerly awaiting announcements of her future releases. She is an author to watch, and this is a book to be read. So go do it. Now. And then come back and tell me that you loved it as much as I did. Go ahead. I'll still be here when you get back. :)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 26, 2011 Hallie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy, audiobook

Well. For the most part, I enjoyed this a lot more than I'd have expected, based on its being a medievalesque fantasy, involving a rightful heir(ess), and it being crucial that said rightful heiress be the one to inherit the throne. I think part of what made me like it was that the premise was just so extreme, that I thought it would be hard to go back to the standard fantasy setting of monarchy is the only proper system of governance. Although there are numerous reviews setting out that premise...more Well. For the most part, I enjoyed this a lot more than I'd have expected, based on its being a medievalesque fantasy, involving a rightful heir(ess), and it being crucial that said rightful heiress be the one to inherit the throne. I think part of what made me like it was that the premise was just so extreme, that I thought it would be hard to go back to the standard fantasy setting of monarchy is the only proper system of governance. Although there are numerous reviews setting out that premise, I'll sketch in in briefly so what I'm saying about it makes some sense for anyone who doesn't know what happens. Nalia is a princess, and as only child of her parents, heiress to the throne of Thorvaldor. However, shortly after her 16th birthday, she's told that she isn't actually the princess at all, but a random common baby who was brought up as the princess because the king and queen had been given a prophecy that the princess would be murdered before her 16th birthday. Seriously - grab a baby, treat her as your beloved child enough to fool everyone, just so she can get knocked off instead of your real child, whom you can then produce with a "Here's one I prepared earlier" flourish. AND NOBODY WILL SAY YOU'RE CRIMINALLY HARD-HEARTED BECAUSE YOU'RE THE KING AND QUEEN. Seriously!

Anyway, poor old Nalia - now Sinda - has a rotten time, being turfed out of the castle with some money, though not a lot, and getting to see the "real princess" be greeted lovingly by parents, nobles and castle serving folk alike as she's whisked away from the city alone. That's just way harsh. Oh, and she's separated from her best friend for life, Kiernan, without even getting to say goodbye. She has to live with her only living relative, her aunt, who's a dyer in a small village, and try to learn to be useful enough to pay her way.

I enjoyed all this, but if I can say it without revealing any major spoilers, there were elements to the resolution of the story that really bothered me. Yes, Nalia found a life in which she could be valued and useful, and even find a use for the princessly training she'd received, as well as her spanking new skill. But on the other hand, things were going to improve for this wildly unjust kingdom in a way that could *only* have happened with the "rightful heir" on the throne (even though -- hmmm - that rightful heir had got the background that would enable her to improve things as a result of the baddie's actions), and that's a fairy tale trope I really dislike in fleshed-out novels. Frankly, I think a (preferably peaceful) rebellion would have done the country much more good.

That said, I liked Kiernan, and I very much liked Philantha (think that's the spelling - the problems with audiobooks!), and if Nalia herself occasionally made really rotten choices, it was fairly understandable, and she didn't get away from having to live with the guilt the consequences brought her. (But compelling Kiernan? Not nice!)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 19, 2011 Joana (The Boundless Book List) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog

check out the full review here: http://best-of-ya.blogspot.com/2011/0...

Plot: This book has pretty much everything you would want to read about; romance, adventure, magic, fantasy, mystery, etc. There is a lot happening in the story-line, but it is not at all confusing and is really easy to follow along with. There were some parts that were easy to guess, but there were just as many that surprised me. I had a hard time putting this book down because of all the suspense. I needed to know what hap...more check out the full review here: http://best-of-ya.blogspot.com/2011/0...

Plot: This book has pretty much everything you would want to read about; romance, adventure, magic, fantasy, mystery, etc. There is a lot happening in the story-line, but it is not at all confusing and is really easy to follow along with. There were some parts that were easy to guess, but there were just as many that surprised me. I had a hard time putting this book down because of all the suspense. I needed to know what happened next! The magical aspect of the story seemed to be a bit detached at the beginning and just seemed to be an added detail that wasn't as important as everything else. However, once the story picked up, so did the magic. Sinda had a hard time with it at first and I admired the fact that she never gave up.

Characters: Sinda is the first false Princess and I thought she was a great main character. When she finds out that the first 16 years of her life were a lie and is sent to live with her only surviving relative who she has never met before, she tries to make the best of a pretty bad situation. She does not complain as most people would if they were in the same situation. Instead, she tries her hardest to be the best dyer she can be and to help her aunt with anything she needs. She is not very good at it, but at least she tries. All of this makes her strong and less selfconsious. Kiernan, Sinda's best and only friend, is pretty amazing too. He is extremely loyal, kind and a bit of a prankster who really helps Sinda get out of her comfort zone. He sticks by Sinda's side even after it is revealed that she is not the real princess and it is obvious that he is in love with her from the beginning. Then there is Orianne and Mika. They were both very nice, but my favorite of the two would have to be Mika and her sarcastic personality.

Cover: I tend to pick books based on their covers (which is a no-no, but I still do it anyways) and this one was no acception. I love the purple wallpaper background. I'm not quite sure which of the three girls it is on the cover, but I'm guessing it is Sinda wearing a locket with a picture of Nalia. It reminds me of the old Elle Enchanted cover.

Overall Impression: For anyone that likes fantasy, magic, wizards, kings, queens and a whole bunch of other things, this is definitely the book for you. This is the first YA fantasy I've picked up in awhile because there aren't that many and I really liked it. I will definitely be looking for more and other books by Eilis O'Neal from now on.

Rating: * * * * (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, fantasy, ya

False Princess, I’ll tumble for ya. There are WIZARDS and CONSPIRACIES, and ROYALTY, and WUV TRUE WUV. The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal is a bang-up debut novel. If you enjoyed The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale and that style of writing, friend, you’ll LOVE this book. Plot in a nutshell? So Nalia is heir to the Thorvaldian throne, princess of the kingdom, best friends with jokester Kiernan, life is good. Then she is summoned by her parents and finds out that she isn’t the real princess. Her name...more

5 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't in love with this book. I can't put my finger on it either, which is frustrating; however, there was nothing that really jumped out at me that made me dislike it...it just never grabbed me.
That said, if you're into YA Fantasy, you liked Ella Enchanted, you'll probably like this book.

*NOTE* Upon reflection, I think the reason why I didn't like this book very much was because I didn't like the protagonist's voice. It didn't resonate with me or make me like her. That's not to say it wasn't...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, romance, child

On her sixteenth birthday, Nalia learns that she is not actually a princess. She was switched at birth to protect the real princess from an assassination attempt. Even her name is different, she is actually Sinda. She is sent back to her only living relative with very little money and no skills for village life. Now that the spell making her appear to be the princess is gone, her own suppressed magic makes itself known. She must learn to handle it before it harms someone. To do that she must ret...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 09, 2011 Reading Vacation rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review

Prepare for some seriously gushy book love.

The False Princess is the perfect storm. It delivers magic, secret identities, hidden truths, and a bit of romance in one incredible story. I am in LOVE with this book!

The intricate story-line is perfectly laid out. It is not at all confusing, but it is most certainly compelling. Let’s just say that Eilis O’Neal is an expert at building suspense and I did not want to stop reading for even a minute. With moments that will make you cry, scream, laug...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2013 Keilah R rated it 5 of 5 stars

By Ellis O'Neal
Fantasy
Finished 4-23-13
319 pages

This book is about a sixteen year old girl named Nalia, or at least she thinks that's her real name. One day the king and queen tell her that she is really a false princess and that the other princess was hidden until she was sixteen because a prophecy foretold she would be killed before that age. The false princess, whose real name is Sinda, goes to live with her aunt, who is a dyer. But when she finds out she has magic in her blood, she becomes th...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2013 Faith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-star

I liked this story.

But there were a few things that really annoyed me.

How exactly did Sinda get herself expelled from the
Palace without ever uttering a word against the injustice
of it all? Okay I get that she was in shock and everything,
but come on! Nobody can be such a push over.

And the bloody King and Queen? Seriously they practically
raised the child for 16 years and then they dump her out of
the Palace without even a hint of compassion. Sure they looked
grieved but they overstepped the mark of...more

like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Reianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The plot was something completely new; I'd never heard of anything like it. The idea of growing up as a princess, never doubting who you really were - and then to be told you are not. To have your whole identity stripped away, to have everything you've ever known torn from your grasp. What do you do? How does one start again, when everything they've ever known is gone? When they are completely alone, with no one to confide in or talk to?

The plot itself, if you haven't...more I really enjoyed this book. The plot was something completely new; I'd never heard of anything like it. The idea of growing up as a princess, never doubting who you really were - and then to be told you are not. To have your whole identity stripped away, to have everything you've ever known torn from your grasp. What do you do? How does one start again, when everything they've ever known is gone? When they are completely alone, with no one to confide in or talk to?

The plot itself, if you haven't noticed already, I adored. The idea was fresh and new and exciting. Especially the twist! I did not see that coming. And I wasn't sure who the antagonist was until O'Neal deemed it the right time for me to know. This book really kept me guessing. The first couple of chapters are fast paced and throw you right in the midst of it. Then it kind of hits a lull, but it wasn't a bad one. The story kept progressing and I didn't have the urge to skim a passage. It was just slowly paced and rather absent of any action. Then things start to pick up again, and I didn't put the book down until I was finished.

The characters were great as well. I got frustrated with Sinda when she was so...well, accepting. She's told by the people she's always believed to be her parents that she's not a princess nor their daughter, and is then kicked from the castle grounds. And yet, she does nothing. Says nothing. Does not object, does not question it. Maybe it's more a personal preference, or simply because I don't identify with that kind of personality (me being the complete opposite of that). Either way, I found that aggravating. However, I did really enjoy her character. You really see her grow and develop. I really loved watching her struggle with her motives. Sinda had to delve deep into her own mind, and really think over what she was doing. We watch her struggle with the choices she's made, and wonder if they're right.

Kiernan is a sweet character that was easy to love. I don't mind all the tough, bad boys that are usually prominent in YA novels. But it was refreshing to have a love interest that was nice, kind and giving. He cared for people, he wanted to help. He was just all around lovable.

All the other characters were great as well. They were all so complex. No one's motives were straight forward. I wasn't sure if someone was good or bad. What side were they on?

The relationship between Sinda and Kiernan was nice and sweet. It didn't over take the book in anyway. It was more of a subplot. It was there, though, and it was the kind that just made you smile. The kind that leaves you happy. It wasn't passionate, but more of a deep rooted love that was always there - they just had to come to terms with it. Once they do, there is no doubt that they're meant for each other.

All in all, I give this book 4.5 stars. It's a nice read, with a plot that keeps you guessing and complex characters that'll leave you wondering about them even after you've finished this book. Great summer read.(:(less)

like · see review

Dec 31, 2012 Brittany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Since It's Winter Break, I took my annual WB gander through my library to find all sorts of books to read over break. I always spend most of my time in the New Shelf of the Teen Section; it has a good number of YA books released in the past year. When I saw the title The False Princess, it intrigued me, I thought; that is new, never in my many years (7, to be exact) of reading YA books, have I been so dragged in by a title. I imediately added it to my pile. (Which would be expanded to 9 books by...more Since It's Winter Break, I took my annual WB gander through my library to find all sorts of books to read over break. I always spend most of my time in the New Shelf of the Teen Section; it has a good number of YA books released in the past year. When I saw the title The False Princess, it intrigued me, I thought; that is new, never in my many years (7, to be exact) of reading YA books, have I been so dragged in by a title. I imediately added it to my pile. (Which would be expanded to 9 books by the end of my trip.) At the time of this particular trip, I had been reading the amazingly attention-grabbing Clockwork Angel, so I finished that and immediatly started reading this. It took me less than a day to finish it; partly because it was only 323 pages, but more importantly; it was AMAZING!!!

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

Doesn't it sound amazing? With passionate love of friendship, her country, and her past, Sinda is attempting to reconstruct a plot to set a 'False Princess' on the throne; someone other than her, that is.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 20, 2012 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

At age 16, the princess finds out that she is not really royal, that she was a commoner baby chosen to be raised as a decoy because of a prophecy that the princess would be murdered. Her real name is Sinda Azaway. She is dumped off with a distant relative living in poverty and forgotten. The rest of the book focuses on her identity crisis, discovering new abilities, and solving the mystery of the real plot to the throne. Oh, and there's this thing going on with her childhood best friend, the son...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed

Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

Originally reviewed at sixmixedreviews.blogspot.com

The False Princess reminded me a lot of The Bayern series by Shannon Hale (Goose Girl, Enna Burning). It also reminded me of The Peasant Queen series by Cheri Chesley. I liked both series and so it goes to follow that I liked The False Princess. Definitely a book a would recommend for the other reviewers here and probably most of our readers.

Heavy on underdog teen overcoming all the odds, light on romance. I was...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

O’Neal, E. (2011). The false princess. New York: Egmont. 323 pp. ISBN: 978-1-60684-079-5. (Hardcover); $16.99.*

Nalia wears princess clothes, eats princess food, and does princess-ly things like learning dead languages, consulting with magicians, dancing royal dances, and keeping the hoi polloi at a distance. On her 16 birthday, however, all of her princessiness comes to an end. Turns out that she is not the real princess at all. She is a fill in princess, a false princess, put in place to protec...more

like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Felita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-romance, young-adult

Naila dibesarkan dari kecil hingga berumur enam belas tahun sebagai tuan putri Thorvaldor. Naila hanya mengenal dirinya ,keluarganya dan Kiernan,sahabatnya dari keluarga bangsawan. Ketika dia dipanggil menghadap kedua orang tuanya, sehari setelah dia berumur enam belas tahun, Naila mengetahui bahwa dirinya selama ini hanya putri pengganti dan nama aslinya a/ Sinda. Sinda diberitau alasannya, ada ramalan yang menyebutkan bahwa putri yang asli akan terbunuh sebelum usia enam belas tahun.

Jadilah si...more Naila dibesarkan dari kecil hingga berumur enam belas tahun sebagai tuan putri Thorvaldor. Naila hanya mengenal dirinya ,keluarganya dan Kiernan,sahabatnya dari keluarga bangsawan. Ketika dia dipanggil menghadap kedua orang tuanya, sehari setelah dia berumur enam belas tahun, Naila mengetahui bahwa dirinya selama ini hanya putri pengganti dan nama aslinya a/ Sinda. Sinda diberitau alasannya, ada ramalan yang menyebutkan bahwa putri yang asli akan terbunuh sebelum usia enam belas tahun.

Jadilah sinda “diusir” ke rumah bibinya di pedalaman. Sinda pergi tanpa sempat mengucapkan selamat tinggal pada Kiernan dan kepergian sinda hanya digantikan dengan kemunculan putri yang asli dan sekantong uang emas.

Harapan Sinda bertemu kedua orangtuanya pupus, digantikan seorang bibi yang kaku. Tiap hari,, hidup Sinda dimulai dengan membantu sang bibi mencelup, mencari tumbuh-tumbuhan, menyiapkan makanan dll. Walaupun sudah berusaha keras, Sinda mulai berpikir, bahwa hidupnya yg baru ini bukan gayanya. Sikap sang bibi yang dingin, tidak ada teman sebayanya yang mau mengajaknya berteman. Semua rasa frustasinya memunculkan suatu rasa yang aneh dalam dirinya. Lewat suatu peristiwa, Sinda mengetahui dia memiliki sihir.

Maka berangkatlah Sinda ke ibu kota untuk belajar menjadi penyihir. Singkat kata, dia diterima menjadi murid dan pertemanannya dengan Kiernan kembali nyambung. Hidup baru sinda sebagai murid penyihir diinterupsi dengan suatu kejadian, di mana Sinda tahu bahwa putri yang berada di istana saat ini adalah putri gadungan seperti dia juga.

Kenapa Orianne, si putri yang sekarang juga putri gadungan ?
Di mana putri Naila yang asli ?

Jawaban-jawaban masalah itu harus Sinda pecahkan bersama Kiernan, sebelum pembunuhan yang diramalkan benar-benar terjadi.

Komen:

# ceritanya bagus, tapi aq ga suka dg karakter Sinda. Dibilang di sini dia pemalu dan ceroboh tapi kenapa dalam cerita selanjutnya, menurutku tidak ada kecendrungan ke arah sana. Belum lagi, pas dia menolak kehadiran Kiernan di rumah bibinya membuatku mengernyit. “ Bukan ini karakter pemalu yang kuharapkan “ ditambah rasa ingin membuktikan dirinya berguna, menurutku aneh. Ngerti sih, keadaan situasi yang mendorongnya seperti itu. Tapi tetap aneh.

# Aq suka dengan karakter Naila yang asli. Dan endingnya juga bagus.

Cukup 3 bintang deh

(less)

like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Corinne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

3.5 stars

Nalia has lived the life of a princess for all her sixteen years - privileged and educated. And then, out of the blue, she is told that she isn't really the princess. She was raised in the palace in order to ensure the safety of the true princess, who was then ready to take the throne. Suddenly, thrust out into the real world, the-girl-who-was-Nalia (now Sinda), has so much to learn, not just practical life skills but a knowledge of the magic that appeared inaccessible. Soon, she is on...more

like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 Monica! rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, you-go-girl, hark-a-questing-beast, whodunit, how-all-stories-should-begin, the-sparkles-mean-its-magic, what-is-this-feeling, now-youve-read-the-book

Spoiler alert. I’m… I’m totally going to ruin the plot here, for you.

First off, you need to ignore the cover, where it looks like our False Princess has a little bit of giraffe in her genes. Good lord. Was she tortured as a child? Is this a birth defect of some kind? I know they had to get her head out of the way so the title could fit nicely, but couldn’t the publishers think of a better design?

Okay. That’s my complaint. Now the story.

Princess Nalia is summoned on her 16th birthday to meet wit...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Aimi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I thought it was interesting to see the flip side of the rise to fame story. She is a princess and then when she turned 16 she learns that she actually isn't the princess, just one that took her place in case someone decided to kill the princess before her 16th birthday. Devestated to find out that she is not who she thought she was her whole life, she is sent out to the streets to make her own life. But what life skills does a princess have really? She struggles until she dis...more

like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

The best way to describe this novel is as a “backward fairy tale.” Princess Nalia has it all. She will one day be Queen of Thorvaldor. She has a cute male “friend” who is obviously in love with her. She is intelligent, has had the best education there is to offer, and has the world at her fingertips. Everything falls apart, however, when she is told by the King and Queen that she really isn’t the princess at all. Instead she is a fake, a spelled commoner who was switched with the real princess a...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Jem Langford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-put-down, drop-dead-best-romance, library-books, wonderful, strong-heroines

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The False Princess was a thrilling book with many plot twists that I truly hadn't expected. When the plot summary said that Nalia, or rather Sinda discovers something that could change Thorvaldoran history forever I really didn't take it seriously. But let's start from the beginning.
The storyline itself is fascinating, with a false princess, a prophecy and a sneaky little oracle who just so happens to be the sister of a distant royal bloodline. I swear Melaina freaked the hell out of me but her...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Harmony Beaufort rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, here's the deal: Sinda has been a princess her entire life. She's kind of clumsy, not too graceful, but she's sweet and kind and stubborn, all good qualities for someone who will rule. That is, until her parents let her know that they're not her parents and she's just been a stand-in for the REAL princess, who's arriving in a few days. So, with almost no money and stripped of her title, she is sent to live with her aunt and in a tumble of crazy things, sent on a magical quest to find out a...more Okay, here's the deal: Sinda has been a princess her entire life. She's kind of clumsy, not too graceful, but she's sweet and kind and stubborn, all good qualities for someone who will rule. That is, until her parents let her know that they're not her parents and she's just been a stand-in for the REAL princess, who's arriving in a few days. So, with almost no money and stripped of her title, she is sent to live with her aunt and in a tumble of crazy things, sent on a magical quest to find out about this prophecy that made her a False Princess in the first place.

THIS PLOT GUYS. I absolutely love love love the idea of a Fake Princess and Sinda was the best there is! She was fierce and loving and she had some guts, going on this crazy journey even though at the very beginning, she knows the consequences. Instantly you and Sinda are thrown out into the streets of Thorvaldor and the pace quickly picks up from there. Sinda has no idea how to be a peasant or...well, anything besides a princess and I loved seeing her overcome the struggle that came with finding out everything you loved and had was...well, not yours. I imagine that must be one of the craziest things: to realize your life wasn't ever yours. The way Sinda deals with it is intelligent and so realistic for a teenager who just realized how lonely she was (with the exception of Keirnan, of course, BUT THAT'S FOR LATER) and just how she's going to deal with that.

O'Neal has the kind of writing style that flows with such an ease that pace was never a problem. I never felt bored or robbed of details and everything was descriptive without being too wordy and full of that purple prose. It had a fairy-tale-esque quality to it that I definitely appreciated; lyrical with a dash of dangerous adventure. Also: MAGIC GUYS. Sinda finds out early on she is a magician and she gets taken in by this awesome old lady who wants to teach her how to hone that type of MAD SKILLZ she's been suppressing her whole life.

Finally, Keirnan. Oh, he makes me do the dreamy sigh. I love romances that are nurtured and grown over time, even if that time isn't shown in the book. Keirnan is an immediate love interest and you can see the sparks between them the moment he steps on the page. Plus, they've been best friends for a reallllly long time. YA romances like that are rare but proof that friendship is really a gateway to a relationship and it can be done well. (less)

like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Giu Molina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

A promessa do livro me deixou intrigada desde o começo… amo livros com uma boa intriga, com aventura e magia… e também amo quando eles acontecem em reinos distantes… com nobres, cavaleiros, principes, princesas, rainhas e reis…
The False Princess tem um ritmo ótimo… eu sei que eu quase sempre falo isso nas minhas resenhas… mais é sempre a verdade: eu comecei o livro e não consegui mais parar…
Sinda é uma personagem principal incrível que está passando por uma master crise de identidade… e ninguém...more

like · see review

May 20, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

The False Princess is very sweet. Very cute. I probably would have enjoyed it with no reservations, say, five years ago. Unfortunately, I think I might just be too washed up and cynical.

No, seriously, it's good fun. The main characters are likeable, the romance is adorable, the plot is decent. There are definitely people I would recommend this book for.

The main character, Sinda, starts off as a shy and awkward princess who finds out she's really a commoner who was switched at birth with the re...more The False Princess is very sweet. Very cute. I probably would have enjoyed it with no reservations, say, five years ago. Unfortunately, I think I might just be too washed up and cynical.

No, seriously, it's good fun. The main characters are likeable, the romance is adorable, the plot is decent. There are definitely people I would recommend this book for.

The main character, Sinda, starts off as a shy and awkward princess who finds out she's really a commoner who was switched at birth with the real princess because of a prophecy blah blah. Predictably, she must undertake some quest-type thing, during which she comes into her own and transforms into a strong, independent young woman. Good times. That, in and of itself, was great. I loved her character arc. Thematically, issues surrounding differences in social class come into play a lot. That worked well too.

Part of what makes the book strong is its simplicity and straightforwardness. It doesn't try to bite off more than it can chew. But I guess that between being washed up and cynical and on the older end of the YA spectrum, I wished that it tried to be a bit more complex.

The biggest issue that I had with the book was that the stakes never seemed to be very high. Like, I know that if Sinda and Kiernan don't hurry up and figure out who the bad guy is and how to overthrow his/her plans, terrible things will happen. But I don't feel it. I never truly feel terrified for these characters and what they're doing.

There is also very little development for the bad guy. I mean, there's a Villain Monologue at the end that hits almost every cliche in the book, but he/she never manages to be truly threatening or understandable.

Sometimes it felt like the quest-type thing was too easy. For example, there is this part where Sinda and Kiernan have the break into this mausoleum to get top-secret information and all they have to do is bust apart the lock. There aren't armed guards or magical spells guarding the place or anything. There is this other part where Sinda witnesses a hooded figure casting a spell on somebody in the middle of the night and it's super important and evil and spoilery. The mysterious person is casting the spell right in the middle of the palace (albeit in the middle of the night), so I don't see how he/she wouldn't take some precautions, like putting up magical shields to protect against detection. Stuff like that probably wouldn't have bothered me a few years ago, but it does now.

Very minor final complaint: Kiernan is Sinda's childhood best friend and love interest. Kiernan is cool because he's happy-go-lucky rather than broody, which is refreshing. But while Sinda has to face her vulnerabilities (fear that she's nothing but a pawn who can't stand up for herself, fear that she's only motivated to save the kingdom because she wants to be a hero) in order to triumph at the end, Kiernan really doesn't change much throughout the book. I totally get that he's supposed to be reliable and steady, but it's hinted that behind his charming and easy-going exterior, Kiernan is afraid that nobody takes him seriously or sees him as more than his jokes. I kind of wanted him to confront that, even verbally or something. Ah, well. (less)

1 like · like · see review

title link	preview: The False Princess
avg rating	preview: The False Princess Goodreads rating: 3.79 (6617 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6760761-the-false-princess?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320540145l/6760761.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6760761-the-false-princess?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal[/url]

The False Princess

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (10)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Eilis O'Neal

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The False Princess

Quotes from The False Princess