From the Bookshelf of Mock Newbery 2026

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What Members Thought

Mary Ann
Mar 23, 2012 rated it it was amazing
Loved this edge-of-your seat fantasy, mystery, political intrigue! Many echoes of Megan Whalen Turner. A great choice for kids who've devoured the Harry Potter series, crave action and are ready for political intrigue. ...more
Claire
Sage is a street smart, mouthy and sharp witted orphan who bears an uncanny resemblance to a young prince, Jaron, who was assassinated at age 10 four years ago.
Now, the royal family has been poisoned and to prevent civil war Connor, a Carthyan aristocrat has devised a plan to put a false prince, his puppet, in place in the castle.
Sage promises to be a difficult prince. Still, of the four candidates that Connor purchased(yes purchased from orphanages) we believe that Sage will be the young man
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Carol Royce Owen
Jan 09, 2013 rated it it was amazing
The King, Queen, and Prince of Carthya have been poisoned, a fact that few know, and shortly after an orphan boy named Sage is bought from an orphanage, along with three others, by a Regent named Connor who plans on training the boys so that one of them can step forward as the missing Prince Jarus in a matter of just two weeks. Prince Jarus was a mischievous, badly behaved prince who had been sent away years ago, but was presumed dead when the boat that he was on had been attacked by pirates and ...more
Mari Anne
Feb 01, 2013 rated it really liked it
4.5 stars for this amazing YA adventure story set in the mythical middle ages. 14 year old Sage is plucked from an orphanage by a strange man on an even more mysterious mission. Sage, though, has never been a kid to cooperate and he gives his benefactor/jailer a run for his money. The plot reminded me a bit of "The Man in the Iron Mask". It is wonderfully complex but fast moving and with well written and interesting characters. Highly recommended for grades 5 and up. I could see this being a big ...more
Eliza
Aug 22, 2012 rated it really liked it
Fabulous.
Julie Williams
May 11, 2013 rated it it was amazing
Loved it!!!!! This is on the Maine Student Book Award for 2013-2014 and I will be recommending it any chance I get. I thought it was wonderful. Sage and 2 other orphans are "rescued" by Connor to be part of his nefarious (I just wanted to use that word) to take over the kingdom. One pf the orphans will assume the role of Jaron the long lost prince. I don't want to give away any of the plot but the book was really great. Hoping they have the sequel at the Scholastic warehouse sale :)

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Dolores
Jul 20, 2012 rated it it was amazing
An absorbing read that captured my imagination from start to finish. The book has everything I like in a story--memorable characters, humor and adventure. Sage is such a fantastic character. I listened to this one, and the audio was excellent. There was even a little extra story on the audio version. We are all set up for the second book. Can't wait. ...more
Karen Arendt
Aug 01, 2012 rated it it was amazing
Plenty of deceit, lies, and excitement. Sage is an orphan who is bought with three other orphans. One of them will be trained to be King of Carthya. What will happen to the other three? Will the true prince appear? The story is fast paced and will appeal to boys and girls. A few surprises add to the story.
Sps
Sep 18, 2012 rated it it was ok
Bah. Predictable. It wanted to be The Thief but had none of that book's liquid intelligence. ...more
Caren
Feb 11, 2012 rated it really liked it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Deanna Day
Jan 22, 2013 rated it really liked it
Fun read!
The Styling Librarian
I really enjoyed this fantastic adventure/suspense book. I loved the twists, turns, and surprises in the book and although I predicted early on the big surprise, I was still totally thrilled to read the revealing chapter towards the end of the book. I heard that this book is a series and actually am excited to read the next book since characters were so well developed and interesting that I can't wait to jump back into that world. ...more
Emily Rozmus
May 05, 2012 rated it liked it
It took me a while to get into this book but once I did, it was hard to put down. I had most of it figured out before it happened and had hoped for more of a twist at the end. At any rate, it was an enjoyable book and I have an ARC of the 2nd in the trilogy to read. I will be interested to see what the characters take on in this second book.
Sandy
Tried to listen to this on audio, but the narrator was as boring as all get-out. So much monotone that I couldn't continue. This is a shame, because the story actually seemed to be quite intriguing. Even from those first few chapters I can see why this book has been popular. ...more
Rachel
Oct 18, 2013 rated it really liked it
Wonderful story. It reminded me a lot of The Thief by Megan Turner. I am looking forward to reading the next book.
KWinks
Jun 07, 2012 rated it liked it
Our September pick! I am curious as to what the book club thinks of this.
Erinn
Jun 15, 2012 rated it it was amazing
Cecelia
Aug 13, 2012 rated it really liked it
Shelves: waiting, nlms
Jody
Sep 03, 2012 rated it really liked it
Melissa
Sep 13, 2012 marked it as to-read
Benji Martin
Sep 26, 2012 rated it liked it
Kirsten
Oct 24, 2012 rated it really liked it
Shelves: young-adult
Scot
Nov 03, 2012 rated it liked it
Vicki
Mar 09, 2013 marked it as to-read
Tracy
Sep 08, 2013 rated it liked it
Kaye
Mar 26, 2014 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: series, favorites
Sheila Welch
Aug 24, 2014 rated it it was amazing
Karyn Lewis
Aug 07, 2018 marked it as to-read