SOLVED. MG YA Fiction/Fantasy Boy Finds stone/gem that marks him as the next king. SPOILERS ahead...[s]

[Rob]

The book starts on an island of orphans, I believe. The two main characters, both boys, find a stone that marks one as the next king, I believe it was either a falcon or an eagle marked stone/gem. They escape the island and travel through the world (the book included a map, they traveled from the southernmost point on the map up the west side through the mountains and across to the northeast where a kingdom was found).
After both nearly die in the mountains they find their way to a kingdom, the future-king child presents the stone and enters into a tournament to win the hand of a beautiful woman (princess maybe), and succeeds but is stabbed in the back by her lover and dies. the second character, who up until then had been the narrator, suddenly becomes the next king.

[Andria]

This kind of sounds like: The Wings of a Falcon

[Rob]

Andria wrote: "This kind of sounds like: The Wings of a Falcon"

That does sound similar, although I don't think its the same book as I'm thinking of. Will probably still go read it though!

[Andria]

Rob, how long ago did you read this?

[Rob]

Andria wrote: "Rob, how long ago did you read this?"

My guess was I read it somewhere between 2000-2006.

[Kris]

Spoiler alert added to the topic header.

[SBC]

Hi Rob, I second The Wings of a Falcon - if you read it I think you'll find it's definitely the book you're after :)

Its plot is identical to all the plot points you describe, from beginning to end. Griff is the narrator but the 'second character' as he tells Oriel's story - he idolises his Oriel, from their childhood on the island where they find the stone, and they travel far and wide until Oriel falls in love with the beautiful woman (Tintage) who stabs him in the back, leaving Griff to become king.

Synopsis snippet:
Oriel has always stood out as someone who would not bend. No matter how much he has had to endure, the Damall’s cruelty cannot corrupt him. Griff, a boy who has watched and admired Oriel, is the opposite. He has learned to keep out of sight, to bow in the face of force. Yet the two became friends, and together they escaped from the terrors of the island and take with them the Damall’s most prized relic—the beryl, a green gemstone engraved with a falcon, its wings unfolding. But as they seek a new life, it’s not as easy as they’d hoped, for ahead lie raiding Wolfers, rival armies, and unspeakable dangers...

[Andria]

Thanks, SBC. My gut said that was the book, but I never read it in entirety, so couldn't confirm the details!

[Rob]

Thank you both! That synopsis definitely sounds correct, I guess its just been awhile since I've read it, thanks for your help!

Apparently, they also changed the name to "The Tale of Oriel" in later editions, which sounds much more familiar, so that could be why I didn't recognize "The Wings of a Falcon" as the title : )