Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy
Number in Series: Book #1
Copyright: 2012; Scholastic Press
Genre: Young Reader Fiction: Action / Adventure
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780545284134
My Rating: 4 / 5
Content Rating: PG (for some mild intense scenes involving action and blood)
To start off, just LOOK at this amazing cover art!! The picture doesn't do it justice--for it is much more beautiful in real life. Cover art is key for striking interest when book browsing. If the cover is boring, who is going to pick it up and look at it?
So, now that I have picked up the book because of the cover, what is the story about? Well, I will let my friends at Barnes & Noble tell you:
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 as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.
An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.
Who doesn't like a good adventure book filled with lies, deceit, treason, and a hidden truth?
Overall, I found this book interesting, yet with some predictable moments. However seeing as the age range for this book is 10 - 14 year olds, perhaps what I call "predictable" a 13-year-old would not. Speaking of which, this is the type of book I would have loved to have read at that age! The thought of someone becoming more than who he/she is (a hidden destiny, perhaps) was something I would have found entertaining at that age.
My only complaint about this book was that towards the end the author switches POVs. Up until that point in the story, the POV had been told in first person. Then there is one chapter where it is completely third person, with no Sage in sight! Granted, the author probably did this for suspense reasons (and it worked) however I feel once you pick a POV it needs to stay that way. If the author had done more of these POV switches through-out the book, it wouldn't have bothered me so much. But to have one chapter done in third person...
In the end, I finished this book rather quickly (with it being a fast and easy read) and was happy with the ending. It has a nice "rounded story" feel to it, yet you can sense the story continues on. How the sequels will be done, I am not sure. Will I read them? Probably.
Finally, would I recommend this book to you? Yes. Especially if you are looking for an easy read.
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