If you love the danger and sword-fighting of MERLIN, you'll like this! 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. As Sage's journey continues, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally a truth is revealed that proves more dangerous than all of the lies put together.
This is a great book - most boys would love this - girls too. Very twisty and turny. Little bit choppy at the end, but still very satisfying. To sum up, the rogue collects a few orphan boys, who compete for the honour of impersonating the missing prince, with the purpose of taking control of the kingdom. The missing prince, in turn, was also well known for being rather roguish - fortunately quite a rebel who liked sword fighting, riding horses, and creating mayhem in the castle, so lots of action ensues all round -for the enjoyment of the reader, though often ending in pain for the main character. Crime does not pay, as you know (well, not always...but there are exceptions to the rule, or ruler, as the case may be.)
