The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The False Prince (Ascendance Trilogy, #1)

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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.

Reviewed by wyvernfriend on

4 of 5 stars

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In a world not unlike ours, Sage is one of four boys captured by Conner and forced to take part in a competition to see which one of them will become the kingdom's missing prince.

I enjoyed the story and the twist was good. I guessed what it was going to be but not the mechanics of how it would unfold. This feels almost like a fantasy story but there's no magic in it, it's more an almost medieval/early renaissance alternative world. I'm really looking forward to the sequel. It's quite well done and I was really rooting for Sage throughout.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 27 March, 2013: Finished reading
  • 27 March, 2013: Reviewed