The False Prince (Review by Tracy)

​​The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielson is the first books in a medieval trilogy about royal schemes and dangerous conspiracies. It was filled with twists and turns that created a suspenseful network of lies and masked identities.
The False Prince is set in a typical medieval kingdom ruled by a corrupt monarchy.  The kingdom is divided when suddenly, the king and his royal family are poisoned and die. To stop the impending war, a clever court noble, Conner, conceives a devious plan to create a puppet prince to plant a heir onto the throne.
The main character is an orphan named Sage, with quick hands a a knack for pickpocketing. He is roped into Conner's schemes, competing alongside two other boys to be chosen as Conner's puppet prince. However, Sage is levels cleverer than the other two, and knows Conner is up to no good. But his life is on the line in this dangerous game -- he either plays his part, or dies.
However, there are many overused and familiar tropes woven into The False Prince, such as the pauper-into-prince idea, or the secret lost heir thought to be dead. I was easily able to predict the last major twist (you could too) although I spent the whole novel wishing it wouldn't come true. However, I still really enjoyed the book. Sage's character and the writing voice saved the novel. The False Prince is often compared to its very similar predecessor, award-winning novel The Thief, which I also read and enjoyed. However, although The Thief was porbably a better-written and told story, I felt far more connected to Sage and really enjoyed his dry wit, humor, tenacity, and multi-faceted character. 
Although The False Prince certainly had its flaws, it was still and enjoyable read for sure, with a main character easy to empathize with. As Sage navigates through Conner's treachery amidst treasures and rich excess he has never lived with before, lies are uncovered and truths laid bare until Sage's greatest fear and secret is revealed. The False Prince is a thrilling adventure filled with suspense and action, and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Comments

  1. Benjamin C.April 3, 2020 at 12:24 PM

    I remember reading this book in elementary school and enjoying it a lot. I'm not sure if I predicted the major plot twist, but I agree that it is a pretty obvious and cliché twist. I liked your summary since it was concise and reminded me of the plot of the book and I liked how you discussed both the flaws and the strengths of The False Prince. Your last paragraph was also really well-written and it could've been a review on the back of the book. Great review!

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  2. ShoorsenApril 5, 2020 at 4:58 PM

    Amazing review! You broke the book down into a concise summary, and still gave enough to get me interested in the story. I like how you point out how the book uses many common and overused tropes in this genre so that people have an idea of what they're getting into when reading this book. Although I don't think I'd personally be interested in reading The False Prince, I could see why someone would be based off of your review.

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  3. SarahApril 5, 2020 at 7:14 PM

    Great review! I remember reading this book a few years back and I certainly agree that there overused tropes in the story. However, like you said, the book was still enjoyable to read. I liked reading about your opinions on this story as it could help someone decide whether they would want to read this book or not. Good job on this review!

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  4. NickApril 10, 2020 at 3:27 PM

    Nice review! This review had a really well written summary that will tell the reader if the book interests them or not, but won't spoil the book for them so that if they want to read it they can still have a meaningful experience. Your review at the end was also helpful because you explained a certain negative of the book, but then reassured the reader that the book was worth reading if it interested them despite having a minor drawback. Great job on this post!

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  5. Lili TiouririneApril 12, 2020 at 11:23 AM

    Your summary of the book was very good, it was easy to read, and concise. It makes the reader want to read the book without giving away too much information. This book sounds interesting to me because it has a similar storyline to a book series I like called The Throne of Glass. With the whole entire the kingdom is falling apart and life or death decisions must be made. You should check it out if you liked this, Great review!

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  6. EdieApril 12, 2020 at 8:00 PM

    Great review! I liked that you mentioned The Thief, because they are very similar. I personally liked Gen from The Thief more, especially in the next couple of books. I also like that you point out the overused tropes because they're definitely there, although when I was reading this book for the first time it felt very different from any book I'd read before. Good job!

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  7. AnuprovaApril 12, 2020 at 10:12 PM

    Although I've never heard of this book, your review and summary of the book makes me want to read it. I agree that the pauper-into-prince trope is one of the more common ones out there, but I still find it enjoyable to read, despite its overuse. The premise of the book sounds really interesting, and your summary makes me want to find out what happens to Sage and his game. Excellent job on this review, and I look forward to reading more of your posts!

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