Nielsen, Jennifer. False Prince, The. Scholastic, 2012. 6.99. 9780545433471. (reviewing the pb version from Scholastic Book Club)
Genre: Realistic, Adventure
Rating: 4/5
Latamer, Roden, Sage, and Tobias were "rescued" from various orphanages by Bevin Conner and his two henchmen, Cregan and Mott. Conner, a minor regent in the kingdom of Carthya, has it in his head that he can replace the missing Prince Jaron with a boy he trains in the art of princeliness. He just needs a boy who either looks like Prince Jaron or reminds people of him. Jaron has been missing for four years and presumed dead. No body was ever recovered. If Conner can succeed at placing a false Jaron on the throne, he can rule through him. Of course, Conner only needs one boy but he has four.
The False Prince is a lot more fun than it sounds. Sage has a sly sense of humor and is smart to boot though he hides his intelligence from the others. He uses his wit to hide his true feelings and cause the others to underestimate him. The other boys have an opportunity to move beyond the stereotype as we learn more about them while they study how to be a prince. Although the setting is not distinctive, it's not necessary to get the story across. There was one small surprise that might prove predictable if you are an avid reader though you still want to read to make sure you are right.
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Even though I didn't want to read more medieval fantasy, I did like this one, and the student who is reading it seems to like it as well.
ReplyDeleteNot actually fantasy though. More like historical fiction. Unless the series is going to take a turn, there were no fantastical elements with this one.
DeleteOh this looks good! Love the book trailer also. Adding this to my To be read list.
ReplyDeleteGood choice!
DeleteSounds like a good book for tween boys.
ReplyDeleteI agree, especially the reluctant reader. This would be a good way to get them started!
DeleteI've had an ARC of this for such a long time, and still haven't read it. But I'm definitely going to be bumping this up on my list. It sounds very interesting, and I'm glad to see that you liked it. =)
ReplyDeleteI've had the ARC for a while myself. If it wasn't for Mrs. Randolph, I might have missed this one! Cover does not turn me on.
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