Summer is a great chance to get caught up on all the reading I've been wanting to do during the school year. One of the first books off my shelf this summer was The False Prince. I had read reviews about it on other blogs (like this one or this one), and was excited to see it at our school's Buy One, Get One free Scholastic book fair. I don't normally purchase books at the book fair, but after reading the review and recommending it to several students, I didn't know how I couldn't get it for myself. But don't worry, it will end up on a book shelf at school soon.
The False Prince is the story of an orphan boy, Sage, who is purchased by one of the king's regents, Conner. Conner has inside information the royal family has been killed. He also has the evidence needed to prove the second son, who was said to have died in a pirate attack, has survived and can claim the throne. Therefore, Conner selects four boys to compete to see who will be chosen to play the role of the false prince.
Students will enjoy Sage's animosity and vigor in taking on the challenge, confronting Conner, and standing up for those less fortunate than him. At some points, the book seemed closely related to The Hunger Games mentality of a competition, since those who aren't chosen will be killed. However, the hidden secrets the author and Sage don't reveal add to the suspense and mystery of the story. Overall, it was a good read and a nice start to the ascendance trilogy, and I look forward to seeing what will happen in the next stage.
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