Book Bingo / Truman Award: The False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen is a Truman Award Nominee for the 2014-15 school year. It is the first book in The Ascendance Trilogy. Sage is an orphan in Carthya who gets by on his wit and quick pickpocketing skills. When Conner, a nobleman with questionable practices and motives, pays the orphanage for Sage, the boy tries to fight back and get away. He quickly discovers that Conner won't let him go that easily. The royal family of Carthya has been murdered, and Sage (or one of three other orphans Conner picks up) will be the nobleman's ticket to restoring their country and gaining power. All they have to do is convince everyone at court that one of them is Carthya's lost prince, Jaron. And so the action and intrigue begin!

(jacket art by Tim O'Brien;
jacket design by Christopher Stengel;
picture taken from Goodreads)

First Impression: I'm curious how this will all play out. I kind of assume at this point that Sage will win if the two-week competition for Conner plays out, but I'm not sure what will happen to the other boys. I like that even though the boys have had hardships, they still have some childlike qualities--shock at Conner's violence, for instance, and not being able to see their charade as an act of patriotism as the adults do. Imogen will obviously play a bigger role at some point, although I can't tell what. Not sure if it will be romantic or not. And I'm curious what Sage will do. That's my main motivator to read at this point, honestly. He seems to really hate the idea of pretending to be something he's not. Conner does not seem like a kind or merciful person, and his motives and future actions are predictable. Mott, Conner's right-hand man, is a bit of a curiosity. Maybe he'll stick with Sage later on? I'm excited to see how this plays out. I thought it would be a fantasy rather than historical fiction (in a land that isn't on a real map, but still), but it's actually more creative and unique this way.

I couldn't find a way to share the book trailer I found directly in my post, but here's the link!: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m28V8WFXZO6T17/ref=ent_fb_link

Conclusion: Boy, can Jennifer Nielsen keep a secret! This book has a crazy twist about 3/4 of the way in. I had a couple of suspicions about the secret earlier in the book but dismissed them and assumed I was being too suspicious. This book is just well-written middle reader fiction all the way around, so hurray for Nielsen! I will definitely be continuing this series--I'd like to know how the author chooses to continue the story and what happens to all of my favorite characters!

Recommendation: Readers ages 10 and up (including adults) who enjoy sassy characters, adventure, suspense, and a little intrigue. There are a few brutal moments, so I'd recommend not reading it if you're especially sympathetic to characters' physical pain. Also, Nielsen's writing style has a distinct fantasy feel to it even though the story is fiction. It's hard to explain, but you're more likely to enjoy the story if you like fantasy books.

I'm using this book as my eighth "Series" choice for the 2014 Book Bingo Challenge. Those have been the easiest ones for me to knock-out this year! I haven't made as much progress on my award nominee readings, but I'll have to give you an update on that later. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to subscribe, and check back soon for something fun and a little different!