Here’s another book aimed at teens who like fantasy that adults will enjoy too. I kept getting “you’ll like this book too” emails from Amazon recommending The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy so I decided to try it. Yes, it is a little predictable but the intriguing plot twist is the reason why. The reason for the subterfuge is so different from other books yet believable.
The False Prince is fantasy because it is set in imaginary countries but there is no magic, no dragons, vampires, ghosts, faries or zombies. The imaginary country looks much like our world, no strange animals or bizarre customs.
Our hero is an orphan in a small kingdom surrounded by larger more aggressive neighbors. The entire royal family is either dead or missing and one of the ministers concocts a plot to insert a substitute for the missing younger prince. He selects four orphans about the right age and looks and sets out to train them to be that missing prince. The minister murders one of the orphans right away to cow the remaining three into obedience. Our hero, Sage, isn’t cowed but he is frightened. He knows that he too will be murdered if the minister doesn’t choose him for the masquerade, yet the alternative, to become a puppet prince ruled by the minister isn’t appealing. For if Sage lives, then the other two boys die.
We read how Sage takes control and turns the tables on the murderous minister.
The book is not a coming of age story. Sage grows up a little during the novel but the focus is on the awful choice he faces. how can he force the devious minister to allow all three boys to survive.
The False Prince is the first book of a planned trilogy. It was good, enjoyable enough that I will seek the second book in the series, The Runaway King. I enjoyed other books more but this was good. The characterization was good, not great, plot was intriguing but the challenge facing Sage was excellent. I’ll give it 4 stars.
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