The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy [Hardcover]

Jennifer A. Nielsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2012 | Grade Level: 7 and up | Series: Ascendance Trilogy (Book 1) | Lexile Measure: 710L (What's this?)

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Jennifer A. Nielsen

Question: What inspired you to write The False Prince?

Nielsen: I’d had the general idea for The False Prince for some time, but could never find the right protagonist to carry the weight of the story I wanted to tell. The central character, Sage, was found in the words of a song called Guaranteed, by the great Eddie Vedder. It said, “I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me, guaranteed.” From that line, I had the instant image of a defiant but charismatic boy who always stays a step ahead of the game, and where other players have no clue that all the rules are very quietly being rewritten.

Q: Where did Sage’s voice come from?

Nielsen: Sage came to me as a complete character, as fully developed as if he had been a real person. So writing The False Prince wasn’t really about creating him, but instead, it was the experience of discovering him as the story unfolded. There were several moments when I knew what was waiting for Sage if he didn’t back down, and yet, he never would. So I gritted my teeth and let things unfold the only way they could with him. As I work on the sequels, he continues to surprise, amuse, and shock me. He’s the most complex character I’ve ever written, and I’m always thrilled to get feedback from readers who are as fascinated by him as I am.

Q: Was the setting or any of the other characters inspired by real people or places?

Nielsen: Sage is very much his own person, and as a whole, is completely unique. However, there is one trait of his that I borrowed from a student I had when I was a high school debate teacher years ago. He was popular, brilliant, charming, and an amazingly talented thief. At the start of every ride to a tournament, he would steal the watch off of the bus driver’s wrist, then keep it for the entire trip. As he left the bus at the end, he would hand the watch back to the driver, explaining it must have fallen to the floor. Then the driver always thanked him for being such a great and honest kid. I should’ve been angry, but I never was – he just pulled off his scams that well

Q: Where do you like to go to write?

Nielsen: I’ll write anywhere. I work out scenes in my head while driving or in the shower, and pick up inspiration from events I notice each day. I try to always keep a pen and extra paper handy so that if something occurs to me I can write it down and not risk losing it (I hate it when I know there was something I thought of earlier that I had loved, but now can’t remember it!). My favorite places for actual writing aren’t very exciting. I love to write curled up on a loveseat beneath a sunny window. And nearly every night I’ll print out pages I’ve worked on in the day and edit them in bed before I fall asleep.

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer? When did you first know this is what you wanted to do?

Nielsen: I’ve written for as long as I can remember, but the idea that I could turn that into a career never seemed real to me. I never knew any authors growing up, and as far as I could tell, they were mythical people who lived like the Great Gatsby on the other side of the country, or who had lived a hundred years ago. So I wrote as a hobby, then planned on other careers that real people had, such as being a detective, or working somewhere in the theater, or being a teacher.

That all changed after my oldest child was born and I stayed home to care for him. Suddenly, I had a lot more time on my hands, which I filled with reading. But it wasn’t long before the stories in my head became more interesting than the books in my hand, and I realized that I wanted to hold a book of my own. That was when I decided to seriously pursue writing as a career. It’s the perfect place for me to be now, and I can’t imagine being happier anywhere else.

From Booklist

This first book in a planned trilogy is action-oriented fantasy, but don’t expect magical creatures. Instead, it revolves around political intrigue (à la Megan Whalen Turner’s The Thief, 1996). Sage is a street-savvy orphan, and along with two other boys he is recruited by Conner, a nobleman who wants to remake them in the image of their country’s lost prince, a victim of pirates and presumed dead. The task is urgent, as the rest of the royal family has been murdered and civil war seems imminent. As the boys, chosen for their passing resemblance to Prince Jaron, compete to assume a new identity and the throne, Sage discovers some unpleasant truths about their host, beyond his treasonous plans to pass one of them off as royalty. Sage is a likable hero full of smart-alecky snarkiness. Especially appealing are the friendships he forges: one with his bodyguard and teacher; another with a mute serving girl. Though lacking in subtlety, Nielsen’s plot twists keep coming, and readers will want to see how they play out as Sage’s adventures continue. Grades 4-7. --Karen Cruze

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition edition (April 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545284139
• ISBN-13: 978-0545284134
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (217 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a perpetually muddy dog. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. At one time or another she has been a high school debate coach, theater director, daycare worker, and worked at an assembly of odd jobs so insignificant they didn't even deserve job titles.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

139 of 145 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Executed from Start to Finish April 11, 2012

By Wendy Sparrow

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I keep searching for the words to describe how the layers carefully crafted in this book came together. Earlier today, I bought this book after seeing it compared to both Hunger Games and Harry Potter. A lofty and impossible comparison I thought. No way. Then, I heard from one of my daughter's friends that it was a---maz--ing. (The word had more than three syllables, I kid you not. Possibly seven syllables.)

So, I thought that I'd just check it out before passing it on to my daughter, but I couldn't put it down. I just finished it after reading it in one straight sitting.

The layer-upon-layer build in this book was brilliant. Every little detail felt like it was leading somewhere to something. The author used an unreliable narrator--you knew that the first person narration was hiding more than he was revealing. Every so often, you'd catch a hint of this and it would drag you breathless through more pages as you waited for the reveal that was building and building.

I thought there was no way it could live up to the internal hype I was creating. Telling me a book is like either Harry Potter or Hunger Games is dooming me to disappointment--I thought. This book delivered on this promise. I liked how it kept me guessing because I knew there was something that I didn't know...some big secret that all these smaller secrets and hints were leading to. I kept mentally guessing...and I was completely wrong and the ending blew me away.

It's not really like Harry Potter--though Sage is clever, young (14 or 15), and wonderfully imperfect and the writing is equally as brilliant.

It's not quite like Hunger Games, but it kept me reading with the same anxious anticipation. It was more hopeful and the end of this first book more satisfying. It was also significantly less violent in my opinion.

It was somewhat like Eragon with the intelligence of Ender's Game with a narration that reminded me of Odd Thomas. But, wait, it wasn't like any of them--it was just itself and it was exceptional.

Also, of note, this may be a book in a series, but this book can stand alone. The ending was enough even if I'm anxious to read another book in the series. This book felt complete and not just a portion of a series. That feels like a rare thing these days in YA books.

For Parents: there was no profanity, adult situations, or gratuitous violence. As far as violence goes, if you felt comfortable letting your child read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire--this is comparable.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars As perfect as could be June 6, 2012

By thehydrogenpoptart

Format:Hardcover

First Sentences: If I had to do it all over again, I would not have chosen this life. Then again, I'm not sure I ever had a choice.

How I Acquired the Book: I reserved this one from my town's library. It took forever to arrive, with 3 others placing a hold on it and whatnot.

The Review: I'm going to say it up front: this book completely blew me away. It's been a long time since a book last did that to me, and I certainly didn't expect this book to achieve that feat. I went into it with very low expectations and even a bit of hesitation, since Scholastic had been promoting it heavily. (Okay, I'm sorry, I'm totally biased against Scholastic as a publisher, because other than Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, what good stuff have they published? For me, HarperCollins is the way to go.) Furthermore, I was under the impression that this would be a middle-grade, and not young adult read, and that I'd be reading something that was not intended to be read for teenagers. Not only that, but Scholastic made the plot sound boring.

What finally got me to read the book, I'm ashamed to admit, was the enticing blue cover, cool lettering, and the crown. As soon as I read the blurb on the book (which was much better than Scholastic's description, thank you very much), I couldn't wait to start it.

The premise of The False Prince is this: In a faraway land, a prince has been lost for years. The king and queen have just been murdered, but no one knows yet. A nobleman named Conner hatches a plot to find an orphan boy to impersonate the long-lost prince, so he can gain power. Conner kidnaps four orphans, and forces them to compete to be the prince. In two weeks, one will be selected to be the prince. The other three will face a not-so-great fate.

Right off the bat, The False Prince gets the protagonist's tone dead right. (I was not expecting this, AT ALL. Fantasy, for me, is heavy on the plot and light on the characters.) Sage was probably the best male character I've read in young adult/middle-grade fantasy, ever. He is so amazing, and so believable, and...I'm going to sound stupid, but he would be my best friend if he were real. The supporting characters, so commonly overlooked in this genre, were every bit as believable as Sage. I loved Tobias's, one of the orphans, complete, full circle change, as Roden's, as well. Conner himself is a round antagonist, and so are his supporters-they are not portrayed as your stereotypical fantasy villain, but instead, as compassionate humans.

The plot was magnificent as well. One problem I've been noticing a lot lately is that books are either too long or too rushed. The False Prince is neither. It is the perfect length, perfectly paced from start to finish. No one can accuse the author of dragging out the plot, as every page was needed in this book. If you're the person who loves plot twists in fantasy, go out and get this book now. There was a huge twist, totally unique, fresh and original. Moreover, The False Prince had a satisfying ending, not a cliffhanger one (thank goodness). And even though I knew there'd be a happy ending (like in all books), there was still a decent amount of suspense, and every time things went wrong for Sage, I'd find myself breathing or turning the pages a bit faster.

This is the type of book that you will need to read in one day or one sitting. I am so happy that I found this book-I would want it to become more popular, but the selfish part of me wants to keep it to myself as a 'hidden gem.' I could spot no flaws in The False Prince. It was as perfect as could be, the most you could ask of any author. Please, do yourself a favor and go borrow this book from the library now. If your library doesn't have it, go buy it yourself. Yes, it's that good.

-reviewed by a teenager. (I apologize for any teenagery and/or snarky comments in this review, if they have offended you. I understand they can be very annoying, just like teenagers themselves. In any case, thanks for dealing with them and thanks for reading this review.)

PS. Any parent thinking about buying this for their kid, go ahead! There isn't much violence (only a few deaths), and NO PROFANITY AT ALL. That's rare these days. I can tell you from personal experience that both boys and girls will enjoy this title.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome! April 2, 2012

By V. Cano

Format:Hardcover

If you don't have this book on your to-buy list, I urge you to add it. I finished it last night and am so thrilled with the whole story that I have to restrain myself from just writing "awesome" in big, bold letters and calling it a day.
The first and most important thing in this novel is the protagonist, Sage. He is a perfect example of an unreliable narrator, which is one of my favorite literary devices, and is, generally, one of the most fun protagonists I've read about in a long while. He is a fully-fledged character, with all his flaws and virtues. Sometimes I found myself wanting to throttle him, but that's what makes him such a wonder to read. The rest of the characters are also incredibly amusing, but Sage is the one that grabs and holds on to your attention.
The plot is an intricately crafted one, clever and full of edge-of-your-seat moments. It is the kind of book you'll want to read again as soon as you finish it. Trust me on that. The writing is straight forward, allowing Sage's voice to shine through at its fullest.
This is one of the best books I've read so far this year, so I highly, highly recommend it.