Title: The False Princess
Series: None (There is a prequel short story)
Year: 2011
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Summary: Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever. (from Goodreads)
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever. (from Goodreads)
Main Characters:
~ Sinda/Nalia
~ Kiernan
~ Sinda/Nalia
~ Kiernan
Review: First, I was intrigued by the title. Second, the cover art. Third, the synopsis. It didn't seem like the type of book that I'd be dying to read, but it looked interesting enough that I knew I *had* to pick it up sometime.
And in a lot of ways, it didn't disappoint. Princess Nalia (a.k.a. Sinda) finds out the life she's known for sixteen years is a complete lie, and she was only a fake to save the life of the real princess. I mean, come on -- how cool is that? Terrifying, yes, to poor Sinda, but what a set-up for a fantastic story! While many authors would focus on what Thorvaldor's people focused on - the new, real princess - this author has chosen to follow the path of the deserted, outcast ex-princess. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was, and I would like to get my hands on the prequel short story - just to see how that compares.
Sinda is a likable heroine. She's clumsy, realistic, and funny. She has the most bizarre adventures, but it was a lot of fun to read and "tag along." Even Kiernan was incredibly fun and intriguing, which I actually found surprising (I was honestly expecting him to be a complete bore). Philantha was eccentric and a hoot. All the characters were really great.
Except the villain. I found that one to be a little cliche. Honestly, I'm sorry. Maybe I felt that the whole, wicked plot was revealed a little too early? I would have preferred a little more oomph there going into the final showdown.
Also, just something funny I noticed -- all the female characters had names containing an "a." Sinda, Nalia, Orianne, Melaina, Mika, Varil, Philantha, etc. I liked the names, but it was just funny to keep seeing the "a" trend pop in again and again. I can't remember if there were any female names without the "a." Many of the male names, too, had an "a." Random tidbit - you're welcome.
And in a lot of ways, it didn't disappoint. Princess Nalia (a.k.a. Sinda) finds out the life she's known for sixteen years is a complete lie, and she was only a fake to save the life of the real princess. I mean, come on -- how cool is that? Terrifying, yes, to poor Sinda, but what a set-up for a fantastic story! While many authors would focus on what Thorvaldor's people focused on - the new, real princess - this author has chosen to follow the path of the deserted, outcast ex-princess. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was, and I would like to get my hands on the prequel short story - just to see how that compares.
Sinda is a likable heroine. She's clumsy, realistic, and funny. She has the most bizarre adventures, but it was a lot of fun to read and "tag along." Even Kiernan was incredibly fun and intriguing, which I actually found surprising (I was honestly expecting him to be a complete bore). Philantha was eccentric and a hoot. All the characters were really great.
Except the villain. I found that one to be a little cliche. Honestly, I'm sorry. Maybe I felt that the whole, wicked plot was revealed a little too early? I would have preferred a little more oomph there going into the final showdown.
Also, just something funny I noticed -- all the female characters had names containing an "a." Sinda, Nalia, Orianne, Melaina, Mika, Varil, Philantha, etc. I liked the names, but it was just funny to keep seeing the "a" trend pop in again and again. I can't remember if there were any female names without the "a." Many of the male names, too, had an "a." Random tidbit - you're welcome.
Advisory: Some romance, as the main characters are the perfect, fairytale age of just over 16 years old. Nothing too over the top, which I thought was nice. Some parts I felt like the author was going to lead to more I really didn't want to read, but it never went very far. And along that line, there is a comment about someone wanting to "bed" a girl. Nothing comes of that either, thankfully.
Violence. People get injured/die/etc. Nothing terribly graphic, but enough to take some note of.
Violence. People get injured/die/etc. Nothing terribly graphic, but enough to take some note of.
There is also a lot of magic in this book, and I wanted to take some time to address that. Magic, it seems, is not a completely common thing for most people in Thorvaldor. It is described as being a talent - some people are born with it, and some people aren't. (Except royalty. They never receive that talent.) However, those who use it must learn to control it, otherwise they risk never gaining control over it. There is a wizard school for those who have this talent, but it is only open to people with titles and money.
When she first finds out she has magic, Sinda accidentally chars a vine and then creates a windstorm inside. She has to undergo magic training, and while her training is described in the book, it is a magic that cannot be duplicated as she is working only with her own talent. As in most fantasy stories, this magic can be used for good or bad, but using it takes up energy, as performing with any other talent/skill would. Honestly, since the "magic" is viewed as a talent (meaning it cannot be learned or performed by someone without that talent), it didn't bother me a lot. I felt that the magic was well-balanced with the rest of the story, and it didn't overpower any important elements.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
