False Prince

False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen 5 out of 5 stars

Sage is just one of the orphan boys dragged into a treasonous plot devised by lesser nobleman Conner.   Conner had decided it was time for the land's long lost heir to return, but first he needs to find a boy that could play the part.  Sage is just one of these candidates.

Sage has an agenda of his own, as do all of the four orphans chosen for this contest of sorts.  Sage must do everything to win, or death will be the price to pay.

I really enjoyed this one!  Even though I had guessed the ending fairly early one, it was a very enjoyable read.  I was hard-pressed to put down this book once I started.

The multi-dimensional characters were a joy to get to know and Sage makes a rather entertaining narrator.  Nielsen had found the perfect balance for giving the just right amount  of detail for the first person narrator (we learned as Sage learned, and yet we were seamlessly kept in the dark about the right things until we were ready).

It provides a definitive ending and yet clearly builds for the latter two books in the ending.  It will leave readers satisfied and yet wanting more!  My favorite combination!