kellyjcm's review
4.0
I think this one is 4 1/2 stars. Maybe 5. Still deciding.
Excellent adventure with a light dose magic. I couldn't put this down, and I kept having to remind myself to slow down and reread so I wouldn't miss anything. Eilis O'Neal has taken the classic theme of finding one's identity and twisted into a fresh story with excellent characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Excellent adventure with a light dose magic. I couldn't put this down, and I kept having to remind myself to slow down and reread so I wouldn't miss anything. Eilis O'Neal has taken the classic theme of finding one's identity and twisted into a fresh story with excellent characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
kimilyn's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
This book was fine. It wasn't as predictable as i thought it was going to be and i didn't mind reading to find out what would happen. And I did like the ending. I also liked that there wasn't really girl hate. For me there just wasn't enough character development and some aspects of the plot seemed tacked on and not organic. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a simple fantasy story with a bit of mystery.
exhaleartist's review
4.0
I loved the summary for this book and it would have been on my to-read list even if I was not using it for the Debut Author Challenge. I had been checking at my library regularly hoping that I would be able to get this before I broke down and bought it. Then AlleluiaLu (Bookend Crossing) generously offered to let me borrow her copy! This book was definitely worth the wait.
Sinda is an interesting girl. She is raised a princess until after she’s sixteen, when she suddenly finds out she never really was one. All these years she has simply been a decoy because of a prophecy made at the princess’s birth. With the real princess returning to her rightful place, Sinda is sent to an aunt she never knew with a small bag of gold for her service. I was heartbroken for Sinda and really felt for her as she struggled to figure out the new life she was thrust into, and I loved watching her grow as a character. It is really quite hard to say anything here without spoiling, so I will just leave it at that. Kiernan, Sinda’s best friend from childhood, is faithful to her even after her ‘exile’, although Sinda has trouble accepting him when she has nothing to offer. I love the fact that Sinda’s change of status did not alter Kiernan’s feelings for her or his view of their friendship. I really just loved Kiernan altogether. He is an amazing character and not all dark, brooding, and dangerous like so many YA men.
The mystery in the book did have me guessing for quite a while. I was not sure where it was going, but I loved Kiernan and Sinda’s journey as they sought to uncover the truth. The story just completely captured me. I stayed up half the night reading it in one sitting. When it all played out, I was very, very happy with the ending. The fact that this ended with a conclusion and not a cliffhanger was a great relief. This novel could easily be a standalone book or continued into a series, but whatever the author does next I will be eagerly looking forward to.
Sinda is an interesting girl. She is raised a princess until after she’s sixteen, when she suddenly finds out she never really was one. All these years she has simply been a decoy because of a prophecy made at the princess’s birth. With the real princess returning to her rightful place, Sinda is sent to an aunt she never knew with a small bag of gold for her service. I was heartbroken for Sinda and really felt for her as she struggled to figure out the new life she was thrust into, and I loved watching her grow as a character. It is really quite hard to say anything here without spoiling, so I will just leave it at that. Kiernan, Sinda’s best friend from childhood, is faithful to her even after her ‘exile’, although Sinda has trouble accepting him when she has nothing to offer. I love the fact that Sinda’s change of status did not alter Kiernan’s feelings for her or his view of their friendship. I really just loved Kiernan altogether. He is an amazing character and not all dark, brooding, and dangerous like so many YA men.
The mystery in the book did have me guessing for quite a while. I was not sure where it was going, but I loved Kiernan and Sinda’s journey as they sought to uncover the truth. The story just completely captured me. I stayed up half the night reading it in one sitting. When it all played out, I was very, very happy with the ending. The fact that this ended with a conclusion and not a cliffhanger was a great relief. This novel could easily be a standalone book or continued into a series, but whatever the author does next I will be eagerly looking forward to.
liralen's review
3.0
Ooh, surprisingly satisfying. Nalia's her parents' only daughter, the princess and heir to the throne. Except...then she learns the truth: she's a stand-in, brought in to replace the true princess and prevent that real princess from dying a violent death before she turned sixteen.
'Nalia', who learns that her given name is Sinda, is cast out to live with her one remaining blood relative, a peasant woman. This is where I started shouting (silently; I was audiobooking at work) 'you idiots! You raised her in a palace, told her she was a princess, and risked her dying a violent and bloody death only to cast her aside without so much as a second glance?' But that's one of the things the book did really well. Sinda's pretty much on the same page. She understands what the palace's rationale might be (give her too much money and/or power and she might become a threat to the throne) but also sees how much more difficult they have made her life. As a commoner, she cannot marry a nobleman (as she was raised to do); the skills she have learned have left her unprepared for the life of a commoner (which she was born to). Eventually, Sinda realises that she must take her future in her own hands...and eventually, she realises that the new truths she has learned about the royal lineage are not truths at all, but part of a long-game attempt at a bloodless coup.
My favourite side character is Sinda's aunt, I think. She's a reserved woman, reserved to the point of coldness, but she also manages a fair amount of complexity: she's not a bad woman, or even a harsh one, but she's just as aware as Sinda is (if not more aware) that Sinda cannot fit into her simple way of life. She'll take Sinda in and try to do right by her, but that doesn't mean she'll like it or welcome Sinda with open arms.
There's a lot here. The story could have spun out in an entirely different way, moving away from the royal family for good as Sinda stayed with her aunt or focused on magic...but instead the story is layered to pull back in around and around, bringing bits and pieces from the beginning of the story in later. Nicely done. 3.5 stars.
'Nalia', who learns that her given name is Sinda, is cast out to live with her one remaining blood relative, a peasant woman. This is where I started shouting (silently; I was audiobooking at work) 'you idiots! You raised her in a palace, told her she was a princess, and risked her dying a violent and bloody death only to cast her aside without so much as a second glance?' But that's one of the things the book did really well. Sinda's pretty much on the same page. She understands what the palace's rationale might be (give her too much money and/or power and she might become a threat to the throne) but also sees how much more difficult they have made her life. As a commoner, she cannot marry a nobleman (as she was raised to do); the skills she have learned have left her unprepared for the life of a commoner (which she was born to). Eventually, Sinda realises that she must take her future in her own hands...and eventually, she realises that the new truths she has learned about the royal lineage are not truths at all, but part of a long-game attempt at a bloodless coup.
My favourite side character is Sinda's aunt, I think. She's a reserved woman, reserved to the point of coldness, but she also manages a fair amount of complexity: she's not a bad woman, or even a harsh one, but she's just as aware as Sinda is (if not more aware) that Sinda cannot fit into her simple way of life. She'll take Sinda in and try to do right by her, but that doesn't mean she'll like it or welcome Sinda with open arms.
There's a lot here. The story could have spun out in an entirely different way, moving away from the royal family for good as Sinda stayed with her aunt or focused on magic...but instead the story is layered to pull back in around and around, bringing bits and pieces from the beginning of the story in later. Nicely done. 3.5 stars.
jenbsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 Stars ... a cute tale, with a bit of romance and magic and unknown identities thrown in.
steph01924's review
4.0
I was surprised by how good this book was. It's got an amateur Tamora Pierce feel to it, which is no way a slight, since TP is pretty awesome. There was more to the plot than I expected, and I was intrigued and taken in the entire time. There were points when Sinda spent a bit too long theorizing why she did what she did, pondering if she was doing the right thing, etc., but overall it was a solid book. I look forward to reading more from Eilis O'Neal.
chapteriosity's review
3.0
Let me tell you what makes The False Princess great.
Number one, it’s the concept – a mixture of both fairy tale and historical fiction. The book is about Nalia who is told that she is actually not a princess. She’s a decoy to protect the real princess. Nalia's original name is revealed to be Sinda. She’s kicked out of the castle on the same day the real princess comes back, goes to live with her bitter, scornful, newfound aunt and lives a simple life full of hard work. On the bright side, there she discovers that she has magic. Then she goes to Vivaskari – I think it’s a big city near the castle. I don’t really understand – to train her magic and BOOM. More dark secrets are revealed. Journey awaits her. You can say that Sinda's is the kingdom last hope against evil.
As for number two is the plot. It’s fast-paced, full of mysteries and secrets secrets secrets. Number three, the romance is nicely done. I thought there was a love triangle between Sinda, Kiernan and Tyr, but I was wrong. I loved how Sinda reacts after she knows the truth behind Tyr’s kindness.
There are also things that I didn't like in The False Princess. The main character, though mostly likeable, she could be annoying too. Sometimes she is too selfish and self-centered that she doesn't care for the other’s safety. She actually has a point for doing that but I just didn't think it’s the right action. While for Kiernan, I liked the way he becomes Sinda's pillar of support even though they occasionally fights. And while reading this, somehow I got confused and had to re-read a few pages just to get a better grasp of the story.
Lately, I've been reading more English books and I usually don’t mind reading translation books. Probably the reason behind my confusion is because I read the book in Indonesian translation. Well, maybe I already got accustomed to reading English. Since I read the translation, there’s no way I could comment the author’s writing properly.
Overall, The False Princess is a good read with fairy-tale-ish and historical-fiction-ish elements. If you’re a fan of YA historical fiction, then maybe you’ll like it better than I did.
This review also appears on my blog: Pansycake Reader
Number one, it’s the concept – a mixture of both fairy tale and historical fiction. The book is about Nalia who is told that she is actually not a princess. She’s a decoy to protect the real princess. Nalia's original name is revealed to be Sinda. She’s kicked out of the castle on the same day the real princess comes back, goes to live with her bitter, scornful, newfound aunt and lives a simple life full of hard work. On the bright side, there she discovers that she has magic. Then she goes to Vivaskari – I think it’s a big city near the castle. I don’t really understand – to train her magic and BOOM. More dark secrets are revealed. Journey awaits her. You can say that Sinda's is the kingdom last hope against evil.
As for number two is the plot. It’s fast-paced, full of mysteries and secrets secrets secrets. Number three, the romance is nicely done. I thought there was a love triangle between Sinda, Kiernan and Tyr, but I was wrong. I loved how Sinda reacts after she knows the truth behind Tyr’s kindness.
There are also things that I didn't like in The False Princess. The main character, though mostly likeable, she could be annoying too. Sometimes she is too selfish and self-centered that she doesn't care for the other’s safety. She actually has a point for doing that but I just didn't think it’s the right action. While for Kiernan, I liked the way he becomes Sinda's pillar of support even though they occasionally fights. And while reading this, somehow I got confused and had to re-read a few pages just to get a better grasp of the story.
Lately, I've been reading more English books and I usually don’t mind reading translation books. Probably the reason behind my confusion is because I read the book in Indonesian translation. Well, maybe I already got accustomed to reading English. Since I read the translation, there’s no way I could comment the author’s writing properly.
Overall, The False Princess is a good read with fairy-tale-ish and historical-fiction-ish elements. If you’re a fan of YA historical fiction, then maybe you’ll like it better than I did.
This review also appears on my blog: Pansycake Reader
krwriter8's review
4.0
"The False Princess" is not your typical princess story, which makes it all the more intriguing. Nalia spends her entire life living in the palace, thinking she is the princess of Thorvaldor, only to find out on her sixteenth birthday that she is, in fact, a decoy princess put in place to protect the real royal girl who has been in hiding for all this time.
O'Neal's tale is finely written, and reminds me of the YA from my own teenage years, which included talents such as Tamora Pierce and Gail Carson Levine. She does a good job of creating an interesting plot that stands apart from other princess tales.
O'Neal's tale is finely written, and reminds me of the YA from my own teenage years, which included talents such as Tamora Pierce and Gail Carson Levine. She does a good job of creating an interesting plot that stands apart from other princess tales.
books2graham's review
5.0
The plot of the story was very well developed and thought out. I liked how it almost seemed like a mystery. It was neat seeing Sinda grow as a character. My only complaint is that there were a few things that were just a wee bit predictable... or at least, when they happened, it didn't surprise me. Overall, it was a nice, fun read! =)