Young Adult Book Reading Challenges discussion

What were your final thoughts on the book? Will you continue on with the series?

I am on my third time through this book and I have enjoyed it immensely. That said, there are parts of the book that are too scary for me and the second book has proved to be even more difficult for me. Yes, I am a wimp. But I still really like the first book.

The first time through, I liked the story. The second time through, it was interesting to see how much Sage/Jaron relied on people's own misconceptions of him. They thought he was a liar and he let them believe that, so much so that he never even had to lie very much.

Knowing how the book turns out, it is intriguing to me to go back through it and realize that part of the reason he behaves the way he does is that he knows and understands the problems of being prince/king better than anyone, even Connor. Part of him just wants to escape the realities of such a difficult position; part of him realizes that to do so is to abandon his country and the memories of his family.

The second and third times through the book, I am understanding also the craft of its plotting and story telling. The first time through, you see the brash, arrogant orphan. The second and third times, you see the hurt, but determined prince.

Not really my favourite book ever. Found it very cheesy: could have told you what would happen at the end right after the first chapter. The characters were dry and dull; nothing special. I knew the 'twist' by chapter three. No cliff-hangers or anything exciting at the end. Seems like it would be a very dull and stretched out trilogy with a weak plot. 3/5 stars. Probably won't be picking up book 2.

I have just finished it, and will probably read it again. I will definitely read further into the series.

I really did enjoy it. While I've read a lot of YA, I haven't read as much recently published YA as I could have, and I was surprised at how some issues were handled. I'm a writer (published in a related field, but not published as a writer of pure fiction yet) and one of the works I have in progress at the moment (about 150,000 words in progress) to this book and I've had a few issues along the way wondering if I could get away with describing certain things. Having read this book, I feel more comfortable with that (fortunately, what I am writing only has some loose similarities so I don't have to worry about undue influence from this one).

I'd love to know more about the past of the other boys. I'd love to get a feel for what they would have been like if it had been an even contest between three ordinary orphans and they came to the throne. Sage seems so much realer to me than them, and while that's understandable to a great extent, I still feel we could have been shown more into them.

I'm also wondering how much of Conner's stated motives were genuine - did he really believe what he was doing was right and for the greater good - or was that just self serving nonsense?

I have to admit I didn't see the twist coming...I guess I'm just one of those people who takes a story as it comes and doesn't try to pick at it too much until I've finished

I really loved the ending and how Sage/Jaron dealt with Connor...for me Sage/Jaron was such an interesting character - incredibly smart, cunning...always with a plan...and I loved seeing how his master plan unfolded

I usually go for books with older characters, most often with female narrators but I was really glad I gave this series a go and books 2 and 3 were just as good

For those wanting more from the other characters I suggest you read on

I finished this a week ago and I have to say that I saw the fact that he is the real prince from the beginning. It was also very obvious that he would be the one to be picked as the "imposter". I have started the next one, but it is not nearly as good as this one and very boring. I think it will get better like this one did though.

I enjoyed the book but I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series. It stands well by itself and I'm happy to let it end with "They lived happily ever after."

I wasn't all that satisfied with The False Prince. Listening to it on audio was helpful, in a way, because it helped me actually get through a story I would otherwise have put down before the 1/4 mark, but the reader didn't work so well for me. Sage was a character I never once grew to like; his reckless and arrogant behaviour, superior manner and personality all riled against me and annoyed the heck out of me, making me wonder who I liked least- him or Connor. The ending was pretty great, in my opinion, with twists that I didn't expect and revealations that only towards the end did I start to wonder about. Some of this was quite predictable, lots (for me) was not. I don't think it came soon enough, though, as I won't be continuing with the series simply because the ending was good.

I guess that is precisely why I enjoyed the book even more the second and third times through. Sage/Jaron's reckless and arrogant behavior was, for me, a sign of great internal pain. He does what he does in order to survive and to save his kingdom, when he knows how high the stakes are. No one else understands the depth of the problems.

I guess I prefer reckless and arrogant characters to boorish and overconfident (Roden) and snobbish and feckless (Tobias) - especially when the reasons are so compelling.

Part of his arrogance is also an attempt to convince himself that he can, indeed, do what is going to be asked of him. Given a free choice, he would rather be stealing roasts, but he knows his choice is not free.