 |
| Photo Credit - Jennifer Nielsen |
“I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me,” Eddie Vedder
The ability of music to influence is simply undeniable. Forgoing the science of it, many joyfully just lose themselves in the rhythm of song. But in the case of author Jennifer A. Nielsen, music was able to shape more then just her mood. The lyrics above, taken from Eddie Vedder’s Grammy nominated song “Guaranteed”, became an admitted inspiration for part of Jennifer’s adventurous Young Adult novel “The False Prince.”
In “The False Prince”, we find ourselves immersed in the life of Sage, a fifteen-year old orphan who has a talent for thievery. Those talents harnessed from the desperation of his life have caused him to be directed down a path where a dangerous opportunity awaits. It is one which he would never have foreseen possible as he jumped from orphanage to orphanage. Once the opportunity, or plot as we will soon find out, is accepted by Sage we find ourselves whisked with him to a plush palace far from the hardships of his now former life.
But once there, Sage finds himself knee deep in a plot as devious as its creator, the nobleman Connor. The full plan kept close to Connor’s chest, means Sage has no idea what lengths he will go to in executing his plan to save the kingdom of Carthya from the civil war that is teetering at its gates. But as pieces of the plan are revealed, Connor tells Sage the plan includes having someone impersonate the King’s son Jaron, who was lost at sea when the ship he was aboard was attacked and sunk by a group of pirates. But Sage soon sees he is not the only one offered this opportunity, nor will it be as simple as placing the stolen crown upon his head.
To become the “False Prince” and the heir to the throne Sage, along with three others, will be forced to train and compete amongst themselves for the right to call themselves Prince Jaron. It is soon quite obvious to Sage that they are not only competing for the role of the Prince, but also for their lives.
Set within a medieval landscape, “The False Prince” is filled with plot twists, lies, defiance and sword play which easily keeps the pages turning. The book has vivid characters like Connor, who you can not help but loathe, and some like Imogen, a mute servant girl, who you find wishing to lend her your hand in friendship. The addition of cleverly dropped hints throughout a well paced plot, “The False Prince” will have you racing to its dramatic conclusion.
But what about the lyrics? Well, having the pleasure of seeing Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder live on countless occasions, I would hazard to guess he would be proud of his lyrical influence in the direct shaping of the central protagonist Sage. Sage, who is the narrator throughout most of “The False Prince”, is a lovable rebel whom you find yourself needing to root for. His character is weaved with strings of leadership, rebellion, vulnerability and a thieve’s wit. So if you are looking for someone to fill the void left by Harry or Percy, you have found him in Sage and “The False Prince”. If you enjoy reading YA fantasy, I highly recommend this book.
To check out more about The Ascendance Trilogy or Jennifer Nielsen you can visit her on her Website, Twitter or on Facebook . If you can not wait to see what happens next in the Ascendance Trilogy, sadly you have no choice but to wait for the release sometime next year. But if you would like a hint, Jennifer revealed the title of Book 2 today which you can rush over and see here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment