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The False Prince: (Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy) Audiobook
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(4.00) - 8,472 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
New York Times bestseller The False Prince thrills with wild twists and turns, danger and deceit, and the revelation of hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.
In a discontented kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well. As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together. An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats. And don't miss the highly anticipated fourth book in the series, The Captive Kingdom, coming October 2020!
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"Sometimes a book comes along and you kick yourself for not reading it sooner. This, my friends, is a fine example. Orphan boys all playing against each other in a "be the Prince or die" game is pretty entertaining to read about. I absolutely loved Sage and, of course, rooted for him to win the crown the entire time. His determination, wit, and street smarts are without a doubt one of the best parts of this book. He doesn't have much of a choice to play along with Conner's evil plan to take over the kingdom, but Sage certainty makes life difficult for Conner and his cronies He manipulates others and pulls off some pretty sweet cons of his own. Young readers will love Sage's will to stay alive and his ability to turn things around to his favor on a dime. Dare I say he is the fantasy version of a young James Bond? (minus the high tech gadgets, of course) The supporting cast, two other boys who are all competing to become the false prince, a servant girl, and the confidant are all amazing characters as well. They each bring something original to the table and in the end your feelings go back and forth about them. Good guys, bad guys? At times the lines are blurred.The twists and turns around every corner will keep readers of all ages tuned in. Charlie McWade does an outstanding job providing the voices for so many characters. His Sage voice is my favorite, although I do wish he had a little variation when he switched to his Carthian accent. Still...excellent! Can't wait for book two and hope you jump on this one soon. Ages 8+"
— Jen (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A page turner.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel.”
— Wall Street Journal -
“[A] swashbuckling origin story…Sage is a quick wit, and Nielsen showcases it with terrific dialogue... Chock full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Sage is deftly characterized through humorous first-person narration, quickly establishing himself as a beguiling antihero... An impressive, promising story with some expertly executed twists.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
A page turner...
— The New York Times Book Review -
Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel.
— The Wall Street Journal -
[A] swashbuckling origin story... Sage is a quick wit, and Nielsen showcases it with terrific dialogue... chock full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys.
— Los Angeles Times*"Sage is deftly characterized through humorous first-person narration, quickly establishing himself as a beguiling antihero... [A]n impressive, promising story with some expertly executed twists. -
[A] terrific story that carries readers along to the very (surprising) end and will leave them clamoring for the next book in her trilogy.
— BookPage, featured "Top Pick" review -
[M]ore Harry Potter (minus the magic) than Hunger Games... with authentic characters, a convincing sense of danger and a genuinely high-stakes plot.
— The Hollywood Reporter -
[A] surefire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense.
— Horn Book
Awards
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A 2012 Publishers Weekly Best Book: Children's Fiction
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A New York Times bestseller
The False Prince Listener Reviews
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hannah koonce, 9/19/2023
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" I love books about royalty and everything royal so I picked up this one for my Nook. I actually read it on my iPhone with my Nook app and I was very please. Filled with short chapters, making it easy to read on-the-go. I found myself wanting to read more and more about Sage and his adventure into the underworld of his county's high society. Looking forward to reading book #2. "
— Pam, 2/13/2014 -
" 200% loved this book. I couldn't put it down and it ended up being a pretty fast read. A fantasy YA page turner that everyone should at least try to read once and see what you think. Give this book a read! "
— Mellodi, 2/12/2014 -
" I really, really liked this book. Very innocent (going to let my 9yo son read it and there is absolutely nothing that he would be "grossed out" about) and a little predictable but I love how she did it all. "
— Christine, 2/5/2014 -
" I loved this book, plot twists and all. Sage truly deserves a medal of bravery and courage! "
— Connor, 1/31/2014 -
" This was decent, but it reminded me of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief the entire way through, which was far better. That being said, it was still a fun read and those who like The Thief should give this a go. I am interested to see if Sage has any continuing adventures in another book. "
— Lakedaemon, 1/31/2014 -
" Fun, but didn't really stand out for me. I wasn't really surprised by the twist, though I did enjoy the plot and the characters. One thing that annoyed me was that though almost the entire book is in first person, towards the end we switch into third person universal for about a chapter - I thought it was kind of sloppy, though I understand the reason for it. May or may not read the rest of the trilogy. "
— Bayla, 1/27/2014 -
" Absolutly the BESSSSSSSSSSSSSST BOOK EVERR "
— Jessie, 1/23/2014 -
" Wow, this book was really good! The author's writing style is witty and quick, lending a nice snarky attitude to her main character, Sage. This is a little bit mystery, a little bit fantasy and overall a nice middle reader series that is sure to appeal to both genders. I had my suspicions about a few major plot points for awhile, but the author does a good job keeping you guessing until the end and then weaving the whole plot together really nicely. Eagerly looking forward to book two in this trilogy. "
— Jen, 1/17/2014 -
" Great twist I never saw coming! "
— Tanya, 1/9/2014 -
" No word can describe this book! It's just too good. Need "The runaway King" now! "
— Ana, 1/5/2014 -
" I can't put my finger on why this book was so riveting, a cant put it down read late into the night kinda book. Just good writing and a gripping story I guess. "
— Ms.Patterson, 12/18/2013 -
" SO GOOD. I read it so quickly and cannot wait for the next book. It was amazing. "
— Emeebee, 12/10/2013 -
" Loved it. I didn't see the twist coming and made me rush read for the ending. Awesome. "
— Kimberly, 11/18/2013 -
" Although predictable, this book is a compelling and fun read. I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy! "
— Alisha, 10/12/2013 -
" I stayed up all night to read this book. And it was so good that it only took me a few hours. I had a feeling there was going to be an amazing elaborate twist at the end, and I was not disappointed! A fun, quick read that will make you wonder - why was I not that smart at 15 years old? "
— Kate, 10/6/2013 -
" Amazing! Ordered a second copy knowing that once I book talked this to my students my paperback copy would fall apart. "
— Erik, 2/14/2013 -
" My son asked me to read this and I enjoyed it! Going to read The runaway Prince next "
— Deena, 2/12/2013 -
" This was a very good book "
— Gal, 12/11/2012 -
" Amazing book! Loved it I couldn't wait for the next book. "
— Jennifer, 9/6/2012 -
" Took to long to get to the nub of the story; I don't think it was a surprise, just a labor to get to it! Not sure I enjoyed this book; the main character seemed vindictive. What was his motive? "
— Elizabeth, 6/26/2012 -
" One of the best books I have ever read. "
— H, 6/8/2012 -
" I absolutely loved this book!!! Sage is such a great character! He is witty, sarcastic, and brave! The story line seems predictable but it really gets you in the end! I would recommend this to anyone 4th grade and above. "
— Kristina, 5/17/2012
About Jennifer A. Nielsen
Jennifer A. Nielsen is the acclaimed author of the USA Today bestselling Ascendance Series, as well as the bestselling Mark of the Thief trilogy, a stand-alone fantasy The Scourge, historical thrillers, and contributions to the Horizon series, the Infinity Ring series, and The Traitor’s Game series.