Book 3 Of 11 The False Princess By Eilis Oneal

Dust Jacket Description:"Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's knows her rol in life. But everything changes when she learns, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known. While struggling with her new peasant life, Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-supressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control. Returning to the city to seek answers, she instead uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever." DISCLAIMER: This is the dust jacket description on the back of the ARC and it was subject to change. Characters: Sinda and I never connected. Perhaps it was her timid nature, but I felt indifferent towards her for the duration of the novel. No matter my lack of chemistry with the protagonist, Sinda still took charge of her life and became proactive near the end of the novel, which I respected her for. I think girls who have a problem with standing up for themselves will relate to Sinda. Her best friend, Kiernan, was a fun character I wish we got to see more of. I felt we were told a lot about Kiernan instead of shown. Still, Sinda and Kiernan's relationship is a fun one to experience. Philantha, Sinda's mentor,was the traditional zany adult figure I love in fantasy novels. She didn't vary from the cliche too much, but she was still fun to read about. As for the rest, well, I don't want to give too much away. Overall, O'Neal has the individual essence of each character. The result is fun if not always fully formed. 4 flowers. Writing: What immediately brushed me the wrong way as overly formal and info dumpy slowly grew on me. The formality is organic to the story. The excess of unnatural information is not. Sinda rants a bit too often for me to care. However, I cannot blame O'Neal for this issue. Revealing info is something all writers - including an amateur like me - has to deal with. I warmed up to her writing style. In fact, it reminded me a lot of a budding Gail Carson Levine. Wait another book or two and I bet O'Neal's going to be a knockout writer. 3 and a half flowers. Plot: The early pacing of this book horrified me. The first fifty page arch needs to be slashed entirely. It was way too quick. After Sinda leaves her aunt for the city though, the book begins in its rightful place. What occurs after is a fun, dramatic story. Even if sometimes I didn't understand the cost of the stakes and the book reminded me too much of an outline. If you can ignore technical issues, it's a solid story arch. Not to mention how the major mid book twist threw me off. 4 flowers. End: Scarily predictable but still very satisfying, somehow. 4 and a half flowers. Dust Jacket Description: Actually a fairly impressive description. Except for the fact that they spelled Kiernan's name wrong. I presume that's fixed in the published book, though. Nice job! 4 and a half flowers. Cover: While I didn't like the ARC cover I received, I dislike this one even more. What is up with whitewashing covers? I'm also confused about the locket's relevance. I wish they had kept the ARC version. 3 flowers. Overall: A great, fun story that lacks the finesse of an experienced writer. I suspect O'Neal will learn that very soon, though. If you know any girls in the 11-14 age range who love stories like Ella Enchanted, I highly recommend this book. 4 flowers.

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