The False Prince is the thrilling first book in Jennifer A. Nielsen's Ascendance Series. A story filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end. The False Prince focuses on Sage and three orphans who are forced to compete for the title of the crown prince.
THE FALSE PRINCE
Choose to lie... or Choose to die
Book Synopsis[]
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Bevin 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 [Bevin 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 [Jaron|Sage's]] rivals, [Roden] and [Tobias], 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.
Book Summary[]
The book begins with 14 year old Sage, who is attempting to steal a roast from the butcher. He almost makes it back to Mrs. Turbeldy's Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys, but the butcher catches up and starts to kick Sage. He is stopped by Bevin Conner, who pays for the roast and helps Sage to his feet. The two make their way back to the orphanage. When they arrive, they go to see Mrs. Turbeldy. Sage mentions how they do not get along well at all. Conner asks Sage if he has any training and what his father did. Mrs. Turbeldy tells Conner about how Sage got into the orphanage by paying her a silver coin and saying that he was the son of a dead duke from Avenia. He continued to give her coins for two weeks until he took with a fever, and confessed to Mrs. Turbeldy that he was not the son of a duke, but he stole the coins from one to trick her into giving him a place to stay. Then Conner asks Sage a series of questions: if he can wield a sword, if he farms, hunts, and if he can read. Sage says that he doesn't want to go with Conner, but Mrs. Turbeldy tells him that Conner has already bought him. Sage attempts to escape but is caught by Mott and Cregan, who then knock him out and tie him up.
Sage wakes up in a wagon with his hands tied behind his back. There are two other boys with him, Roden and Latamer. They are on their way to pick up Tobias at another orphanage. Sage recognizes the orphanage as the one he stayed at for a time when Mrs. Turbeldy kicked him out. While Conner and his vigils go to collect the next boy, Sage, Roden and Latamer talk about what Conner could possibly want them for. It is then revealed that Conner is a friend of the king's court. Sage attempts to escape, but Cregan catches him. Then Conner and Mott come back with Tobias in tow. Sage asks once again what Conner wants them for. Conner doesn't tell him, but instead shakes his head, and says, "Patience, Sage. Patience is the mark of a ruler." Sage then concludes that they are all in danger.
Sage recognizes Tobias. He once stayed at his orphanage, Gelvins Charity Orphanage, for a short while after Mrs. Turbeldy temporarily kicked him out. Tobias noticed that Sage was bleeding but Sage responded saying that it was mostly stopped. Following Tobias' pickup, they rode for an hour. Soon, it got dark and Mott suggested to set camp for the night. They set camp in a small clearing surrounded by tall willow trees and thick brushes. Mott then gave orders to each of the young boys. While the boys worked, Conner sat on a fallen tree and pulled out a tattered leather book. As they worked, Conner would look up and observe the boys then went on with his book.
Cregan created a fire, then Mott instructed the boys to gather around it so that Conner could talk to them. Conner expressed the danger in his plan and how he would only choose one boy. He then gave the option to leave with no feelings of cowardice and regret. Latamer raised his hand to leave, saying that he could not compete with the other boys. Conner said that he could leave and offered that he would let Cregan drive him to the nearest town. Latamer gave an apologetic smile to the boys and thanked Conner for his understanding. Latamer started walking to the wagon, but Sage noticed that Cregan wasn't with them. Sage yelled for Latamer to stop, but as Latamer turned around, an arrow from Cregan whooshed by and pierced his chest. Latamer fell backward, dead. Sage charged toward Cregan and tackled him. Mott had to pull Sage off of Cregan. Sage was clearly angry. Conner gives an excuse, saying that Latamer was not going to get better. Sage took this as a sign that Latamer was simply a tool- an example to the others of their consequences for not sucking it up. Conner then ordered Cregan to bury Latamer.
Not long after Latamer's death, Sage and the others reach Farthenwood- Conner's estate. Each boy is assigned a servant to care for him, Sage quickly becomes close to his servant- a young man named Errol. Over dinner at Farthenwood, Connor reveals to them that the royal family of Carthya is dead, and he plans to use one of the three orphans to impersonate the long-lost Prince Jaron, who was killed in a shipwreck four years ago. He does not reveal his plans for the remaining two orphans, but it is strongly implied that they will be killed to protect the secrecy of his plan.
Over the next two weeks with which they have to prepare, Sage, Roden, and Tobias are trained in all the skills that Prince Jaron will be expected to know: the history of Carthya, horsemanship, sword fighting, and dancing. The illiterate Roden and Sage, they are taught reading and writing, while the literate and more educated Tobias studies more advanced subjects. Throughout the training, Sage creates trouble in many different ways, even stating outright to Connor that he does not wish to be the prince. During the first horseback riding lesson, Sage provokes Cregan into giving him a wild mare to ride. When Sage mounts her, the mare takes off into the woods, and Sage eventually falls off, breaking some ribs and requiring Mott to look for him. Connor is very angry with Cregan for losing the mare, and Cregan, in turn, takes his anger out on Sage, expressing his hatred for him and swearing to do everything in his power to make Sage fail before Connor. There is also a mute kitchen maid named Imogen who has caught Sage's eye and knowing that she is physically and verbally mistreated by the other servants, Sage attempts to stand up for her and call attention to her situation, but she scorns his attempts to help, partially because they will potentially cause her even more trouble.
By using his excellent sneaking and climbing skills to sneak out of his bedroom window at night, Sage stumbles upon secret passages that run within the walls of Farthenwood, enabling him to access almost every important room in the building. Four days into his two week stay at Farthenwood, Sage discovers that Connor has taken a lump of gold that belonged to him, and when Connor refuses to return it, he steals it back. When Connor corners him, Connor tells him that the gold is fool's gold and that Sage must render it up. When Sage refuses, Connor sends him to the dungeon and has Mott whip him. Later, Imogen arrives in secret and ministers to him by bringing him food and water. She reveals that she can speak, but requests that he not tell anyone about this. She also encourages him to keep fighting against Connor, saying that many look up to him, and they need to see someone fight Connor and win. In the dungeon, Mott attempts to talk Sage into giving up his stubbornness and give up the gold. Sage refuses, but asks Mott to tell Connor that he will be Connor's prince. After two days in the dungeon, Connor releases Sage when Sage confirms that he will be Connor's prince. Connor does not ask about the gold, because he has accomplished what he truly wants - for Sage's will to bend to him.
Hostility between the boys increases, as Tobias warns Sage and Roden to back down, and all the boys strive to become more like Prince Jaron. The princess Amarinda, who betrothed to the Carthyan throne, arrives to visit. As the royal family's death is very recent, many do not know for certain whether they are dead or not, although rumors of their death have been spreading. Amarinda, who has heard these rumors, is troubled,b ecause she loves her fiancé Darius, who is Jaron's older brother and heir to the throne.
During one of Sage's nightly excursions around Farthenwood, Tobias attacks Sage with a stolen knife in an attempt to force Sage to back down and let Tobias be the prince. Sage distracts Tobias, and then attacks with his own stolen knife, blackmailing Tobias into backing down and lying to cover up Tobias the following morning when the wound Tobias gave him is discovered. For this, Tobias becomes very grateful to Sage, and resolves to help him become the prince.
Mott begins to show increasing warmth to Sage. After Sage confronts him that he was willing to help Connor kill Latamer, Mott confides that he did not know that Connor gave orders for Latamer's death. He recalls Sage's words in the dungeon saying that Connor didn't own him, and Mott says that Connor does not own him either.
Sage's hair is cut and dyed brown to appear more like Prince Jaron, and the similarities between Sage and the last known portrait of Prince Jaron shortly before his demise become apparent. At this point, Connor receives an unexpected visit from Lord Veldergrath, a power hungry regent who hopes to rule Carthya now that the royal family is dead, and comes to Connor to search his home after hearing rumors that Connor is planning to use an orphan boy to impersonate Prince Jaron. Sage reveals his knowledge of the secret tunnels, and Connor instructs Sage to take Roden and Tobias down into the tunnels to hide. Veldergrath finds no evidence of the boys and leaves. Connor chooses Roden as his prince, but just as they are about to depart for the capital Drylliad, Connor makes a last-minute switch to Sage when he sees Sage rolling a coin over his knuckles, a special trick exclusive to Prince Jaron that the nobles would expect to see, and which Roden is unable to perform. Sage coerces Connor to bring Roden, Tobias, and Imogen along with them to the Drylliad so that Roden and Tobias will not be killed.
As Connor adjusts his preparations to fit the change of plans, Sage goes on a horseback ride within the property, retrieving a rock — the gold — from a riverbed along the way. Mott meets him there, recognizes Sage as the real Prince Jaron, and gives Jaron his loyalty.
Flashback to several years ago, King Eckbert and his wife Queen Erin, a former bar maid, had two children. The elder was Crown Prince Darius, and the younger was Prince Jaron. Jaron was a rebellious child, climbing castle walls at night and doing a variety of other antics, which displeased his father because he was not the model royal his father expected of him. At the age of 11, Jaron was sent to a boarding school in the country of Bymar, partly for his own safety, as war threatened Carthya's borders, and partly to give him a proper education. Jaron was angry at ths, but complied to please his mother. But before his ship set sail, he snuck off the ship. The ship was attacked by Avenian pirates that afternoon, and all on board were killed. Darius met Jaron at a church in Avena, and helped him to meet with his father in secret. His father explained that Jaron could not return to the castle, because Jaron would be living proof that Avenia had attacked a peaceful ship with a royal on board, and Carthya would be forced into a war they would almost certainly lose, and which King Eckbert was desperately trying to avoid. The father and son worked out some plans for disguise and, if need be, a plan to get Jaron back onto the thone and Jaron assumed the name of Sage and went to live at Mrs. Turbeldy's Orphanage.
Upon arriving at Drylliad, Jaron is denied entry by the guard, who believes Jaron to be a fraud, especially as he has seen many fake Jarons arriving at the castle all day, all hoping to pass off as the real Prince Jaron. Connor is discouraged, but Jaron shows him a way into the castle by a walkway along the castle sewer. As they head into the castle, they are confronted by Cregan and Roden, who intend to stop them and have Roden crowned king instead of Jaron. Jaron challenges Roden to a sword fight, and Roden accepts. Fighting for his life, Jaron reveals his true sword prowess which he had learned during his days as in the castle, having concealed these skills from everyone during his training at Farthenwood. He quickly overpowers Roden, but when Jaron corners Roden, Jaron hesitates, and Roden uses the chance to strike back. Roden defeats Jaron but offers him mercy, but Jaron, pretending to beg mercy, knocks Roden down and takes Roden's sword, echoing a statement he made earlier when he said that in a sword fight against a more skilled opponent, he would beg mercy, then trick the opponent when he let down his guard. An angered Cregan attempts to kill Jaron, but Mott stabs him in the back, and Cregan dies. Roden wants Jaron to kill him, but Jaron refuses and asks Roden to accompany him to the castle as friends. Roden refuses and leaves.
Jaron feigns a wound, and tells Mott and Connor to go ahead, while Imogen breaks her silence by telling Connor she can help Jaron. Tobias goes to retrieve Jaron's crown, which had fallen into the river when Cregan fell, and Jaron instructs Imogen to enter the throne room with Tobias.
As the regents meet to discuss who should reign Carthya with the royals dead, and a bell rings to announce the death of the royals to the people waiting outside. Connor tried to stop the meeting before it could begin to stall for Jaron’s arrival but a commotion interrupted him from the throne room. Standing by his family’s thrones, Jaron held his sword. The Lord Chamberlain comes and speaks to Jaron. Jaron proves that he is the real lost prince of Carthya using the fool’s gold, which his father gave him. Chamberlain recognizes Jaron as the new king.
Connor slyly tries to get Jaron on his side but Jaron orders guards to imprison him under the grounds of the attempted murder of himself and the murders of his family. His proof is the vial of poison that Connor used to kill the royal family, which he found by snooping in Connor’s room, and reveals that Connor hired the pirates that were sent after him.
Angry at this turn of events, Connor attempts to kill Jaron and take him down with him, but Jaron shows the knife that he pickpocketed from him. Connor is sent off to the dungeons.
Audiobook[]
The audiobook for The False Prince was released on April 1, 2012 by Scholastic Audio. Read by Charlie McWade, it is eight hours and fourteen minutes in length. It also features a bonus scene not included in the books, titled "The Duel."
Film adaptation[]
In December 2012, the Hollywood Reporter posted an article saying that Paramount Pictures had obtained the rights to The False Prince, with Game of Thrones editor Bryan Cogman to adapt it into a movie.[1] A week later, Nielsen confirmed the exciting news on her blog.[2] A script for the film was written, but as of March of 2017, Nielsen stated that the contract for The False Prince has expired, and due to some recent significant changes at the studio, Paramount would not be renewing the contract.[3]
Book trailer[]
