The False Princess

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia has led a privileged life at court. 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, her best friend, Kiernan, and the only life she's ever known. Sent to live with her only surviving relative--a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece--Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. Then she discovers that magic runs through her veins--long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control--and she realizes that she will never learn to be just a simple village girl. Sinda returns to the city to seek answers. Instead, she rediscovers the boy who refused to forsake her, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history forever. An intricately plotted and completely satisfying adventure, The False Princess is both an engaging tale in the tradition of great fantasy novels and a story never before told that will enchant--and surprise--its readers. -- "Journal"

About the Author :
Eilis O'Neal is the managing editor of the literary magazine Nimrod International Journal. She started writing at the age of three (though the story was only four sentences long). Her first name is pronounced A-lish. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband, Matt, and two dogs, Nemo and Zuul. The False Princess is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.eilisoneal.com.

Review :
For sixteen years, Princess Nalia has been unknowingly living a lie. The truth is revealed shortly after her birthday, shen she is informed that she is not in fact of royal blood but is actually a peasant girl, switched at birth with the true princess to protect the royal heir from a prophesied death at the age of fifteen. Now that the danger has passed, Nalia--or, rather, Sinda, her true name--is sent back to live among the commoners, where she is somehow supposed to make a new life for herself. Although she lacks any applicable skill or common sense, Sinda does have a fair bit of magic in her blood and an insistent hunch that something is still not quite right at the palace, a suspicion that is confirmed when she witnesses the current princess meeting with a shadowy figure. She joins up with Kiernan, her best friend from her royal life, and they soon uncover a web of lies that extends far beyond switched identities and threatens the entire kingdom. Debut author O'Neal offers up an appealing blend of political intrigue, emotional drama, magical elements, and just a touch of romance. A complicated, nuanced mystery turns this princess tale on its head, while the skillfully developed characters provide a fair amount of thoughtful heft as they grapple with the aftereffects of deceit and greed. Readers will cheer as they watch Sinda develop from a timid, unassuming little mouse of a girl to a bold, confident young woman, intent on making her voice heard and her worth known. Her relationship with Kiernan is tenderly romantic, based more on shared comfort than passion, making it a cozy subplot as opposed to a steamy distraction. Although the story starts a tad slow, the action soon gets going and crescendos in a shocking but ultimately satisfying conclusion that will have fans of Shannon Hale and Tamora Pierce looking for this author's sophomore work. -- "Journal" Just after her 16th birthday, the princess of Thorvaldor finds out she is no princess at all, but a peasant girl named Sinda Azaway, switched at birth with the real princess after a prophesy predicted the royal's death; Sinda has ceased to be useful to the king and queen now that the fated birthday of their real daughter has passed. Readers will feel for Sinda, who's immediately exiled from palace life, sent to live with an unknown aunt, and burdened with having lived a lie. Debut novelist O'Neal deftly draws a protagonist to root for as Sinda forges a new identity, comes into her own as a talented wizard, and discovers further royal intrigue. Sinda's sadness and anger feel righteous, never grating, and O'Neal quickly buoys Sinda's new life with her best friend from the palace, Kiernan, who proves his loyalty, and a wonderful teacher in the eccentric Philantha, who takes Sinda in as a wizard's apprentice. Fans of Shannon Hale will enjoy this compelling fantasy, which is filled with magic, political drama, and romance. --Publishers Weekly -- "Journal" One day after her 16th birthday, Nalia, the Princess of Thorvaldor, learns that she isn't 'Nalia' after all. She is Sinda, a poor peasant who has been used as a decoy to save the true princess. Because of a prophecy that foresaw her death before her 16th birthday, the true Nalia was sent to a convent where she was kept safe. Now, she returns to Thorvaldor, and Sinda is sent to live with her aunt in Treb, where she struggles with her new identity and misses the king and queen, the only parents she ever knew, and Kiernan, her best friend. When a friend betrays her trust, she becomes overwhelmed and magic begins bursting out of her--magic that she didn't know she possessed and can't control. She goes back to Thorvaldor and becomes a scribe to the eccentric Philantha. One night, she watches someone put a spell on Nalia, or the girl who she thought was Nalia. It is the same spell that was repeatedly put on Sinda to hide her true identity during her first 16 years. Could there be another decoy? Who is deceiving the king and queen? The plot line is unpredictable, causing readers to be pulled along with each page turn to find out what will happen next. The thick character descriptions allow for teens to empathize and put themselves in the place of Sinda and the others. The characters are dealing with the angst of change and identity development, so readers can really relate to the issues that come up in this exciting story. Written from Sinda's perspective, this book takes readers on a wild ride of deception, mystery, and young love. --starred, School Library Journal -- "Journal" Young readers who have ever wondered if they are in the right family might heed O'Neal's fantasy as a cautionary tale. Princess Nalia was switched at birth, when the king and queen of Thorvaldor hid their infant daughter to avoid a deadly curse due before her sixteenth birthday. A stand-in princess was arranged and then cruelly torn from the palace when the danger had passed. Now called Sinda, the former 'princess' lives a hardscrabble existence as scribe to a minor wizard. Bright and plucky, Sinda does not meekly slip away. She comes to realize she holds magic powers that need taming, and she also uncovers a good deal of palace intrigue connected to master wizard Melaina, and even a second birth switch that has ensconced the latter's daughter in the palace in place of the true princess. Who will believe Sinda? Brave and clever Kiernan, a good friend from her palace days, helps her plot and triumph. This novel crackles with adventure and suspense and will delight fans with its blend of wizardry and court life. --Booklist -- "Journal"