All right! It is almost midnight and this is when I write my finest reviews (oh stop laughing) so I shall write the galumptious (how can galumptious not be a word? I feel affronted) (well, it is a word now) (hmph) review that The False Prince deserves because let me tell you this, the book is pretty freaking fantastic. Okay, before I go forth with this review, let me tell you that it is Finals time and I am rather batty (battier?) during these times so the following review maybe be interspersed with absolute nonsense. You are advised to ignore the nonsense and focus on the absolutely laudatory mumbles and just breathe in the panegyrics I may write if I don't restrain myself.Anyway, The False Prince succeeds on almost all counts (with me) because of the irrepressible, irresistible voice of its protagonist. Ever meet someone and you know you will love them forever based on the first few minutes of conversation with them? Yeah? That's what happened when I first started reading The False Prince. Sage, the entirely irreverent protagonist of the novel, wins hearts with an ease that will leave you a bit wary. I think it is mostly his irreverence that won me over but I believe that the snark, and the wit (of course) that is layered in his complex character, is balanced by the vulnerability that shows up in times you least expect it to. However, he is not the only complex character in the novel. All characters, no matter how small their parts and how insignificant their roles in the grand narrative, have a personality that is not cardboard cut. They are not stereotyped representations of real people. They are real people or could be real people. The writing flowed very smoothly and while it wasn't excessively choked with imagery, I felt that Nielsen handled the prose in a masterful manner that worked to further her story without interrupting it with descriptions about flowers and feelings. Not that those are necessarily bad things - they just have their own place. The point is, the writing was very well structured, it handled the movement within the narrative and sustained the suspense and intrigue until the words felt like they were windows through which you were seeing an entire world unfurl. Which is, in my opinion, a pretty grand thing.The plot threw me for a loop. I had all these suspicions about the inevitable twist but when it did come around, I realized I had not really expected the twist to be as twisty as it was. The book isn't perfect and if there were stumbling points, I would say the plot contained them. Nothing overt, really. I just found myself left with some questions I don't know where to direct - maybe I will email the author but it really is not my style but then again, I want to know the answer before I start hypothesizing but then again...see? My mind, it whirls. Anyway, the plot points are not really significant because they are possibly a reflection of my personal reading manner and reaction. The romance - it's there, not in great quantities but it's there. And there's a sliver of it that makes you hope that the next two books will develop it a little, not too much because we have a kingdom to save but enough to keep things light and just the tiniest bit sentimental. So let's see what we've got here. Hero? Fantastic. Writing? Fantastic. Plot? Fantastic. Do I really need to say more?Oh okay, I will then. If you want something more, from a purely academic point of view, I liked how this novel explores the fluid nature of identity and, I'd argue, the book tried, to some extent, to redefine masculinity. There is also some pretty heavy stuff present about the cost of power and the meaning of it - and, a bit interestingly, the meaning of being a patriot. What is loyalty and whom (or what) do you owe it to? So yeah, if you want something to think about, this book is for you.Actually, this book is for everyone!Go read it! Now!
 - )