The False Prince

When I originally read this book I immediately wrote a review, which for some reason failed to save. I wasn't happy. The details are probably not nearly as crisp in my mind as they used to be, but I feel I should definitely attempt to write some things done. Not necessarily because I feel they are useful for anyone, but because I would like to remember the reason for my rating and at least some things.

Some books are stars because they just lack something that would elevate them into something higher. Sometimes the book itself is fine enough, but they have some mistakes that are just impossible to ignore to me.
Here I think it's a bit of both.
Some years back the country's youngest prince was lost in a pirate attack as a child. Of course everyone mourned him but life goes on and things seemed to be going fine. They still do, except... someone managed to poison the king, the queen and the remaining prince, so the country is heading for a bloody war to decide who will be the next ruler. Unless the lost prince, presumed dead, get found somehow.
Some people are trying to solve the situation with a fake prince, someone approximately right for the role, but one crafty nobleman feels he could really, really train one of the young boys e had taken from the orphanages. Sage, our protagonist is one of them and the boy has some serious issues with his attitude, but maybe that's what's needed to sell himself as the true prince.

Well, here is the thing, for all the dark implications of the book, it's still one for children. Very possible I'm the one who has issues here, but somehow it just felt like the pressure wasn't all that much. The atmosphere wasn't build up to be truly oppressive or for me to feel the true weight of things. Then again, Darren Shan can do it. He wrote his vampire books for children and somehow you felt it being heavy. So I don't know. Was it too short? Not willing to really go hard? I don't know.
Of course the same thing made it a very fast and easy read. Maybe for children it's a bit less traumatising than The Saga of Darren Shan, which I have to admit was much. This one, though, felt fine as a palate cleanser and something to read when you don't have to concentrate too much. It wasn't taxing.

Now the thing that I consider a mistake. It's the big plot twist. The big reveal, which is so incredibly nonsensical I couldn't help being surprised. Really, it wasn't unexpected because it's such a brilliant idea, but because it's so convoluted and just stupid you hardly believe anyone would actually do such a thing.

Don't get me wrong, I think I will read the rest of the series when I don't want another super heavy,, gazillion page monster. But I don't think this is an essential read as far as fantasy OR middle grade goes.

Have a nice day and don't rule this out completely!