{Audiobook} Review : The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Narrator(s): Mandy Williams
Series: stand-alone
Length: 10 hrs 52 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: January 25, 2011
Source: Purchased Audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, 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.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

This book was on my radar forever! I love anything with princesses and The False Princess did not disappoint. I decided to go with the audio version. Mandy Williams does a great job, and I loved her accent. It was perfect for her character.

So basically, this poor girl, Sinda, is put up in the castle as a fake princess for all her 16 years of life, then they are like, "Hey bitch.. you aren't really the princess, so have a nice life!" That blows. But all is not lost, she's still destined for great things in life. She just needs to discover them.

I really like The False Princess. I loved the whole magic aspect, and the mystery going on with the whole baby switch in the first place. Things are not always what you assume them to be. My favorite thing was watching Sinda uncover all of these things, and also discover who she truly is.

My only complaint is, the middle is a little slow. The beginning starts out with a bang, because she's essentially being thrown out on her ass. But the lead up to all the action at the end is a bit tedious. I couldn't tell you exact percent markers where the lull is because it was audio, but once she starts figuring things out, it's one heck of a ride. I couldn't put it down.

Overall, great book. Especially if your looking for a stand alone. I like how it all wrapped up. Great story. :)

About the Author:

Eilis is a writer of fantasy and 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 short fantasy has been published in various print and online journals, and you can find links to some of her stories here. Eilis was born, raised in, and currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Find Eilis:

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