The False Princess

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 7/10 I'm a little confused as to what the necklace is all about...


Sinda Azaway has spent the first sixteen years of her life believing she is the princess of Thorvaldor. When her entire life turns out to have been a ploy to keep the real princess safe from a threat that a prophecy about the princess, which said that she would die before the age of 16, Sinda is sent to live with an aunt she never knew she had.
Things don't go so well for Sinda after that. Without her best friend, Kiernan, son of the Earl of Rithia, Sinda feels empty and at a loss. Expected to help her aunt in household chores she hasn't a clue how to do, everything becomes even more complex when Sinda's magic, hidden because of the spell cast on her to make her look like princess Nalia, has finally bloomed, and she has no idea what to do with it, or worse, how to stop it from bursting out of her and burning things at random.
After she returns to the city to seek help with her magic, Sinda unravels a ploy deep within the heart of Thorvaldor, meant to dethrone the rightful princess. With time running out, and an uncertain hold on her magic at the best of times, Sinda will have to decide if getting to the end of the ploy is worth the price she'll have to pay.

Now, I need to say something here. This is one of those books. You know the kind. Fabulous plot, incredible characters (if a little transparent at times) and awesome pacing - even the down time is just right; not too long that you get bored, and not too short that it feels rushed. There were a few spelling mistakes that jumped out to me, but aside from that, The False Princess is, by all accounts, a wonderful read.
And it is. But... it's not one of those books that sticks with you after you finished, and that you keep thinking about, wondering about the characters, etc, which means it could have been even better. The ending seemed somewhat abrupt, and left a few strings still hanging. I felt certain there'd be a continuation, but I can't find anything that points to one, so I'll just assume it ends here. In that case, read it if you're looking for a good magical YA, with great humour, sweet romance and lots of intrigue.