The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Release Date: January 25th 2011
Synopsis:

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.

Review:

All it took was the first few sentences of the synopsis on the inside flap of the cover jacket of the book and i was intrigued. I wasn't sure if this was exactly my kind of genre so I was hesitant, but then i read the synopsis and I decided that it was too interesting to just pass up. The best part is that after the first few paragraphs, I discovered that this book fit perfectly into my preferences. This book was set back in the 1100's with an interesting twist: magic. The author had her main character describe it as something you don't really think about, you know it's just there, like air. You accept it as part of your life even if you can't wield it because it's just something no one can live without.
Anyway, this is one of those books that, by the first chapter, you are tied to the main character. I could easily imagine how she felt when her life was ripped away from her and given to someone else. I mean, I could easily go on a rant about it... so buckle up and enjoy the ride because here I go...
Though I see the king and queen's justification in switching their daughter with another at birth, I still see the flaw. I mean, why would you endanger the girl you are now raising just to save the life of your true daughter whom you have never met? I understand that the parents loved their true daugter so much that they wished to protect her by any means, but seriously. you are just throwing another girl into harms way like a human shield. I get the whole, she's-the-rightful-heir-to-the-throne thing, but honestly, there are better ways to handle this. Think about what you did to the girl who thought she was your daughter for 16 years. You took away the life that was all she knew, one of politics and no hard labor, and threw her into a life where she knows nothing. And your actual daughter... well, she grew up getting treated as an orphaned noble and when she was told that she wasn't who she thought she was, she wasn't thrown out onto the curb. Nope. She was given a palace to live inside, parents she never knew about and a place to call home. But the stand in princess has a deadbeat mother, a literally dead father and an aunt who despises her.
Yep. all the justice in the world.
Okay. Now that that is off my chest, i'm moving on.
This novel was actual really good and beyond interesting. It has more twists in it's plot than a curly fry. And they are seriously unexpected. I wont go into too much detail because that is for you all to uncover on your own.
Now, unlike my usual review i am not going to go into depth on a large array of characters. i'll ust give you two that are vital to the story and that i can talk about without giving away anything.
Sinda is the stand in princess (and main character) who's only purpose was to die for the actual princess...to live her life until the foreseen murderers came at her. Only, they didn't. So she was tossed out to live a life she was unprepared for. You see, Sinda is nice and polite and she loves to learn... her only flaw is her clumsiness and tendency to accept things even when she should be fighting against them. It seemed like she sorta knew she didn't one hundred percent belong where she was. Not that she fit in well where she was sent either. Anyway, later on in the novel you see that she has more determination then she lets on. you notice her good heart and the loyalty that lies inside it.

Kiernan... well, he's the guy in the book. You know which one i mean. The one you are cheering on just because he's freaking awesome and you think he and the main character should get together. Yep. He's that guy. Anyway, like Sinda, he is loyal unlike her, he actually is a noble. So once the revelation regarding Sinda is outed, they are, of course, expected to act like they never met and Kiernan is supposed to treat the new princess like his best friend. Being who he is, he tries... but that doesn't mean it works.
Okay, i could go on all day about Kiernan and his complete awesomeness but I wont. You all can read about him yourselves,

I'd love to go on about other characters but that would risk way too many spoilers.
All in all, the book had a wonderfully laid out ending with just the right amount of closure. The plot was all wrapped up and snug with everything working out the right way. All the events happened in a quick but fulfilling way that was not at all hasty. The author really did a great job in telling the story and filling the plot with everything it needed. Well done, Eilis O'Neal :) This book earned a solid A from this reviewer and is recommend it to all readers who like medieval/ renaissance ish time eras.

**PS this is my first review in a long time so bare with me here:) Hope you guys like