Audio Review: The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Narrator: Mandy Williams

Synopsis: Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia has led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when she learns, 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, her best friend, Kiernan, and the only life she’s ever known.

Sent to live with her only surviving relative—a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece—Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. Then she discovers that magic runs through her veins—long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control—and she realizes that she will never learn to be just a simple village girl.

Sinda returns to the city to seek answers. Instead, she rediscovers the boy who refused to forsake her, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor’s history forever.

My thoughts: This audio book quickly caught my attention when browsing through the library's collection online. The idea of finding out that your whole life was a lie and you must immediately live your true one was very interesting. This audio book version did not disappoint.

There were many plot twists that kept me engage throughout the book. Not only does Sinda find out that she's not the princess but she also finds out that she has magical powers. This caught me unawares because I thought this was going to be a story about a girl who had to learn how to cope being a "commoner" instead of royalty. There were many other plot twists that I won't mention specifically so I won't spoil the story, and these were developed very well.

I also greatly enjoyed the characters. I am usually hesitant to read young adult fiction because the characters annoy me, but here I actually liked them. Sinda is a typical teenage girl who is trying to figure out who she is. She was well balanced, which made her character more believable for a girl her age during that time. Perhaps my favorite character in this book would have to be Sinda's best friend, Kiernan. I loved how their friendship was described and I love how they come to realize what they really mean to each other. The best part of this relationship is that there's no love triangle!

My thoughts on the presentation: Mandy Williams did a great job portraying the characters, especially the girls. She has a British accent which made the story sound more believable. I also enjoyed the fact that she didn't make Sinda sound whiny even in the parts that she did complain. But I will admit that there were a few parts where Williams sounded very monotone and kind of lost me a bit. Other than that, the audio was well done.

Overall, I highly enjoyed listening to this audio. I liked the story, the characters, and the presentation. I give this audio book: