The False Princess

The False Princess follows Sinda, a girl who is kicked out of the castle after it is revealed that she is not really a princess but a girl taken from her family to take the princesses place because of a prophecy that the princess would be murdered before her sixteenth birthday.  Sinda returns to live with her aunt who is not happy to have her there and then moves by herself to the city where she must solve a mystery with the help of her best friend Kiernan.

This is a delightful fairy tale of a story.  The author does a fantastic job of building a world full of magic and royalty that readers will enjoy.  The plot developed slowly but in a way that allowed readers to become invested in the character and the romance.  Sinda starts off as a fairly spineless girl who doesn't make a bit of a fuss when she is forced to leave her life and everything she knows.  She slowly grows as a character and becomes strong both physically and mentally and is able to stick up for not only herself but those that she feels have been wronged.

Appropriateness:  This is a delightful book that will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.  The romance involves just a bit of kissing and there is no substance abuse.  There is a bit of magical violence but not enough to scare even the youngest of readers.  I would recommend this to readers aged 10 and up (with the main audience being middle school girls) with it being appropriate for younger advanced readers who can handle the length or who are listening to the audio book.