Eilis O’Neal is 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 first name is pronounced "A-lish." She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her husband, Matt, and two dogs, Nemo and Zuul. The False Princess is her first novel. You can visit her online at www.eilisoneal.com.
"For sixteen years, Princess Nalia has been unknowingly living a
lie. The truth is revealed shortly after her birthday, shen she is
informed that she is not in fact of royal blood but is actually a
peasant girl, switched at birth with the true princess to protect
the royal heir from a prophesied death at the age of fifteen. Now
that the danger has passed, Nalia--or, rather, Sinda, her true
name--is sent back to live among the commoners, where she is
somehow supposed to make a new life for herself. Although she lacks
any applicable skill or common sense, Sinda does have a fair bit of
magic in her blood and an insistent hunch that something is still
not quite right at the palace, a suspicion that is confirmed when
she witnesses the current princess meeting with a shadowy figure.
She joins up with Kiernan, her best friend from her royal life, and
they soon uncover a web of lies that extends far beyond switched
identities and threatens the entire kingdom. Debut author O'Neal
offers up an appealing blend of political intrigue, emotional
drama, magical elements, and just a touch of romance. A
complicated, nuanced mystery turns this princess tale on its head,
while the skillfully developed characters provide a fair amount of
thoughtful heft as they grapple with the aftereffects of deceit and
greed. Readers will cheer as they watch Sinda develop from a timid,
unassuming little mouse of a girl to a bold, confident young woman,
intent on making her voice heard and her worth known. Her
relationship with Kiernan is tenderly romantic, based more on
shared comfort than passion, making it a cozy subplot as opposed to
a steamy distraction. Although the story starts a tad slow, the
action soon gets going and crescendos in a shocking but ultimately
satisfying conclusion that will have fans of Shannon Hale and
Tamora Pierce looking for this author's sophomore
work."--Journal
"Just after her 16th birthday, the princess of Thorvaldor finds out
she is no princess at all, but a peasant girl named Sinda Azaway,
switched at birth with the real princess after a prophesy predicted
the royal's death; Sinda has ceased to be useful to the king and
queen now that the fated birthday of their real daughter has
passed. Readers will feel for Sinda, who's immediately exiled from
palace life, sent to live with an unknown aunt, and burdened with
having lived a lie. Debut novelist O'Neal deftly draws a
protagonist to root for as Sinda forges a new identity, comes into
her own as a talented wizard, and discovers further royal intrigue.
Sinda's sadness and anger feel righteous, never grating, and O'Neal
quickly buoys Sinda's new life with her best friend from the
palace, Kiernan, who proves his loyalty, and a wonderful teacher in
the eccentric Philantha, who takes Sinda in as a wizard's
apprentice. Fans of Shannon Hale will enjoy this compelling
fantasy, which is filled with magic, political drama, and romance."
--Publishers Weekly--Journal
"One day after her 16th birthday, Nalia, the Princess of
Thorvaldor, learns that she isn't 'Nalia' after all. She is Sinda,
a poor peasant who has been used as a decoy to save the true
princess. Because of a prophecy that foresaw her death before her
16th birthday, the true Nalia was sent to a convent where she was
kept safe. Now, she returns to Thorvaldor, and Sinda is sent to
live with her aunt in Treb, where she struggles with her new
identity and misses the king and queen, the only parents she ever
knew, and Kiernan, her best friend. When a friend betrays her
trust, she becomes overwhelmed and magic begins bursting out of
her--magic that she didn't know she possessed and can't control.
She goes back to Thorvaldor and becomes a scribe to the eccentric
Philantha. One night, she watches someone put a spell on Nalia, or
the girl who she thought was Nalia. It is the same spell that was
repeatedly put on Sinda to hide her true identity during her first
16 years. Could there be another decoy? Who is deceiving the king
and queen? The plot line is unpredictable, causing readers to be
pulled along with each page turn to find out what will happen next.
The thick character descriptions allow for teens to empathize and
put themselves in the place of Sinda and the others. The characters
are dealing with the angst of change and identity development, so
readers can really relate to the issues that come up in this
exciting story. Written from Sinda's perspective, this book takes
readers on a wild ride of deception, mystery, and young love."
--starred, School Library Journal--Journal
"Young readers who have ever wondered if they are in the right
family might heed O'Neal's fantasy as a cautionary tale. Princess
Nalia was switched at birth, when the king and queen of Thorvaldor
hid their infant daughter to avoid a deadly curse due before her
sixteenth birthday. A stand-in princess was arranged and then
cruelly torn from the palace when the danger had passed. Now called
Sinda, the former 'princess' lives a hardscrabble existence as
scribe to a minor wizard. Bright and plucky, Sinda does not meekly
slip away. She comes to realize she holds magic powers that need
taming, and she also uncovers a good deal of palace intrigue
connected to master wizard Melaina, and even a second birth switch
that has ensconced the latter's daughter in the palace in place of
the true princess. Who will believe Sinda? Brave and clever
Kiernan, a good friend from her palace days, helps her plot and
triumph. This novel crackles with adventure and suspense and will
delight fans with its blend of wizardry and court life."
--Booklist--Journal
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