Book Review: Prince of Alasia

 Summary: Twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin, heir to the throne of Alasia, barely escapes with his life when invaders from neighboring Malorn attack. Accompanied by Erik, his young bodyguard and friend, Jaymin flees to a nearby town to live in hiding. There, coming face to face with the hardships suffered by the poor, he determines to improve his people’s lives someday when he takes the throne, assuming he can reclaim his kingdom.
  In his struggle to retain his identity and yet blend in with children in the local school, Jaymin’s life depends on his ability to protect his secret from both enemy troops and unsuspecting townsfolk. Meanwhile, Erik must resort to his skills in unarmed combat to defend Jaymin against everyone from a gang of schoolyard bullies to the Malornians who regularly patrol the streets looking for trouble – and for the missing prince.
  As the search intensifies and his enemy’s suspicions grow, Jaymin seeks desperately for a way to save his kingdom and himself. Then he stumbles upon a startling discovery that will challenge his assumptions and forever change his view of Malorn and the events that altered his life.

Thoughts: This was a great read though not as action packed as many might hope. After the first chapter the story slows down to a calm though tensed pace as Lima develops her cast, country, and times. This book surprised me with its speculation, politics and strategies and I greatly appreciated the characters who tended to stop and think (a rarity in most forms of media)! I appreciated Jaymin for not being a brat though he did occasionally give into spoiled princely thoughts, he wouldn't have been very believable without them. Not that most of their accomplishments were believable but they were fun and one of my fondly nurtured dreams for a book actually came true! I won't let on what it was exactly but near the end, the army of five hundred, it all made me happy and I can't wait to dive into the next two books!

Content: This book does surround war so there are mentions of death, fighting and oppression. The invading soldiers harass the people and one man even slaps a little girl. Aside from that there's a fight with bullies and an old woman who is usually drunk or drinking. Despite this it's mostly a clean read and I think a good option for young boys (or girls, I enjoyed it!) around 11-14.