The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
I hate stupid author tricks. Like hiding the main character's history and revealing it suddenly, for shock value. Should I call it schtick value? Characters should stand up for themselves and draw me into the story so deeply that I forget there even is an author. The author shouldn't suddenly shove himself into the story and jerk it around, just to see how badly he can mess with my mind. I want him to create a world for me--not play silly games. Blah.
I tried to explain this reaction to my daughter and she said that every author hides part of the protagonist's backstory, revealing it slowly as the plot progresses or "big bang" to make an impact. She may be right, but in that case the author usually drops hints and suggestions that something is coming. This makes us pay more attention to our characters, wondering...wondering....then BLAM! So that was the point! Suddenly you understand everything.
Not this book. It was more like, BLOOP! Do I feel like an idiot, or what? And incidentally, the main character is an idiot, too, and the plot is suddenly revealed to be as holey as Huck Finn's breeches.
Oddly enough, I liked the characters enough to want to finish reading the trilogy. But not with the same excitement I had when I started it.
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