Jacob is just a normal kid who suddenly finds that his family has been attacked by unnatural forces, his father and sister have been kidnapped and that he is a prince of a land he has never heard of. Apparently to protect the family, his parents, the King and Queen, sought refuge on Earth when he was just a baby, and never managed to get around to telling him who he was. When the kidnappers set a tight deadline, Jacob is forced to try and rescue them, as well as discover a magic key which can traverse distances and help to send him home. On his path, he is guided by a trio of adventurers, whose job it is to keep him safe while the clock is ticking in a land full of dangers he knows nothing about.

Forsaken Prince is children’s fantasy novel, aimed squarely at early teens. The language is quick, simple and descriptive as the group pass through the lands. The dangers range from the not quite so scary to the downright nasty. The characters are an interesting group and slowly grow through the course of the book as they work together to overcome the challenges ahead of them. The plot is fairly simply, but appropriate for the age range. There is nothing complicated here, but more than enough background to help flesh out the characters, although Jacob actually has the least amount to build upon with most of that occurring through the story..

Strangely enough, the main villains of the story do not seem as threatening as some of the other monsters, if only because you never really see them act as powerfully as they are supposed to be. Also, this is the first story in a series and although it reaches a natural breakpoint, there are plenty of threads left to pick up and follow. Indeed, there is a sneak preview of the next book at the back.