2.5- The Lost Prince stars Tristan, a long-lost prince to the kingdom of Odsia. Once identified, his grandparents take him to the palace to claim his place as heir. Tristan and his trusty dog Nork aren’t entirely sure that living in the palace is what they want to do. Meanwhile, not everyone is thrilled that Tristan survived the strange accident that killed his parents. Tristan meets neighboring princess Aliona and decides he might be interested in being the prince after all. As he learns more about the mysterious accident and adversaries circle the throne- does Tristan have what it takes to inherit?

I think this book will be appreciated by young readers who enjoy books about long-lost royalty. It’s pitched as YA, but upper middle grade readers would also enjoy this. I appreciated the map at the beginning and found it useful. The writing is generally straightforward and accessible. Tristan is a lovable character, plus he has an adorable animal companion!

However, the writing occasionally struggled with repetition and story consistency. For example, Tristan is supposed to be twenty, but is written as much younger. The dialogue tends toward simplistic and the style of writing wasn’t my personal favorite. If you’re familiar with the trope of lost royalty, there aren’t many surprises. Nonetheless, Williams’ passion and love for stories definitely shines through. The Lost Prince releases September 20, 2020. Thank you to Alonna Williams, Blue Gingham Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.