Jennifer Anne Nielsen was born on July 10, 1971 in northern Utah. She is the author
of young adult fiction. She has written at least fifteen books.
The False Prince was published in 2012 and is the first in the Ascendance series. It
won the Whitney Award for Best Middle Grade Novel in 2013. The paperback reprint
of the book was on the New York Times best seller list in 2013. The story is about a
kingdom that has lost its prince and is facing a civil war. A nobleman of the court recruits
four orphans to compete for the role of prince. Amazon calls it "an extraordinary
adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers
clinging to the edge of their seats."