Gr 5-8 Stanley's newest fantasy, set in ancient Greece, is a bittersweet delight. Prince Alexos learns early that being the champion of a goddess does not make for an easy life. Alexos is destined to bring about reconciliation between battling gods, Athene and Zeus, if he can survive a childhood filled with near-impossible challenge and little joy, except for his love of running and his little brother Teo. However, by the age of 12, even these are lost to him. As he struggles to regain the use of his legs and recover from causing the death of his beloved brother, Alexos learns from a wise mentor, develops relationships with people from all levels of society, and becomes a force for good. At the same time, he is comforted by visions of his brother in the land of the dead, living an idyllic life with a new father and sister. However, the protagonist soon learns that all is not as it seems. Alexos is a strong character, capable of accepting and adapting to change, even as he struggles with heartbreak and almost insurmountable odds. Other characters—especially the court physician Suliman and Teo's new sister Aria—are equally well done. The language is lyrical and accessible, and the end is satisfying in the extreme.— Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

Alexos, prince of Arcos, doesn't have an easy life. His father, King Ektor, is disapproving and demanding and spends most of his time far away, supervising their country's unending war against neighboring Ferra. Schoolmates keep their distance from the prince. His mother is dead. Only his little brother, Teo, brings light and fun into Alexos' life, and soon, Teo, too, is taken from him in a hideous act of treachery. Alexos must shoulder these burdens and more as he becomes a young man and assumes responsibility for his impoverished kingdom. Echoes of Shakespeare's The Tempest reverberate through this classically set court story, where male friendships and loyalty are the focus, and the gods interfere in human affairs. The story is told in third-person present tense, as if observed from on high, lending a sometimes off-putting distance to the action. Fans of Stanley's Silver Bowl books will relish the vivid settings, but The Chosen Prince is not her strongest work.

Twelve-year-old crown prince Alexos, recognized at birth as the one to end pestilence and war, is also a friendless outcast. When the polio-like "summer sickness" leaves him semi-paralyzed and he overhears his cold father's plan to leave the kingdom to beloved younger brother Teo, Alexos commits an unthinkable act. This book features a touchingly relatable character whose relationships make the racing plot meaningful.