Review: The Shadow Throne

The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy #3)
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
YA Fantasy
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Plot Summary:

One war.
Too many deadly battles.
Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.

His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?

Review:

After two books of pretty daunting odds against our protagonist, this last book throws the worst at King Jaron.  It's absolutely heart-breaking what he has to go through to struggle to survive and save his kingdom.  Even though I am used to Jaron getting away with everything, I was on the edge of my seat reading this, because I couldn't imagine how Jaron could surmount the insurmountable.  But wow, does he throw everything he has at it.

While reading these books, I think there isn't a strong sense of character development with Jaron - he definitely grows a bit, but he remains very true to who he is since the start of the series.  But this book does peel away many of his layers, because we see and understand what really motivates him.  It's also so tear-jerking to read how much he cares for his friends and how much they care for him.  Everyone is so willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for each other that it emphasizes why Carthya must win over their neighboring lands - because they are such a force of good and Jaron is a truly good and compassionate ruler.  There were many times when things got so dark for Jaron that I wondered if it was really so bad to let King Vargan take over as long as it meant peace.  But everything about Carthya is so different from King Vargan's Avenia, and it is because of the rulers.

Vargan is such a dastardly villain - he functioned very well in the story, because I was just itching for him to be defeated.  The secondary characters - mostly Jaron's friends and found family were just as wonderful as in the last books.  They are a solid cast of characters and I was happy to see them develop individually as they each reached their potential.  What was, at the end of the first book, a potential love triangle was resolved very well in this book - I think everything that happened was understandable and the author pulled off what was a difficult situation.

There are lots of surprises in this book, as well as tear-jerking and poignant moments that really do justice to the appealing sincerity of all the characters.  Jaron's journey has been pretty rough, but I was deeply satisfied by this adventurous, exciting series.

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)

Review: The Runaway King

The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2)
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
YA Fantasy
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Plot Summary:

A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in the highly anticipated sequel to Jennifer A. Nielsen's blockbuster THE FALSE PRINCE!

Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?

The stunning second installment of The Ascendance Trilogy takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of treason and murder, thrills and peril, as they journey with the Runaway King!

Spoilers if you haven't read the first book!

Review:

I don't think I will ever get tired of characters who, no matter how terrible the odds against them are, will always have a trick up their sleeve, or plans that no one saw coming.  Jaron walks the fine line between doing reckless things on the spur of the moment and doing reckless things that are well thought out and planned from the beginning.  He's always unexpected in that way, and reading about his adventures is just so entertaining!

There are great secondary characters in this story who contribute to truly touching friendships.  Jaron surrounds himself with people who care about him, even as they are exasperated by his actions, and seeing that kind of loyalty in their group made me tear up more than once actually.  The romance aspect with Imogen is really touching as well because their relationship is born of actions and not words and it is particularly emotional I think that they feel a certain way for each other but never say it.

I think it was nice to see Jaron on his own and relying on his wits again in this - as there was a danger now that he is king that he would be so mired and hindered by the politics and his need to prove himself to his country.  The reader sees still more of his cleverness and resourcefulness as he comes up against some very daunting odds.  It's incredibly satisfying really to read every moment when he comes through on his claims despite how outrageous they may seem.  I just love characters who deliver on their promises, and Jaron always does.

This is such a fun book and a fantastic series so far, if you haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, I highly recommend you do and save it for when you need a diverting story where everything is possible as long as you have the will and the spirit to accomplish it.

Review: The False Prince

The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
by Jennifer A Nielsen

Plot Summary:

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review:

It's easy to fall in love with a story when the main character is so deliciously complex and frustrating but admirable and I'm glad to say this book has that character.  Sage is often thought the best choice to impersonate the long lost prince because he's street-smart and able to think quickly and lie convincingly.  But he's also unpredictable and uncontrollable, and while he struggles to find a way to both defy Conner and also get chosen as the false prince, the reader sees more and more layers to his character gradually unfold.  When he seems most callous is when you find he has compassion and it's interesting that while so many deceptions are planned in this story, the reader is also getting duped because Sage keeps so many secrets himself.  He's just as unpredictable to the reader and I thought the journey we took to get to know him was alone completely worth reading this book.

But there's much to this story with the fantasy world building.  The politics of Carthya and the competition between the other potential princes made this an even more engaging read.  It was interesting to read how Sage's rivals developed - Roden and Tobias changed so much throughout this story that again I was impressed by the author's ability to reveal so many facets of character.  Even with Conner - the nobleman who insists he is trying to help his country by deceiving it - was a rather likable villain to me, and often it was difficult to decide if he was really a villain or just a man without scruples but devoted to his country.

There is a potential love triangle that is sweet, but had a lot of room to grow, as it doesn't get much of a focus in this book and I didn't feel particularly taken with that aspect of the story.  I think there is a clear choice of who Sage should end up with, but I'm glad that both female potentials are strong characters in their own way, which should make things very interesting in the next couple books.

The story has lots of twists and turns, and a particularly big plot twist towards the end which was amazing! Add to that an emotionally satisfying first book, with a great characters and a believable and fun main character and I really can't wait to read the next in the series!  I wish I had read this book sooner!

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