The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy #3) by Jennifer A. Nielsen - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Scholastic Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Title: The Shadow Throne (Ascendance Trilogy #3)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Date of Publication: February 25, 2014

My The Shadow Throne (#3) Pre-Reading
My The Runaway King (#2) Review
My The Runaway King (#2) Pre-Reading
My The False Prince (#1) Review
My The False Prince (#1) Pre-Reading

Paul's The False Prince (#1) Review
Synopsis: 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?

Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

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Review: I really thought that The Runaway King was going to be as good as it got. That The Shadow Throne would wrap up the story, but that it wouldn't be as intense, fast-paced, or insightful as The Runaway King. You guys. I was wrong. So, so wrong. Because The Shadow Throne was probably my favorite book of the series, and had so much going for it. I don't know how, but Jennifer Nielsen managed to write a series that only gets better as it goes along, and grows as Jaron does.

I knew that Jaron was going to get himself into quite a bit of trouble in this book. I mean, what would a book in this trilogy be if he wasn't in some ridiculous predicament that seemed impossible to get out of? Before, there was pretending to be an orphan pretending to be a king. Then, there were pirates and thieves. And now, Jaron has to try to pull his entire country through a war where all of the odds are stacked against him. And THEN, to make matters worse, he experiences one of the greatest losses he's ever been through. He's pretty much an emotional wreck this entire book, but he still manages fight for his country and his friends and his life. 

One of my favorite things about Jaron is how he always keeps everyone guessing. As readers, we all know he's got a plan stewing even when it seems like everything is hopeless. He drops hints and does things that should give away what he's going to do, but somehow Nielsen manages to add details that make it a surprise every time. I would love to spend a day in his head, or to be able to talk with him for an afternoon. That kid is crazy, and I loved every bit of it. It just amazed me how smart and cunning and resourceful Jaron is, and I loved reading about his situation and trying to pick out clues as to what his plan was.

Another thing that I really liked about this book was how much darker it seemed than The False Prince and even The Runaway King. There's so much death and violence and war is always a dark thing, and I was really impressed that Nielsen managed to write everything in a way that would still be alright for a younger audience. This book definitely felt older to me than the other two - closer to a YA book than a MG book, I think - but there's nothing too scary or gory or anything that a younger child wouldn't be able to handle. 

I could really go on about how incredible this book is for a long time, but I don't want to give too much away. The best way to experience the conclusion to this series is to read it yourself, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. The ending is satisfying and fits very much with the characters and the overall tone of the series, and I'm glad things worked out the way they did. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has read the rest of the series, and to anyone who is a fan of YA/MG fantasy. Especially for younger kids who are looking to get into a really good fantasy series. 5/5!

--Ashley

The Shadow Throne (Ascendance Trilogy #3) by Jennifer Nielsen - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Scholastic Press on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: The Shadow Throne (Ascendance Trilogy #3)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Date of Publication: February 25, 2014

My The Runaway King (#2) Review
My The Runaway King (#2) Pre-Reading
My The False Prince (#1) Review
My The False Prince (#1) Pre-Reading

Paul's The False Prince (#1) Review

Synopsis: 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?

Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

Why?: Having read the first two books in this series, I have to know how the story ends for Jaron and Imogen and the rest of Carthya! I have so many unanswered questions, and I hope this book answers them and ties everything up nicely.

Expectations: I have pretty high expectations for this book after reading the first two. This is such an engrossing fantasy world, and I hope that it continues to be so. War, a failing kingdom, a king willing to sacrifice everything for his country... I just want this last book to do the series justice!

Judging a book by its cover: I really like how the covers in this series have stayed consistent but have still been their own. The red really makes this cover pop, and I really want to know what the significance of the key is. I also really like that on each of the covers in this series, the item on the front has been damaged in some way. It's really interesting, and I'm pretty sure I'd pick this up if I saw it on a shelf in a bookstore or a library.


--Ashley

The Runaway King (Ascendance Trilogy #2) by Jennifer A. Nielsen - Ashley's Review

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Title: The Runaway King (Ascendance Trilogy #2)
Author: Jennifer Nielsen
Year Published: 2013

My The Runaway King Pre-Reading
My The False Prince Review
My The False Prince Pre-Reading

Paul's The False Prince Review

Synopsis: 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!

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Review: I didn't think it would be possible, but The Runaway King is even better than its predecessor! I found myself immediately drawn into Jaron's story and his world, and was so surprised when everything just.. ended. I was definitely not ready for this book to be over, and I'm so glad that Scholastic gave me an eARC of The Shadow Throne so that I don't have to wait to finish Jaron's story! 

I really loved how calculating and smart and witty Jaron is. Yes, he does make really bad decisions sometimes and he gets himself into a lot of trouble, but he is always able to come up with a plan to get him out of those bad situations. And sometimes things don't go according to plan (things pretty much never go according to his plans, actually), but he still manages to figure something out. He never runs away from his problems, even if it seems like he is, and he uses his past experiences to help him get ahead. There's just so much I admire about him and I think he's an excellent role model for younger boys. Except the getting himself into trouble parts, don't do that. 

It was also pretty interesting to watch him grow as a character. He learns more about friendships and the people in his life, and he learns that everything is not always what it seems. There's so many great lessons in this book! And all of the minor characters are just as great as Jaron. They're all multi-faceted and developed and it's so neat to see Jaron discover sides of them that he didn't know before.

The world building is also pretty phenomenal. We know quite a bit about Carthya from The False Prince, but now we get to learn more about Avenia and the borderlands between Carthya and Avenia and the land of the pirates. I love that this series has elements of high fantasy in it, but that it's written at a level that's appropriate for a younger audience that might not be familiar with or capable of reading high fantasy yet. It's like the perfect gateway drug! 

Really, all of this book was just fantastic. If you've read The False Prince, you don't want to miss this book. I'm a little upset with myself for waiting so long to read it, but at least now I have no wait for The Shadow Throne! The ending will definitely leave you wanting more. I would recommend this to any fans of high fantasy, and to younger audiences looking for a thrilling ride full of mystery, secrets, pirates, fantasy, betrayal, and friendship! I did not want to put this book down, and devoured it all in one sitting. 5/5!


--Ashley

The Runaway King (Ascendance Trilogy #2) by Jennifer Nielsen - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: The Runaway King (Ascendance Trilogy #2)
Author: Jennifer Nielsen
Year Published: 2013

My The False Prince Review
My The False Prince Pre-Reading

Paul's The False Prince Review

Synopsis: 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!

Why?: I read and really enjoyed The False Prince a while ago, and I've been wanting to continue this series ever since. I just never had the time - until now! I've finally gotten my hands on a copy, and I'm anxious to find out what's next for Jaron. Why is deserting his kingdom the only way to save it? Is he ever able to return? 

Expectations: Since I enjoyed The False Prince so much, I have pretty high expectations for The Runaway King. It seems like the stakes are even higher in this book, and I'm so excited for that! 

Judging a book by its cover: I'm so glad this cover matches the first one, and I love the colors of it. It looks like I would expect a fantasy book for audiences to look, so I'm not sure if it would stand out amongst all of the others. But I would probably pick it up based solely on the cover anyway, because I'm a sucker for a good fantasy book!


--Ashley

"A person can be educated and still be stupid, and a wise man can have no education at all."

My Pre-Reading
Paul's Review

Although I've seen The False Prince as being billed as a book for younger YA/older MG audiences, I think it's written in such a way that anyone can enjoy it. I would probably place it more in the YA genre than the MG one, but I can definitely see how this would be an appropriate novel for younger audiences. The plot moves along at a decent pace, and there aren't big words that could cause younger readers to struggle with the context.

I thought Nielsen's world building was great in this novel. Once the world was pretty established, she continues to incorporate details that make it a rich and exciting place for the story to take place. At times, I felt like I was walking the halls of Connor's extravagant home and that Sage's world was actually real.

Nielsen did an excellent job of creating an aura of mystery about Connor and the missing prince. How does Connor know the prince is dead? Is he really dead? Why is Conner so intent on saving the royal family and placing someone on the throne? What about the servants - how much do they know and do they support Connor's plans if they know about them? I also liked that we are presented with just enough information about Sage's background to make us believe that we know enough about him. I felt like Nielsen kept the reader as in the dark as Connor about the boys he had chosen to train to become prince.

I do wish that some of the minor characters had been given more focus in the novel, as I would really have like to know more about the other three boys competing against Sage. Why don't they fear Connor as much as Sage seems to? What do they really think of this whole thing? I also found myself wondering about Mott and Cregon and how they ended up as Connor's servants. Especially Mott, since he's more compassionate and helpful than Cregon. The juxtaposition of the compassionate, honorable soldier (Mott) with that of the ruthless, cruel soldier (Cregon) was one of my favorite character comparisons in the book.

Although I was pretty sure I had guessed the big reveal before it happened, it was really interesting to be thrown into a completely different narration style for a little bit in order to be given the whole story. I really enjoyed that, and I liked how it disrupted the story in order to introduce a crucial plot point. It was kind of similar to the way the life of the involved party was disrupted.

With a few more answered questions, The False Prince could have been a great standalone novel. As the beginning of a trilogy though, I'm really looking forward  to what happen next with Sage, Imogen, Mott, Tobias, and all of the other characters from this novel. I would give this book a 4/5, and recommend it to fans of YA fantasy and mystery novels.


--Ashley

The False Prince

Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis:   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.

Why?: Books filled with adventure and mystery tend to usually be very exciting. Especially when discovering the truth could lead to someone's death. It's also been a while since I've read a more middle-grade book, and I think it will be a nice change of pace from the older YA novels I've read lately. I also think books about a kingdom and trying to save a people from inciting a civil war sounds very much like a fairy tale, and I love fairy tales.

Expectations: I expect a richly developed world with characters who only want to save their current way of  life. And then, in the midst of that, I expect there to be an antagonist with minions who wants to completely change the way things are to his/her benefit. Sage will probably get himself into a lot of trouble, and will learn things about himself, Conner, and his kingdom that he never knew and/or never wanted to know.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover has simply a broken crown on it, with the title and author in gold. This leads me to believe that Sage and Conner will have a hard time rebuilding the kingship and creating a new prince to fill the shoes (or crown, as the case may be) of the old, missing prince. It kind of reminds me of the cover of the Song of Fire and Ice books, as well as many other high fantasy books, and I would probably pick it up off the shelf in a bookstore based solely on that.


--Ashley

Paul's The False Prince Review

Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publication Year: 2012

I first saw this book at the book store and it intrigued me. I hadn't seen it on Amazon before. After looking into it, it seems than it bridges the gap between middle grade and young adult fiction. I purchased it nonetheless.

This book took me some time to get into, although I read it in less than 24 hours. I didn't really get into this book until the big reveal, which took place in a very confusing way. It might have been that I was reading this in the wee hours of the morning, but the point of view changed for about a chapter. I understand why Nielsen did it, but it didn't flow to me.

Once I got past the reveal, the story really drew me in. All the characters had depth. There was no absolute good or bad. Everyone was an inbeteeen grey. I like when you are unsure whether someone is a villian or a hero.

I look forward to reading the sequel now that I know these characters and the world they live in. I give this book a 3/5.


-PAUL