Title: The Shadow Throne
Author: Jennifer Nielsen
Target: Grades 5 and up
Series: Yes
What this book is about:
In this third and final installment of The Ascendance Trilogy, Carthya is at war and King Jaron must find a away to keep his many enemies at bay. When the girl he loves is taken hostage, and foreign countries begin descending on his realm he must use his wiliest and cleverest ideas to outwit armies that are many times mightier than his. Through his craftiness and deceit he is able to make small inroads, but in the end, can he win the war?
Why I love this book:
It was fun to finally get to the end of this adventure. Jaron is a character that has always appealed to me. His crafty ways and brash humor make him infinitely likable. Part of the fun of the story is always to see what clever means he will use to get out of a difficult predicament.
Of all the books, this one was probably my least favorite but I do the like the series as a whole. The villains were not as well crafted, and it felt more like a series of hurdles that Jaron had to jump through to get to the successful conclusion of the book, rather than the development of the arc of the story. I never felt nervous for Jaron and some of the twists felt much more obvious than in the first two books, which may be because the characters have become predictable.
Who this book is for:
Kids must read this series in order, so this book is for kids who have read the first two books, The False Prince and The Runaway King. Kids who like The Ranger’s Apprentice series will enjoy these stories.
Final thoughts:
A fun, adventurous series. While the quality varies a bit between the books, most kids won’t notice and they will heartily enjoy Jaron’s exploits.
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