Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Source of Book: Netgalley
The Shadow Throne is the third book in The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen. War has come to Carthya. When Imogen is kidnapped, King Jaron makes a plan to rescue her. Of course, nothing is ever easy for the Ascendant King, but don't discount Jaron just yet--he always has a plan.
I thought this book was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. At this point, Jaron knows who he can trust and who his real enemies are. Though young, he never loses sight of saving his kingdom and the people of Carthya. Nielsen gives a conclusion to all characters in this book, leaving the reader satisfied. This is probably my favorite children's series since Harry Potter. You can't help but to love and root for Jaron.
I am still at a loss in which genre to classify this book. It is definitely Middle Grade/YA. I prefer to classify it as Middle Grade, but when shopping for the books at Barnes & Noble, I had to look in the YA section. As far as genre, though, I have mostly seen it listed as fantasy. My only issue with this is that I believe fantasy involves magic and this book does not. I prefer to think of the genre as a cross between fantasy and historical fiction. The kingdom is a made-up place (fantasy), but takes place in the past (historical), though there are no historical facts in this book, which is a key component of historical fiction. I never know how to describe the books in this trilogy, except that they are all excellent!
Rating: 4/5 stars.
