The Shadow Throne is the final book in Jennifer A. Nielsen’s Ascendance Trilogy, following the events of the first and second books, The False Prince and The Runaway King. In this third book the stakes couldn’t be higher. Jaron, the boy king, faces war against enemies on all sides, and with a spy in his kingdom, he’s not sure who he can trust. In his usual manner, he makes plans and manipulates events to make sure things go his way, but this time his enemies are greater and stronger than ever. He sends his friends away to help where they can, but also to keep them safe. Unfortunately, he can’t keep everyone out of harm’s way, and he goes on a rescue mission that turns into a long journey of terrible trials, emotional turmoil and self-discovery. The main theme that seems to run through this book is what we wouldn’t sacrifice to protect the ones we love. And in Jaron’s case, it isn’t just his friends and those who have become his family, or even the girl he loves, but his whole country. And it looks like Jaron just might have to sacrifice everything to save them.
Ms. Nielsen is a master storyteller. She doesn’t give anything away until the last possible moment, something I have enjoyed and delighted in throughout this trilogy. Jaron as a character never ceases to amaze and surprise me with his cunning (and cunning wit), his intelligence, and his capacity to care for complete strangers. Even when it seems he’s lost everything, somehow he manages to win it all back at the end of the day and triumph over his enemies. By the end of each book I’m always left wondering with amusement just how Jaron managed to juggle so many things in his mind and how he manages to move the pieces (both his allies and his enemies) on the board to be just where he wants them.
The character growth, including the great action scenes, is something I really appreciated in this book as well as the trilogy as a whole. The Shadow Throne seems to focus more heavily on the journey aspect than the other two, each situation escalating further and further until Jaron seems to have lost everything. However, through each loss, he seems to grow up more than in the previous books. Jaron will always be the mischievous thief and prankster from the first book, but he grows up by the end and takes on the responsibility of being a king. He understands what that means and the sacrifices he must make for his kingdom. Jaron is, despite all of his plans, brought to his lowest, and he comes through as a whole person in the end, one who has learned a lot from his experiences.
If I had one complaint about this book, it would be that the main female character, Imogen, didn’t get enough attention. She pops up in the beginning and then shows up at the very end again without having done much. Her one big action scene is sacrificing herself for another, and while she is involved in a surprise at the end, it didn’t hold quite true enough for me. I would have liked to see Imogen at the very least get a bigger role in the story.
Overall, The Shadow Throne was one fun adventure ride with compelling characters, and if there were more books in this world I wouldn’t hesitate to snatch them up.