(SPOILERS) The Shadow Throne (Ascendance #3) by Jennifer A. Nielsen - Review

Book Synopsis:

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?

My Review:

4.5/5 stars. I loved this book, but it is my least favorite so far. It was very engaging the whole way through, had great romance, and was a very edge-of-your-seat page turner. Unfortunately, the way everything worked out in the end was a bit too unbelievable and contrived, even for a fantasy novel. It just seemed like it all got resolved too perfectly, so that lowers my rating.

Out of the trilogy, this was the most action-packed and tense story. There were many situations throughout this book where I couldn't see how Jaron would get out of it safely. There were so many times where everything was going wrong, yet somehow it worked out. I knew it always would, but it was still very intense.

It made me so sad to see Jaron so torn up and broken about Imogen's death. He had lost all will to do anything and wasn't his usual self. At the same time, he also annoyed me more in this book. He was constantly refusing things and making things worse for himself. I wanted to tell him to just swallow his pride and eat the food they brought him. I understood why he was acting that way, but it still got on my nerves and made it a little less enjoyable to read.

The romance in this book was cute, both between Jaron and Imogen (finally!) and Amarinda and Tobias. Neither romance was a major plot point, but I was so happy for everyone involved and liked how it all worked out in the end. Early on, I was screaming at still not realizing that he loved Imogen.

As I mentioned above, my biggest complaint about this book was the ending. Everything was going wrong, the main characters were in a terrible situation, but then it suddenly all worked out because of something that had been planned way earlier. There were just too many variables and uncertainties to believe that Jaron knew it was going to resolve. You're telling me the pirates had been hidden in the walls of Farthenwood for days, just waiting? And that everybody understood Jaron's cryptic messages? It was hard to suspend my disbelief.

Content:

Language: None

Sexual Content: Thinking about and wanting to kiss someone, cheek kisses, kisses that aren't detailed

Violence/Gore: Lots of killing, death, injuries, wounds, blood, etc.

Drugs/Alcohol: None