The final installment of the The Ascendance Trilogy comes to a thrilling conclusion every bit as suspenseful and enthralling as the first. King Jaron begins as an orphan boy in The False Prince and matures to the great king he was destined to be in the final installment, The Shadow Throne. Although this trilogy reads like a fantasy, it is really a mixture of suspense and adventure. Nielsen is skilled at plot twists and character development providing readers with motivation to continue and investment in beloved characters. I have written about the first two books here as I'm quite the fan, but this conclusion seals my highest recommendation (not given lightly around Reading Rumpus).
This series is male/female friendly with strong characters all around. It's also a good choice for reluctant readers as the action is swift and super engaging. Filled with humor, romance and lots of adventure, MANY students will enjoy this series.
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Age: Middle Grade through Young Adult
Themes: Coming of Age, Friendship,
Character Development: Excellent! With an unreliable protagonist that steals the show
Plot Engagement: Superb. Constant twists and trying to figure out what the main character is planning
Originality: Good. There have been a few in this vein, but Nielson does it better
Thank You to Net Galley & the publishers at Scholastic for my E-review copy
Advisory: Read this series in order!
Publisher: Scholastic
Date: February 2014
ISBN: 978-0545284172
BUY The Shadow Throne: Book 3 of The Ascendance Trilogy HERE
You can read more about the author on her website: HERE
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