As with The False Prince and The Runaway King – the first two novels in the Ascendance Trilogy – The Shadow King is an explosively good novel for older MG and younger YA readers (10-14). Of course, I’m an adult reader, and I not only enjoyed the twists and turns of the first two books, but also felt that Nielsen does a great job of making the stakes even higher than they were before while still dishing out a decent number of humorous moments and a lot of heart. Read more →
Jennifer A. Nielsen: Book 1, The False Prince, introduces the reader to Sage, a defiant orphan who is thrown into a twisted sort of contest where he must either learn to impersonate the missing prince of the kingdom or else be killed. Book 2, The Runaway King, continues Sage’s adventures in a race against time to save the kingdom from pirates, enemies within, and an old friend now out for revenge. Read more →
Like the first book in the series, the plot of The Runaway King takes places over the course of a few weeks, but so much happens during that time. Nielsen has, indeed, maintained her brisk pace, and if possible, puts even more harm in Jaron’s way than he’s ever experienced. Read more →
Some fantasy novels take 50 pages for the world and the characters that the author has created to charm you. With Nielsen’s The False Prince, however, it took exactly three sentences for me to be hooked on Sage’s voice, and admittedly laughing out loud at the situation in which I first met him. I don’t guarantee many things, but when it comes to this middle grade novel, I do guarantee that you will, too. Read more →