Book 3), The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy

This series is really good. The story line is great and I like all of the different plot twist. Some of them you see coming and some catch you completely off guard. My one and only complaint for this series is that it is really short. I read all three books in three days.

My teenagers turned me onto this series. I very much enjoyed it. Ms. Nielsen did a great job with carrying the story, writing so I had a good picture of the scenes in my mind and keeping my interest. I had a very hard time putting this book down!

Amazing conclusion to the Ascendance Trilogy. Jaron is one of my favorite storybook characters of all time, and I’ve read a TON of books. He’s sarcastic, arrogant, hilarious, reckless, and completely charming with his good, valiant heart and determination to keep his kingdom safe and free. His witty retorts that he casts out to his adversaries and friends alike make me chuckle. This story was hard to put down to keep up with normal life, but I tried to be like Jaron and NEVER give up. I snuck chapters in before bed and during car rides, and during moments when I just plain hid for a while because I HAD to know what happened next. My 14-year-old son said this was his favorite book EVER (and that included Harry Potter books—WOW!). I agree that it’s a set worth having in your house for teens and adults alike. I’ll reread it.

Good read and followed the first two books well. I bought the trilogy for my 11-year-old grandson and I read them first. I think the author targeted 16 or 17-year-old kids and the books may not hold the interest of tweens.

Well, no great surprises as to content, our hero endures emotional and physical pain as he outwits friends and foes alike to achieve a seemingly impossible result....

If you liked the previous books, you won't be disappointed by this one.

I would recommend this series to anybody looking for a book full of adventure and humour. This book made me laugh out loud multiple times. The pace of the story was quick without sacrificing detail or back stories. I Will look for more books written by Jennifer Nielsen in future.

There is a great ending and amazing plot twists. I love the relationships that Jaron had with Mott, Imogen, etc. Jennifer Nielsen did awesome in this book as well as the first two in the series. I highly recommend this book to readers of nearly all kinds.

A satisfying conclusion to an amazing series. This final story takes you on a roller-coaster ride - readers will experience extreme highs and extreme lows as perceived from our hero's eyes which, in essence, results in one of the most satisfying ending to a series. Fans will enjoy this book and get their money's worth!

Genuinely enjoyed this book. I love the narrator's voice, the witty remarks given throughout all three of these novels, and the way in which they are all woven together. They easily read like one book, giving the trilogy a nice tie that some series tend to lack.

Jaron has been well-crafted throughout the books. I love how carefully, cleverly, and lovingly this character and his development is handled. The balance between pauper-orphan without ever knowing a family to care and boy-king only learning how much his family really did care was just so interesting to see done so well in one character. Most of the relationships, from his friendships to those that become family to those he encounters for a short time are fun to watch form. I found myself laughing with these books harder than I have with many others, and genuinely concerned and curious about the characters and unfolding story.

I gave this one 4 stars because I felt the last quarter, at least, was quite rushed. The first half of the book read as well as the other two did. The last quarter was especially wobbly, and I feel that perhaps there were elements that were added (or not removed when they perhaps should have been) because of outside factors, instead of upholding the great story that was being told. In honesty, this book read more like a skeleton or a draft than it did a complete story, and was left with a lot of questions and perhaps there were some inconsistencies. I felt like Jaron, again so wonderfully and beautifully made before, was pushed out of character for this last quarter. I also felt like there were some elements just not explored as well as they needed to be, and at least one unnecessary addition that was more of a distraction than a happy addition to the story (no telling for the sake of spoilers!).

But I still loved the story. I would still highly recommend the trilogy to anyone. It's just so cleverly done, and so very funny. It's a great world to explore, and there are several fun characters to get to know.