A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in the highly anticipated sequel to Jennifer A. Nielsen's blockbuster THE FALSE PRINCE!
Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?
The stunning second installment of The Ascendance Trilogy takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of treason and murder, thrills and peril, as they journey with the Runaway King!
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What I like:
1) Jaron: Duh. Obviously. He's quick-witted as usual. Super smart and brave and very reckless. Damn, I really like this boy. Can't believe this is a trilogy because I would really like to read more about him. He's certainly a very lively and gnarly character.
2) The book generally: Don't ask me why, but for some reason the book makes me laugh in the most inappropriate situation. Like when certain characters are in great danger, they somehow find a way to make it funnier than usual. Particularly scenes involving Jaron. Geez, this guy knows how to entertain. No wonder this book gets such a good rate.
3) The journey itself: It's more interesting than that in The False Prince, because there are some not-so-useful parts in that book. In The Runaway King, however, I think every part of it is crucial to the development of the story. Maybe not within the book, but I have a feeling it will lead to the plot in the next book, somehow. It feels kind of awesome, even though I'm not the one being awesome here.
What I don't like:
1) The villains: Well, in this book there are no villains. But then again there are also no good guys. Every single one of them (including Jaron, if you look at him in a slightly different way) can be both. It's supposed to be a good thing. But when someone is supposed to play a bad guy, they're... might I say, quite lousy at it. Jeez I hate big old villain speeches. Get to the point already, okay?
2) The lack of Imogen in the book: I know this is how the plot should be and I appreciate the book being so action-packed and not lovey-dovey. But I feel like Imogen's character is underrated. I think she can be pretty smart if she wants to be and I want to see a display of that. Unfortunately there's not enough of that and I'm a little disappointed. She can make the whole book even more interesting if she's more involved in the story.
Overall:
The Runaway King is quite a journey. I really do like this book and I think you guys will like it too.
Rating: 8/10
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