“The Shadow Throne” is the third and final book of The Ascendance Trilogy, by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Our family had been anxiously awaiting this book after finishing the first two books in the series last year. Sometimes it’s good to be late to the party, so to speak, as you don’t have to wait as long for the series conclusion.
My first impression as we began reading (I read these books out loud to the family) was that this was going to be another “see how much abuse Jaron can take” book like the last one. Thankfully, no. He does get beaten up a lot, but we do get to move on to something else.
But I get ahead of myself. The last book left off with something of a cliff-hanger as Jaron’s country of Carthya is invaded on multiple fronts and the woman he loves is captured by the enemy. “The Shadow Throne” backs up a bit and lays some additional groundwork before picking up the story again. Jaron’s brief rule of his country appears to be ending in disaster, but he is determined to battle on against the odds.
Nielsen knows she can’t write another book like the previous two. We’ve been with Jaron too long now to believe he doesn’t always have a plan, and that he’s not at least one step ahead of his enemies at every moment. We’ve also learned to pick up on the clues she drops. As a result the suspense in the book comes not from wondering if Jaron will somehow win the war and save his country, but if he’ll live long enough to pull off his plans. So, in short, this book is focused more on action than on suspense. We know Jaron is going to win. We may as well just sit back and enjoy the ride.
There are a few threads that aren’t tied up satisfactorily, a few questions that go unanswered, but on the whole it’s a satisfying conclusion to the series. The consistently moral aspects of Jaron’s otherwise roguish character prove to be justified in a manner appropriate for the series’ middle-grade/YA target. I wouldn’t have minded seeing him actually have to make a decision to sacrifice someone other than himself for a change, but that’s my adult sense of reality getting in the way. For a book that appeared ready to kill off a great many characters, the death-toll is surprisingly light.
“The Shadow Throne” is a quick read, full of action and all the roguish fun that is Jaron. If you enjoyed the first two books you won’t be disappointed.