Review: The Captive Kingdom

Hey guys!! Welcome back to the fourth review of Jennifer A. Neilsen’s fabulous series, The Ascendance Series. This time we’ll be looking at her fourth book (not a part of the original trilogy), The Captive Kingdom.

(Haven’t read the others? You can find my reviews for The False Prince (Book 1), The Runaway King (Book 2), and The Shadow Throne (Book 3) right there. 😀 Otherwise, maybe skip this review, ’cause SPOILERS. XD)

The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Neilsen

(As a warning, there might be spoilers in here. So beware. I’ll try to make sure the spoilers are alerted, but just sayin’. 🙃)

In a peaceful Carthya, Jaron leads as the Ascendant King with Imogen beside him — but the peace he fought so long for is not destined to last.On a routine sea voyage, Jaron’s ship is brutally attacked, and he is taken hostage. The mysterious captors and their leader, Jane Strick, accuse Jaron of unthinkable acts. They are also in possession of some shocking items — including the crown and sword that belonged to Jaron’s older brother, Darius. The items unearth a past Jaron thought he had put behind him.Though it seems impossible, Jaron must consider: Could Darius be alive? And what does Strick want from Jaron? Against his will, Jaron will be pulled back into a fight for the throne — and a battle to save his kingdom.

Return to Carthya to uncover new secrets, high-stakes action, and Jennifer A. Nielsen’s signature breathtaking twists.

Talk about a blurb. XD

Star Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content

Pros:

1. Magic–none that I saw

2. Sexual–slight romance (SPOILER ALERT!! After all, the main characters are engaged. XD SPOILER END!!), but nothing explicit or deserving a PG-13 rating. 😉

3. Violence–there, but non-gory and appropriate for kids 8+, I’d say. Mostly it depends on the kid, but y’know. XD

4. Drinking/drugs/smoking/etc–none that I saw

Cons:

1. Spiritual–once again, there are mentions of priests, devils, and saints. Surprised? XD There is also one instance where there’s a remark about how someone “momentarily died and his spirit had suddenly flown back into his body.” *shrugs* Not sure what that’s about, but it might need a discussion with smaller peeps. 😉

Neutral:

1. Cursing–guess what? Jaron still has a dirty mouth, despite everything Imogen tries to do for him. xD Once again, no actual words are used, but it’s clear that he swears on a regular basis.

Messages

Pros:

1. Trust others (those who are trustworthy) (Exodus 18:21)

2. You are not alone (Deuteronomy 31:6)

3. People are complicated (Life XD)

Cons:

1. Believe in yourself (Proverbs 3:5, 7)

Neutral:

1. Secrets should be kept (Proverbs 11:13)

Morals

Pro:

1. Loyalty–man, so many characters show this (Roden, Tobias, Trea, Mott, and surprisingly Strick among them), that I can’t even explain it. XD

2. Humility–one thing that I really appreciated was that Neilsen actually had a humble character, for once – instead of an obviously cocky one or one with really no leanings one way or the other. “Who?” you ask. Simple. (SPOILER ALERT!!) Crown Prince Darius. Love that man. XD (SPOILER END!!)

3. Arrogance–now, before you get your britches in a knot, this is in the “Pros” section because the villain is the one possessing this quality. Strick is quite arrogant in her actions, and you can’t really blame her. After all, it seems like everything is going according to plan perfectly. Heh heh. (Of course, Jaron has his own special dose of cockiness as well. *fp*)

4. Defiance–Strick. And Jaron. ‘Nuff said. XD

Cons:

1. None that I saw – HOORAY FOR GOOD BOOKS!!

Technicalities

Whelp… apparently I failed to take notes in this area. *kicks self* So I will just go ahead and say that, from what I remember, all of the notes from the other reviews apply here as well. AKA, 5 stars for technicalities!! (However, is it just me, or was this plot more… forced than the others?)

Favorite Quotes

“…if doing what’s right makes someone angry with me, then may I cause rage and fury wherever I go.”

“Sometimes, not having a plan is the best possible plan.”

“There are other fights, Jaron, those that ocome from a strong heart and a will that can’t be broken.”

“Failure isn’t the end of a plan.”

“Vengeance will cost far more than you have already lost.”

Wrap Up

I FOUND A BOOK TRAILER!!! Watch it here. 😀

Until nex ttime,

Take courage, pursue God, and keep reading good books!! 😀

~Joelle

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