Hello my peeps and welcome back to the third installment of our five-part monthly series: reviews of Jennifer A. Neilsen’s Ascendance Series!! Boy, that’s a mouthful. XD In case you’re a bit behind and want to catch up, here are the links to the last couple reviews: The False Prince and The Runaway King. 🙂 All caught up? Swaggy! Let’s get started.
The Shadow Throne 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’. 😉)
I must say, The Shadow Throne may have been my favorite book of this series – as last books tend to be.
“WAIT!” you shriek. “JOELLE, YOU SAID THERE WERE FIVE!! WHY IS THIS THE LAST BOOK!”
Hint: it’s actually not. It was intended to be back when the Ascendance Series was the Ascendance Trilogy, but Neilsen surprised her readers and came out with books 4 & 5 after readers clamored from more from everybody’s favorite king, Jaron. However. The Shadow Throne was marvelificent, so this is going to be one of my favorite reviews. 🙂
War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does. His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighboring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya’s throne?
Is that a gorgeous cover or what!?!?
Star Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Content
Pros:
Magic–none that I noticed. 🙂
Sexual–there’s definitely some romantic tension, what with (SPOILER ALERT!!) Jaron and Tobias and Imogen and Amarinda and everything that goes on with the betrothal and whatnot (SPOILER END!!). I don’t believe anyone ever kisses or goes beyond considering romantic relationships, which is good. 🙂
Violence–once again, it’s definitely there, but it’s not gory and should be clear for audiences of all ages, excluding extremely sensitive younger peeps. 🙂
Cons:
Spiritual–this is the book where Neilsen gets deeper into the religious aspect of her world. Devils are mentioned, as are priests who teach that all good people go to heaven (which Jaron seems to halfheartedly believe). (BTW, being “good” won’t get you to heaven. See Ephesians 2:8-9 if you don’t believe me.) The afterlife has a brief mention when Harlowe talks about knowing that it exists. Someone talks about being “carried to the after life on the wings of angels”. There are also multiple mentions of “saints”, “priests”, and a “chapel” here and there. The idea that the saints eternally watch over us is also presented, along with a mention of getting refused into the afterlife and becoming a wandering spirit. Jaron stops “requesting” things from the devils and turns to the saints instead. All in all… I don’t agree with half of that, but the ideas aren’t pushed too much and the main characters aren’t heavily invested in any of them.
Neutral:
Language–guess who is cursing again? That’s right, everyone’s favorite boy king. Once again, no actual words are presented or even hinted at, though it’s clear that Jaron does NOT have a clean mouth. Like at all. Several other characters also curse without actual words.
Betting–there is an instance of playful betting going on, but it’s lighthearted and only done once instead of consistently.
Messages
Pros:
Respect those in authority (Romans 13:1-2)
Value life (Psalm 72:13)
Love in all aspects of life – romance, family, friends, etc.
Love is sacrificial (John 15:13) “Sacrificing oneself so that others might live was the ultimate act of love.”
Love is complicated (the entire story of the Bible XD)
Love is powerful (Song of Solomon 8:6) “Love is a powerful thing, Jaron.”
Grey Area:
Stay strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13, but also 2 Corinthians 12:10. Ultimately depends on where you get your “strength”, which, for Jaron, is not God)
Morals
Pros:
Courage–all characters show courage, but Amarinda especially stands out in this area.
Loyalty–Roden and Tobias are loyal to the death, as are others.
Honesty–Harlowe’s honesty, especially, contradict’s Jaron’s occasional deception.
Endurance–pretty much any person in this book has to endure something at some point or another. XD However, Jaron seems to endure a lot more than the others, something I admire.
Sacrifice–once again, Jaron outshines everyone else in this area. He’s extremely sacrificial, playing along with the “love is sacrificial” theme we already covered. 🙂
Kindness–Amarinda has always been pretty kind, but that trait comes out even more in this book.
Others–mercy, respect, and other traits are all shown in smaller portions throughout the story.
Cons:
Recklessness–Jaron’s still reckless (in keeping with the character). Shocker, I know. XD
Arrogance–Jaron still comes across as arrogant (tho once again, he can do pretty much everything he brags about).
Dishonesty–yep, Jaron again. Lying as ever, but never to those he loves and always to save someone’s skin.
Impatience–I know y’all are going to be simply shocked with this one, but Jaron is sliiiiightly impatient. So surprising, I know. 😛
Technicalities
Pros:
Prose–simple but funny in Neilsen’s lovely style. Gotta say, if I could write like she does, I’d be thrilled. XD
Characters–as deep, 3D, and critical to the plot as ever. *chef’s kiss*
Plot–I may not be the best with predicting plot twists, but Neilsen pulls some fast ones on you. You have been warned. XD
Worldbuilding–SPECTACULAR. Guys, she manages to give you just enough information to keep you informed about the world, but she never info dumps. Not once. It’s awesome.
Themes–despite the fact that Neilsen’s stories can be a bit more tricky when it comes to drawing a theme, the ones she spotlights at the end are amazing – just see the Messages section and you’ll see what I mean. 🙂
Cover–GORGEOUS
Cons:
None that I saw. Whoop whoop!
FAvorite Quotes
You guys, there were A LOT for this book. XD
“The value in your lives is the same, Jaron. But not the value in your roles.”
“…no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant.”
“If he looked at me and saw only the scars of my flesh and callous tone of my words, then he knew nothing of who I really was. Who I’d always been.” (See, the lesson from The False Prince has been learned!)
“If you hurt deeply, then it means you love deeply, too. Love is a powerful thing, Jaron.”
“Thus, I learned the great secret to winning battles: Make the other side believe you are crazier than they are.” (This is my new official battle motto. XD)
“Rulers aren’t made just because they sit on the throne. A true king serves his people, protects them, and sees to their happiness if he can.”
“Sacrificing oneself so that others might live was the ultimate act of love.”
Wrap Up
Well, that’s it! Technically, I could stop here, just like Neilsen intended to. However, she wrote two more books, so June and July’s reviews will be about them as well. Can’t wait to dive in to those with you!
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! 😀
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