The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2)

I loved loved LOVED The False Prince. It was one of my top books the year it was released. So there were some pretty high expectations for The Runaway King. I was not disappointed. I recently had a favorite student of mine as for a book recommendation. I handed her The False Prince and told her that "You will love Sage and want to strangle him all at the same time - that is what makes him such a wonderful character". This remains true in The Runaway King. I am 100% behind Sage, and because of this, I often cringe, shout or throw an all out temper tantrum to rival my toddler whenever he makes a decision that I feel will put him in more danger. Sage never takes the easy way out. He is always willing to throw himself off a cliff (often quite literally) in order to do what is right for others. Now, that is not to say that he is completely selfless. The boy is one of the most arrogant characters I have ever read and he will often make grandiose statements that only seem to garner him more trouble. But, this is what makes him all the more likeable and enjoyable to read about. Sage is kind, clever, witty and stubborn. He captivates the reader and is easily one of my favorite characters in any series.

I was a little worried about where this book was going when Imogen left the storyline. I always loved the connection between her and Sage and was disappointed to see her disappear so early. But have faith ladies and gentlemen, she re-emerges! The tension between these two characters adds an extra element to the storyline without delving into the romance sphere. I enjoyed the fact that both of them are faced with a very difficult decision and that there is no easy way out.

In this novel, we also saw the expansion of some old characters and the addition of some interesting new ones. Jennifer Nielsen just doesn't do bland, one dimensional characters and each person that we meet, adds a little something special to the plot. Oftentimes, the characters that we might have overlooked or dismissed at first - turn out to be the most important in the end.

This author continues to astound with her ability to seamlessly weave details together to create a plot that is rich and full of surprises. Having many years of reading experience under my belt, it is often all to easy for me to notice the foreshadowing of what is to come. Things that seem obvious to me (I am discovering) my students have often overlooked - leading to them being surprised at the plot twist and me having figured it out from the 5th page. This is the one series where I can depend on my being just as surprised as my students. In both books, I have been taken aback by the way pieces that appeared to come from several different puzzles finally dropped into place to create one complete, and beautifully detailed, picture.

Yet again I need to commend Jennifer Nielsen for creating a series that contains enough danger and suspense to keep readers of all ages interested, but without approaching the issues of violence that would be inappropriate for a younger reader. Teachers and parents take note: THIS IS A BOOK THAT APPEALS TO BOTH GIRLS AND BOYS! Let's get those (sometimes reluctant) boys reading!

The Runaway King picks up almost immediately after The False Prince ends, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good because it plunges you straight into the action (and there is quite a bit of action in this one!); bad because if you're like me and haven't read TFP in nearly a year, it can be a little confusing to hit the ground running without time to catch your bearings. I might have had to go brush up on the last couple chapters of TFP before continuing on. But that's okay. You know why? Because the last couple chapters of TFP are awesome.

All the big players from TFP are back in some capacity, as friends and conspirators and spies and villains. Jaron is still the same dangerously cocky youth pulled from the streets, but with a big exception: he is now the king. And the fate of his kingdom rests on his shoulders.

As in TFP, Jaron's narration is the main driver of the story. If he was a girl, I'd say he's sassy. Actually, who cares. He's sassy. He is a swaggering, secretive, sassy boy with a savior complex and trust issues. He comes brimming with strengths and shortcomings, and a lot of the time, he is his own worst enemy. His convoluted plan probably does not need to be nearly as convoluted as it is, but since he's determined not to show his hand to anyone -- even those that could help him -- he sets himself up for difficulty. It can be frustrating, especially as other characters are telling him this is a fault and he's refusing to listen -- but at the same time, it's incredibly true to the character. Everything he does makes sense to him, and that's the most I can ask from any character in any story.

The supporting characters came and went throughout the story. Probably one of the most important was Imogen, his friend from TFP. Her moments are some of my favorites, as she is smart and strong, yet isn't afraid to use her perceived weakness as a female to her advantage. Her friendship with Jaron isn't fair and isn't balanced, and really, he doesn't deserve her. Yet she's there anyway, and he appreciates her for it, in his own way.

The action is plentiful, and there's never that long of a break between tussles and sword fights. Jennifer Nielsen's depiction of the action is vivid and allowed me to play the fights out in my head like a movie, which isn't easy. I did find a couple of the scenes toward the end a bit far-fetched, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief a bit. The things Jaron does are not impossible -- I don't think -- just improbable. I can deal with improbable.

There's only one character motivation head-scratcher moment, and it's toward the end. A character switches sides, and it seemed a little too easy. It wasn't nearly as large a twist as the first book in the series, but it was still unexpected, and I'm not sure it was foreshadowed sufficiently. It's a fine line to walk, revealing enough details to make the twist believable, without tipping your hand. I feel like this book was almost there, but not quite.

However, those minor complaints aside, I still very much enjoyed this story. It's the kind of book and series I imagine would get kids -- boys and girls alike -- excited about reading. It's clever and funny and has enough action and heart to interest a wide variety of readers, with a fabulously well-developed protagonist and intelligent plotting. Whenever the conclusion to The Ascendance Trilogy hits shelves, you can bet I'll be at the front of the line.

We meet Jaron again at the funeral of his family...only he is so conflicted about this that he is taking a moment in a garden, and Roden shows up to assassinate him.In league with Devlin, the pirate king, Roden grievously injures Jaron, but takes off. When the regents meet, they are concerned about the growing threat of the pirates, but also don't feel that Jaron is ready to rule or that he has good opinions, so they want to send him to hide. Jaron feels that there are a lot of hidden threats both outside and inside the castle walls, so he pretends to hole up in the castle, but runs off. On his journey, he runs into the pirates and saves a young girl, Nila, after her mother has been killed. He returns he to Libeth, where he meets her very helpful grandfather, Rulan Harlowe, who offers him support and a place to rest. Feeling that the evil King Vargen is in league with Devlin, Jaron leaves, only to be turned over to the pirate Erick by a young boy, Fink. Jaron becomes a pirate and is taken to Tarblade, where he must adhere to the pirate code. He pretends once again to be Sage, a thief, and even Imogen (who he sent off from the castle for her own safety) doesn't give him away. Jeron promises the pirates that he will take them to a cave where the treasury of Carthya is, but before they set off, Gregor, a traitor who is on the board of regents, shows up and blows Jeron's cover. Roden shows up as well, and Jeron is in terrible danger. Will he be able to defeat the pirates and stay alive?