Title: The Shadow Throne
Author: Jennifer A Nielsen
Genre: Fantasy
Book Blurb:
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 neighbouring 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?
Review:
It's official. I've finished the trilogy. And now it's time for me to wave goodbye to this unforgettable cast of characters *sobs a bit*
Jaron, you are one helluva of a character. As usual, I loved his sass and how he applied his sense of humor at the right time and places. Yes, there are some serious parts in this book, but it never gets too serious thanks to his snide remarks that had me laughing. And yeesh, Jaron really gets beat up in this book...but he survives and once again proves that he also has a plan up his sleeves.
I felt like this story's plot wasn't as strongly driven as The False Prince or The Runaway King, mostly because one of Jaron's motivation for his action is largely based on his love for Imogen. Well...the previous two books did feature Imogen, but her roles in the previous books were pretty limited and the romance between Jaron and her wasn't very well developed. So now, all of a sudden Jaron is willing to risk his life and his kingdom for Imogen? I find that kind of hard to believe. *makes doubtful face*
Okay, so I can believe that Jaron will risk his life for any of his friends (God knows he's already done that how many times), but it's like somebody turned on the hormone switch in Jaron and all of a sudden his is completely heads over heels for Imgogen. Like completely. I don't mind their relationship...I just would've appreciated a bit of a build up in the previous books :-)
Once again, Nielsen's writing is jam packed full of action. I was zipping through pages like a (*insert simile because I currently can't think of a good one*.) All of her characters are well rounded and the writing was really easy to follow and flows well.
My last little quip with The Shadow Throne was the way it ended. ***Spoiler Alert*** At the end, Jaron is saved by Connor, who apparently has been on Jaron's side for quite a while. I did not see that coming. It was totally random and didn't seem like it really fit well. Connor is evil. Period. His reason for helping Jaron? Because he was always a Carthyian citizen at heart. *rolls eyes* Yeah right.
***Spoiler Free Zone***
Anyways...ending on a brighter note...I found 2 quotes in the book that I simply adore!
"Nobody gives you respect in this life. You must take it, you must earn it, and then you must hold it sacred, because no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant"--Jaron
"If you hurt deeply, then it means you love deeply too."--Mott
Aren't this two quotes soooo beautiful and true? I think I might end up framing these quotes, lol.
Final thoughts? I really enjoyed this book and it was a solid conclusion to an amazing trilogy. I think my favorite book by far is still The False Prince, but I had such a great time reading all three books that I will probably recommend this series to anybody looking for a good, humorous read with a fantasy element.
Rating:
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