THE SHADOW THRONE by Jennifer A. Nielsen

War is coming - there is nothing Jaron can do to stop that. Vargan, king of Avenia, is unwavering in his desire to see Jaron dead and Carthya under his control. But this is Jaron; he will not go out without a fight. There will be twists and turns - and some events will threaten to rip out Jaron's heart - but will they be enough to save his kingdom?

This was fantastic! The energy never flags - there are only brief breaks for the reader to get a moment to catch his/her breath before barreling on again. Thrilling, emotional and satisfying. There were several times I pumped my fist and said, "Yes!" (Thankfully I was reading at home.) Terrific ending to a terrific series. I am so pleased with this book, but also a little sad it's over. I have great hope for something spectacular like this from Jennifer Nielsen in the future!

5 out of 5 stars
No AR reading level at this time.

You can read about the other books in this series here and here.

CHAPTER BOOK: The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The False Prince was probably my favorite book of 2012 - and I read around 140 books last year. That's a tough act to follow. The Runaway King did a great job.

Jaron is in trouble. He might be King of Carthya, but people are still trying to kill him. His regents don't trust him, and he's convinced his kingdom is in danger. His solution? Disappear. Blend in with those trying to harm his country and try to change things from within. But nothing in Jaron's life has ever gone smoothly - or according to plan. He will need all of his wits and cunning and a good bit of luck - and maybe an actual friend or two - if he has any hope of surviving or saving his kingdom.

This was a great follow up to The False Prince. Jaron is sassy and sarcastic, which is something I enjoy in a character. There is a TON of action - every time things seem to be going right, they go wrong. I had to read this in small bits until I could get to a weekend and really plow through the whole thing because I knew once I let myself get into the rhythm of the story, I wasn't going to want to put it down. I am thrilled to share this one with students - and in my own home. I am making my husband listen into our nightly chapter(s) of both The False Prince and The Runaway King so we can enjoy the story together as a family. I have mixed feelings about book three - eager anticipation and dread of coming to the end of a great story.

4 of 5 stars
No AR reading level at the time of this writing.

BOOK FAIR preview - The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

Summary
Sage is an orphan -- cocky, clever and independent. When he is bought and taken from the orphanage, his plan is to run away at the first opportunity. But the man who buys him has plans for Sage and the other orphans with them. He's going to turn one of them into a prince - and the rest will probably die. Sage will have to decide who he wants to be and what he is and is not willing to do to be that person


Review
Amazing! Outstanding! Brilliant! I have not felt this strongly about a book since I first read The Candymakers. This could easily be my "best book of 2012." It will be a hard one to beat. Sage has a great voice, and I was drawn into his story from the first page. There's a Hunger Games-ish feel to the relationship between the boys as they know only one will be chosen to play the prince and the others will likely be killed. The whole story is masterfully put together. I could hardly get to sleep after finishing it because I was so excited about how it all came together. This is going to be the first of a trilogy. This is one I will buy for myself (this copy is for our school's library), share with my son, rave about to my students - and any random stranger I can get to listen.


5 out of 5 stars - I'd give it more if I could!
No AR rating yet as the book doesn't release until the first of April.


Recommended for: readers 4th grade and older, those looking for stories with mystery and adventure.


Cautions: the overall story is not dark, but there are deaths and battles. I don't think it will matter to general readers, but more sensitive ones should be forewarned.