“The Runaway King” by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Book: “The Runaway King” by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure

Pages: 331

Rating 4/5 ⭐

Synopsis:

“A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive?
Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?
The stunning second installment of The Ascendance Trilogy takes readers on a roller coaster ride of treason and murder, thrills and peril, as they journey with the Runaway King.”

• Main Characters:

  • Jaron - Main character. King of Carthya. He is a very rebellious, sarcastic, and intuitive character. He is quick-witted with many snappy replies. He also doesn’t like to follow the rules and would rather make his own path in life. He is very loyal to his family and friends and would do whatever it takes to protect them.

  • Tobias - Educated and smart character who tries his best to be perfect and knowledgeable about everything.

  • Roden - Not the smartest but he is the strongest. He starts as a bit of an antagonist who is also very unsure of himself and his future but eventually becomes something more later in the story.

  • Imogen - Kind, loving, and clever character who helps keep Jaron level headed. She is a brave character who does what she can to keep people safe.

  • Belvin Connor - Ex-regent of the Kingdom of Carthya and a noble who collected orphan boys to masquerade as a prince. He is the main antagonist of the story.

  • Mott - Started as Connors vigil and later became a loyal friend and server of King Jaron.

• Other Characters:

  • Fink - Lives with the camp of thieves and becomes a friend of Jaron.

  • King Eckbert - Father of Prince Jaron.

  • Queen Eckbert - Mother of Prince Jaron.

  • Darius Eckbert- Brother of Prince Jaron.

  • Princess Amarinda - A young princess who is obligated to marry the prince ( future king - Jaron ) to seal the alliance between her country Bymar and Carthya.

My Review:

What I Liked:

1) The Runaway King” is the second book of the “Ascendance Series” and I loved this book so much more than the first for a variety of reasons. All of the character within this story, especially King Jaron ( formally known as Sage ) have great character development. Jaron is known for making spontaneous decisions that would be considered unwise by his counterparts, who are more than willing to help if he gave them a chance to. Many of his decisions are made due to his lack of trust in the people in his life. Even though he cares for them and is willing to sacrifice himself for the people he cares for, he lacks being able to trust them due to his own trauma and hurt in his life. However through the story he comes to the realization that it doesn’t hurt to come to the people who care for him and are willing to help him. He is trying to learn that he isn’t alone.

2) The dialogue within this story is more heartfelt and meaningful. It is filled with moments that shoe each of the characters hearts and minds behind everything they do for themselves and each other. My problem with the last book was that the dialogue seemed very tacky and predictable. It felt as if the dialogue was more so for characterization rather than to be more heartfelt, which i guess is understandable since that was the first book and everything was new. This book however had many moments and quotes that hit home for me and I will be sharing some at the end of the review.

3) I loved that the plot had a lot more development and interesting moments. It helped add more depth to the story as well as show more of the world building and the character development. Seeing more adventure in the story as well as how the characters are beginning to work together and understand each other really reeled me in more to the storyline.

What I Didn’t Like As Much:

• I can honestly say after reading this book, I didn’t find anything that I can say I didn’t like considering this book improvements on the things I didn’t like in the last book. Everything in this story was so much better and I fullky enjoyed what I read.

Favorite Quotes:

“What’s the point of gaining peace if it costs us our freedom? I won’t trade the one for the other.”

“When the other side only wants our destruction, what is left to negotiate?

“I felt as if I were standing deep inside my own grave, with the climb out beyond anything I could reach. And yet I must climb.”

“Everyone gets scared at times. It’s only the fools who won’t admit it.”

“I’m fine.” “Of course you are. They could break your bones in half and you’d tell me that’s fine too.”

“How is it that you can see your enemies so clearly and never your friends?”

“Wherever our lives lead us, one thing is certain. You and I will always be connected. You might be able to deny that, but I can’t. Even I am not that good a liar.”

Why You Should Read This Book:

• As said in my last review, If you are looking for a clean action series with a great plot that gets better with each book, I would definitely check out this series by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Plus if you are a parent or teacher looking for a series to get your kids into, this book is clean of any content that is too gruesome and there are no curse words or anything inappropriate. If you read the last book and are wondering if you should continue with the series, I think you should definitely read this book!! The plot and character development of the story is amazing and has a lot more depth that helps make the characters story more heartfelt.