The Shadow Throne

"I would not fall. Never again. Gritting my teeth, I replayed Mott's voice in my mind, telling me that I was the Ascendant King. Meant to rise. And so I would" This, in a nutshell, describes Jaron, King of Carthya. Let me start by saying he is one of my all time favorite YA characters. He is brave, loyal, hilarious and reckless. He seems to get himself into as may situations as he gets himself out of.  He antagonizes everyone he crosses paths with. He is ready to be the king he was born to be, against everyone's predictions. This is the third book in the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen. It is the story of the thief Sage, who turns out to be the long lost heir to the throne. As Jaron, he finds himself in one near death situation after the next. He is being attacked by the evil King Vargan and doesn't have the manpower to withstand the armies wrath. But the beauty of Jaron is that he never gives up and doesn't believe in the odds. With his loyal companions, Roden, Mott, Tobias, Amarinda, Fink and the pirates, Jaron devises a scheme that just may save his kingdom and win him the girl of his dreams. The series if filled with action and adventure, romance, and most importantly, humor. It is one of my all time favorite series- ever and Jaron is one of my two favorite thieves turned kings- tied with Eugenides from The Thief  series. If I had my way, those two would meet up somewhere and plan some shenanigans- can you ladies make that happen somehow- Jennifer and Megan? Well, if not, I have enjoyed the ride and will forever chuckle when I think of Jaron. Long live the Ascendant King! And happy reading my friends!