The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Reading Level: Ages 10 and up

Hardcover: 352 Pages

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Narration: First Person: Sage

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Netgalley

 

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The Ascendance Trilogy

Book One: The False Prince

Book Two: The Runaway King

Book Three: Untitled

 

Author's

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Goodreads Synopsis:

 

A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in the highly anticipated sequel to Jennifer A. Nielsen's blockbuster THE FALSE PRINCE!

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!

 

My Review:

 

My reaction when I was accepted by Netgalley:

 

 

The first novel in the Ascendance Trilogy, The False Prince, literally changed my life forever. Every time I was caught in a sticky situation, I immediately asked myself, "What would Sage do?" In fact, I was surprised that I even had the ability to talk coherently or function like a normal human being after I finished it. Jennifer Nielsen is that good! So when I saw that the sequel already had a epic name and donned a simple yet intriguing cover, I was absolutely ecstatic! If I had to wait another whole year just in order to get my hands onto The Runaway King, I would've probably broke down sobbing uncontrollably. Still, three to four months is a hell of a long time to wait when your this excited about something. I'm sure my fellow bookworms here would know what I'm talking about. ;) And I'm so relieved that Jennifer decided not to end The False Prince on one of those jaw dropping cliffhangers. If she had, I would've spent a long time staring despondently at a wall with thoughts running rampant, trying to figure out where the story would go next.

 

Now if you've read The False Prince, I have no doubts in my mind that you have already fallen in love with Sage, our protagonist and the heir to the throne of Carthya. And if your a guy? Well, I have no idea how a guy's mind works, but I'm guessing that you would love to have him as a best friend. I had such a hard time picturing Sage as a fifteen year old boy in The False Prince, because he talked and acted in a way that seemed beyond his years. Forced to grow up just to survive the horrendous world he lived in. But after getting to know him better in The Runaway King, his crazy antics and unrealistic goals helped me remember just how young he really is.

 

Now don't get me wrong, he's still quick on his toes, compassionate to the less fortunate, and as smartass as he ever was. But, even though he can be wise when he wants to be, he also has a tendency to do impulsive and irrational things. To go through with plans even when he has no chance of winning.This flaw, amongst others, made me believe that he wasn't some perfect prodigy prince ready to take on the world. He's made mistakes, a lot of them I might add, but he makes them in his own unique way, and always has good intentions. He realizes that he's not invincible, that he can get hurt, that others can get hurt because of him, and finally admits to himself that he's not always right. He grows as a character throughout this novel, and I was super impressed by how it was all executed.

 

The humor! Oh the humor! Sage is the type of person to crack jokes at the most inappropriate times! Almost everything he said had a sarcastic undertone and that had me laughing through a good chunk of the book! Although I did find the comedy in The False Prince to be a smidge better, The Runaway King was a worthy contender!

 

The romance. While there was close to no romance at all in the first book, we see a deeper connection grow throughout The Runaway King. I don't think it's a spoiler to mention who the lucky girl is since it was pretty much implied in The False Prince, but if you don't know who she is, then spoilers up ahead! Imogen was not the damsel in distress. She was a strong, independent girl who wasn't afraid to tell Sage off, even if he was the King of all of Carthya. Some people might find that ostentatious title a little intimidating, but Imogen  never hesitated when she had to knock a little bit of common sense into Sage's sometimes thick head. She was intelligent, a think things through type of gal who definitely is a perfect fit for Sage!

 

However, even though there is a romance in this book, it's very subtle and makes sense. Not one of those wretched Insta-Love connections when two people are "destined to be with each other." I know a lot of guys are put off by the relationship stuff that seems to be present in every single YA novel, but this one wasn't like that at all! It was plot driven rather that love driven. If I had to compare the relationship between Sage and Imogen with characters from another book, it would have to be that of Percy and Annabeth in the prominent Percy Jackson series.

 

The Runaway King dragged me in from the very first page! I had to curb the urge to sneak my Kindle into Trigonometry to read in front of my math book instead of learning quadratic equations. xD Although I did successfully stop myself from reading by repeating the mantra, "Don't turn on the Kindle. Don't turn on the Kindle." over and over again in my head, I finally lost the mental battle warring in my head during Spanish class in hopes of finding out what happened next. Sadly, I was so absorbed with the happenings that were occuring, that I failed to notice when the teacher called on me. Suffice to say, my Kindle got taken away. -_- Back to what I was saying, you can never get tired of the intriguing fantasy world that Jennifer created, filled to the brim with dark secrets, treacherous politics, assassination attempts, and heart pounding sword fights.

 

Overall, although I didn't hyperventilate over The Runaway King as much as I did The False Prince, it was still a worthy action filled sequel that satisfied my almost unreasonable high expectations. This is one of those novels that I would recommend to anyone, including guys, and especially if your a fellow Percy Jackson fan like myself. This captivating series doesn't focus on the romance aspect, but instead spotlights the mind gripping action and high stake chases. A very refreshing read to those who are tired of the same old typical love driven YA novel!

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

"Everyone gets scared at times. It's only the fools who won't admit it."

 -The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen

 

"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."

-The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen

 

Hero- 5/5

Romance- 5/5

Action- 5/5

Comedy- 4.5/5

Writing Style- 5/5

Overall- 5/5

*An ebook copy was provided by Netgalley

in exchange for a honest and thoughtful review.*