Book #277 of 2020: The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Ascendance #4) I was intrigued by the news that author Jennifer A. Nielsen would be returning to the world of her middle-grade fantasy Ascendance trilogy, but this next volume never quite manages to justify itself, especially given the backstory retcon twist midway through. The …
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Book #128 of 2016: The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen (The Ascendance Trilogy #3) The first novel in this trilogy was definitely the strongest, but this third one resolves the larger story nicely, and it’s always a joy to spend more time with a character like Sage. His ability to think his way out …
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Book #111 of 2016: The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen (The Ascendance Trilogy #2) This book is the Catching Fire to its predecessor’s Hunger Games – a sequel that faces the tricky task of recapturing what readers loved about the very particular scenario of the first book. The plot mechanics that get the orphan-turned-king …
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Book #102 of 2016: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (The Ascendance Trilogy #1) The False Prince has a crackerjack plot, focusing around a group of orphans collected in secret and competing to be the one chosen by their new master to impersonate the missing heir to their kingdom’s throne. It feels a little …
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