{Book Review} Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2): Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 8.9/10
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, Magic, Action, Adventure,
Publisher: Bloomsburry USA Childrens
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Page Count: 418
Format: Hardback
Source: Library

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of..... strong, female protagonists
action, adventure, and SERIOUS butt-kicking
an aggravating love triangle

Would I Buy It?

95%
Absolutely, positively with a maraschino cherry on top! I'm going to the Sarah J. Maas book signing later this month, and of course, I HAVE to have the full collection of her released books for the signing. 

Background & Backstory

It turns out.... not EVERY book I read has an elaborate backstory about how I obtained it. Literally, the only remotely interesting fact is that I would advice reading a book or two between the time that you read any of Sarah J. Maas' books, because even though I am in love with her.... I'm not certain on her marathonability (new word!). I purposefully didn't pick up Crown of Midnight RIGHT after The Assassin's Blade, because each book is such a rich, thick, adventure, that it might be overwhelming to the everyday reader to jump IMMEDIATELY into the next book.

How Long Did It Take Me To Read This Book?

August 27 - 30
If I had had it my way, I would have read, reviewed, and felt for Crown of Midnight in one day. Unfortunately, life doesn't comply to my whims. It was a rather large book (plus I kinda sorta read another book in between that was for a deadline I should have fulfilled weeks ago), and school has been the biggest thorn in my side possible.

Yet.... we have to remember what is important.
I finished CoM just in time for the release of Heir of Fire.
I think I deserve to be commemorated for that.

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

Give me Heir of Fire. Now! *stomps feet like 2 y/o*

*This is a kind of "My Overall Thoughts" that I wrote AFTER I finished composing this review, but what I tend to say a lot is that certain elements "weren't the best I had ever seen." Yet, I say it so much that it makes it sound like CoM was a bad book, when in actuality.... I'm praising it's solid reliability and faithfulness to the reader. Some books have a breakneck pace.... but under-developed characters. Other books have a rich, defined world.... but slow plot. Crown of Midnight, on the other hand, has a solid 4 stars on every one of the categories that impact my personal enjoyment of the book*

Characters 8/10:

One of the largest and most prominent changes in CoM from ToG, and even TAB, is that I FINALLY like Celaena. I think part of my brain had never actually believed in character development, but Crown of Midnight proved my sorry arse incorrect. Celaena was forced to wake up by the events in CoM, and realize the world is more than expensive clothes. I actually agreed with the decisions she made, and she didn't aggravate me (all the time) with her arrogance.

Romance 7.75/10:

Ah. The lovely category where I may express all my ship-related feels. In Throne of Glass, I was pretty indifferent to Chaol versus Dorian. It felt waaay too much like the triangle in Defy (Sarah B. Larson) with Rylan, Alexa, and Damian (even the name is similar!) because of the dynamics and positions each character held. 

However, Crown of Midnight somewhat secured my feels.

I am 70% Team Chaol, 30% Team Dorian. 

[hover your cursor over the blacked-out sections for spoilers (Thanks Nath for this tip)] The gist of it is that there's a certain event that happens around two thirds through the book, and I personally think of it as just a plot device used so Celaena can go running into the arms of the other guy. In that aspect, it's annoying, and feels like it will flip flop between Chaol and Dorian the ENTIRE series until one of them dies or she stops being bipolar.

It took sooo long for Chaol and Celaena to kiss, and you could feel the tension rising every scene they were together. Yet, the moment they admitted their feelings? They're suddenly sleeping with each other every day? How does that make any sense? Anyway, they were all good for a while. Then Celaena HAD to go an say that stuff about how she would never forgive him and how he wasn't different. WHY?!? Of course, this gave Dorian and Celaena to bond, and I have a feeling Heir of Fire will be a book about the two of them. 

Pacing 8/10:

So the pacing of this book is quite a puzzle to me.

I gotta admit, it wasn't the most action-packed read, at times, there were whole chapters that bored me. 

Now here's the thing.... 

I was nevertheless enthralled, the ENTIRE time.

Maas has the ability to write with such fluidity and grace that makes her readers want to devour each book at inhuman rates. Her style was never choppy and instead, was consistent throughout my reading experience.

Ending 7/10:

This happened with Throne of Glass as well, but because these novels are SO large, it feels as if the exciting, pulse-pounding events happen.... and then there's a chapter or so of useful, insightful information that sets you up for the next book, but is a killjoy for your enjoyment of the pace.

A similar thing happened with Crown of Midnight. I am eternally grateful for Maas that she left us with a cliffhanger, while still wrapping up and concluding the book nicely. Characters had been dropping minor hints about Celaena's true identity, and when Chaol says it.... my heart literally broke and I wanted to scream out loud. If that isn't a good ending, I don't know what is.

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

80%
If I didn't have  i in my possession.... I would be half-tempted to just re-read Crown of Midnight again so I can devour more of Sarah J. Maas' amazingness. While I will not be doing that at the moment, I know that I will have to re-read and marathon the whole series around the time that the last book is released. 

2017, get here FASTER! 

Do you know how old I will be by the time the 6th book is released?

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

99.9%
There is always that slight chance that I won't read a book. You know, if the apocalypse happens, and I'm more worried about books than reading. But besides the apocalypse, there is NOTHING preventing  me from reading Heir of Fire. Especially because of everything I had to go through to obtain my copy (I'm saving the backstory for the review).

Conclusion: A solid, strong, sequel that was even better than the first novel. Maas' worldbuilding, characters, and prose is beautiful, rich, and satisfying.

What Were Your Thoughts On....?

-The pacing and overal flow of CoM

-The ending and revelation of CoM. Did you see the plot twist coming from a mile away?

-Who do you ship Celaena with?

-What do you think the title, Crown of Midnight, means?

-Do you have any dying questions for Sarah J. Maas? If so, please leave them in the comments, because I might be able to have them answered when I go to the signing.

{Book Talk} The Assassin's Blade: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 8/10
Series: Throne of Glass 0.1-0.5
Genre: High Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: Bloomsburry Childrens
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Page Count: 435
Format: Hardcover/eBook
Source: Library

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

***In Loving the Language of Literacy, a Book Review means that the review is spoiler free. Meanwhile, a Book Talk means that the review has spoilers. So in case you haven't read the book.... you are forewarned***

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Anyone in search of a high, epic fantasy with the perfect blend of kick-assery and a touch of romance

Would I Buy It?

There's a 90% chance I would buy The Assassin's Blade to grow my collection of Sarah J. Maas novels, and I am hoping to go to her book signing in September, so I would obviously want to own the book for that occasion.

Background & Backstory

I have read Throne of Glass, and while I did not ever finish writing my review of it (it's literally sitting in my drafts), I did give it 4 out of 5 stars. So obviously, I would want to dig my teeth into anything else Maas has written. And to be honest, I actually enjoyed The Assassin's Blade more than I enjoyed Throne of Glass.

The backstory for this novel is that I had borrowed the eBooks of novellas 0.1, 0.3-0.5. I would have borrowed 0.2, but it's exclusive ONLY to the hard copy of The Assassin's Blade. Long story short, I read the ones I was capable of borrowing on my iPad, then had to go to the library to pick up the book in hard copy so I could read 0.2 aka The Assassin and the Healer. 

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

Why must the world be so cruel to me?

How Necessary Is It To Read The Assassin's Blade?

While The Assassin's Blade isn't ABSOLUTELY needed in the series (Maas provides enough back story and explanation in the novel), it is absolutely necessary so you, as the reader, can get more out of the series by knowing everything that had happened before and all of the catalysts for what happened in Throne of Glass. As I said, I enjoyed The Assassin's Blade more than Throne of Glass itself, so that alone should tell you at least something about the enjoyment level, if not informational content. 

How Necessary Is It To Read The Novellas In Order?

Even though you can read each novella on its own and in any order, you could also consider The Assassin's Blade a complete, 50,000 word count novel. I read them in order, but skipped one and was confused, because even though it isn't vital to read The Assassin's Blade from cover to cover, it was as if you read Chapters 1-5 then 11-25, THEN came back for Chapters 6-10.

Pros:

I tweeted the other day that I know Sam died, but I am officially Team Sam. Basically forget you Chaol and Dorian. This is because Celaena and Sam are just so darn cute. While Celaena's relationships with Dorian and Chaol seemed a little insta-lovey to me, Sam and Celaena have had years to develop their friendship, and as luck may have it.... they've fallen in love with each other. The way their relationship came about could be considered cliche, but I loved being able to see their progression from the first novella to the last, and that made it all the more heartbreaking when we learned exactly how Sam was brutally murdered.

"Death, at least, was quick. Especially when dealt by her hand. But slavery was unending suffering." --- 47% The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

While Celaena annoyed me to no end, it was fascinating to see her views on slavery, and the level of passion she had for slavery. In both 0.1 and 0.4, her downfall is caring too much about them, which is ironic considering how cold-blooded she can be.

Cons:

Celaena. That was literally the only con in the entire novella bind-up. Celaena. 

"Oh it was so nice to be back in civilization, wither her beautiful clothes and shoes and jewels and cosmetics and all the luxuries she'd have to spend the summer without." --- 17% The Assassin and the Underworld.

I can't tell you how many times I have read or watched reviews that admire Celaena as a strong, badass female protagonist and that annoys me SOOO much. In my humble opinion, she's a whiny, self-entitled, riches-obsessed, selfish, spoiled brat. I know I'm being harsh on her.... but come on! I highlighted every section where Celaena annoyed me, and let me tell you, there are a lot. Because the amount of times she said she was "Ardalan's Best Assassin" got on my last nerves. She acted like, "Poor me, I'm not the center of attention any more."

"As she walked back to her room, Celaena had a horrible feeling that here, being Ardalan's Assassin might not count for much." ---The Assassin and the Desert 32% 

0.1 The Assassin and the Pirate Lord 5/10

"I'm surprised Arobyn hasn't made you check your arrogance," --- 29% The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

I'm sorry, I flat out didn't like this novella. While what Celaena did was valiant -freeing the slaves- there was a lot of excess fluff, and I personally believe that it could have been a heck of a lot more fast paced. On the flip side aka. the +5 in the rating, I have to give it some credit since we were just being introduced to the new cast of characters, and the writing style was incredibly descriptive and rich without being boring.

"A city of light and music, watched over by an alabaster castle with an opal tower so bright it could be viewed for miles." ---53% The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

0.2 The Assassin and the Healer 7/10

Going into this novella, I thought the story was about Ben, the other man Celaena briefly fancied before Sam and the Silent Assassin's son. Obviously, it was mentioned that Ben had died in the previous novella, but for some reason, my brain was convinced that the story would go back in time. So I was surprised to learn that TAatH was set in the period before Celaena went to the Red Desert. The concept of the story was nice, it wasn't fast paced, but it did provide some insight on Celaena's ability to feel compassion for people other than herself, and her ideals on feminism in whatever fantastical time period Throne of Glass takes place in.

0.3 The Assassin and the Desert 8/10

"For all she knew, Ansel might be better than her. The thought didn't sit well." --- The Assassin and the Desert 11%

As you can see, this was my favorite novella of all of them and I think that it's because I loved how Maas plopped us into an ENTIRELY different environment with new characters, rules, and customs. In fact, if she wanted to write a novella about Celaena going back to or getting helped by the Silent Assassins, I would read it in a heartbeat. While the assassins of the north are brutal, the Silent Assassins kill with a purpose and are strangely zen, kind of like the stereotypical ones from the Disney Channel move - Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior.

"Her taste for very expensive and very delicate underwear wouldn't do much for her reputation." ---14% The Assassin and the Desert

0.4 The Assassin and the Underworld 7.5/10

"Father, brother, lover - he'd never really declared himself any of them. He loved her like family, yet he put her in the most dangerous positions. HE nurtured and educated her, yet he'd obliterated innocence the first time he'd made her enda life. He'd given her everything, but he'd also taken everything away." --- 6% 

This is the novella where Sam and Celaena FINALLY get together, so that's what takes presidency in my mind, but the story is interesting as well. We also got closer look at Arobyn and how he raised Celaena, as well as their complex relationship. He's basically the Anderson (Shatter Me Reference) of the Throne of Glass world. He's manipulative, a psychopath, and powerful.... just my kind of guy. Just kidding, but I feel an urge to give him kudos for how he tricked and twisted Celaena's perception.

0.5 The Assassin and the Empire 7/10

I have to admit, at the beginning of the novella, I had no idea how it would end where Throne of Glass began, but the way everything came together was glorious, if not a little painful for my feels. I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out what wire Celaena would trip, to make her end up in Endovier. Of course, it was love that was her downfall, and her fragile state of mind after Sam was murdered - turning her gullible. 

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

I'm not sure I would ever re-read the book from start to finish, unless it was 2016 and I was rereading the entire series so I could marathon all of the books. But I do know for a fact that I would want to re-read my favorite novella from it.

How Likely Is It That I Will Continue On With The Series?

I will 100% be continuing on with the Throne of Glass series especially because Crown of Midnight is actually the next book on my TBR after I finish up what I'm currently reading (Don't library holds rock?).

Conclusion: The Assassin's Blade was a much-needed addition to the Throne of Glass series so us readers could be further exposed to the fantastical world Maas has created, and to provide in-depth background when it came to the catalysts behind so many of the characters seemingly odd exteriors.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} Fury (Book 1: Cure): Charlotte McConaghy

 Tour Page and Schedule

Fury: Book 1 of The Cure by Charlotte McConaghy
Page Count: 348 

Publication Date: March 25, 2014 

Publisher: Momentum Books, Pan Macmillan

In the tradition of Divergent comes a novel about a world where negative emotions are stolen ... and only those with fury can stand up and fight.

Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes naked and covered in blood that is not hers on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.

Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different to the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:

Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.

Connect with the author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

   

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this book from CBB Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review. 

"I am a flame of fury. The last flickering flame in a world long since burned out. I have rage threaded through my skin, whispering against my ears, tied tightly around each of my bones. My eyes, one brown and one blue, leak with it. 

Most of the time this frightens me.

But sometimes I like it."

--- 1% September 11, 2065 Josephine

Can I just say that I loved this book? Oh well, too late, I said it. This quote encompasses and explains what I can't say about it. Not only is this one of the best beginnings of a book that I have ever read, but it displays Charlotte McConaghy's excellent writing, as well as portrays exactly who the main character -Josephine- is.

Premise: Fury was such an interesting novel to read because of how it dealed with emotions, a subject I am very interested in. I suppose that's what I enjoyed most about the novel as well. Even with the cookie cutter dystopian plot line, an author has to come up with some sort of selling point. A world where anger is eradicated, simply fascinates me. When I told my mom about the book I was reading (for the umpteenth time I might add), she thought it was great that anger had been eradicated.... until I told her what the effects of this were.  An example the author gave was when she said that wives whose husbands had cheated on them, didn't react, and a family who was being burglarized just sat there and laughed while their possessions were stolen. 

Romance: So the romance in Fury was a bit of an insta love situation, something deeply despised by 99% of the blogging community. I actually am not usually effected by instalove, but in this particular situation, I was. There is some background that would spoil things that would explain why it isn't so creepy that Luke picks up Josephine and takes her home after just meeting her, but it still doesn't compensate for the instant connection the two of them had. 

On the other hand, no self respecting teenage girl can deny the swoonworthiness of Luke. I mean, WHHHHHY does he have to be so old? Not in general, but for me at least. Even though we learn that his motives weren't exactly pure 100% of the time, he was still so charming, and attractive, and charismatic, and all the other adjectives that I can't think of at the moment.   

Points of View: We all know that I gotta have my good narrators, and Fury does not disappoint. I think the best way it can be described is if it were to be compared to All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. All Our Yesterdays is a book set in two separate times, before and after a horrific event, and told in in two points of views from different times.... so basically four points of view, even though there are only two people narrating. It is the same way with Fury, but better with three different narrators. Present and Past Joesphine and Luke, as well as present Anthony. McConaghy does this in such an amazing way, making each person (even if they're the same) have their own voice, and making it 100% understandable. Fury could have been confusing when it jumped from one time period to the other, and the narrators could have all sounded the same. 

Characters: 

"Perhaps you're right.... I did imagine them. Sometimes I think I must have, I don't know how something so wild could exist within a world like this, one that is so unforgivably void of life." 

I don't tell her what's on the tip of my tongue: that this is exactly what I see when I look at her.

--- 29% September 13, 2065 Anthony 

I simply fell in love with the characters of Fury, both their past and present selves. Anthony, is one of the many in this world thas has been given the Cure, yet there is still emotion left in him, and a lot of times throughout the story, that emotion is love for Josephine. While his thoughts about making Josephine love him, despite Luke, were malicious to say the least, you could still feel empathy because you knew where that desire came from. He was a very puny character at times, kind of like Nathan in All Our Yesterdays, in that he was a geek when it came to some of his different talents. 

Josephine was also a little spitball of fire, as she was not given the Cure, and still feels anger and other emotions. She was an independent, strong female character that could take care of things by herself, and didn't want to accept help from anybody, but realized that she still needed it, like Josephine March from Little Women.

"Music," he says, but not to me. "Blue and white."

Music starts to play from speakers, something I've never heard that's fun and lovely. "Blue and White?" I ask, assuming this must be the name of the band.

"I'm synesthetic," he explains. "Means I remember things in color and shape and texture. Blue and white music for me is upbeat, something with a lot of bass, stuff that makes you want to danc. I programmed my sound system to understand color cues."

--- 17% September 20, 2063 Josephine

Not only is this a unique character trait for Luke, but I just had to share it with you because it sounds insanely cool, similar to Josephine's eidetic (remembers EVERYTHING) memory, but without all of those nasty repercussions and side effects.

Cover: Oh my god! Somebody give me a hard copy of this novel so I can stroke and caress it to death. I don't know where McConaghy got the image, or even what the image is, but it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It appears to be the Earth surrounded by a ring of fire, and manages to express everything this novel is about.

Plot: What did make me stumble at times during Fury were certain events, as well as chains of events that I didn't understand because I didn't understand what triggered that chain. I will definitely be rereading Fury, so I will be able to catch more of the subtle nuances and explanations, but it was definitely confusing at times. The whole situation between the Bloods and the Greys and the Reds and the Blues was difficult to understand at times, and I would totally explain what each of those are.... if I could comprehend them myself.

Writing Style: Need I say more than the quotes below? I have now concluded that Charlotte McConaghy is the goddess of setting the scene in stories. She offers so much description to her readers without it being tedious, or boring.

Ending: What I was disappointed in, was the ending of Fury. It's not as if it let me down, trust me it was freaking EPIC. What I mean is that it seemed too predictable after the roller coaster of thoughts, emotions, and relevations that had just unfolded. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's along the lines of Reboot (Amy Tintera) and Uglies (Scott Westerfeld). That's all I'm going to say.

Continuation 85%: If CBB Book Premotions does another tour for the sequel, somebody reserve me a prime spot on it this very moment. I loved Fury so much and am extremely interested to see what Charlotte McConaghy does to capture her readers.

Conclusion:  I will definitely be recommending Fury because it was a fabulously written novel, in terms of narration and characters, as breath of fresh air concept wise.

{Spoiler Free} The Shadow Throne (Ascendance Trilogy #3): Jennifer Nielsen

Rating: 8/10

Series: The Ascendance Trilogy #3

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, Action, Young Adult, 

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Date: February 25, 2014

Page Count: 336

Format: eBook

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Synopsis: 

One war.

Too many deadly battles.
Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does. His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

*Check out my spoiler free review and spoiler filled review of The False Prince, which is the first book in the phenomenal Ascendance Trilogy*

*To get up-to-speed on my opinions of the Trilogy, check out my spoiler free review and spoiler filled review of The Runaway King*

*This is new feature I will be doing when I want to write a review of a book with my unfiltered feelings. I will post two versions of the review, spoiler filled, and spoiler free so people can still read the review and hear me gush about how good it is without the plot being spoiled for them. If you want to read the spoiler free click here*

*There are unavoidable spoilers for The False Prince, and The Runaway King in this review, and click here if you would like to see the spoiler filled review of The Shadow Throne*

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley which does not in the slightest effect my honest review in any way. 

Backstory: Seriously, how else would I begin the review of the conclusion to the Ascendance Trilogy than a long backstory? So, if you read my review of The Runaway King, you will know I finished it around 9:30 on Monday night. This has never happened before, and sounds quite ridiculous.....but I was so full of fells that I couldn't go to sleep. After about an hour of not being able to go to sleep, I (if my mom reads this post, she will be mortified because she thinks sleep is extremely important) picked up my iPod, and starting reading (you guessed it) The Shadow Throne. Around midnight-ish, I finally put the iPod down because I knew I would pay for the sleep deprivation (I no happy without sleep), and there was a lull in the action....you know for about .3% of the book. Fast Forward to Tuesday afternoon. I always read a physical book when I go cycling at the gym, but I made an exception in The Shadow Throne's case, and actually enlarged the font so I could read from my tiny iPod. Now it that isn't commitment, I don't know what the heck is. I then finished the book around 10 pm at night. I finished the entire book in less than 24 hours, which may not sound like that big of an accomplishment, but I had school, eating lunch/breakfast/dinner, homework, and not time to read in school because it was an eBook.

The ends of trilogies always have so much pressure on them, sometimes authors don't even know the end until they start writing it, and by that time, reader's are already so involved, invested, and committed  that they have imagined exactly how things are supposed to happen, and when they don't happen exactly as the reader wants -which is inevitable- readers are unsatisfied. I have to admit that I did not enjoy The Shadow Throne as much as The False Prince and The Runaway King for reasons I just stated above. It was a stunning book by itself, if I had picked it up off the shelves and read it (let's just pretend I already somehow know who the characters are, the plot, setting, and all that information) I would be reeling with the feels (which did still happen), and think it was the best Young Adult and Middle Grade crossover. Yet, it wasn't as good, or as magical as it was in the first two books.

I remember mentioning that Jaron couldn't be killed, yet it seemed realistic even when he seemed doomed to death (which is not a figure of speech). While I would probably fling myself against the wall and sob for days on end if Jaron died, it got a little annoying how he kept surviving. It was almost as if I was praying for one tragedy to be solved in order for him to move onto the next one so I would be closer to finding out what happen in the end.

Characters 8.5/10: I already loved all the characters of the book, (except for a select two -Amarinda and Imogen) but for some reason they seemed more fleshed out and independent to me in The Shadow Throne. It was almost as if the Jaron show now had an ensemble casts without diluting (what am I talking about, wine?) the star of the show. 

Roden ~ I don't know why, but I never liked Roden in The False Prince and certainly not in The Runaway King when he broke Jaron's leg, but I feel like I got to see a different side of him in TST. What readers often forget (or at least I do) is that the characters are the same age as they are, and yet they're experiencing things that us spoiled 21st century teens could never imagine enduring. Roden is just 15 years old, and he is the commander of the Carthyan army. Another point I would like to bring up is that he isn't Jaron. No one owes him anything. No one has to obey or respect him. His soldiers think he is young and inexperienced, and unlike Jaron -who is royalty and has to be obeyed no matter what people think- he is questioned. 

"Nobody gives your respect in this life. You must take it, you must earn it, and then you must hold it sacred because no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant....Go get it, Roden. People won't follow a leader who doesn't know where he's going. Show them that you do."-----14% Jaron 

Roden's confidence is a little diminished for a short period of time in TST because his troops don't believe in him. I am cursing myself for not highlighting the quote but there is a scene between Roden and Jaron where Roden asks Jaron why he made him captain. Jaron responds, saying he knows how fearsome a force Roden is/would be to reckon with against Jaron, so he knew that he would have to make Roden his captain, and have him on his side. I know I did not do that quote/scene justice in my explanation, but it was a wonderful scene and a stepping stone for the both of them. 

Tobias ~ I also used to think that Tobias was a puny, useless character that was a huge brat and didn't stand a chance against Roden or Jaron for the throne. He does provide some comedic relief as the bumbly friend that doesn't know too much, at least in the way the world works, he knows plenty when it comes to academics. What Tobias also does is provide positivity, he is a steadfast anchor and as loyal as a golden retriever when it comes to Jaron and Carthya, he even gets captured on two separate occasions which could have been easily avoided if he weren't so loyal....or so Tobias. Almost everyone questions Jaron and his decisions throughout the book, but Tobias never does. You know when parents ask, "So your friend would tell you to jump off the cliff and you would do it?" Well, I have no doubt in my mind that Tobias would jump off that cliff even if he knew he would have to endure eternal damnation. 

Mott ~ As well as Tobias, Mott pledged his loyalty in his king, and served as a fierce friend throughout the series. The quote below is the longest he has said in the entire trilogy, and holds a lot of significance because Jaron has a mid-book identity crisis, which is all I'm going to leave that at.  Mott's questions in the quote were needed as the bucket of ice-cold water thrown in Jaron's face in order to wake him up.

"It's your storm, and the future of us all depends on you now. So who are you? Sage, an orphan boy who cares only for himself? Or the undisciplined, rebellious prince your father sent away? Life has tested your resilience and strength and willpower, and you have succeeded in ways nobody ever thought possible. But the storm has never been worse, and it will either destroy you, or define you. When everything is taken from you, can you still stand before us as Jaron, the Ascendant King of Carthya?"----- 52% Mott 

I don't want to get you worried, because even though some of the secondary characters had more depth, and were viewed in a better lighting (at least in my opinion), Jaron still had all of his sassitude. Credits to my friend Tina over at The Book Landers for making up the word. In my review of The Runaway King, I talked a lot about how Jaron is a blend of Day and Anden (if you have been reading my blog for a while you should really know who they are) from The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu. Jaron has to take on even more authority in The Shadow Throne because it is war time, and he has to make all the executive decisions that leaders have to perform, despite people (I'm really pointing my fingers at the 18 other regents that aren't Tobias or Harlowe) telling him what to do. At the same time, his decisions appear to be impulsive, and those of a teenage boy's instead of a king, but we all know that appearances can be deceiving. While Day and Jaron seem like they're huge risk taker's, they're calculated, and even though there is so much at stake, that is what helps Jaron save his kingdom. 

"I thought of my own father, the endless battle over his attempts to control me, mold me, and make me see the world through his eyes. And me, resisting all of that, every time. I wanted to believe that despite the trouble I had caused my father, he had loved me."----- 37% Jaron 

As I mentioned earlier, Jaron had an identity crisis, because knew there was so much on the line. What really put pressure on him was the fact that he thought (this may not have actually been true) people expected him to be like his father, or like Darius. The truth is, he would have lost the kingdom the very first sentence of the second book if Jaron weren't.... How should I put this? Jaron. He is a very complex character, and even though it may seem like he is a very strong, independent person, he still has doubts in his mind. He still has an instinct to cover up who he is and use the conventional method, which we all know never got anyone anywhere, the war started because his father used those conventional methods. In the end, as we all know (assuming you have read the book), he did things the Jaron way, and realized that his father truly did love him.

Romance 5/10: In every other aspect, Jennifer A. Nielsen is the goddess of Young Adult/Middle Grade crossover novels....except for the romance. 

I don't understand Jaron's love for Imogen. You would think this book is the most epic love story of the century -like the Titanic- the way that Jaron deals with something that happens to Imogen, and I truthfully, didn't care too much. I believe this is because Imogen was not very fleshed out as a character, and she wasn't given enough of her own voice in the story. The reason Jaron was so messed up in the first place in The Runaway King was because she was his weakness that his enemies used against him. I sound so mean, but I do think the amount of romance versus the amount of reaction was completely disproportional. 

Of course, then we have Amarinda and Jaron's betrothal to each other, and somebody suggests they get married (because that worked so well in Catching Fire). Luckily, they don't, and for good reason because of some plot twist that I don't want to mention that comes into play that I think reader's will like. 

Title 8/10: So I just had an !AHA! moment where the light bulb went off about the title....you know two weeks after I actually finished the book. I kept thinking, "The Shadow Throne? That has nothing to do with the story." Let me explain my revelation, Jaron is in the midst of war, a war against three other kingdoms and no allies in sight. He is doing everything in his power to keep the throne, and Carthya, to defend the kingdom he has come to begrudgingly love. This also isn't the first time that he almost lost the throne, or the second, maybe it's time #31 he almost lost the throne due to rash behavior, risky decisions, and everything else that comes with being Jaron. Don't you see? The throne keeps almost slipping out of his grasp, he may think he has control of it, but it can slip out of his fingers in a few moments of hesitation, like a shadow. 

Ending 6/10: This is where things got a little unbelievable. Event after event happens in the span of a few chapters, and seems a little too much like there was pressure for "and they lived happily ever after" Even though I wasn't the hugest fan of the ending (although my sleep deprivation would beg to differ), Jaron remains as sassy, clever, and persistent as ever, and makes the right choices in the end that save his kingdom.

Conclusion: The Shadow Throne flies in a breakneck pace with a flurry of action, solid cast of characters, and is a strong conclusion to the Ascendance Trilogy that will leave reader's as satisfied as they can be without Nielsen writing a sequel (because we all know I would worship her if she did write a sequel).

"You were wrong, Commander. Whatever chains you try to place on me, I will always, always rise from them. I'm not buying my freedom because you never owned it. But I am taking it back for me and for my country."----- 95% Jaron

Have you ever been slightly disappointed by the end of the trilogy because you had the character's lives all planned out in your head? Or is there a romance that drives you absolutely insane? Tell me in the comments below :)

{Spoiler Alert} The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy #3): Jennifer A. Nielsen

Rating: 8/10
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy #3
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, Action, Young Adult, 
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Page Count: 336
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Synopsis: 
One war.
Too many deadly battles.
Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does. His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

*Check out my spoiler free review and spoiler filled review of The False Prince, which is the first book in the phenomenal Ascendance Trilogy*

*To get up-to-speed on my opinions of the Trilogy, check out my spoiler free review and spoiler filled review of The Runaway King*

*This is new feature I will be doing when I want to write a review of a book with my unfiltered feelings. I will post two versions of the review, spoiler filled, and spoiler free so people can still read the review and hear me gush about how good it is without the plot being spoiled for them. If you want to read the spoiler free click here*

*There are spoilers for The False Prince, The Runaway King, and most definitely The Shadow Throne in this review so click out of this right away to the spoiler free version so you don't find out what happens*

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley which does not in the slightest effect my honest review in any way. 

Backstory: Seriously, how else would I begin the review of the conclusion to the Ascendance Trilogy than a long backstory? So, if you read my review of The Runaway King, you will know I finished it around 9:30 on Monday night. This has never happened before, and sounds quite ridiculous.....but I was so full of fells that I couldn't go to sleep. After about an hour of not being able to go to sleep, I (if my mom reads this post, she will be mortified because she thinks sleep is extremely important) picked up my iPod, and starting reading (you guessed it) The Shadow Throne. Around midnight-ish, I finally put the iPod down because I knew I would pay for the sleep deprivation (I no happy without sleep), and there was a lull in the action....you know for about .3% of the book. Fast Forward to Tuesday afternoon. I always read a physical book when I go cycling at the gym, but I made an exception in The Shadow Throne's case, and actually enlarged the font so I could read from my tiny iPod. Now it that isn't commitment, I don't know what the heck is. I then finished the book around 10 pm at night. I finished the entire book in less than 24 hours, which may not sound like that big of an accomplishment, but I had school, eating lunch/breakfast/dinner, homework, and not time to read in school because it was an eBook.

The ends of trilogies always have so much pressure on them, sometimes authors don't even know the end until they start writing it, and by that time, reader's are already so involved, invested, and committed  that they have imagined exactly how things are supposed to happen, and when they don't happen exactly as the reader wants -which is inevitable- readers are unsatisfied. I have to admit that I did not enjoy The Shadow Throne as much as The False Prince and The Runaway King for reasons I just stated above. It was a stunning book by itself, if I had picked it up off the shelves and read it (let's just pretend I already somehow know who the characters are, the plot, setting, and all that information) I would be reeling with the feels (which did still happen), and think it was the best Young Adult and Middle Grade crossover. Yet, it wasn't as good, or as magical as it was in the first two books.

I remember mentioning that Jaron couldn't be killed, yet it seemed realistic even when he seemed doomed to death (which is not a figure of speech). While I would probably fling myself against the wall and sob for days on end if Jaron died, it got a little annoying how he kept surviving. It was almost as if I was praying for one tragedy to be solved in order for him to move onto the next one so I would be closer to finding out what happen in the end.

Characters 8.5/10: I already loved all the characters of the book, (except for a select two -Amarinda and Imogen) but for some reason they seemed more fleshed out and independent to me in The Shadow Throne. It was almost as if the Jaron show now had an ensemble casts without diluting (what am I talking about, wine?) the star of the show. 

Roden ~ I don't know why, but I never liked Roden in The False Prince and certainly not in The Runaway King when he broke Jaron's leg, but I feel like I got to see a different side of him in TST. What readers often forget (or at least I do) is that the characters are the same age as they are, and yet they're experiencing things that us spoiled 21st century teens could never imagine enduring. Roden is just 15 years old, and he is the commander of the Carthyan army. Another point I would like to bring up is that he isn't Jaron. No one owes him anything. No one has to obey or respect him. His soldiers think he is young and inexperienced, and unlike Jaron -who is royalty and has to be obeyed no matter what people think- he is questioned. 

"Nobody gives your respect in this life. You must take it, you must earn it, and then you must hold it sacred because no matter how hard respect is to attain, it can be lost in an instant....Go get it, Roden. People won't follow a leader who doesn't know where he's going. Show them that you do."-----14% Jaron 

Roden's confidence is a little diminished for a short period of time in TST because his troops don't believe in him. I am cursing myself for not highlighting the quote but there is a scene between Roden and Jaron where Roden asks Jaron why he made him captain. Jaron responds, saying he knows how fearsome a force Roden is/would be to reckon with against Jaron, so he knew that he would have to make Roden his captain, and have him on his side. I know I did not do that quote/scene justice in my explanation, but it was a wonderful scene and a stepping stone for the both of them. 

Tobias ~ I also used to think that Tobias was a puny, useless character that was a huge brat and didn't stand a chance against Roden or Jaron for the throne. He does provide some comedic relief as the bumbly friend that doesn't know too much, at least in the way the world works, he knows plenty when it comes to academics. What Tobias also does is provide positivity, he is a steadfast anchor and as loyal as a golden retriever when it comes to Jaron and Carthya, he even gets captured on two separate occasions which could have been easily avoided if he weren't so loyal....or so Tobias. Almost everyone questions Jaron and his decisions throughout the book, but Tobias never does. You know when parents ask, "So your friend would tell you to jump off the cliff and you would do it?" Well, I have no doubt in my mind that Tobias would jump off that cliff even if he knew he would have to endure eternal damnation. 

Mott ~ As well as Tobias, Mott pledged his loyalty in his king, and served as a fierce friend throughout the series. The quote below is the longest he has said in the entire trilogy, and holds a lot of significance because Jaron has a mid-book identity crisis. When he thinks Imogen has died, he almost gives up his kingdom and the will to live. Jaron has a fleeting thought that if he stayed Sage, it would be him against the rest of the world again which would be a lot more simple than a whole kingdom resting on his shoulders as Jaron. Mott's questions were needed as the bucket of ice-cold water thrown in Jaron's face in order to wake him up from his despair and make him realize he still has people he cares about and people that are relying on him. 

"It's your storm, and the future of us all depends on you now. So who are you? Sage, an orphan boy who cares only for himself? Or the undisciplined, rebellious prince your father sent away? Life has tested your resilience and strength and willpower, and you have succeeded in ways nobody ever thought possible. But the storm has never been worse, and it will either destroy you, or define you. When everything is taken from you, can you still stand before us as Jaron, the Ascendant King of Carthya?"----- 52% Mott 

I don't want to get you worried, because even though some of the secondary characters had more depth, and were viewed in a better lighting (at least in my opinion), Jaron still had all of his sassitude. Credits to my friend Tina over at The Book Landers for making up the word. In my review of The Runaway King, I talked a lot about how Jaron is a blend of Day and Anden (if you have been reading my blog for a while you should really know who they are) from The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu. Jaron has to take on even more authority in The Shadow Throne because it is war time, and he has to make all the executive decisions that leaders have to perform, despite people (I'm really pointing my fingers at the 18 other regents that aren't Tobias or Harlowe) telling him what to do. At the same time, his decisions appear to be impulsive, and those of a teenage boy's instead of a king, but we all know that appearances can be decieving. While Day and Jaron seem like they're huge risk taker's, they're calculated, and even though there is so much at stake, that is what helps Jaron save his kingdom.

"I thought of my own father, the endless battle over his attempts to control me, mold me, and make me see the world through his eyes. And me, resisting all of that, every time. I wanted to believe that despite the trouble I had caused my father, he had loved me."----- 37% Jaron 

As I mentioned earlier, Jaron had an identity crisis, because knew there was so much on the line. What really put pressure on him was the fact that he thought (this may not have actually been true) people expected him to be like his father, or like Darius. The truth is, he would have lost the kingdom the very first sentence of the second book if Jaron weren't.... How should I put this? Jaron. He is a very complex character, and even though it may seem like he is a very strong, independent person, he still has doubts in his mind. He still has an instinct to cover up who he is and use the conventional method, which we all know never got anyone anywhere, the war started because his father used those conventional methods. In the end, as we all know (assuming you have read the book), he did things the Jaron way, and realized that his father truly did love him.

Romance 5/10: In every other aspect, Jennifer A. Nielsen is the goddess of Young Adult/Middle Grade crossover novels....except for the romance. 

I don't understand Jaron's love for Imogen. You would think this book is the most epic love story of the century -like the Titanic- the way that Jaron deals with Imogen's 'death'. I believe this is because Imogen was not very fleshed out as a character, and she wasn't given enough of her own voice in the story. The reason Jaron was so messed up in the first place in The Runaway King was because she was his weakness that his enemies used against him. Jaron literally almost gives up his life and his kingdom out of sorrow for a girl. I sound so mean, but I do think the amount of romance versus the amount of reaction was completely disproportional. 

Of course, then we have Amarinda and Jaron's betrothal to each other, and somebody suggests they get married (because that worked so well in Catching Fire). Luckily, they don't, and I am so happy to say that I am a huge advocate/supporter of Amarias otherwise known as Tobias and Amarinda. (I actually got approval -so to speak- from Jennifer Nielsen via twitter about their ship name) I, and Jaron (although I figured it out before him) both suspected that Amarinda and Tobias had 'feelings' for each other, and they finally acted on them. It was so sweet. I never liked Amarinda, and Tobias seemed like a wimp to me, but the two of them together.....?

I fully support you :)

Title 8/10: So I just had an !AHA! moment where the light bulb went off about the title....you know two weeks after I actually finished the book. I kept thinking, "The Shadow Throne? That has nothing to do with the story." Let me explain my revelation, Jaron is in the midst of war, a war against three other kingdoms and no allies in sight. He is doing everything in his power to keep the throne, and Carthya, to defend the kingdom he has come to begrudgingly love. This also isn't the first time that he almost lost the throne, or the second, maybe it's time #31 he almost lost the throne due to rash behavior, risky decisions, and everything else that comes with being Jaron. Don't you see? The throne keeps almost slipping out of his grasp, he may think he has control of it, but it can slip out of his fingers in a few moments of hesitation, like a shadow. 

Ending 6/10: This is where things got a little unbelievable. So Jaron, Roden, and Tobias are all in the dungeon of Connor Bevin's house, about to go to their deaths. Instead, Jaron and Roden escape their nooses, the pirates come to attack, and at the last moment, Connor is actually a good guy, the war is stopped, we discover Roden's father is actually Harlowe, Jaron finally declares his love for Imogen, and everyone lives happily ever after. Even though I wasn't the hugest fan of the ending (although my sleep deprivation would beg to differ), Jaron remains as sassy, clever, and persistent as ever, and makes the right choices in the end that save his kingdom.

Conclusion: The Shadow Throne flies in a breakneck pace with a flurry of action, solid cast of characters, and is a strong conclusion to the Ascendance Trilogy that will leave reader's as satisfied as they can be without Nielsen writing a sequel (because we all know I would worship her if she did write a sequel).

"You were wrong, Commander. Whatever chains you try to place on me, I will always, always rise from them. I'm not buying my freedom because you never owned it. But I am taking it back for me and for my country."----- 95% Jaron

Have you ever been slightly disappointed by the end of the trilogy because you had the character's lives all planned out in your head? Or is there a romance that drives you absolutely insane? Tell me in the comments below :)