Common Sense Media Review
By Sally Engelfried
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Boy king fights war in imperfect but satisfying conclusion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say this book concludes the trilogy with emotional depth, showcasing intense violence and warfare, while highlighting themes of friendship, loyalty, and love. While many readers found the character development and plot twists engaging, some felt the storytelling didn't quite match the quality of the earlier books in the series.
- emotional depth
- intense violence
- character development
- engaging plot twists
- storytelling quality
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
The boy king Jaron is finally ready to take his rightful throne as ruler of Carthya, but his enemies have other ideas. With invasions coming at him from both borders of his country, Jaron must use all his cunning to defeat his enemies and rely on his friends to help him carry out his tricky plans.
Is It Any Good?
All the loose ends of the previous books are tied up nicely in THE SHADOW THRONE, but the plot seems forced and unrealistic. For example, during a time of war, King Jaron repeatedly wanders the countryside in enemy territory with no guard or accompaniment, despite the fact that every time he does this, he's captured and endangers himself, his friends, and his country. In addition, much of the action is summarized rather than shown, so it might be difficult for readers to feel involved in the suspense of the story.
However, The Shadow Throne does provide a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy in that it answers some of the burning questions raised in both The False Prince and The Runaway King: Will Jaron ever willingly accept the burden of ruling a country? Will he survive his own recklessness if he does? And will he ever resolve the problem of being betrothed to one girl while loving another? Readers who enjoyed the first two books will want to read this final entry.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about trilogies and how popular they are. Do you think it makes a story more or less powerful to be told over three books?
Which is usually your favorite entry in a trilogy: the first, second, or final book?
How is the way war is fought in The Shadow Throne different from the way wars are fought today? How much do you think the ability to communicate digitally affects the outcome of modern wars?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : February 25, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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