Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Abandoned Earth proves value in taut adventure.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As THE ROYAL TRIALS opens, the battle of Addis Prime is over, and young Prince Yared is eager for the Royal Trials to begin. The spacefaring Axum Empire is still fractured, but they're planning to return to the planet where civilization began -- Old Earth. Yared wants to see some action, but it looks as if he will only be allowed to give a speech.
Is It Any Good?
Video games have their place to play in fiction, and the prose in this novel generates much of the suspense. Elaborate space and manuevers distinguish Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen's Last Gate of the Emperor. Prince Yared is a delightful main character -- a wiseguy who steps up when he's needed most The Royal Trials ends on a high note, and fans will be left hankering for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Last Gate of the Emperor: The Royal Trials and how it depicts Artificial Intelligence. Will computers ever be smarter than humans?
Why are games an inportant part of military training?
What might cause a planet to be abandoned?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Superheroes , Robots
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : July 19, 2022
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate