The Runaway King: The Ascendance Trilogy, Book 2
- By Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Genre: Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Young king faces pirates, thieves in swashbuckling sequel.
- By Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Genre: Adventure
What parents need to know
Educational value
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Runaway King is the second in The Ascendance Trilogy and, like its predecessor, The False Prince, is an exciting action-filled adventure story. Jaron faces almost constant danger in the form of thieves, pirates, and nobles all intent on ensuring that he does not get a chance to claim his throne. As such, there are plenty of sword fights and near-death experiences, including a scene where someone clubs Jaron's leg, intentionally breaking it. Jaron always has a cocky remark to mask his fear, and he has friends who care for him and do their best to protect them.
User reviews
Parents say
Kids say
What's the story?
After the harrowing events of The False Prince, Jaron is now the title character of THE RUNAWAY KING and the ruler of Carthya. However, the regents who have been ruling in his stead aren't exactly welcoming him to the throne. Nor do they believe him when Jaron insists Carthya is about to be invaded by another country and the pirates who kidnapped him as a child. Against his best friends' advice, Jaron runs off to join the pirates, believing the only way to stop the invasion is from the inside. Rather than infiltrating them, however, he ends up their prisoner and, once again, Jaron must use his sharp wits, along with a little swordplay, to save himself, his friends, and his country.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
Readers who enjoyed the action of The False Prince will find more of the same in THE RUNAWAY KING, as Jaron runs headlong from one adventure into the next, barely saving himself from danger before an even worse situation befalls him. Jaron is loyal to his friends to a fault, and with a witty tongue to banter with the various captors who nearly kill him, he can be an appealing hero. However, his arrogance can be grating, and the reasoning behind his reckless schemes is often unclear, so he seems to constantly put himself into needless danger. Still, the pacing of this page-turner will probably carry readers along and allow them to overlook these complaints.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about how Jaron often makes a decision to do something and then, after it is too late, realizes he made the wrong decision. Has this ever happened to you? What did you do to solve the problem?
The fast pace of The Runaway King makes it easy to picture as a movie. Who would you pick to play Jaron? Who would you cast as his friends? Does this book remind you of any movies you've seen?
For part of The Runaway King, Jaron must pretend to be someone else. Do you think a king could get away with a scheme like that in today's world, with such easy access to the Internet and social media?
Book details
| Author: | Jennifer A. Nielsen |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Topics: | Adventures, Friendship, History, Pirates |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Publisher: | Scholastic Press |
| Publication date: | March 1, 2013 |
| Number of pages: | 352 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 10 - 17 |
| Available on: | Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle, Nook |
For kids who love fantasy and adventure
Browse more books
Top advice and articles
What parents and kids say
Share your thoughts with other parents and kids Write a user review
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines
QUALITY
A well-written page-turner
The Runaway King was a great addition to the Ascendance Trilogy! It has a wonderful, captivating plot that leaves you eager to see what will happen next.
The main flaw was that it was rather annoying how he could literally do everything: challenge pirate kings, climb cliffs with a broken leg, etc. However, it is a fictional book after all.
What other families should know
Great role models
Was this review useful?
QUALITY
Enthralling Sequel That Improves Upon it's Predecessor
With every installmant in the series, it leaves you wanting more. Very well written, fast-paced, page turner with an original plot and characters. Also, there is no love triangle, which is rare in YA novels (I was getting SO sick with the whole love triangle thing that's in every YA novel, that if I had read about another one, I'd be done with reading books forever more haha But these books don't have one so YAY :) Should appeal to the fans of The Hunger Games, Divergant, and Harry Potter.
What other families should know
Great role models
Was this review useful?
QUALITY
AWESOME STORY
This is a great book and i would totally recommend it.
What other families should know
Great role models
Was this review useful?
Poll
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
What are the different ways that you access Common Sense Media ratings and information? (Check all that apply)
Total votes: 760