MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY (Speculative) FICTION : The Captive Kingdom by Jennifer A. Nielsen
ABOUT THE BOOK
In a peaceful Carthya,
Jaron leads as the Ascendant King with Imogen beside him -- but the
peace he fought so long for is not destined to last.
On a routine sea voyage, Jaron's ship is brutally attacked, and he is taken hostage. The mysterious captors and their leader, Jane Strick, accuse Jaron of unthinkable acts. They are also in possession of some shocking items -- including the crown and sword that belonged to Jaron's older brother, Darius. The items unearth a past Jaron thought he had put behind him.
Though it seems impossible, Jaron must consider: Could Darius be alive? And what does Strick want from Jaron? Against his will, Jaron will be pulled back into a fight for the throne -- and a battle to save his kingdom.
On a routine sea voyage, Jaron's ship is brutally attacked, and he is taken hostage. The mysterious captors and their leader, Jane Strick, accuse Jaron of unthinkable acts. They are also in possession of some shocking items -- including the crown and sword that belonged to Jaron's older brother, Darius. The items unearth a past Jaron thought he had put behind him.
Though it seems impossible, Jaron must consider: Could Darius be alive? And what does Strick want from Jaron? Against his will, Jaron will be pulled back into a fight for the throne -- and a battle to save his kingdom.
REVIEW
The Captive Kingdom demonstrates once again how Jennifer Nielsen is a master storyteller and one of my favorite authors. She returns to the land of Carthya and Jaron, the newly crowned ascendant king. To counter his restlessness, Jaron sets off on a trading mission. After a successful trip, Jaron is on his way home with his friends and a bunch of pirates. They get overtaken and captured by a Captain Strick and her Prozarians. Naturally, Jaron does not cooperate and causes as much trouble as he possibly can, but things get complicated when he discovers the Prozarians have possession of his brother, Darius's crown and sword. Darius died with their parents as far as Jaron knows so how did his sword and crown end up in the possession of a people that supposedly died out years ago. With the help of his friends and fiance, Jaron sets out to find out what is going on, before the Prozarians manage to kill him and threaten his kingdom. Once again, Jaron takes the reader on a ride. It always amazes me when reading these books the way the author tells such a compelling story while not revealing everything immediately. This leaves the reader feeling like a part of the story. Jaron knows how to keep a secret and clearly the author does as well. As with the other books in the series, Nielsen has crafted a book that is well-written, compelling, and full of enough twists and turns that it's impossible to predict what will happen next. Highly recommended.
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