The Captive Kingdom (the Ascendance Series, Book 4): Volume 4: 04

I loved the original trilogy and hadnt realized for years that there were more books!! Bought this wondering if it would be as good and it was!!! Loved it so much and came in beautiful condition!

Loved the first 3 books and this one did not disappoint can't wait for the next one!!

Definitely one of my very favorites, and always will be. Unecpected plot twists make it thrilling to read. Totally recommend!!!

Always looking for a great series for my son! (Age 13) He read the first of this trilogy and was happy to learn the author added several books! He couldn’t put them down!!

This is a clean teen novel with plenty of action, drama, humor, and adventure. I really enjoyed this book and purchased it for my classroom library. In this series, it's probably my second favorite after "The False Prince," with "The Runaway King" being in third place. Despite some logistical issues in most of Jaron's plans throughout the series (and his dumbfounding, macgyver-like victories), the characters are all really strong and enjoyable, and the action scenes are definitely suspenseful. For this book in particular, the mystery about Darius was great, and the conclusion was particularly satisfying. In fact it's probably THE best ending in the series so far (I've only just started book 5). That said, there are parts of the story that irk me. I gave this 5 stars anyway because the great parts of the book are so great, it overshadows the irks. But, they're still worth pointing out. (Note, mild spoilers for books 1-3). The only issue I really have with this series as a whole is how predictably often one of Jaron's friends is kidnapped and used against him (starting in book 2 and so far resuming through to book 5)--only to have one freed so another can be immediately kidnapped to use against him again. Though, sometimes, multiple are kidnapped simultaneously to be used against him at once. At some point, I started rolling my eyes any time an antagonist began a "I have your love/friend/family" speech. And this last one is perhaps just my personal taste (and so possibly an unpopular opinion, I'm sure), but I don't really like Imogen. I did at first, but I almost felt (especially as the series progressed) that this story would have been stronger without a romantic interest. In the first book, I liked her. In the second book, she was still okay. In fact, she impressed me more than I thought she would. She didn't really start bothering me until the third book and onward, especially after her sacrifice turned out to be emotional click bait. But more than that, she's either being kidnapped, or being better than everyone else--the unflawed, always right, "comes up with the perfect plan if people would just listen to her," nags-you-all-the-time sort of girl who is constantly described as too good for the protagonist (by the protagonist, by his friends, by his enemies, etc). She isn't a bad person. She's just... exhausting. The thing is, I know why Jaron was first attracted to her--because when he first met her she seemed vulnerable (which was how he felt), and she was kind to him during a time no one else really was. It was really cute when it was a mutual crush, but I never really understood why this relationship would have grown past the infatuation stage. It just felt unnecessary and obligatory. I would have liked to keep her character, just not as a love interest.

I had loved the first three books in the series, I'm glad the author kept it going! Highly recommend 👌🏻!

I started this series 5 years ago, in middle school. All the library had was The False Prince (book 1). It wasn't until 10th grade that I was able to finish reading the original trilogy. Imagine how surprised I was when I went to purchase the kindle series to reread and there was a 4th book!!! Externally, I remain soundless. But inside I'm screaming, I promise. I love Jaron/Sage so much, and his snark brings me joy like nothing else. Jaron and Darius are such 3D characters with their contrasting strengths and flaws, and the story just drives me wild. I was a bit confused for portions of this story. It just seemed kind of thrown around. That might be because I read the whole thing between 1 and 4 AM, so my brain is muddled. I'll have to read it again tomorrow and find out. I was even more excited when I reached the end of the volume and discovered book 5, in the works!! Apparently Nielsen has returned to the series, and soon we shall discover the secrets of the Devil's Scope! I'm glad to learn more about the world surrounding Carthya, and to spend more time with Jaron, Imogen, Mott, Roden, Tobias, and Fink. Roden makes me angry. But that just goes to show how great Nielsen's writing is, because I'm feeling things about the characters, right? I should sleep. This book is awesome. Just like my spectacular sleepiness when I get up tomorrow. . . I regret nothing.