The Runaway King
Only weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya.
Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?
Indie Next Spring Kids' List (2013); Barnes and Noble Best Books for Teens List (2013); Goodreads Finalist Best Children's Book (2013); Whitney Award Finalist for Best Middle Grade Book (2014)
About the Ascendance Series
Books in series order
- 1.The False Prince(2012)
- 2.The Runaway King(2014)
- 3.The Shadow Throne(2014)
- 4.The Captive Kingdom(2020)
- 5.The Shattered Castle(2021)
Reading age: 9+ years
This series should be read in order.
An extraordinary historical series brimming with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will engross readers from start to finish.
Sage, an orphaned thief, is one of four boys chosen to participate in a lethal contest. After being plucked from the streets by a nobleman named Connor, Sage learns that Connor plans to choose one of the orphans to impersonate a long-lost prince in the hopes of averting a civil war.
As the boys are remade to enhance their resemblance to the long-lost Prince Jaron, they must compete to assume their new identities as well as the throne. But deceit and treachery face Sage at every turn, and he will learn that a dangerous truth can be more destructive than all of the royal court's lies combined.