The Runaway King

The Runaway King

by Jennifer Nielsen

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Juvenile Fiction, Adventure

Synopsis:  A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction.  A king gone missing.  Who will survive?

Just 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.

As his adventures lead him into dangerous new territory, Jaron must learn to tell his friends from his enemies and decide who he can trust-if he can trust anyone at all.  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.

From the book jacket

Review:  The second book of this trilogy was certainly full of adventure!  This book was less about the development of characters and more about what Jaron could do to save his kingdom.  Jaron certainly was a brave king and a quick thinker.  At times his way of getting out of sticky situations seemed implausible.  I think the book was well written and it kept my attention but it became more adventure-y than I normally read.  But I think this would be a great read for younger readers just like the first book.  I will read the third book as the author ended this book with a set up for the third book.

Rating:  3 1/2 stars

To see my review of The False Prince, click here.