Captive Kingdom

Ascendance, Book 4

By: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Narrated by: Charlie McWade

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.

Return to Carthya to uncover new secrets, high-stakes action, and Jennifer A. Nielsen's signature breathtaking twists.

©2020 Jennifer A. Nielsen (P)2020 Scholastic Inc.

My kids love them

cute stories, my girls love them! It is always weird hearing the story from Jaron's point of view but never actually getting all of his plans until they happen.

Soooo Amazing!! Can’t believe I finish it 😭

This was an amazing continuation to the series! This is a must to read and you will find yourself again immersed into Nielsen’s plot twists, unexpected revelations, and captivating characters. The narration was amazing but I’m kinda sad that Roden’s voice sounds different. Besides all that, this was a great listen and everyone should hear this! Just a fyi, be emotionally prepared for this book ;)

Great Plot & Excellent Writer

Thoroughly love this series! The plots always keep me on the edge of my seat and the writing makes the reader feel like they are there. So good!

LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!

THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SERIES EVER!!!!
IT'S SO CLEVER AND AMAZING!!
I 100% RECOMMEND READING!!

Oone of my favorite series

This was a really great continuation to the Acendence trilogy, but in my opinion the best books have the saddest deaths, so it was a bit much how all of the supposed deaths of people just seemed to reverse somehow, though it did add the question of "wait, how does that work?". But other than that, this book and the others in its series are books I have recommended multiple times, and have truly enjoyed listening to them and re-listening to them myself. I also like how most of the time you don't know Jarons thoughts, (though it is a little annoying at times) because it makes the surprises more sudden and unexpected. Overall this is a great book and I highly recommend this one and the rest of the books in the Acendence series.

So good

Jennifer is so gifted. Book keeps you on your toes.
Narrator does a wonderful job.

I love the story

I think that this series is really good I love it. There is lots of surprises and plot twists. I have enjoyed this series so far.

Love this Author and Narrator

I have listened to it twice before writing this review and love it both times. It is full of twist and turns, and a great addition to the original trilogy.

One Awesome Story

Loved it.
Jennifer is an amazing author who leaves me in suspense wondering what will happen next.
When I listen to one of her books I don't stop listening until I finish the book.
Can't wait to start the next book!

Swashbuckling adventure

Interesting book, but not equal to the previous in quality and depth. Conversations and humor felt predictable and not as witty as previous. Jaron’s humor was mostly sarcasm and childish quips, the intro chapter was silly and frivolous. And there were some obvious mistakes and inconsistencies. He was so battered and broken after the third book I can’t imagine him bouncing back that quickly to be back to normal climbing and scaling walls. I liked the maturity he had learned in the third book. This one felt like backtracking to the immature orphan sage before book 1. It was fun but I think I enjoyed it mostly because I wanted to hear more about the characters I’ve come to love. There were gems in the book: learning about Darius was interesting and it was good to see Jaron learning to listen and trust people around him more. Some of the morals and life lessons were well said.

I’d like to hear more about Rowden, he has grown and I’d enjoy hearing more from him in the future.