The Captive Kingdom (Ascendance Series #4)

by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Overview

Acclaimed author Jennifer A. Nielsen marks a return to the world of her beloved New York Times bestseller The False Prince in this fourth book of the Ascendance Series!

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338551112
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Series:	Ascendance Series
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jennifer A. Nielsen is the acclaimed author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Ascendance Series: The False Prince, The Runaway King, The Shadow Throne, The Captive Kingdom, and The Shattered Castle. She also wrote the New York Times bestseller The Traitor's Game and its sequels; the New York Times bestselling Mark of the Thief trilogy; The Scourge; and the critically acclaimed historical thrillers A Night Divided, Resistance, Words on Fire, Rescue, Lines of Courage, Iceberg,Uprising, One Wrong Step and The Free State of Jax. Jennifer collects old books, loves good theater, and thinks that a quiet afternoon in the mountains makes for a nearly perfect moment. She lives in northern Utah with her family, and is probably sneaking in a bite of dark chocolate right now. You can visit her online at jennielsen.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @nielsenwriter.

Read an Excerpt

The captain called out again, this time adding a new threat. "Surrender your ship, or we'll sink it!"I called back, "Go ahead and sink it. We're all very capable swimmers here."There was a short pause as the captain looked at her other crewmen on deck. Then she shouted, "I meant that if we attack, you all will die.""No, I don't think we will," I replied. "But if you're so concerned, you could lower your cannons and we can talk. What is it you want?""We want Jaron."Her tone was icy enough to send a chill through me. I glanced over at Erick, who was staring at the Shadow Tide with brows furrowed tight together. One hand was on his knife, but it was still sheathed. I said to him, "How difficult would it be for them to board this ship?"Almost as if in answer, arrows were fired from their deck to ours, each one with hooks attached. Erick yelled for his crew to come up on deck as he and I raced to detach the hooks. They were embedded deeply into the wood, so prying them out was no small matter, and before I got one out, three more had attached. Groups of eight to ten men were at the other end of the ropes now attached to us and were pulling our ship closer to theirs.The next set of arrows to be launched were fire tipped and these flew high, cutting through the sails and igniting them as they passed through."Lower the sails!" Erick cried. "Preserve what you can!"Finally, our ships were so close that I could see the captain's piercing eyes, and she was certainly focusing on me."My name is Captain Jane Strick, in service of our monarch.""Of what nationality?""Prozarian."I squinted. "No, you're not. The Prozarians are extinct."She widened her arms. "Do we look extinct?"I scratched my jaw and looked over the great numbers of her crew. "Well, to be honest . . . a few of the people in back could pass as corpses."If she enjoyed my joke — which was reasonably accurate — she didn't show it. "Your crew will fare no better, unless you turn over Jaron to me."

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Ascendance Series:

A New York Times Notable Children's Book

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

A Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Children's Book

A Cybils Award Winner

* "An impressive, promising story." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[A] pageturner." — The New York Times Book Review

"Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel." — The Wall Street Journal

"A swashbuckling origin story... chock-full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys." — Los Angeles Times

"A fast-paced and thrilling read with twists and turns that never let up." — School Library Journal

"Gripping." — Kirkus Reviews

"Should appeal to fans of... Suzanne Collins... [A] surefire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense." — The Horn Book

Praise for The Traitor's Game:

A New York Times bestseller

"The next big YA fantasy." — Entertainment Weekly

"One of the Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Books of 2018." — Bustle

"We were immediately caught up in Kestra's story, plotting beside a heroine made of strength, bravery and intelligence. Her complicated relationship with Simon and the danger sewn into every moment of her father's palace politics kept us flipping pages in time with each jaw-dropping plot twist." — Justine Magazine

"Fantasy, action and romance combine for a whirlwind ride!" — Girls' Life

"One of the Most Anticipated YA Books of 2018." — Hypable

"Nielsen creates wonderful characters in all of her novels, and she is especially talented at writing complex, intriguing females who refuse to fit into any neat categories. The first in her engrossing Traitor's Game series introduces readers to another fascinating heroine, who disrupts the plans and plots laid to trap her and insists on controlling her own narrative....Engrossing, emotional and offers plenty of promise for the series to come." — RT Book Reviews

"This rip-roaring tale has action galore with battle scenes, kidnappings, murder, intrigue, and romance....Nielsen has created a compelling world where little is as it seems." — School Library Connection

"Nielsen does a masterful job keeping readers off guard while tightening the screws of tension throughout, satisfying even the most reluctant readers." — School Library Journal

"The twists and turns of the plot make for compelling reading that should especially entertain fans of Nielsen's Ascendance trilogy." — The Horn Book

"The Traitor's Game is intrigue and adventure with a bold heroine, some forbidden romance and plenty of twists along the way." — Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher

This teen fantasy audiobook is a top-notch swashbuckler with a complex plot featuring a fight for the throne of Carthya. Narrator Charlie McWade has a marvelous time portraying colorful characters and delivering witty dialogue. He changes accents and cadences as he performs so that characters are recognizable to listeners. He gives the three young men, Jaron the king and his friends Roden and Tobias, different accents and changes the rhythm and tone of his voice for each of them as they plot and scheme to get Jaron back to his rightful place on the throne. McWade’s women add romance and good sense, and are equally well done. Despite the abundance of characters, listeners will not become lost, thanks to McWade’s efforts and skill. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2021 - AudioFile