Ketcham in the Rye

War. Is. Coming. 

Jaron the Ascendant King of Carthya must use his wits to save both his friends and his kingdom.

Before I turn all fangirl on you, let me explain. I read. A lot. With that being said, I can count on one hand the number of times a character has made me laugh out loud. When Nielsen first introduced me to Sage in The False Prince, I fell in love with the voice of this young orphan with more snark than bite. He's tough yet vulnerable, kind yet cunning, and his tongue is sharper than his sword. It takes a lot for an author to develop such a distinct voice. It is Jaron's voice that will remain as one of my all time favorites.

Now, on to book three, The Shadow Throne. I won a signed ARC the day after Christmas, and it was like Christmas...again. The Runaway King prepared us for a war that was going to test the young king and The Shadow Throne did not disappoint. The action was both believable and well-paced. The cast of characters from the previous books were all present and dynamically written. It's great to see growth not only in our main character but the secondary characters as well. 

I have to say that although I wanted to savor this book, I devoured it in one day. It was that gripping. When I finished, I sighed and my heart was happy. Literally, that's what happened. 

I rate this book a 5 out of 5 and would recommend it as part of any middle grade curriculum. This would be a great book, in fact, to teach young readers and writers about voice. As a high school English teacher, I have and will continue to shove this book into the hands of any of my students ready to be taken on a magical journey. I know I have no regrets.