47 pages • 1 hour read
The Runaway King
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Jennifer A. Nielsen’s The Runaway King, published in 2013, is the second installment in her middle grade Ascendance series. It follows The False Prince (2012) and sets up The Shadow Throne (2014), which were part of the original trilogy before Nielsen published The Captive Kingdom (2020) and The Shattered Castle (2021).
The Runaway King tells the story of Jaron, the 15-year-old king of Carthya, who was recently crowned after being assumed dead for four years. He faces threats from the neighboring kingdom, Avenia, whose king has allied himself with pirates to wage war on Carthya. A tale of adventure and fantasy, The Runaway King delves into the themes of trust and loyalty, dual identity, and the struggles of leadership.
This guide is based on the 2013 Kindle edition of the novel.
Content Warning: The source text and this guide include descriptions of violence typical of fantasy warfare and elements of danger.
Plot Summary
The story begins a few months after the events of the previous book in the series. Jaron, newly ascended to the throne of Carthya, is trying to avoid an upcoming war with the neighboring Avenia and the pirates. As he attends his family’s funeral, he is ambushed by Unlock all 47 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
