The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen, the conclusion to the Ascendant Trilogy delivers action, intrigue and romance. Wait, what...yes, romance. I didn't see that coming,  Jaron  kissing and discussing his warm fuzzys was unexpected. I think I've been reading too much dystopian fiction or am growing too cynical. I was frustrated by the (SPOILER ALERT) happy ending. After so much hardship and death I was waiting for Jaron to be tragic hero. Overall, I really liked this series, sometimes  I don't complete a series simply because I lose interest or the story doesn't maintain the connection between the reader and the characters. I like Jaron and his pluck, I cared about his story and wanted to see how he fared after so much heartache. Yes, he deserves the happy ending, I don't begrudge him that.