The world can have a million different genres but in the end, there is nothing as entertaining as good old fiction. I’m sure all of us have heard about ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Percy Jackson’ and so many other smashing blockbusters that have taken the juvenile world by storm. But where there is gain for some, there is loss for another.

I can name dozens of underappreciated books and novels, but this one series hit me the hardest. In fact, I was so taken by the plot and characters that I feel it’s my duty to spread word about this ongoing work of art. 

‘The Ascendance Series’ by Jennifer A. Nielsen started off as a trilogy but was recently continued by the author. The story revolves around 14-year-old Sage, known thief and orphan, who is forcefully taken from his orphanage to nobleman Bevin Conner’s house, to execute a dirty political plot. Along with two other orphans, Sage discovers Conner’s plan: He wants to crown one of the boys King of Carthya after murdering the current royal family. He plans to disguise the chosen boy as the long lost Prince Jaron, youngest son of the King and Queen.

But Sage does not approve of this plan. This feisty, rebelling orphan causes his own kind of trouble, just for the sake of freedom. With surprising allies and twists around every corner, Sage does everything in his power to foil Conner’s plan. And during the entire story, he is hiding a little secret of his own…

What I loved most about this series is how deeply the author digs into the character. Every person, protagonist or antagonist, whether unimportant or vain, has their own motives and varied persona. The author compels you to love the characters, and you find yourself cheering them on. With subtle touches of humour, ongoing conflict and endless action, the Ascendance series kept me gripping my kindle throughout the read.

Another thing I admire about these books is that you can never foresee what’s going to happen. The protagonist, Sage, is both decisive and reckless, making his actions unpredictable. I need to take a moment here to applaud the storyline. No chapter, in all four (now five!) books of the series, is boring, and I appreciate the author for her time and effort to produce such an entertaining work of fiction.