The Runaway King

Jaron is the protagonist and narrator in Jennifer A. Nielsen’s Ascendance series. He is the son of King Eckbert and Queen Erin of Carthya, and at the beginning of The Runaway King he has just been crowned king. The author reveals Jaron’s physical appearance in a way that likens him to his parents in different ways; for example, he resembles his father in build, but has his mother’s features and character: “[…] I was far more my mother’s son. I had her thick brown hair that tended to curl at the ends and her leaf green eyes. More than appearances, however, I had her mischievous nature and sense of adventure” (18-19).

Four years before the novel starts, Jaron escaped an assassination attempt by the pirates and his father decided to let people believe his son was missing to avoid starting a war. Jaron assumed the identity of an orphan named Sage, but his parents and older brother Darius were then murdered by Conner Brevin. In order to gain power, the latter trained Sage to replace the lost prince, unaware that they were one and the same. At the end of The False Prince, Sage revealed his true identity as the heir to the throne of Carthya.