This is the most difficult book in the series. It supposed to since it is a story about a boy king being forced to lead in a war against an invading army while barely months surviving among the pirates and healing his broken knee. Imogen was kidnapped and the likelihood of the nation going to fall was heavy on Jaron's shoulder. Naturally, majority of this book is about war and politics. It is frustrating, it is slow but the novel did pick up around the challenges it faced. 
 There's several YA books that I've read like Lumatere chronicles, The Queen's Thief and The Seven Realms series that did write much about the war but I think The Shadow Throne did good on political aspect on it and the emotional burden handled in a very realistic situation for a teenager. Although I'm still uncertain about the ending of this series but I am satisfied with the book. It is a good series and despite all his flaws and failings and idealistic, Jaron did good to his people and it is admirable.