The Ascendance Series: What a Fictional King Taught Me About Real Leadership

I recently finished reading the last two books of the Ascendance Series by Jennifer A. Nielsen. To those of you who don’t know, the Ascendance Series is a YA fantasy series that follows the journey of an orphan boy named Sage and his journey into becoming Jaron and the king of Carthya.

Last year I read the first book, The False Prince, and I completely fell in love with the main character. I was amazed by the plot twists and how masterfully they were pulled off. After finishing the original trilogy, I read the two last books which take place right before the ending of The Shadow Throne.

The Story Continues

Jaron comes back on another adventure where rumors of his brother, Darius, surface and he is faced with the choice of trusting his friends or pursuing a legendary treasure. The journey takes him to another country where he faces danger, captivity, betrayal, new enemies and allies. Not even his closest friendships are safe, and he must learn to choose what is truly important to him.

I went in without high expectations, since the original trilogy had such a perfect ending and I was afraid of the last two books ruining it for me. To my delight, Nielsen managed to make me love all the characters more than ever. Jaron’s character development led to a worthy conclusion and made the original ending of the trilogy even more satisfying.

What Makes Jaron Compelling?

But why did I enjoy Jaron’s character so much? He is, after all, incredibly flawed, has huge trust issues and is always hatching a half-baked plan to save the lives of those he cares about. I believe I enjoyed his character so much because underneath all the sass and rough edges (and sometimes horrible manners), Jaron has some qualities that make him stand out as a leader and a king.

First Into Danger, Last to Leave

Yes, Jaron is an incredibly foolhardy character. But you have to admit that unlike the villains throughout the series, he was always willing to step into danger first in order to protect those he loves and leads. He was always to be found in the middle of the action and he refused to give up until there was no other choice left (and sometimes not even then).

This reminded me of what my teachers would always tell us in ministry school: They would not ask us to do something they weren’t willing to do themselves. They led through example and taught us how to minister and step out in faith through their own example.

Jaron, while not always the wisest leader, led through his example and was willing to jump first (literally) before asking others to jump after him. If we want others to follow us, we have to be willing to step out first.

Truth Over Deception

This point is one of Jaron’s main struggles in the last two books, but he comes to a place where he realizes the importance of trusting those in his life and living honestly. I don’t believe many of us would describe Jaron as the most honest character. After all, he spends the majority of the series never lying directly, but always withholding important information. And yet, by the end of the series, he embraces full honesty and finds real freedom because of it.

This reminded me of the importance of embracing truth and vulnerability in leadership. Without it, we are only weakening our relationships and setting ourselves up for failure. Full honesty and trust is not only beneficial to us, but also to those we lead. Which leads me to the next point:

Learning to Trust

Jaron came to understand the importance of trust. He learned that he needed to trust Roden as the captain of his guard. He learned he needed to trust Tobias as his regent. He learned he needed to trust Imogen, even when it was hard and it hurt. But in the end, he came around. (Yes, very reluctantly and until he had hit rock bottom, but hey, he got there.)

Trust is essential, and sometimes in order for people to reach their full potential we have to learn to give them the trust and freedom they need to accomplish more and fully come into themselves.

Calling Others Higher

Funny enough, Jaron was always calling those around him higher. At the end, Roden was a better captain because of Jaron’s leadership in his life. Tobias became braver because of Jaron’s influence, and Imogen came into her own as a leader because of Jaron’s love. Yes, his methods may have been questionable, but he did embrace his role as a king and made those around him better.

A true leader won’t leave people as they are, but will call them higher into who they are meant to be. Easier said than done, and Jaron’s approach may not be the best. But in real life, with love, wisdom and compassion, I believe that we can call those we lead higher and help them become all that God intended them to be. Just remember to do it in love and not in such a roundabout way as Jaron would.

Seeking Truth-Tellers

And finally, something I came to appreciate about Jaron in the end of the series is how he sought people in his life who would tell him the truth no matter what. He wanted Mott to be there to tell him exactly what he thought, even if it would hurt or offend him. And by the end of the series, he admitted to Levitimas his need for someone to teach him all he didn’t know. Jaron really came into a place where he realized the importance of not only being truthful, but having people who could speak truth into his life no matter the consequences. Did he always react well to it? No. But did it make him a better leader in the end? Yes.

As leaders, we need people like this in our lives. We need people who will tell us the truth, and not just what we want to hear. We need people willing to step out of their comfort zone to speak reality, even when it hurts or offends. And if we learn to receive the feedback with humility and grace, we will become way better leaders in the end.

What We Can Learn

To finish my thoughts, I want to clarify that Jaron was not a paragon of virtue. If you’ve read the books, you know what I’m talking about. In fact, you may say he was impossible. He has enough sass to fill a library full of books. But he went on a wild ride and came out better for it. I’m not saying Jaron is a role model (I believe Mott would strongly agree with this statement), but I am saying that he learned some valuable lessons and by the end he learned to lead like a true king.

There are lessons we can learn all around us. Jaron is probably the least likely place to find these valuable lessons, and yet, here we are. There is value to be learned from fiction, and there is truth to be gleaned even from the most flawed characters. Like Jaron, let us learn to hear the truth, to lead from the frontlines, to be immovable in our beliefs, to love those around us fiercely, to value honesty and learn to receive input.

Jaron changed for the better and learned from his mistakes. He may be fictional, but I believe we can learn from him and ask ourselves, how can we learn from our own mistakes? If you’re a leader, how can you call those you lead higher? If you are being led by an imperfect leader, how can you be a strength and support to them?

At the end of the day, we are called to lead with excellence, not only learning from fictional heroes but also learning from the best leader of them all: Jesus. It may be a tall order, but even He can use the deepest flaws we have and transform them into something beautiful.

Until next one,
Anna

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Photo by Carlos N. Cuatzo Meza on Unsplash