I loved going back to the world of the Trylle! I read Amanda Hocking's Switched trilogy several years ago, and it's still one of my favorite series. My favorite thing about this book in particular is getting to learn more about the troll tribes, since the first trilogy really only talked about the Trylle and the Vittra.
I also think it's great that Ulla, the main character, worked for Finn and his family. I always liked Finn as a character, and it was nice to see him doing well with a family of his own. Wendy and her husband Loki are also mentioned in passing!
Ulla was a great character who I really admired. She isn't conventionally beautiful, but she's emotionally (and physically!) strong, as well as kind and determined. She was such a friendly and kindhearted character; I absolutely love her.
I also liked pretty much all of the side characters, especially Dagny.
Most of the book focuses on Eliana, a strange girl that Hanna rescues, who claims someone is chasing her, but she can't remember who, or where she came from. I didn't like Eliana that much, but I'm interested to know where she is from and who she really is.
I'm also dying to know more about Ulla's birth family. The other major plot point is Ulla's search for her mother, although she doesn't learn much in the first book. However, I'm very excited to start reading the second book, which I'm about to begin.

The Lost City is the first book in The Omte Origins series and is a spin-off of Amanda Hocking’s Trylle trilogy. I absolutely love Amanda Hocking and was thrilled to get an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

The heart of this book is a coming-of-age story with Ulla quest to find out her true identity. Ulla is a richly developed character who begins the story lacking direction and insecure. Abandoned and left in the care of an elderly couple when she was a baby, Ulla does not know where she belongs and does not feel like she fits in.

Ulla is determined to find out who her parents are and goes on an internship to Mimirin in the hopes of uncovering information about her heritage. There she meets a variety of trolls, from Pan, the handsome guy she gets to work with to Eliana, the amnesiac with unbelievable powers. She learns a lot from her internship and just as much from her new relationships. As the story progresses, Ulla grows and develops into a more secure and confident person.

I love the world that Hocking created. The setting is described so intricately and vividly that it is impossible not to be drawn in. The book provides a ton of information about the troll tribes and their histories, and it can be overwhelming at times. However, it is necessary in order for Ulla to figure out where she came from. Providing this plethora of information gives depth to the setting and characters.

I also like how Hocking integrates some familiar characters into the story. After finishing the original trilogy, I wanted to find out what happened to some of the characters, and this book tells you! Of course, this doesn’t take away from the fabulously unique and new characters in the story. Ulla, Pan, and Eliana are fascinating new additions to the Trylle world.

Hocking’s writing style is engrossing with a perfect balance of character-development, world-building, and plot-progression. The way in which Hocking writes – her use of dialogue, imagery, her intricate attention to detail – makes for an immersive read.

Fans of Amanda Hocking will enjoy the story. (If you’re not an Amanda Hocking fan, check out the Trylle series. It’s fan-tabulous!) Readers who enjoy young adult fantasies with dynamic characters and masterful world-building will also love this piece.

It was great to go back to the Trylle world. The names of characters from the earlier books pop up throughout and it was fun to see where they ended up. The book didn't have the same grip as the original series but it was still entertaining.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

The Lost City is the first book in the Omte Origins series - a spin off of the Trylle series Ms. Hocking wrote years ago. If you were a fan of the Trylle you'll recognize some characters in this book.

I struggled with my star rating on this book for a few reasons. I don't think a star can tell you what's really the heart of the story. That's where my review comes in, of course. I hope that those that are looking to find info on this book will consider this as a positive recommendation and not a negative one.

There is a tremendous amount of information dumped on the reader in this first book. As usual trolls aren't forthcoming so every little amount of detail is important. The author had to give us quite a bit of background on all the troll tribes and where their stores come from in order for Ulla (heroine) to figure out where she came from. You see, Ulla was left at an inn to be cared for with no information about who her parents were or what she might be.

Upon adulthood she's interning at a place you can consider to the troll area 51. There's a lot of research happening here with blood tests, translations of books from each tribe and other things happening to make up a history or accountability for where all trolls are from and related to.

Ulla is determined to figure out who her parents and her ancestry is and even what type of troll she might be. Though she didn't expect the dangers that come from within the compound.

No one ever said trolls were boring! That definitely takes on a whole new meaning for Ulla in the weeks she's in the research area.

Of course the ending leaves us with a send off to book two. I'm definitely interested to see where Ulla takes us next, with her traveling companion Pan.

Well, Hocking has done it again! Merella is a beautifully depicted world, unlike anything I've ever read in other fantasy novels. There are so many unique and fascinating parts to Merella, making it an absolutely interesting place to discover as a reader. Of the amazing aspects were the citadel, the archives, and the Midsommer festival. The Ogonen could make for a story in and of themselves! Pan's description of the caste system in Merella as a chess game was beautifully done and allowed the reader to infer more is to come later that could upset not only Merella, but the entire Trollian society. Hocking's worlds are absolute specialty and I love following her journeys.

Ulla is quite a dynamic character that seems to learn more about herself as the story unfolds. At first, she appears to be an insecure, timid young woman who sets out to find her family. She initially describes herself with unlikable traits, but later, she begins to evolve and find strength and security with her body. She was left abandoned as a baby and later becomes a caretaker for Finn and Mia for their five children. Her relationships are how she secures a special posting at Merella, which is an endeavor motivated by learning who she is and where she came from. The story takes hold when she arrives at Merella, with a young stowaway in hand, meeting new people like Dagney (an edgy roommate with her own story to tell) and Pan (quiet, hardworking, with his own backstory to explore). By the end of the novel, Ulla is a strong and courageous person, which I imagine will be a similar description to her mother in the next book.

Some heartfelt feedback not to be included in a public review. The first 15% of the novel was a tough read. Although the intent of the beginning was to situate the story within the original Switched novel, it read a bit choppy and cluttered. I'm wondering if the connection needs to be so intentional? Finn and Mia are not as integral to Ulla's story. However, they may become important later so the review was necessary. Only time will tell. Some of the story line dragged a bit, mostly with Ulla explaining what she was doing throughout the day. The story picked up whenever there was interaction with Eliana, Hanna, Dagney, Pan, and the mysterious man. At first I could not connect with Ulla with some of her identity descriptions, but later this shifted, which I assume was the intent for her.


I provided my editing notes if you'd like them:
Notebook Export
The Lost City
Amanda Hocking
10: Inhemsk
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directly me as he spoke, instead only peering at me from the corner of
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Missing "at"
11: Archival
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“I’ll let you get guys get to work,
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Extra "get"
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Thanks for you showing me around.”
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Remove "you"
13: Fables
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Over the course the next three centuries
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Missing “of”
16: Runaway
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“Dagny probably means that I was spent the whole day slaving over the pies,”
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Remove “was”
19: Avanor
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appraising for me a moment,
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Appraising me
21: Visitors
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“Where you are fromare there lots of dangerous big cats and kuguars around?”
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From and are combined
23: Bazaar
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unvailable.”
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Unavailable
25: Chambers
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continuing
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Continue
26: Chess
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“Then hit me:
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It hit me
29: Trust
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“If I don’t even who it is, how can you possibly find them?”
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Missing “know”
30: Tabled
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her.“Oh,
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Need space
34: Symbolic
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or twice fairy tales,”
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“In fairy tales” ?
35: Shadow
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“If I was trouble,
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“It” was trouble?
38: Disarray
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“But I’m not going worry about
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“Going to worry”
39: Ransack
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but I’d be deal
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Remove “be”
44: You Again
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pouring of the Mimirin
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“Out of”
48: Night Terrors
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to yhe loft
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“The”
49: Celebration
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on the hand,
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“On the other hand”
57: Myths
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anything earlier would blasphemous.
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“Would be”
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His picked
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“He”

I want to start by saying I have not read any of Amanda Hocking’s other books, but I was intrigued by the premise of the book and the cover. It is an easy read and I quickly found myself halfway through the novel where I realized that nothing had happened. It feels as if the plot is absent from the book. There is a lot of mystery and some questions are asked, but it feels as if there are no stakes, nothing at risk. I have the second book as well on Netgalley, and I plan on reading it. It wasn’t a terrible book, but very little going on and the conversations felt forced in many places.

I love being back in this world. I was beyond thrilled Amanda wrote this series and even more so when I got to dive into an ARC.



Ulla knows she was lucky to be raised by such caring people, but there was always that nagging feeling about who she really is. Who's her family, who left her and why? Ulla is given the opportunity of a lifetime. Be an intern in one of the most wondrous kingdoms. This internship not only provides her with a great job, but the opportunity to use their resources to dig into her family history.



Ulla's trip to this kingdom was supposed to be uneventful. Well, she gets an unexpected guest joining her and a colorful haired troll comes through the roof of their car...Oh and her roommate is a little around the edges at first, but eventually you learn she is a pretty darn good character.



During one of Ulla's long nights, she comes across gold...A note that is somewhat blackout but holds that one name...the name of the woman who left her behind as a baby. Could she be her mother? Can she find out when the one piece to her history has be locked away in a vault.



As the book progresses you just cant help but become engrossed in this series. A truly amazing way to dive back into a world that I've loved for years.

This was a solid addition to the world of the Trylle even if not the best out of the group (nothing will ever beat the original trilogy). The writing is good but needs a serious editing session as there are a number of word errors and at least one continuity error where in a character is said to be out of the house and then in the next sentence is in her room. Overall a worth while read and I look forward to starting the next book.

The Lost City By Amanda Hocking
Series: The Omte Origins Book #1 (from the World of the Trylle)
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press - Wednesday Books
Publish Date: July 2020

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Wednesday Books for the ebook ARC of The Lost City by Amanda Hocking in exchange for an honest review.

Ulla Tulin was left abandoned in an isolated Kanin city as a baby. She was taken in by strangers and raised hidden away like many of the trolls with mixed blood. Ulla never stopped wondering about her family.
When Ulla is offered an internship working alonside the handsome Pan Soriano at the Mimirin, a prestigious institution, she jumps at the opportunity for a chance to hopefully find her parents. All she wants is to focus on her job and her search for her parents, but all of her attempts are blocked when she learns her mother may be connected to the Omte royal family.
Ulla and Pan soon find themselves wrapped up helping Eliana, an amnestic girl with abilities unlike any they have ever seen before - a girl who seems to be running from something. To figure out who she is they must leave the city, and possibly along the way, they may learn about Ulla’s parents.

I give this book a rating of 5 stars and highly recommend reading it. I loved this book and could not put it down. It kept me wanting to read more. It was well written and has an amazing cover.

#NetGalley

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this book and the concept behind it. The book really reminded me of similarities to the plot of Frozen in when Anna meets Kristoff in search for Elsa but instead Ulla meets Pan in search for her parents. Being abandoned no matter the circumstance is a tough pill to swallow and you will stop at anything to know where you came from. Then Pan and Ulla meet Elliana that has a special gift and hires Ulla and Pan to help her escape and if they want to accomplish everything, they must ban together and leave the city. Ulla throughout the journey concentrates on her job and will stop at nothing to find out more about her parents and answer the universal question, who is Ulla and where did she come from? I could not get enough of this book and I know our teen book club will be talking about it a lot as well.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I love love love the Tyrelle series and this book fits in perfectly. It was so great to go back into this world one more time. Amanda Hocking delivers a rapid-paced, suspenseful, gripping, well-written and perfectly executed fantasy. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time that I ended up staying awake until 2am to finish it!

I can’t highly recommend this book enough!

I've been wanting to read novels from this author but have not had a chance until now! I'm so glad I was able to give this a try. The author does a great job weaving this story together harmoniously.

Ulla was an orphan who was left at an inn. In trying to find out who her parents are she seems to uncover a bigger mystery about not only herself but about trolls in general. Mysterious and interesting characters had me turning pages to find out what might happen next!

I found the lore and history very intriguing and not over done. Just the right amount of detail.