I have had the pleasure of reading the Amanda Hocking’s previous two series: The Trylle Series & The Kanin Chronicles. I have been a huge fan of Hocking’s since reading Switched because trolls and changelings are the supernatural creatures that are rarely focused on when it comes to magical beings and they are always written off as being unintelligent and uninteresting. When I heard that the Omte were finally getting a series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Lost City.

So as I’ve said before, I have thoroughly enjoyed Hocking’s books on trolls up to this point. But what stood out to the most with The Lost City was how far Hocking was willing to delve into topics like racism, prejudice, and gender equality. Yes, we did see some of this in the previous novels, but this time, these concepts were front and center, and I was HERE FOR IT.

Ulla Tulin is the MC in The Lost City. She is a troll of mixed heritage, but it is very clear that she has Omte heritage thanks to her stature and unsymmetrical features. The other troll tribes have feared the Omte for generations. When Ulla is offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to intern at the Mimirin, a prestigious institute that has finally opened its doors to the Omte and those of mixed troll heritage, Ulla couldn’t be happier to get the opportunity as well as find out more about her heritage.

Once at Mimirin, Ulla quickly learns that not everyone is as open to letting those from the Omte tribe have access to the same opportunities (shocker). Furthermore, Ulla happens to cross paths with a creature named Eliana who suffers from debilitating amnesia (both long and short term). Ulla (alongside her colleague Pan) is determined to figure out Eliana as well as find out her own history…or so she hopes.

As with Hocking’s previous series, the world building is absolutely incredible. It is easy to picture the different troll kingdoms as well as the magical strengths that they each possess. The plot is propulsive. From start to finish, the action and adventure never lets up. We start with Ulla heading to Mimirin (with a certain stowaway) and we progress to a dire situation where Eliana desperately needs everyone’s help.

The character development in this one was really fantastic. I loved Ulla because even though she is 19 years old and an adult, it is quite clear that she has been ignorant to the ways of the world and her people, and she makes no excuses for that. I couldn’t help but love Pan Soriano. He’s a troll of mixed heritage, but his mother is human and considered the worst offense in the troll world. Rather than hide from this, he refuses to give up. The other characters are equally as fantastic, but I don’t want to give everything away.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fantasy with fantastic world building and characters that also tackles real world problems, please pick this one up!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an eARC through NetGalley and the blog tour invite. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I knew going in it was the first book in a new spin off series so we would be getting information overload! And we did. Definitely set the stage for more to come and can’t wait to see where this series goes from here.!

My name is Ulla, I have 19 years old, I´m an Omte (or I think so) and I live with a family where I help the to take care of theire children.
When I was a baby a woman abandoned me in an Inn that was property of the Mr. and Mrs. Tulin. they taked care of me and raise me like if I was theire daughter, specially Mr. Oskar Tulin.
The only thing they new about the person thay think is my mom was her name. Orra.
Thats why this year im going to Mimirin in the Merellä city thanks to an internship so I can help and also discover information about who I am, where I came from and who is my mom.
I thoght this trip I was doing it alone but by a mischief of one the family children she ends up with me.


I have rented a room for a month with a roommate called Dagni and she is a Good person, even accepted that my companion Hannah stayed with us for a while.

In mimrin I have to do my job, is something like and intern where I help to archive and organize data and minwhile Im doing that, also im searching for info about my past and see if I can find something relevant about me.
And is just here where I meet an amazing person, his name is Pan and also Works here in Mimirn, he showed me all the premises the first day and since that momet he helped me in so many other situations.

Hannah meets Eliana, a peculiar girl that doesnt remember many things but that has some amazing abilities for what we decided that the best would be if she stays with us for a while whilst we decide or find a way to help her.

Everything goes surprisingly Good, at my job, Pan helps me to find information about people that can be related with me or with Orra and at home with all the girls we have a great time together. until one day Eliana begins to be in danger and is kidnapped by people we dont know who they are or where they come from, so Pan and I decided to go to find her and see what is waiting for us in this new adventure.

opinion
I really liked the book I think is really fast to read and so entertaining. The story is fast and even if is the first one of the trilogy and is more introductory about the world, you still can find action and a Good story, also the characters are so Good, they´re mature and you can get attached to them ( I found Pan so cute) I can wait to read the next one to find out what happens with Ulla and pan on the adventure and if they save Eliana or discover more about the familly of Ulla. And if you had read the last book about this world definitely you should read this one and fall in love again.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copie and to the publishing for let me be part of the booktour.

Hocking painted such a vivid, lush world full of wonder and magic. I got major Gail Carson Levine vibes, and my inner teenage self was squealing with joy. It felt nostalgic. It felt sweet. I loved it!

I want to find out so badly about Ulla’s past! It’s so mysterious! I have a few guesses but we will see if I am right! Y’all, I also LOVED that she was written as plus sized! But I also loved that it wasn’t a big deal. It was normal. She is so cool! She is wicked smart and has a ton of courage.

I also loved the side characters! Hanna, Pan, Dagny, and Eliana! Eliana is as mysterious as Ulla. I want to know more about her as well. Pan is the sweetest ever and I for sure ship him and Ulla! Dagny is the surly roomate with a secret heart of gold. And Hanna is the bubbly young teen who wants to be a part of everything.

There are so many mysterious things that are happening in this world that I MUST know!! Like the mysterious stranger Ulla keeps running into!

The only thing I wanted a bit more of was adventure. The book took place all in one city the whole time and basically there was a bunch of information to be found while the characters talked and researched. But it looks like book two will have that adventure I am looking for and I can’t wait!

This review is part of a blog tour. Thanks so much to the publishers for letting me read it!

I had heard of Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy but hadn’t read it. It was originally self-published and then she got a book deal, and has been writing ever since.

Now she has started another trilogy in the Trylle universe, called The Omte Origins and The Lost City is the first installment.

The author has noted that you can read The Lost City without having read the original trilogy, but that you might miss some of the references in the story. I can concur with this, as the story was enjoyable and fascinating, even though I had not read the Trylle trilogy. It left me wishing I had, though.

Before I continue, let me explain that the Trylle and Omte are two tribes of trolls, and that there are five altogether. The trolls seem to have originated in Scandinavia and made their way to North America along with the Vikings, so their culture is very Scandinavian with dashes of Native American culture. Since I am totally obsessed with Skyrim, I was, and am, especially excited to delve into the world of these trolls, who secretly live among modern day humans. Some troll tribes, such as the Kamin, have special magic abilities. Other tribes, such as the Omte, have distinctive appearances and incredible strength.

This story is told from the perspective of an Omte orphan named Ulla Tulin, who had been abandoned at an inn as a baby. Once Ulla turns nineteen, she’s ready to find out just exactly who she is, where she’s really from and the identity of the woman that had abandoned her at the inn.

Ulla drives from her small town of Iskyla, Nunavut to the hidden troll city, Merellä, of which is in Oregon, along with one of the daughters of her employers, Hanna (she is their nanny, I guess, but they all seem like family). There is an institute called the Mimirin, where a project called the Inhemsk Project being conducted there, and its purpose is help mixed-race trolls integrate into troll society, to try and save some of the troll tribes from going extinct, and, of course, to preserve their history and culture.

Ulla and Hanna make it to this city and quickly meet a strange trollian girl named Eliana, who has plenty of questions of her own. Eliana and Hanna become fast friends, and a lot of the story involves Ulla doing research as an intern, along with Pan, a fellow intern (I think) who is kind of hot and does as much as he can to help Ulla discover her identity and get settled in the city.

Amanda Hocking’s writing is really good, and the city comes alive as Ulla describes it, including the delicious food that Hanna and Eliana make (I thought it was cool that a tween like Hanna was already so good at cooking...sadly, I’m not as great a cook as my mom, and I really hope to get started someday).

Ulla also helpfully fills us in on every relevant aspect of troll history and customs, so newcomers to the series won’t be too lost.

I kind of liked that most of the troll tribes were kind of dark-skinned and dark-haired, like me, along with the two fair-haired tribes, the Omte and the Skojare. No one tribe is better than the other, which should keep the overzealous SJWs off of the author’s back. The inter-tribal politics are also very fascinating.

This is meant to be a trilogy, exploring the origins and history of the Omte tribe, so it does end in a cliffhanger, and I was surprised at the point in which it ends. I was already really into it and ready for the next chapter when it just ended. Fortunately, we readers won’t have to wait too long for the next installment, as it will be released in August.

In the meantime, my copy came with a history of all five tribes and a helpful glossary, and an excerpt from the next installment. I finished the novel while on a long flight, and it’s a pretty quick and easy read.

It’s also appropriate for the target audience, as it’s pretty innocent and Ulla’s main focus is her internship, taking care of Hanna, Eliana and her roommate Dagny, and, of course, her research into her own origins.

I do highly recommend it, especially if you need a quick modern—day fantasy fix.

When your identity is a mystery you may feel a strong drive to search for answers, but what you might find could lead to greater discoveries and adventures, as in Amanda Hocking’s The Lost City.

Ulla Tulin’s origins are a mystery, having been left at an inn in a remote troll community as a baby. As a orphaned troll with mixed blood taken in and raised by strangers, Ulla’s interest in learning more about her parents has grown over the years as she tries to piece together what little she knows. With an opportunity of an internship at the Mimirin, the prestigious troll institution that houses a majority of their historic knowledge, Ulla seizes the chance to work in a place with the resources to help her uncover helpful information about her family. In the few discoveries she’s made she’s encountered blacked out information, which would mean that her mother may be related to Omte royalty. But completing her archiving work and searching for clues about her parents is complicated by a mysterious, amnesiac girl, Eliana, whose unique abilities and running from unknown dangers might lead to grander discoveries and adventures.

With the ever-intriguing idea of magic hidden from plain sight within the world we know, the existence of troll communities, with the tribal differences that keep them distinct and the magic that unites them, the story pulls readers in as Ulla embarks on a journey to discover her parentage, and ultimately learn more about her own identity in the process. Starting this series without having read others set within this world, there’s fortunately not a massive feeling of missing vital details about the world or characters as the story provides important information along the way. The pacing of the narrative is on the slower side as this portion of the story reads as primarily expository, setting up even more mysteries to be solved, but the pacing and intrigue picks up at the end, enticing readers to continue on to see how the tale develops.

Overall, I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour.

I really loved Amanda Hocking when I was younger and this book brought back a lot of nostalgic feelings! It has a very similar background to her other Trylle novels but the characters themselves were completely different. My review is probably biased because I have a personal connection to the other books, but I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway.

I love Amanda Hocking, and her original Trylle trilogy is one of my favourite series of all time.
I was really looking forward to be back in this world.
However, for one reason or other, this time around, I didn't feel it.
It was like the world Hocking created was different, and here lots of things were missing.

Let me make it clear, this world trolls live in has different kingdoms that look differen (maybe kingdoms is wrong world, but there are different tribes that live and look differently from each other).
And the character we followed and the city she was in looked totally different from the one I fell in love with.

But that is not the problem, because if the world is different it doesn't mean that it's the bad thing.
I think that the reason why I wasn't head over hills about The Lost City is that I feel like the character drive was missing.

We follow Ulla who's mission is to find her real parents.
Although it is a great plot start, I feel like this whole book was about other people then Ulla.
I believe there is a good reason why this series was the plotted the way it is, and that we'll probably find out more about Ulla in the second book, but I wish we got at least something.

Another reason why I wasn't in love is that I didn't connect with side characters, especially to the one who became the most important closer to the end.

The third reason is that I just couldn't read faster because of personal reasons (I have newborn who needs me 24/7) and I hate how I don't have more time to read.
Because of that, I simply can't connect with story if I read it for 2 weeks when back in the day, I'd finish it in 2 days.

The writing style was great just like it always is when it comes to this writer.
I always enjoyed Amanda Hocking's words.

Although I find this book as solid, I feel like the second book will be much better, so I'm looking forward to continue with the series.

This was such a refreshing read. I am a little familiar with Amanda’s writing, but this was the first book I’ve read in the world of Trylle. It was easy to fall into the Troll world, and I loved how the Trylle world overlapped with our own. It almost felt like reading a Trollian contemporary novel with our main character, Ulla, finding her way in the Mimirin while caring for her ‘little sister’, navigating life with her new roommate, and figuring out her feelings for Pan.

This novel is full of representation, and is a very fast paced read. With plenty of laughs, and mysteries, this novel will keep you guessing till the very end. Thankfully there’s only short wait till the second book in the trilogy comes out in August.

I loved Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. When I learned that she was releasing another series, the Omte origins set in the same world, I was so excited. This book is awesome! The Lost City tells the story of Ulla, a troll wants to find her family and where she is from. (Ulla was introduced in the Kanin Chronicles.) Since she was left with a strange family that took her in when she was only a few weeks old, she always wanted to know who her family is and why they left. She travels to the citadel of Merellä to complete an internship. When completing her internship, she gets to research her family history. Between working, researching, and making new friends, Ulla also helps a mysterious strange girl remember facts about herself and save her from the danger that is lurking around the corner.

Amanda Hocking's The Lost City offers lovers of her Trylle series yet another journey into that world.
But this time through the eyes of a young troll raised by a human family. Who later comes to make her home among trolls. As a nanny.
Only to leave that family when give the opportunity to intern as a transcriptionist in the Mimirin.
Which is essentially the great archive of Troll history.
Where she will also have the chance to possibly discover the identities of her parents. As well as adding her information to the effort of gathering histories for those designated TOMBS. Or Trolls Of Mixed Blood.

And all seems to be going according to plan. Until our main character learns that she has acquired an unexpected stowaway on her journey to the Mimirin. In the form of one 12-year old Hannah. When of the children for whom she serves as nanny.
Unable to take the child back to her family. Leading lady Ulla, decides to continue on to her destination. And work out the how's why's and wherefore's of what to do with Hannah after their arrival.
An arrival that is also heralded by a literal "run in" with a mysterious and beautiful creature. Who literally dents the top of Ulla's jeep as she runs across it.
And all that happens in just the first few chapters.

The Lost City is written in much the same "coming of age" vein of the first books of the Trylle series.

The major difference of this offering being that Ulla is a young adult, rather than a teen. And she is much more at home within the world of the trolls. Than the heroine of previous books.
This book concentrates on building Ulla's world and establishing her history.
Everything about this world is a beginning
The encounters she makes.
Her love interest Pan.
Her squad Eliana and Dagny.
Her quest to find herself.
All of the mystery and intrigue that goes along with such endeavors.

Overall, this is a good start to the coming series.
Although, it is quite clear that this book is more information than action, on all fronts.
Which makes this read more of a light and fast start of an adventure series,that will hopefully grow in depth and complexity in coming progressions.
This first book is truly one to wet the appetite for adventures to come, roads yet untraveled, and lessons yet unlearned.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing the review copy on which my honest critique is based.

4.5 stars

The Lost City is a new series in the Tyrell world and it was so nice being back in this world.
This time around we follow Ulla who is a young orphan who thinks she is a troll but knows nothing about her past besides what the people who raised her told her in bedtime stories about how they got her. She knows that she might be Omte but outside of that has nothing. This mean it is now time for Ulla to leave her job as a nanny for a family that she has grown to love and go to an internship in the city of Mimirin to work in the archives while searching for info about her family along the way.
From the start, things don't go as expected and she ends up stuck with Hanna who is one of the kids she nannies as they decided to tag along with her. Once at the city Ulla meets her flatmate for the next few weeks Dagny who is a bit grumpy at first. At her job, Ulla quickly realizes that she doesn't have a lot of free time to work on finding out who her parents are, but does use every free break she has to look up info about the little she knows from bedtime stories and finds out some interesting facts along the way. This isn't the most interesting part of the story though, that comes from Hanna finding a new friend Eliana who seems to have some memory problems and figuring out who Eliana it becomes the main focus of the book. This leads to all of them working together to figure it out all while attempting to keep Eliana safely hidden until they can figure out who and what she is.

Overall I loved this story. Getting back into the Tyrell world was exciting after a four-year break from it. Ulla is a character that is very driven and wants to know what is happening but will also ask for her when needed. This is when we see Dagny as well as one of Ulla's co-workers Pan come in to help her figure out who Eliana is, all while also trying to help figure out who Ulla's parents are. The three of them make a great team with all of them knowing different specialties and people that can help them along the way.
The Lost City follows two different mysteries that I have a feeling are connected in some way, and I'm hoping we get to figure them out in book two which comes out in August! I cannot wait till August to figure out what happens to Ulla, Pan, and Dagny next and what they can find out!

Of course when I saw this, I had to pick it up because I loved the first two series that go with this, the Trylle which began with Switched, and the Kanin Chronicles which began with Frostfire. I didn’t really remember Ulla that much from the Kanin Chronicles, but I remembered the family she was a nanny for of course. But I loved being dumped back into this world that the author created and really enjoyed all the new folklore and things about different types of trolls that we learned. I did learn that I might be part troll, because I also hate wearing shoes. It was definitely interesting to have the author kind of use the whole different color hair trend that has been going around, one that I participated in with pinks and purples and blues a couple years ago, to describe some of the characters in the book. The aspect of being part of a museum type of situation for Ulla as well as the whole science lab aspect that her roommate Dagny worked in really was kind of a combination of two things I could see as jobs I’d love. Having the stowaway and then their new guest Eliana really added to the story and made Ulla’s time in the new city pass by quickly. Although to be fair, it was really only a few weeks. I have to say how glad I am to already have the second book to read. Because even though it wasn’t a HUGE cliffhanger, I am definitely eager to read on and find out what did happen and what Ulla’s past may actually be.

If you have enjoyed the other books in the series, you will enjoy this one. And honestly, you can read this series without having read those, but you’ll want to go back and read them when you can. I also like how the author gives us all the info on the different troll tribes at the end, as well as a glossary.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to participate in the blog tour for The Lost City by Amanda Hocking! Before I jump into the review, here are the book’s quick facts!

Title: The Lost City
Series: Omte Origins #1, in the world of the Trylle
Author: Amanda Ticking
Publisher & Release: Wednesday Books, July 7th 2020
Length: 384 pages
Rating & recommend: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ yes for fans of modern fantasy

This is my first book by Hocking and I had no trouble picking up the storyline. I also read the glossary and index first, which by the way is a total gem. Have no worries if this is the first of the Trylle books that you read.

I haven’t read a lot of modern fantasy, with modern music and computers and technology, so The Lost City was interesting in that aspect. The trolls live alongside humans, kind of like how the wizarding world shares but is totally separate from the muggles. Once I got used to trolls in modern places I was able to enjoy the book quite a bit. Some of the trolls are more human-like than others. It was fun to learn about their quirks such as hoarding, and preferring bare feet.

The characters were a good lot as well. Ulla has a tough streak that I applauded. Pan is just a nice guy. Eliana is …. interesting, while Hannah and Dagny were fun. I am docking my star for characters seeming to act out of line at times though, such as the entire ending. Cute but like – really?

I thought the pacing was really even too. No part dragged and it was difficult to put the book down towards the end. I would totally recommend for modern fantasy fans who enjoy a twist of legend and magic in their reads! While the book is not specifically YA, the content seems entirely appropriate for readers of any age as well.

The Lost City by Amanda Hocking is the first book in the new young adult, urban fantasy The Omte Origins series. While this is a new series by this author it takes place within the same world from her Trylle series of the same genre.

Ulla Tulin is a young, nineteen year old, troll who has no idea who her family is since she was abandoned as a baby. The family who took her in told her all they new of the woman who left her one stormy night but those facts aren’t much to go on.

Since Ulla became a teenager she took a job with a family to be their live in nanny to help with their many children as Ulla finished growing up herself. The head of this family pulled a few strings to get her accepted into the Mimirin, an institution dedicated to learning of all of troll history giving Ulla the hopes of finding out about her family.

Now while I’ve read a few books by Amanda Hocking I have not yet read her Trylle series so going into this one I wasn’t familiar with that world. However, despite jumping into this as a new series and world to me it was easy to distinguish the world within since it’s an urban fantasy and very much mirrors our own world with a hidden world within.

The story flew by with not only the mystery of the main character’s family but with that of a girl she meets at the institute. The romance inside is light with plenty of room to build and all the characters were likable. I would also warn this one ends a bit abruptly leaving us on a cliffhanger but I will be looking forward to more answers in book two.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I never thought I would enjoy a book about trolls but it's hard not too with the intricate folklore and the fully developed characters Amanda Hocking has created.

The Lost City is the first in Amanda Hocking’s The Omte Origins Series. This is a spin-off series from her Trylle and Kanin Chronicles. I haven't read the previous books but I still really enjoyed The Lost City. You don't need to read the other books to read this story.

Ulla Turin’s goal is to find her family and find where she belongs. She was abandoned as a baby and raised by an innkeeper and his wife. The only clues she has is the name and tribe of the woman who left her. When Ulla is offered an internship with the Inhemsk Project, she moved to Mimirin. The project is designed to reach out to mixed blooded trolls and to help them learn about their history and find their families. Ulla is dedicated to her goal and will stop at nothing to find her family. I adored that Ulla is plus size. I think we need to see more diversity in body types in books, especially in YA fantasy.

I felt the exploration of the racism faced by mixed-blood trolls, or TOMBs, was handled with respect. I wasn’t expecting it but it added to the richness of the world-building.

There is a lot that is going on with the plot. Even though I was interested in a lot of these elements, it was too busy. I wanted to see more time spent on the folklore and Ulla's search for her family.  

I was confused by the setting at the start. This may be because I haven’t read the previous series. I do love that it was an urban fantasy. I love the idea of a hidden troll world.

I love the addition of the Tribal Facts at the end of the book. It helps to add in some history and background to the tribes and the world without clogging up the narrative with unnecessary information.

I’m interested to learn more about what happens next with Ulla and am excited to pick up the next book, The Morning Flower.

The Lost City is a young adult fantasy and is the first book in the The Omte Origins series by Amanda Hocking. The Omte Origins series is set in the same world as Hocking’s Trylle trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. I read and really enjoyed the Trylle Trilogy years ago, back when I first started blogging, and I had every intention of continuing on with the Kanin Chronicles but my TBR was out of control and I never got around to them. When I saw the Lost City was coming out, set in the same world featuring a different creatures- the Omte, I knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to segway back into this world. This is a new series, and can be read without having read the others. Amanda Hocking does a great job explaining the world for new comers, so I never felt totally lost. And it reminded me of how much I enjoyed the world of Trylle. Now I want to do a re-read and go back to discover the Trylle Trilogy as well as read the Kanin Chronicles. (let me know in the comments if you would like to join me in a Trylle world readathon!)

In The Lost City, we meet Ulla who is abandoned as a baby in a city made up of Kanin inhabitants. Ulla sticks out like a sore thumb. I loved that the book started out with the story of how Ulla was found by the foster parents that raised her. That added a nice bit of context for the story. Soon though, she sets out to work at an internship at the Mimirin. Here Ulla comes to learn some secrets of her heritage that she was not expecting. I will say that while I enjoyed the plot of The Lost City, some parts felt a bit slow to me. There is a lot foundation building and setup happening, which made me really excited for the next installment, but also a little bored at times while reading. Overall though, I enjoyed the story and I loved Ulla. Ulla was my favorite character for sure. I loved how rational she was with her decisions and actions.

If you are a fan of young adult fantasies, set up in richly imaginative worlds, then the world of Trylle is one that you certainly will want to visit. I loved it in the original Trylle Trilogy, and The Lost City has the same imaginative flair that I have come to love and expect from Amanda Hocking’s books. I think the next book is going to be even better now that we have gotten the intro and set up out of the way. I am expecting more action in the next book because of that. This was a fun start to a series that I am very much looking forward to continuing when the next installment is released. Not to mention, it made me want to revisit Trylle and re-read/read the past series set in this world.

3.5/5 gavels

The Lost City was my first read by Amanda Hocking. She has quite a vivid and boundless imagination. The world she has created here was pretty impressive. This story follows our main character, Ulla who'd been abandoned as a baby. She's on a quest to find her parents and understand more about her lineage. This trek takes her to the Mimirin, where she has an internship and hopes to also research her personal history.

My understanding is that this is a new series which follows other previous series. As this is the first book I've read by this author, I wonder if my personal experience would have been richer if I'd read the previous series as well. That said, I enjoyed it but didn't adore it. There was a tremendous amount of detail in order to "build" this world and create the characters. Even though I do understand the necessity for it, sometimes the level of detail felt tedious to me. I craved more action, adventure and romance. I think there is definite potential for this series and will consider reading on when the next book drops.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I received the invitation for the blog tour of this book, I thought The Lost City is very promising. It seems a perfect read for me with romance, paranormal creatures, and mystery. The heroine, Ulla Tulin, is an orphan troll and wants nothing but finds her parents, or at least the woman who left her in an inn when she was a baby. There’s this huge mystery surrounding Ulla’s character. Aside from not knowing her parents, she is also of mixed blood troll – Omte and the other is unknown. I found Ulla very persistent and goal-oriented and I admire her for that. Even when arriving in Mimirin gave her more questions than answers, she’s still set to achieve her goal. That made me more interested in learning who she really is.

Ulla’s search for her family introduces me to the rich fictional world of Trylle, and wow, I can say that the author has a very rich imagination. It was nice to learn about the world, the different races of trolls and as the title implies, the lost city. My only issue with it is the info-dumping. In every name, date, fictional creature and animals, and foreign/old term mentioned, paragraphs of history and background follow. By the way, this book is a part of a spinoff series of another series, Trylle, and I won’t bother telling you more about the original series. I didn’t bother reading it first before this because I believe that even if this is a spinoff, it should be able to provide just ENOUGH background to stand on its own and for me to enjoy it.

That said, I really wished the info-dumping was minimal. It took my enjoyment away because there are times, I felt like I was reading history. I know there’s a reason why everything is mentioned and that they will eventually connect and make sense but getting there is a tedious journey. Another thing, this is in first POV – Ulla’s. And Ulla tells almost everything that happens to her daily. Of course, the story is about her, but still, the flow of the story shouldn’t be almost diary-like.

There are a variety of side-characters. Some of them I liked, such as Elliana who is mentioned in the blurb. But most of them I found flat and under-developed. I wish the story goes more in-depth with the characters’ personalities rather than mostly focusing on their races and their roles in the story. Sure, it was made clear who they are, what race they are, and why they are in the story but I wanted to experience their individual personalities. I would’ve connected to them more. My favorite must be Elliana. She might be one of the best parts of this story and most intriguing. She’s portrayed as an amnesiac and has incredible, unique abilities that weren’t seen by the main characters before. Her naivete, innocence, or whatever you want to call it is very intriguing. She literally doesn’t know most things. For example, she doesn’t know what Earth is. Her character definitely carries most of the mystery in the book. There’s also another character that I will not name who intrigued me, mainly because he’s supposed to be just part of fairytales or myths. Unfortunately, there’s not enough of him in this book but book 2 is very promising regarding this character because that ending involves him.

I also need to talk about the romance. I’m one of those readers who love romance in every book she reads, and so I was excited because The Lost City obviously has a paranormal romance element. Sadly, I found the romance between Pan and Ulla a bit underwhelming. It’s not satisfying and of course, it’s only book 1, but it also didn’t make me excited to see their relationship in the next book.

Despite everything though, The Lost City wrapped up neatly enough, with enough promise of good things and more revelation in the next book.

The Lost City might not be the best first book of a series that I’ve ever read but it’s enough to make me curious about book 2 and the original series.

The Lost City was so beautifully written, I am remorse to give it a mediocre rating.

This book is the first in the Omte Origins series and is a take off of Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy. MC Ulla is part troll who was abandoned at an innkeeper's doorstep one stormy winter's night as a baby. Though she has grown up within a loving family, she still feels lost and longs for answers about her parentage. She gets an internship at the Mirmirin where the different tribe's history are stored. When there is a chance her mother might be of royal blood, she is blocked at every chance to learn more. There are dragons, bounty hunters, and dangerous games, all of which Ulla and her new friends must endure to find answers to their questions.

Overall, The Lost City was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the world building but I found the pacing to be a bit slow at times. I loved the secondary characters but Ulla was written too flat for my liking. I just found that I didn't care about her or connect with her. Hocking's writing is absolutely beautiful but I wasn't completely fulfilled by the book. Maybe I just need to read the next installment.