This book was long, and it felt like it. It dragged in parts. There seemed to be more telling than showing going on. I didn't feel that I was getting into the main characters' heads. I just felt like I was being told about their reactions and what was going on, rather than getting to feel it for myself.

Thalos and Thara were alright as protagonist, but I didn't feel really connected to either of them. Thalos seemed the typical tragic prince (right down to lusting after the female villain because she was hot?) and I was frustrated by how weak-willed Thara was, especially initially. Overall they were fine as protagonists, I just felt they were nothing special and added nothing new to the genre. They didn't seem fleshed out as characters.

I did like the inclusion of mythical creatures as part of the universe, and there were some awesome names for places. However, the book just didn't grip me or hook me in the way I wanted it to.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An intense fantasy read with lots of detail and good writing.
An OK read.

ARC from NetGalley

DNF at 84%

I really had to push myself to get this far, and it took me days. I tried, but I couldn't get into it. I was starting to skim pages, and then I decided that it was time to lay the book to rest.

I'm not sure what age group this book is targeted toward, but it was much too young for me, and there was way too much telling. When you tell that much and your characters aren't given time to develop, no one gives a fuck if they die, and here we are. This book is trying to cram in too many different fantasy elements. It could be done in a series over several books, but all at once is too much. Additionally, too many things have similar enough names that things get a bit foggy. There wasn't anything in particular that stood out as staggeringly bad to me, but all the little things combined were too much for me to enjoy myself.

Thank you to NetGalley and FyreSyde Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantasy clearly influenced by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, as well as classic Greek-style epics. There are quests, unlikely companions, magic and creatures galore, and of course, a missing father. I really liked the storyline, and it hearkened back to stories I’ve loved for over a decade. But, for me, there wasn’t enough character depth and development. I want my stories to leave me wondering a bit who really is the bad guy or for the characters to be so well-crafted they could practically walk off the pages. In this case, that didn’t quite happen. There were so many characters I wanted to know better and a lot of potential for some very interesting, layered characters but it wasn’t fully realized. So, in the end, it gave me warm feelings because it reminded of stories I love dearly but it didn’t quite hit the spot for what I like to read now.

the use of scifi elements was really well done, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going through this journey. I hope there is more to the series.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost King follows Thalos and Thara; the son and daughter of a King who has been gone for over a decade. An evil sorceress has taken over the kingdom while Thalos was away and Thara has fallen under the thrall of the sorceress. When Thalos is exiled will he be able to rally forces to help him take back his father's kingdom? Will Thara, now met with a resistance she knew nothing about, breakthrough the haze of mind control to restore her father's kingdom to it's former glory?

There were pieces I truly enjoyed in this novel and pieces I didn't really care for. Thalos and Thara were both great characters who just didn't get enough development over the passing of this novel. Often times the reader would be told that a journey would take a week, then be told "on the third day this happened" and then magically they were at their destination. Half of the story, in my opinion, takes place during these journeys we missed out on. It was hard for the reader to develop a relationship with the supporting characters when there was no dialogue between our mains and them on these long quests. A romance that could have been explored much more would not have felt rushed if we knew more about the encounters such love interest had with our main character. However, the plot was very good and the magic system was well enough introduced that it carried this to a three star review from me. I wish I would have had more time with the sorceress and gotten to learn more about what her plans for the lands were, but I understand a page restriction. I guess what I'm getting at is this: if this had been given the green light to be a duology, I feel the author would have made this a solid five star read.

Overall, I would recommend this for anyone looking for a quick read in a new world. Age range for this I would put at 10+ as there isn't anything that would be inappropriate even for younger readers.

This was a beautifully structured and well written fantasy. A devastating occurrence has crippled a kingdom and a King has vanished on his quest for revenge. An evil witch has taken over his kingdom and drugs the subjects into submission. The son of the king returns and is is banished. He is marooned on an island with a mute but in exploring his island of exile ,he is set on a quest to find his father and hopefully overcome the witch and restore the kingdom.
Like the great tales of quests such as Jason and the Golden fleece, or the voyages of Sinbad this book unfolds a wonderful fantasy filled with dragons and trolls, unicorns and dwarves and other mystical and magical creatures.This was a delight to read and very hard to put down. I highly recommend it!

Princess Thalos and Princess Thara are left behind when their father King Athan disappears at sea. Thalos doesn't plan to be gone as long as he was but when he comes back a new queen has stepped into power and has no plans to let go of the throne. Thalos ends up exiled while Thara begins to see the truth behind what is really happening within the kingdom. Can they find a way to get the throne back even when it seems all is lost?


This reminded me a bit of Clash of the Titans, had the feel of an adventure that was visual in every aspect. I thought this was a refreshing read, was surprised by the way the story played out and all of the surprises along the way. Great story.

If you guys are looking for an awesome adventure and action packed magical fantasy read then you should check this book out.😍
The world building the author has created is beautifully designed and it's so enchanting. I loved the way the characters progress through out the book. The way Thara is able to connect with the mythical creatures and help them is another reason why I loved Thara. The use of language is simple and it's easily enjoyable. Even though this is the first book written by this author it really has a lot of enjoyable moments and I am looking forward to what Frazier has in the future.