The Stolen Kingdom - 2 Stars out of 5

Just another basic fantasy storyline that if you have read YA novels for a while, you have read over 100 times. The book's start was definitely slow going, and I struggled to get to a point where I actually wanted to finish the story, as I found the world-building with events to be annoying. (This could be because I read some fantastic books this month because you know quarantine) The plot of women hiding their magic is just overdone for me. Regardless, this would be a great book for someone who wants to get back into reading or start fantasy readings. This is a great standalone that is well written, with more modern themes added in. This book will get you sucked into the great world of fantasy, just not for me.

I was provided a copy of The Stolen Kingdom in return for my honest review. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publishers for a copy of this novel.

ARC provided by Netgalley

"That all along, my heart had known, in its own way, that it would never be able to let him go. Crown or no crown. Kingdom or no kingdom. Magic or no magic."

A kingdom stolen by dark magic. A girl who secretly is a princess. A prince who feared magic. This book tells a tale of magic, political intrigue, loyalty, betrayal, and love.

I love it! It was a bit slow-paced at first and maybe confusing with many titles and historical events, but if you pushed through it, its worth it! Things picked up after Mara meet Alac, and the rest of the book is amazing!

A girl with magical gifts from a secret blood line and a second in line prince who doesn’t want to sit on cross path in this story of forbidden romance, magic, and political intrigue. The story follows Maralyth, a vintner’s daughter who has always been blessed with gifts she had to keep hidden.She is kidnapped one day and told that her magical powers are proof of her secret bloodline, a bloodline that claims she is the proper heir to the throne and can fix the rampant magic running around the kingdom. She is forced to infiltrate the kingdom but finds herself constantly around the king’s second son, Alac. Alac has always feared magic and never wanted to be on the throne, yet one day his father leaves him a locket and tells him that it is filled with magic and that it will protect him should his brother die. Alac and Maralyth find that they just can’t keep away from one another and the budding relationship between them, yet how can they ever hope to make it out if they’re secrets and political assassinations are surrounding them. This was a fun read and I really enjoyed it! I loved that you go to read from both of the character’s POVs and I enjoyed the light romance. The magic and political intrigue was a nice touch and this was an overall really fun magical book!!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Comfort food for the YA romance loving soul.
Sometimes you just need a fun light read. This book was that for me. If you are in the market for something new with groundbreaking new plots and tropes this probably isn't what you're searching for. If you just want a book you know you're going to enjoy. This book was well written, had an enjoyable plot, stolen magic, and a sweet romance. I liked that it's a stand-alone book. I was wondering about halfway how Mrs. Boehme was going to get Maralyth and Prince Alac to reconcile such enormous obstacles in the way to them becoming close but it was very well done. I almost wish there was a sequel because I'd like to see more of Maralyth and Alac and the kingdom of Perin Faye.

On a personal note in the acknowledgments, Mrs. Boehme says she never dreamed she could write a book. She said her first attempt was terrible. This really touched me and I just want to say. Girl you didn't just do it, you did it GOODDDDD!!! I can't wait to see what you write next because you defiantly have a God-given talent!

The Stolen Kingdom
By. Jillian Boehme
P. 320
Format: eArc
Rating: ***
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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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The Stolen Kingdom is Young Adult full of YA tropes. I read YA, and I enjoy YA books that go against the formalistic approach to YA books. The Stolen Kingdom is not this. This book embraces all that it means to be YA overdone tropes and all. I know that many readers are all for this. If that is you then you will most likely love The Stolen Kingdom.

The writing of The Stolen Kingdom starts rough, but after the first 10% it smooths out and becomes enjoyable. The plot is eh. It has good bones but couldk have used a bit more dynamics and flushing out. The characters felt a little flat to me. I am not sure how to explain it without spoilers. Basically. . . one of the main characters has their life completely changed and they and they automatically accept this change, even more they embraced it and consider it their due. There wasn’t a growth process to get from one point to another - it just happened. The second main character felt flat from beginning to end. The only thing real about them is how inconsistent their desires were.

The Stolen Kingdom is not a bad book. It was just not for me. I know that there are going to be quite a few people who enjoy this story. I think the book deserves that. However, I am not one of them.

This is more of a 3.5 star read, it seems. The premise of this book was intriguing, and I was super excited to read a love story set in a corrupt kingdom, with magic integrated throughout. Though I'm sure that was the goal, I was disappointed to see that none of these categories left me fully satisfied. I found the characters to be somewhat 2-D, and I couldn't find myself relating to them or empathizing with their struggles. There didn't seem to be much development over the course of the story for anyone, and that was disappointing. Their romance also had the potential to be exciting and tense. However, we did not get many of the high-stakes moments I was looking for, and our protagonists had few scenes together that suggested anything romantic. Additionally, much of this book was centered around vineyards and wine. Because this is marketed as YA, I was a bit confused as to why wine would be included in something written for teenagers- most cannot drink it (unless they're in other parts of the world other than America), and many do not enjoy it. This all being said, I did enjoy the world and the magic system- the author managed to pack a century of history into 300-something pages, and I thought that was very impressive and interesting. I really wish we got to see more of the romance between Mara and Alac- that is my main complaint. Other than that, it was enjoyable! There is a side character, Tucker, that I wish we got to see more of- he was funny, sarcastic, and charismatic, and to be honest, I would've loved to see him have his own book! I also wish there was more diversity- that was severely lacking in this story. If you're looking for a wine-centered political fantasy, this is for you.

Maralyth has a secret - she can make things grow when she touches them. It’s a good skill to have since her family owns a vineyard, except she’s always in the kitchen making meals for her father’s workers. Everything changes when she’s kidnapped and forced to be an unwilling accomplice to overthrow the current rulers...and become the new queen.

Prince Alac Thungrave, second in line to the throne, doesn’t want the king since he has seen what the kingdom’s black magic has done to his father. When he meets the mysterious Mara, he is captivated. Alac and Mara grow closer to each other, and at the last minute Mara saves him from assassination. Soon Mara is on the run and dangerous black magic has been released on the kingdom. How can they save each other and the kingdom?

If you YA fantasy like adventures from Tamora Pierce or Rae Carson, you’ll love THE STOLEN KINGDOM! I enjoyed the way the story developed and always kept me guessing. The alternating perspective between Mara and Alac really enhanced the tale. Here’s hoping there is a sequel because I want MORE of their story. :-)

An enjoyable read involving magic, adventure, secrets, romance and more! Stolen magic has disastrous consequences, for the people of Perin Faye have suffered greatly because of it. The ones who took control of the kingdom through blood and deceit took a once prosperous land and turned into poor ones. Mara uses her magic to help her father's vineyard, not understanding the magic but drawn to it until it draws the wrong attention. Involved in a plot to reclaim the kingdom, Mara comes face to face with Alac, the spare heir, and sees him as a kind person who truly wants to help his people. Alac knows of the dark deeds his family has done and now bares a terrible weight that he fights with daily. The darkness is spreading, and Alac knows what he must do to save his people, even though he knows the taint the magic has. But, nothing goes the way it is supposed to. Mara and Alac find themselves interested in each other, but Mara knows nothing can come it, but cannot help her feelings. As the darkness grows and begins to spread, Alac and Mara will have to set aside their issues with each other to stop the spread and save the kingdom.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a standalone fantasy, this book did a lot of things right - great writing, a quick pace, and an enchanting love story. I would have loved for the secondary characters to shine a little more and for the plot to be further developed, but other than that it was quick and definitely worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this! The action and plot kept me engaged throughout, I really enjoyed the characters and how they understood their own strengths and weaknesses, and I just overall really enjoyed reading this. As much as a I love a long, descriptive fantasy series it was really nice to read a shorter stand-alone that moved the story along.

It's been a long while since I've read a fantasy standalone, I'm glad I broke this streak with this book! The Stolen Kingdom works very well this way. It set's up a world that hint's at its complex nature and thought through history, without loosing itself in explanations and distractions. This book is slightly obsessed with vineyards and I've got to be honest, that alone would've sold me. More vineyards in (fantasy) books please!

The two main characters, Mara and Alac, were two very likeable characters from the get-go and we followed them not only getting to know each other but also themselves and growing throughout the story. I found some of their decisions rather questionable but I gotta admit I imagined them around the age of 25. Later on the fiancée of Alac's older brother was revealed to be just 16-years-old and I derived from that that Mara and Alac would be around the same age so these choices made a lot more sense coming from teenagers.
I enjoyed the romance these two had, the instant attraction but afterwards it did not develop too fast or without care for the plot. I know I said I loved this as a standalone ..but I really wanna see more of them?

I didn't like how most of the twist were handled, mostly because they cheapened the impact the previous scenes had and erased consequences of character growth or actions taken. It ended up feeling like an unwillingness to commit.

Overall I really enjoyed this story, especially the magic system and the discussions about how good and bad rulers effect the lives of the people living under their rule!

*3.5/5 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺
Full reading vlog posted on my TikTok @zitaknowshowtoread
(I'm trying out a new way of structuring my reviews)

CHARACTERS: This book was told from the point of view of our two main characters Alac, the second son of a king corrupted by stolen magic and Mara, the rightful heir to the throne. They each had a unique voice and I was relieved I never found myself going back to check who's POV I was reading (a problem I often find with multiple POV books).

ROMANCE: I am an absolute sucker for forbidden romances and this book DELIVERED as enemies fighting for the throne of Perin Faye. Mara and Alac complemented each other well and managed to stand out in their own right without overshadowing one another and suffering from having their only personality be "love interest".

WRITING: I found the writing to be beautiful and descriptive while still being clear and easy to comprehend.

DISLIKES: First off I would like to say that this book had absolutely no diversity as far as I could tell. Secondly, although I enjoyed the writing and characters I felt as though I had read it before. The magic system was unique but the whole "girls finds out she's secretly royalty" is a little overdone in my opinion.

Three and a half
This for me is hard to rate. A very interesting idea with characters that shine . Sadly I just kept wanting the pages to turn quicker so clearly not a,story that enthralled me and held my attention
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This book was kindly provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Before I get into the full review, I need to say that this book blew me away. I did not expect to enjoy this book so thoroughly, and to devour it like I did. And now, on to the review.

The Stolen Kingdom follows the story of Maralyth, a vintners daughter with a royal history unknown to her, and Alac, the “spare” prince of the kingdom of Perin Faye. Through a serious of unexpected events, they develop a tentative friendship turned foeship, which eventually leads to them working together to save the kingdom from dark magic.

It’s not often that you see such a well developed stand alone fantasy book. In the span of a few hundred pages, Boehme developed a world, a plot, and a well thought out magic system, that many popular fantasy series take two or three books to develop. And her world building did not retract from her character development either. I think she did a wonderful job of fully developing Alac and Mara, giving them both stories you loved and understood, leaving you rooting for them both.

Her unique magic system, the connection of a persons magic to blood, time, and life, was extremely fascinating to me. Additionally, I thought the way she exposed the reader to different aspects of the magic system was well timed and thought out. She also didn’t skimp on the history of the kingdom, letting you see glimpses of a past that helped to enlighten reader on the reasons why some things were happening.

I am not lying when I say I really can’t find much wrong with this book. For me, it was an intriguing read, and the only reason it wasn’t five stars is that it didn’t lend me to feeling a span of emotions. It was pleasant, but not moving.

Truthfully, I would suggest that anyone who likes fantasy and has a spare day to sit down and devour a book, should pick up this book on March 2nd. They will not be disappointed.

“I opened myself to the magic, and it came to me. It was a matter of trusting it. Knowing that it was mine.” —Jillian Boehme

I’m really not sure how to feel about this book. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it.

My favorite part of this book was Maralyth and Alec. Though they are from vastly different backgrounds, Maralyth growing up working in a vineyard, and Alec in the palace, these two characters are actually very similar and their relationship was so cute! I loved the simplicity of how they interacted. Each of them keeping secrets from the other and both of them desiring to make their own way, following their own destiny.

There is something enticing about a romance that takes place in a historical setting at a royal court. I really enjoy a historical setting and the behaviors that come along with it. Alec is everything a gentleman should be and Maralyth is the perfect lady. Without giving too much away, they have an innocent relationship that I really enjoyed reading about.

Despite the strength of Maralyth and Alec’s relationship and the premise of the story, there were still a few aspects that knocked this book down a few stars for me.

I felt that the story moved too fast. Conclusions were reached without providing the reader and the characters a chance to process the events and course of action. I missed not being able to have the opportunity to learn more through the character’s engaging exploration of the situation. Certain topics like other existing nations and wars were touched on but were not explained in depth.

I think that the plot could have been more developed, which would have led to a more detailed and expanded world. I would have loved the opportunity to hear more about the other nations and wars that were mentioned and learn more about the resistance of magic. This might have helped me to become more invested in the story.

Overall this was a good book. I would probably recommend this book to someone who is just starting to dive into the genre of fantasy. It’s fast pace and the not too detailed world would be great for someone just starting out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wanted to like this one. I really did. Like, I love the idea of a woman stealing back her kingdom and being kick ass.

This book wasn't that read.

Instead, it was a predictable read that kind of plodded along. I pretty much called the plot from the first 50 pages and pretty much everything unfolded exactly as one would expect in a novel like this. I do enjoy a good formulaic novel, but the characters in this novel aren't the least bit sympathetic. They're two whiny ass kids who can't figure out what they want and after they change their minds for the 50th time, it get a little old.

Besides the two main protagonists being whiny children, the minor characters were kind of useless. They never had a chance to shine and were literally there to prop up the main characters and to give those characters directions. Call me crazy, but I like it when my minor characters at least have a personality.

I do commend the author for keeping this a standalone (at least for now). A current trend in YA lit seems to be the ever popular love triangle or (and sometimes "and") dragging a story out over many books. Boehme managed to avoid both of those, so good for you!

Others seem to have enjoyed this one, but it just didn't really work for me. Between the lack of character development and the predictability of the plot, i kind of wish I had given this one a pass.

I did enjoy the book enough to give a rating if 4 stars. It was not a perfect book for me, but the plot with some twists and turns was really enjoyable. Good character development. I would not reread it, but I would recommended this book for sure.

A girl with a secret claim to the throne? A prince you can’t help falling for? A destiny people will fight for? Yes please. This is my favourite thing about fantasy romances and I thought this book was a well told version.

- Mara and Alac were both likeable characters. I found Mara to be irritating at first but she grew on me throughout the book and in the end, I really liked her. Alac had a sense of mystery about him and I really liked how he genuinely wasn’t interested in the throne and was supportive of his brother, despite their differences. I really liked Tucker too and I wish we got more from him.
- The world building was what I felt lacked in this book. Although I could picture the world, it was vague and I also felt like a lot wasn’t explained when it came to the origins of the magic.
- The plot and pacing was well done and I flew through this book. The writing was great and I would definitely read from this author again.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this wonderful YA fantasy novel!

I really loved Jillian Boehme's previousYA fantasy, Stormrise, and I was super excited when I found out she had a new book coming out. The Stolen Kingdom is also amazing, and definitely lived up to my expectations. Just like Stormrise, it takes some typical fantasy tropes and does them in a beautiful way. The Stolen Kingdom seems at face value like just another "lost heir discovers her true bloodline" story, but what makes it great is the way the story is told and especially the character development. I especially loved that the story is told in alternating perspectives: Mara, who is the aforementioned lost heir who discovers her true bloodline, and Alac, the second-born "spare" prince from the current ruling family. Their two storylines intertwine throughout the book and I love the way both characters are developed. Their relationships with each other and with other members of their families and friends feel very real and the plot unfolds in a satisfying way. There aren't any major plot twists, but I really appreciate the way that Jillian Boehme tells a straightforward story in a way that feels new and authentic.

Highly recommend!

*Review will be posted on my blog on 2/25/21*
Likes:
*World Building ~ Mara lives on a vineyard that produces the best wine in Perin Faye. That all changes when she discovers she is from a royal bloodline, and she is maybe the true heir to the throne. The Thungraves have ruled Perin Faye since they stole the magic and throne from the Dallowyn line. There is dark magic, good magic and politics at play here which makes it an intriguing story.

*Characters ~ I thought Mara was pretty level headed even if she was thrust into a high pressure situation. She also knew she didn’t want to just be a winemaker all her life and I liked that she accepted her role as Queen. There were two sides to this story, and two perspectives being told which I appreciated. Prince Alac didn’t want to be royal but he is tied to this dark magic his father has entrusted upon him. What will he do when someone comes to take the crown from them? Will he fight or surrender? I think he was the perfect spare, kind of aloof, didn’t care for the royal duties and out of sync with his father and brother.

*Romance ~ slow burn, enemies to lovers – I think it was perfect. Mara had her goals and really did good sticking to them until she came to care for Alac. Alac had his own dreams too until something major comes between them. I was fascinated to see how it would work out for them after the major scene that took place to throw all Mara’s plans off but in the end it worked out well. And this story is very PG rated, basically only kissing happens and not a lot of it.

*The story is written well. I read it in one sitting which was unexpected but I was drawn to Mara and Alac’s story.

Random Notes:
*Triggers: death

*A little bit of insta love? Maybe – Mara and Alac only knew each other for like…2 weeks? I didn’t mind it and this is a standalone so I think it fit because they did fight their feelings for one another and the ending left me satisfied.

Final Thoughts:
I really enjoyed The Stolen Kingdom. I found Mara to be a strong main character and Alac equally intriguing, they made an interesting pair who in the end had a common goal to save their kingdom. I think this is more for teen readers than young adult but can be enjoyed by both.