“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.

This is a fresh of breath air! It is a rare gem to have a standalone fantasy book! (Of course, there are amazing sagas and trilogies out there!)

"The Stolen Kingdom" is set in a world with magic, which was stolen from its rightful holders around 100 years ago. It centers on corruption and coming to one's own. The characters are lively and relatable with a love of wine (like me)!

Tempted to gush about this book, but I want people to read this. I do have one issue: I wish we had more magic building in this world as it feels slightly undeveloped, but maybe it was intended as it does feel like a "daily life" sort of book!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this book for my honest review!

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.

The first chapters introduce the story simply but effective. Due to the changing of perspectives, you get to know both main characters in their own environment. Their thoughts and daily activities are not described too extensively, but with enough detail to understand the world in which the story takes place and the roles of these two characters. As a reader, you soon also get a glimpse of the magical power Maralyth possesses. It’s nothing fancy at first, just simple yet beautifully described. As the story progresses, the magic changes and makes the whole story more interesting.

The writingstyle is fairyly simple, but with enough potency. Events alternate quickly enough so that the story has a nice pace to it. Because the two perspectives are alternated, you get to know both characters a lot more personally. On the one hand, it’s a big plus, but on the other hand, it makes the story a lot more predictable. Yet the author knows how to add tension and keep the reader’s attention on the story. You get to know the characters in the timeline of the story as it is told, but they don’t have many specific habits or quirks that pass through the course of the story. This makes them a little bit superficial, but nevertheless it’s still very nice to read about them and see what choices they make.

Despite the fact you might have a strong suspicion about how the story might end, there are still a lot of surprises. For example the real origin of the magic an it’s users and also friends or family that turn out to be unreliable or untrue. Most of these happenings happen pretty unexpected and unsures the story having a different outcome than predicted. In addition to a number of well-known elements in YA-Fantasy books, this story also has a few surprising elements to it.

A wonderful YA-Fantasy book that takes you into a new, magical world with wonderful characters and a really nice plot.

The Stolen Kingdom started as a look into the lives of two seemingly unrelated characters from different parts of the world, but quickly became a book filled with secrets, magic, and an enemies-to-lovers romance!

The best world-building is swift and effective, and that is just what readers will get in The Stolen Kingdom. The author gives enough information for you to understand the world and how it works, without spending too long on that element of the story.

The story is told from the points of view of Maralyth and Alac. Maralyth is a vintner's daughter who finds herself forced to participate in a coup, while Alac is the second son of the king who wants nothing to do with the royal life or the royal magic. The two slowly learn there is more at play than their own plans and desires.

This book was very fun to read! I enjoyed the characters, the plot line, and the rules of magic in the world of The Stolen Kingdom. At the end of the book, I found myself satisfied by the ending, but wishing it weren't a standalone.

I will say that I wish there was more about vintners and wineries spread throughout the novel. It was present at the start, for a few moments in the middle, and then right at the end, but I found myself constantly looking for the reason why it was important that one of the main characters be a vintner's daughter. I just wish it were a more constant thread throughout the book, rather than what felt like a way to introduce the story and then wrap the story up.

Ultimately, I'd give this 3.8/5 stars, rounded up to 4. It was fun, fast-paced, and a great stand alone book!


What makes this book different from all others? And why should anyone care?

Whenever possible, put the good things about a book or author up front.

I love it when authors write standalone fantasies. I think these are rare gems. Some stories need a saga but more often than not, authors drag their books to become trilogies at the very least. This book easily managed to deliver an enjoyable story with likable characters in less than 350 pages.

The story is set in a world with magic, which was stolen from its rightful holders around 100 years ago. The Thungraves hold now the corrupted magic and rule the kingdom who has suffered ever since they usurped the crown. Mara, vintner’s daughter, discovered that she has magical abilities and was secretly using them not knowing that she’s the heir to a stolen throne. When one of the lords finds out about her, he manipulates her to get back the throne. On the other side of the story, we have Alac, the prince who doesn’t approve of his father’s policies. He was never interested in his position if anything, he’d like to have his own vineyard.

This book would appeal in particular to all wine lovers, who aren’t interested just in drinking wine, but also in the whole process of making it. It’s the first book I read that featured such sideline focus and I liked it.

The characters were likable and cute. This book would appeal to younger readers new to this genre but can also be enjoyed by any YA fan. Mara was level headed, loyal, and smart. She didn’t back down but is also full of compassion. Alac is a good match for her. I couldn’t connect with the characters and their romance didn’t make me feel much, sadly.

The plot was fast, I finished it rather quickly. It’s been a while since I’ve had one of the “one more chapter” cases and suddenly it was 4 am and my eyes were watering... I finished the book first thing in the morning.

The downside of having this book short is that the world wasn’t developed well enough and the religion part was unnecessary because it wasn’t handled deeply enough. There was also talk of wars and other nations but it was only mentioned briefly, I would’ve liked it if they were more explored.


This is what you might call generic YA with romance but at least the author had the characters admit several times that they didn’t know each other for long how they can feel that much for the other person (admit to other people I mean). The story wasn’t what I’d call memorable but a fun book that can be read in one sitting without worrying about committing to yet another series.

Maralyth has always known that she possessed a dangerous secret: she can perform magic, an act forbidden to all but the king of the land. What Maralyth doesn't know is that her ancestry, the source of her magic, will thrust her headfirst into the very centre of a deadly plot to claim the throne from an a cruel ruler. Maralyth soon finds herself plucked from her ordinary life on her father's vineyard and forced to make life-and-death decisions which will affect not only herself and her family, but reverberate throughout the entirety of the kingdom. Despite the palace intrigue, Maralyth's path seems clear-cut enough until she meets her sworn enemy, Prince Alac, and realizes that restoring fair rule to the kingdom might not be as black-and-white as it appears.

Right from the start, I appreciated that Maralyth was headstrong and determined character. Lord Nelgareth's plan hinged on using Maralyth as a pawn, and while she didn't initially have the full luxury of full autonomy while also keeping her family safe, she refused to be complacent and accept every cruel act as necessary. Maralyth's unwillingness to allow needless brutality and death gave her the tools to seize her power back, and carve out a new destiny for herself and her kingdom.

Alac felt less well-developed, although the character was still an interesting one. I would have appreciated a further exploration of his motives and inner turmoil - even though he was a point-of-view character, I didn't feel like I fully grasped his thought process, and sometimes meaningful changes in his actions and emotions felt rushed and unearned. Alac was a character faced with a plethora of difficult decisions and I think the book would have been improved by giving more of a voice to his difficulties.

The supporting cast didn't have much of a chance to shine, and seemed a bit one-note to me - for example, Tucker existed only to serve his prince and Nestar existed only to help his sister, with no further explanation provided. I would have appreciated it if the author had spent more time fleshing out the secondary characters and allowing them to shine.

I was also disappointed to find that some plot elements were mentioned almost in passing but failed to receive much scrutiny and had little effect on the overall plot. I think the world-building of The Stolen Kingdom would have benefitted if further attention had been given to the consequences of the Thungrave rule, the unpopularity of a potential war, or the other reasons that led to unrest in the populace and set the story in motion.

Ultimately The Stolen Kingdom was an enjoyable book, but I guess I just wanted more out of it - more exploration of Maralyth and Alac's characters, more three-dimensional secondary characters, more world-building. If the book had been longer and spent more time broadening its plot, I think it could have been a truly fantastic book.

4/5 stars

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mara lives an ordinary life, helping tend to her father's vineyard. She's always had a magic in her, a magic that her mother forced her to hide. Mara thought she had done a good job until she was kidnapped. Her captor explains that she's a descendant of the old royal line who had been murdered. He fully intends on putting her on the throne. Meanwhile, the throne is held by the Thungrave family who stole the magic from the previous royal family. However, the stolen magic is dark and dangerous. Alac is the second-born son and he hates the magic. He's seen what it has done to his family and he wants nothing to do with it. As Mara is forced into a plan that involves killing the entire royal family and taking back the throne, she begins to wonder if she's really doing the right thing after all.

This book really surprised me! The beginning felt a bit slow, but it eventually picked up and just kept going! I liked how the magic worked in this book; it was definitely interesting. Alac and Mara were both interesting characters. I liked that the story was told from both of their POVs. I was really worried about how this book was going to end, but it was wrapped up well! The girl who was meant to be queen and the boy who never wanted to be king...they each had their own role to play in this story and I enjoyed it!

Readers looking for a YA fantasy with forbidden romance, political intrigue, and magic should give this a shot!

𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 - 𝙽𝚘 𝚂𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜

If you enjoy 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 I think you’d enjoy this YA Fantasy. ♥︎

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 by Jillian Boehme

𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎
YA Fantasy

𝚙𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜
320

𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎
~ 3.5 hours

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢
The land of Perin Faye has been under the rule of the oppressive Thungraves family for years. Their rule relies on a magic that has dark secrets of it’s own. In Perin Faye’s countryside lives Maralyth Graylaern whose self-suppressed magic also has secrets of it’s own. When someone learns of her suppressed magic, a plot unfurls to usurp the royal family. Mara is plunged into the plot as she manages the life of the court and feelings that betray her. What will become of the royal family with a threat to their claim in their walls?

𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍
-I didn’t expect to like this in the beginning. But the story was genuinely interesting.
-the development of characters was very interesting but didn’t feel unrealistic with the twists and turns
-with that said, lots of twists and turns. Some I think were better written than others, but overall, super great.

𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍
-Sometimes the world visuals were a little week for me. I couldn’t quite get into the world with the narration.
-I didn’t love the religious aspect in it. I think some sort of something could have replaced that and been totally successful.
-I don’t believe there were any characters of colour in this story. Nor was there any LGBTQ+ relationships. Theirs variety in the world, it would have been ideal if that were reflected in this. Diversity and inclusion is needed.

𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
★★★★☆

𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜
☞︎ Please note that some of these could be considered spoilers, so only read if you need to know possible triggers.

Death, death of a parent, murder, abduction, sex alluded to

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠.

Maralyth Graylaern, the daughter of her country’s most well-renowned vintner, has spent a lifetime hiding the magical power that she’s been assured she shouldn’t possess. And Prince Alac Thungrave, the forgotten second-born of the King of a stolen throne and possessor of stolen dark magic, has spent his life trying to avoid the power at all costs.

When Maralyth discovers that her magical abilities actually prove she could be the rightful heir to Alac’s father’s stolen throne, she rapidly finds herself being manipulated into a coup that will have her on the throne, at the expense of the Thungrave family and their cursed abilities. But the deeper Maralyth finds herself in this plot, the more she starts to worry that the plan to get her on the throne may cause more harm than good.

With a taste of the power she could possess, for the greater good, she wants the throne; but she absolutely does not want Prince Alac, or any other innocents, to die.

I am obsessed this book. It’s a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat story from start to finish, and I found myself desperately turning the pages as one climactic scene built into another. The world-building is impressive, and the magical abilities felt so real that I could feel the tendrils of dark magic and the bursts of life from Maralyth every time she could.

The joint narrators, Maralyth and Alac, were fascinating characters, and I loved both of their stories; Maralyth in her guilt and selfless desperation to do what’s right, and Alac in his quest for knowledge to end the curse that magic has held over his family for generations. Their feelings for each other were equally enjoyable to read about, and I loved how they warred with their emotions constantly as they tried to juggle romantic feelings, as well as their- perhaps slightly more important- goals of saving the entire country.

With its forbidden romance, dark magic and high-tension fights for a long-since stolen throne, this book is a unique addition to a very much loved genre of YA, and I enjoyed every second of it. It’s exciting, unputdownable fantasy, and I’m so caught up in the land of Perin Faye that I’m not sure I’m fully ready to leave.

If you enjoyed ‘The Shadows Between Us’ and/or ‘The Guinevere Deception,’ then you will want to read this.

In the same vein as the other books, this story promises intriguing court politics, magical powers, a root-worthy slowburn romance, and other enjoyable YA fantasy tropes, all wrapped up in writing that has great pacing and easy to devour language.

Also, I LOVE that this is a standalone. Most YA fantasy stories come in the form of a series and sometimes (aka most of the time) i don’t want to commit to multiple books. So I love an author who can take a fantasy world and create a well-developed and resolved standalone story with it.

Overall, this is a fun, entertaining novel with some great highlights. It’s definitely turned me on to JB as an author and I can't wait to read more of her stories!

Fantastic Tale of Schemes and Honesty! I loved all the details of each character that allowed me to truly see them as the gems they are!
A Must read for fans of strong heroines who also accept the support of others.

I went into this really wanting to love it . First person needs to stop being used in fantasy. It takes me immediately out of the story and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at some of the internal thoughts.

The concept is interesting, the world set up was well done! But I didn’t understand the relationship between the characters because it wasn’t really developed in a way that felt believable despite being inside their heads the whole time.

This book is definitely a perfect match for someone but it’s just not for me.

The Stolen Kingdom is based on the “ I am supposed to hate you but I can’t “ trope and I absolutely LOVED it. Maralyth is a 15 year old vintner’s daughter who has a greater destiny that she knows and forbidden magic at her fingertips. Alec is third-in-line to be King of Perin Faye, but is the dark magic in his family’s line something he really safe?
I felt that this book was the perfect Young Adult book. It has a wonderful plot, a sparking romance, and just enough bad things to keep drawing you into the plot. I finished this book in less than 3 days because I could hardly put it down. I would definitely recommend this book!

This book had magic, kingdoms, castles, armies and all elements of a great fantasy story. And it was. It just didn't sit well with me HOW the plot closed. Without going into spoilers, there was just some things that Mara did that were hard to swallow. One shift of thinking to the next, without earning that shift of thinking, thus leaving the reader to just accept it at face value because the character says. From that point on, I struggled to finish it because it just didn't add up. However, in the grand scheme of things, if you accept the character at face value, enjoy the ride, there isn't much that you wouldn't like. Its a good story. I enjoy YA fantasy the most, which is why I struggled to finish this one.

I didn’t expect to fall too hard for this book but the intriguing magical world building, secret identities, mixed bloodlines, witchery, forbidden love, whirlwind tension-twisty espionage theme blew my mind!
First of all I have to admit: both of the MCs are adorable and I enjoyed the chapters tell us how their characters evolve and how deeply their secret romance blooms.

Maralyth and Alac : narrators of the story, trying to discover their own powers, define their abilities to use magic. Both of them have strict daddy issues.

Maralyth has undeniably deep and powerful connection with barrels of fermenting wine. She can ripen grapes with a few whispered words! She inherited her powers from her mother’s side but she gave her word to her mother not to share her ability with anyone and keep it as a secret and now she thinks she deserves to be the woman in charge by getting full of vineyard.

But her father thinks otherwise by choosing her brother as his successor. So poor Maralyth stays as a talented cook, cursing to her faith as Alac also has problems about his own position. He’s king’s second son, not happy with his position as the spare heir, hating the guts of his brother and also having issues with his father who took control of the throne with help of stolen magic.

Both characters’ paths cross in the middle of coup which will bring them together to learn more about the secret bloodline who deserves to claim the throne.

It’s such an addictive, riveting, well developed, entertaining cat-mouse chase with mind bending intrigues, surprising revelations. The characters find themselves tangled with web of lies and enigmatic secrets. I love to see their blooming forbidden romance and the way how they test their endurance against the dark magic!

I’m giving my five cheers to tough, smart, powerful heroine, likable, honest, fair hero, magical, stunning world building, I couldn’t put it down stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor-Forge / Tor Teen for sharing this magnificent digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.