The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme is a stand-alone YA fantasy novel about the heirs of two families who find their paths entangled by the political machinations and magical legacies of their forbears.

Maralyth Graylaern ('Mara' to her friends) is the daughter of a vintner in the kingdom of Perin Faye. Though she uses her secret magical talents to increase the yield of their harvests, her family is struggling under the excessive tithes of the Thungrave king. Despite her caution, her magic comes to the attention of a scheming lord who understands the implications of her natural-born powers, and kidnaps her to force her involvement in a coup attempt. Prince Alac, the second son of the king, is troubled by the dark effects of his own family's magical power, which was stolen through blood magic from the previous dynasty. Despite his lack of ambition to the throne (he'd really rather study winemaking and set up a vineyard somewhere away from court once his older brother inherits), his accidental discovery of Mara's magic leads him to realize that the two of them have a means to potentially fix the rot—both magical and non-magical—at the heart of the kingdom.

Mara's and Alac's perspectives alternate, and in the Recorded Books audiobook version, their chapters are voiced respectively by Suzy Jackson and Kirby Heyborne. Both were straightforward, satisfactory narrators, though neither imbued their characters with more than a minimum of personality or emotion. I would have liked to hear them make the characters their own a little more, as it would have added a lot to the book.

Though I was initially discouraged by the slow pacing at the start, the plot really picked up in the second half. Mara and Alac, both likeable and interesting characters, take an instant shine to each other when they meet at court, and their relationship has a satisfactory arc that manages to convey their mutual attraction without being an unbelievable love-at-first-sight scenario. There's definitely a light romance plotline, but it plays second, or possibly third, fiddle to the political plot and their quest to understand what's going on with magic in Perin Faye.

My biggest complaint is that the magic is pretty simplistic, for all the mystery with which it is initially presented. The book is slow to reveal much of any interest that can be done with the magic, and the explanation of how it works or where it came from is relatively lacking. While there is a lot of discussion about how stolen magic is corrupted and corrupting, no such consideration is given to the question of why any royal line should have all the magical power (and the right to it). Divine right is a time-honored fantasy trope, but I'm always hoping to see a more modern take on it. Also, I was hoping for a lot more detail about winemaking and the potential application of magic in the process, considering it's a common interest of the two main characters.

Overall, a decent read, though probably one that I would have enjoyed more as a teenager.

Audiobook ARC provided through Netgalley.

The Stolen Kingdom didn’t seem like it’d be a stand-out book just from reading the summary. The plot sounds like hundreds of other books. And yet, it’s its own story, and I absolutely loved it.

It took a few chapters to grow attached to the characters. Still, the action starts right away when Mara is kidnapped and coerced into joining the plot to overthrow the throne.

I’ll admit I didn’t like Alac for a while, but I liked him more as we saw him through Mara’s eyes. His chapters had a little too much, “She’s not like other girls” at first. By the time we really hit the action halfway through the book, those sentiments were in the past, and I was fully absorbed in the story.

I could not stop listening for the last third of the book. I just wandered around my house, listening to the rest of the story unfold because there was no way I could stop at that point.

The Stolen Kingdom is a standalone, which I’m sad about because I absolutely want to read more of Mara and Alac. Still, I also think was the best choice for the story. (So much character development and not dragged out over three books)

To sum it up: I absolutely recommend and will definitely read more of the author’s work!


Audiobook Review: Both narrators were great, but it took a while to appreciate the male performance simply because Suzy Jackson was so good. She fills her chapters with emotion and is the perfect voice for Mara, while Alec’s chapter just ended up feeling… flat. By the end of the book, there’s more passion in the performance, which mirrors the story’s arc. He does wonderful voices for characters (except the women, which is a common failing for male narrators).

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I listened to the audiobook version of this title. Kirby Heyborne and Suzy Jackson truly brought the story to life. Their alternating Alac and Maralyth were exactly what the story needed.
I love that this is a stand alone novel! So much of YA fantasy is series, and my daughter frequently asks for stand alone recommendations so she isn't starting yet another series. I'm thrilled to have a title to recommend.
The level of romance was absolutely appropriate for a YA audience, which is also hard to find at times.
There were a couple of side plot twists I didn't see coming and overall it was a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend.

Thank you Tor Teen & Netgalley for #gifting me a copy of this audiobook.

I feel like standalone fantasy novels are few and far between these days. If you’re looking for a YA Fantasy standalone, this is a good one to reach for.

What I enjoyed:
✨ I loved the idea that both MCs are fighting for the same kingdom but for very different reasons.
✨ Told from the POV of Maralyth & Alac, both with different personalities
✨ I loved the idea of blood magic being passed down through the generations
✨ I enjoyed the idea behind the “stolen magic” and how it differed from the original magic
✨ I appreciated that it was a bit of insta-like without it being insta-love
✨ The story was set at a great pace, it keeps you engaged and reading “just one more chapter”

What didn’t work for me:
✨ Due to the length of the story, there was a bit missing in the world building and backgrounds

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜: I really enjoyed this audiobook. Each character was narrated by a different narrator, which helped bring the story to life and easy to follow along with.

This book was told from the perspective of Maralyth, a wine wunderkind girl from the country and Alac, a second born prince winemaker wannabe. The story is extremely formulaic and predictable with insta-love. Not my favorite. Maralyth's chapters were pretty engaging and if it had been a whole book from her perspective I might have actually finished it despite the predictability. Alac's chapters ruin the whole thing. I am not and never have been a teenage boy but I've known a few and I had a hard time believing any boy would behave as whiny and stupid as Alac.

For example, his dad gave him a magic amulet filled with their blood combined with black magic that was supposed to protect him from dying and told him to never open it. Alac (who had somehow never had any black magic education despite it being how the country was run and being third in line to the throne) whined the entire time about how he hates magic and swears to never use it. He refuses to wear the amulet and then immediately goes to his room and opens the damn thing. First off, I honestly don't know anyone who in their own head wouldn't be interested in seeing how magic works. I'm not saying they would be down for using it but he acted like the whole thing was boring and stupid. Secondly, if he hates black magic so much and it's so incredibly terrible why did he open the damn thing? The author just didn't make it make sense.

The Stolen Kingdom was atmospheric and magical. We dive into the world of Mara and Alac and this is nothing short of a wild adventure, things happened so fast that I had whiplash at times! You are thrust right into this magical world from the first chapter. Mara and Alac are great characters and I found myself fully invested in their struggles and victories. There is also a lot of betrayal and power-hungry people that make things more difficult for everyone. I loved this standalone YA fantasy novel!

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This was one of those novels that you just want to shake the main character, or rather two in this case, and tell them JUST TO TALK TO EACH OTHER!!! Of course, if they had done that it wouldn't be a very interesting novel :)

This was a slow boil, however, did not drag out so it was a good boil. I love the narration through the two different main characters, Maralyth and Alac, who are from different worlds and yet so very similar. Maralyth has lived her life on a farm and with hidden magic that her mother warned to never show anyone before she passed away. Alac has lived in the royal world as a spare heir and uncomfortable with the dark, stolen magic his royal family has been ruling with.

The narration of the novel is done quite well and this is one of those novels one does not want to put down, so I just kept on listening! There was a lot of action and a lot of speaking about the magic, however, it didn't really show much about the magic beyond ripening fruit, causing someone to accelerate in age and the reverse of both. It makes me wonder how Alac's family was able to steal this magic and rule when it does not seem all that powerful... The novel was interesting and a stand alone and I will be willing to see what else the author has to offer in the future!

This book has been my guilty pleasure over the last few days, Enemies to Lovers, is something that I typically don't seek out due to the fact that it is often written as a Slow Burn romance, which I can never hold out for. OR WORSE Insta-Love, which defeats the entire purpose of Enemies to Lovers.

While on the scale of Insta-Love to Slowburn, I wouldn't call it a good middle ground, it definitely sits closer to Insta-Love. If you're a slow burn lover, I wouldn't recommend it.

My boyfriend description was:"Enemies? to Friends to Enemies to Lovers?"

I enjoyed the banter between Alec and Mara, along with the growth of their friendship. Along with getting to experience the destruction of that friendship from both of their points of view.

What was disappointing was the fact that I wanted to know more about the Magic that was a giant plot point of this book. It felt very black or white, no inbetween. But also there isn't really a given reason Mythical or Literal as to why only this one family is supposed to have magic. The solution was interesting, but the background was lacking.

Audiobook: Switching back between Mara and Alec's perspective, this audiobook gave us two individual narrators. Both were decent, nothing particularly stood out with the audio. Other than the pacing of the man's voice was slower than the woman's.

Story: I actually fell really quickly into this story and thought it had an interesting premise. While, there wasn't any crazy world building, I did enjoy the story line. I thought the characters were pretty likely and the build up to the coup was well done. I enjoyed the relationship between Mara and Alec. This is a good standalone fantasy novel where you don't have to pay too much attention but can just sit there and enjoy the ride.

The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne and Suzy Jackson
Publication Date: March 2, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“Maralyth Graylaern lives a sheltered life on the family vineyard, wielding a forbidden magic that enables her to predict the harvest, peer into the past, and heal the vines from fatal blights. That is, until she's abducted and learns that she is a direct descendant to the throne of Perin Faye. In order to embrace her birthright and claim her throne, she must first destroy the remaining heir.

Alac Thungrave has lived his life as the “spare” prince, second in line to the throne of Perin Faye after his brother. When an attempted coup takes the life of the king and his heir, Alac is stunned to learn that the girl he recently befriended is the would-be usurper.

Duty forces Maralyth and Alac to engage in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, each determined to execute the other, despite their growing feelings of attraction.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @recordedbooks #rbmedia for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This was more enjoyable than I expected. This is a YA fantasy book. The narrators were good. They brought the story to life and kept me interested. This was a nice change from the highly sexual, angst-filled, anger-filled and blood-filled fantasy books I’ve been reading. It was a magical tale, with simple magic. I enjoyed the world building because of the political history and intrigue that fired-up a rebellion. It reminded me of very muted GOT; there was even a “Red Wedding-esque” plot. If you’re looking for a quick fantasy read or are new to fantasy, you might like this.

This is my first early copy of a book in an audiobook format and I enjoyed it! One thing that caught my eye when I scrolled through NetGalley is the beautiful cover. Then I noticed the author's name and realized I've read her work before. So I requested The Stolen Kingdom without spending too much time thinking whether I'd like it or not because from the synopsis, this book is my cup of tea.

Using two POVs, we followed two young people from different backgrounds, one is a prince and another is a 'supposedly' commoner who works in a vineyard. Fate pulled them together with a shocking revelation that'd change their lives forever. For me, the beginning was a little slow but it's important to build and give details to the world. Then things just escalated rather quickly and I couldn't stop listening!

The writing made it easy for me to slip into the story. In no time, I was immersed, addicted, and awed by the wonderful narrators. I braced myself for the twists and turns that seemed to appear at every corner. Aside from those, I think the characters played the most important role in the book's charms and solid feel. They have a great characterization and development that made me root for them.

Maralyth was an amazing FMC. She surprised me with her wit and strength. Maralyth was brave, strong, and thoughtful, basically the kind of person I strive to be. On the other hand, Alac was the type of character that you can't help but sympathize with. Born as a prince, his duty must come before everything else yet people often told him to be someone he's not. He was passionate, kind, and understand his responsibility.

I liked their dynamic as a couple though not as much when they were rivals... Their deadly cat-and-mouse game (just as the synonym described) was not as powerful as I thought it'd be. Unfortunately, the bite and the yearning between both of them were not enough for me. But as a couple, I could see how well they'd work together, thank the stars. Though for me, the story would be more exciting if their rivalry was spicier.

Overall, The Stolen Kingdom was an enjoyable standalone young adult fantasy. It offers another magical tale to the genre that is easy to follow with an enchanting world and intriguing characters. Personally, it's lacking its fire in some way though I liked it nonetheless. Recommended for those who are new to fantasy or if you're looking for a memorable quick read.

I love when I'm pleasantly surprised by novels. The Stolen Kingdom was a richly told story of two opposing magics, a sweet new romance, and political intrigue that takes several notes from certain Game of Thrones plot lines.

With this being Boehme's sophomore novel, I found myself enjoying this story right through to the end. The tale is told in alternating POV's, following Maralyth and Alac, two people coming from opposite ends of the spectrum in this fantasy world. One from a struggling vineyard with magic she must hide, the other as the spare heir to a kingdom of stolen magic. Magic that was stolen from Mara's bloodline years ago. When she learns she is the rightful heir to the throne, Mara is pulled into a bloodthirsty plot that aims to make her queen over the bones of the Alac and his family. But, as you would expect, things don't quite go to plan, and it's hard to let someone die when you start having feelings for them.

When political intrigue is promised in YA, you're never quite sure if it will pan out until you get to the end. I'm delighted to say this kept me on my toes. There were several plot twists that made the story interesting and prevented it from being predictable. I also really like how the first half of the book centres around a Red Wedding-esque assassination plot. Led by a character who is very much inspired by Petyr Baelish, Mara is to infiltrate the events leading up to the wedding of Alac's older brother as a ward. Then, at the breakfast before the main event, the king and both princes are to die, and Mara to be crowned. And while the result isn't as shocking as George R R Martin's rendition, this was still superbly done.

What kept this from five stars was shortcomings in the wordlbuilding, namely the magic. There are a lot of rules that surround the stolen magic Alac's family has inherited. When the king dies, a ritual must be completed to contain this dark magic within the next king before it destroys and ages everything it touches. It's a dangerous magic because when it was stolen from Mara's ancestor years ago, it turned on its new owner and become a thing of death rather than life. It took me most of the book to understand all the nuances around the magic, and I don't feel I necessarily appreciated the stakes until it was too late. Which sucks because it was quite interesting and executed well.

I received both an e-ARC and an audiobook from Tor Teen and chose to listen to this book. I have zero qualms with the female narrator. Her voice was great and nice on the ears. The male narrator, on the other hand, was not. The dialogue portions were good, but the narration itself was rough as his voice is not only more monotonous and dry, but slower. I had to sacrifice enjoying some of Mara's chapters because I needed to adjust the speed for Alac's. Men, ruining everything, I tell ya.

I received this Audiobook ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I didn't think I'd like this novel as much as I did to be honest.

Since it is an audiobook im not going to try to get into a lot of the other characters only because I cannot spell most of them due to it being an audiobook.

in the beginning Maralyth lives with her father and brother on their vineyard, and she loves the vineyard. she's connected to it you could say. While, Alac, the prince, wanted nothing to do with the throne or magic. He was the second son so he didn't have much to worry about there, but he still despised the stolen magic his father possessed.

Mara and Alac met and there was instantly sparks between them. they didn't know each other long, but they both had similar goals for their lives. Until everything went downhill.

the first half of the book was slow, not terribly slow but a lot slower than the second half of the novel. The second half is fast paced, a lot happens and a lot of betrayal, heartbreak, and anger between the characters.

the world building and plot were amazing everything kept you on the edge of your seat. you had to know what happened after every chapter.

the character development was also really well written, both mara and Alac change so much from who they were in the beginning, and it was nice to see them spread their wings and be who they really wanted to be.

although I had doubts about liking this book when I first started it, I'm happy to say now that I adored it. I am sad that is just a standalone as I would love to see more of Jillians world and how their lives are in their futures.

All in all I give this novel 5/5 stars, and am so thankful I was given a copy to read! I will definitely be looking out for more novels by Jillian

The Stolen Kingdom was a delight to listen to. I was swept away into this magical world from the start. Good vs. Evil, kidnapping, a possible love story, a wicked king with stolen magic. There was so much to love about this.

Maralyth is a farmers daughter and her mother is dead. She has taken on those duties her mother had done until she is kidnapped. She is worried about what this will mean for her family. How will her father get by without her… and her magic. She heals those sick and dying plants on the farm to help her father succeed.

Once her captor informs her of the root of her magical gifts are from the true royal bloodline and bribes her with her families destruction, she concedes to be part of the coup to get back the thrown.

Alec is the second in line for the throne. He wants nothing but to get a vineyard of his own going as soon as he can. He must wait for his brother’s wedding and a new heir to be born first.

Maralyth’ so training we well done. Now she will attend the royal wedding were the coup is set to take place. While there she meets Alec and discovers that this might not be the best plan after all.

I think the narrators, Kirby Heyborne and Suzy Jackson, did a fantastic job. I would like to thank NetGalley and RB Media for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love fantasy stories especially about magic and kingdoms. I love a good fantasy that's a stand alone. Sometimes they are drawn out. I feel like this one needed to be longer or multiple books. So much happen within the minimum number of pages. I feel like some of the main themes of the story could of been fleshed out when Maralyth was brought from her family vineyard to the world of taking over the kingdom it took no time to convince her to take over and be brought into the plan.
This would of been nice to been flushed out and the meat of the story took a span of a week and once we reach midway all hell breaks loose I would of loved to have the middle to the end flushed out more.

I did enjoy this story I just wished it was longer. The 2 main characters were both really likeable and I rooted for both of them to get what they both wanted.

If you want a fast read and a fun fantasy I urge you to pick this this story up. again my only thing I wanted was a longer story. which if you think about is a high compliment for wanting more from the story and author. I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters.
I looked forward to reading more from this author and hopefully I get a big long epic fantasy series!

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

After reading some good reviews about this book, I thought I would give it a go. I have been enjoying some fantasy stories lately and this one sounded like a good fit for me. I have to say I enjoyed it. The story is set in Perin Faye, a kingdom and world with magic. The magic is held by the Thungrave family, but it is dark and the kingdom suffers. The magic was stolen over 100 years ago from another family and there are no full blooded holders of magic left in their family, at least that is what the Thungrave's believe. Enter Maralyth Graylaern, Mara to friends, who has the magic. She is a vintner's daughter who discovered she had the power to make the vines heal and the grapes ripen. 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. When Mara visits the castle for his brother's wedding as the ward of the Lord, Alac and Mara become friends, that is until the coup. Suddenly they are in a cat-and-mouse chase that brings out the worst in the magic, intrigue and forbidden love.

I loved both Mara and Alac. They were both loving, caring and honest characters for the most part, loyal to a fault. Mara only goes along with the plot to save her family. They are attracted to one another almost immediately as they recognize kindred spirits. Mara is horrified to see what the magic can do and she is frantic to make it right. There are some not so likeable characters in this story as well, because you can't have a good vs evil story without them. This was a relatively quick read with a fast moving plot. I listened to this in one day and was happy with the story and the ending. There was not a lot of world building or background which could be a positive or negative depending on what you are looking for. This is a standalone story, but I would enjoy another book to see what happens to these characters in the future. Overall, I enjoyed this story. The narration by Kirby Heyborne and Suzy Jackson was well-done. I always seem to enjoy an audiobook better when there are both male and female narrators to do the various POVs. They did a great job with expression, emotions and tone to differentiate the characters and the action in the story. I definitely recommend this audiobook.

The Stolen Kingdom, by Jillian Boehme, is a nice YA fantasy with some romance thrown in. I especially enjoyed the narrators on the audiobook and think they helped bring the characters to life. I appreciate that this was a stand alone, and didn’t end with a cliffhanger.
I think this will appeal to younger readers and is a nice quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

A richly compelling stand-alone fantasy novel- a tale of magic and mystery, curiosity and corruption, romance and betrayal.

The Stolen Kingdom follows two young people, both with claims to the throne. One who's lineage and magic was gifted by the Holy God, the other whose lineage stole the magic and claimed the throne for themselves.
Maralyth never expected much of life beyond her family's vineyard and hiding the magic she's not supposed to have. Alac never expected to have any claim to the throne as a second-born son; an intellectual, dreaming of a much simpler life. Both are thrust head first into a bid for the throne they are entirely unprepared for, but both want it.

What do you do when your enemy is the person you want dead, but you need them to save the kingdom from ruination?

The story hits beat after beat and doesn't slow down at all, constantly keeping you on your toes. There's kidnapping, deception, romance, rogue magic, friendships, siblings, witty banter, and a multitude of characters with their own agendas.

Maralyth is a wonderful MC, strong-willed, kind, clever, and opportunistic.

This was a fun book, and a very well-produced audiobook- the narrators are great. My only qualm is that it wasn't longer and more fleshed out.

I applaud any author who tackles a stand-alone fantasy and comes out the end with a satisfying novel, and this was it.

The Stolen Kingdom
by Jillian Boehme
Very vibrant world of magic and political intrigue. The kingdom of Perin Faye is run by a despotic king, who has stolen magic from the blessed line of kings. For over a hundred years this status que has left the kingdom unbalanced and liable to be attached by dark magic. A young venters daughter finds herself at risk, not only from the political battles but also the stolen magic. Her willingness to risk everything for the kingdom may be the only thing that protects it. This is a great children's story with a strong heroine who has to learn to understand her world and her own magic.

This book has a lot of stuff going on! I have to admit I was sucked in by the cover but I also really enjoyed the story itself! I loved the characters and both were very well done. The book is well paced and flows nicely. For all the stuff that is going on in the story the author did a great job of fitting it all in without it feeling crammed. I loved the world building and magic system. Overall this is a great standalone fantasy! Definitely recommend. Loved the narrator!