Member Reviews

Meren is posing as her sister, the Queen of Aryd and wife of the merciless villain King Eidolon after the explosive events at the end of The Lair's Crown. Compared to the previous book, this one is much more action packed fantasy than slow burn romance, but it still left just as much of an impact. Brilliant world building and strong characters, this a series I absolutely adore!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

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The Stolen Throne is book two of the Dominions series by Abigail Owen and like book one, this one ends on a bit of a cliff so be prepared if you pick this one up. With that said, I'm glad I got to dive back into this world and see where things went for the characters.

Book two picks up right where book one left off. Meren is trapped in Eidolon's clutches after having gotten Reven and Tabra out. The only good thing is that despite him trying, Eidolon can't really control Meren as he did Tabra. There's more on just why that is in the book but it's a pretty big plot point so I'm not going to give it away. Quickly into the first chapters though, Reven and Cain decide they are going to go get Meren out and from there, we get deeper into what Eidolon is really trying to do and the history of the Goddesses.

I thought Owens did a great job of continuing this story. Sometimes a second book can feel like filler but this was not the case at all. As I mentioned, there is a lot going on in this one. From trying to save Tabra, learning more about the amulets and Goddesses, and of course (one of my favorite pieces) building out more of Reven and Meren's relationship. There is plenty of conflict and action to go along with the story and as I mentioned, there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this second book of the series and will definitely be picking up the next one to see what happens with these characters. If you're looking for a YA series to pick up, definitely consider this one.

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This series isnt a series I would normally read but once I read a liars crown, I knew I needed to read the rest of the trilogy. The first book wasnt perfect but it was definitely interesting. I love the book even though I didnt think I would. The second book helped me learn more about the other sister and what she would do for her sister and kingdom. It was a good read. If you love fantasy and kings and queens and heartbreak and love and all those things.. this book is for you!

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4.5 ⭐️

A lot of the time the second book in a series will suffer with middle book syndrome, the author using it as a filler novel, but THAT WAS NOT THE CASE HERE!!! There was so much action, politics, romance, and betrayal that there were times I had to stop reading because there was so much going on I needed to pause to comprehend. This one is less romance based than the first (a lot more action and planning), but I think that it was better. If you liked the first one or even thought it was just ok, please give this one a chance!

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The book begins right where the first one ends, and I have to say that it is a very good continuation of the saga.
The story progresses at a very good pace and you never get bored
I have noticed that some characters do not contribute anything to the plot and that they are simply filler.
Although I would have liked to feel the tension between the protagonists as in the first book, I still like the relationship between them
Overall an entertaining read that leaves you wanting to read the next book.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot packed into this book and there is so much to unpack. This book definitely had a lot of action, but I just wanted Reven and Meren to be together. I was sad to see them parted from each other emotionally and was so happy when they finally got to be together and be bound together. This book ended on such a good cliffhanger and I cannot wait for the next book!!! The wait will kill me!

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Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I really really enjoyed the first one and the second one was a pretty good continuation. Looking forward to the next one!

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I'm not posting my review on Goodreads, because I was not a fan of the book. I loved Liar's Crown, so I had really high hopes for this sequel. Unfortunately, it was incredibly hard to get through. In fact, I didn't finish it. I got to the halfway point and stopped. I usually don't do that for ARCs, but it was really difficult.

First, the timeline was sort of odd. We are jumped to the future with no information on what transpired since she was "kidnapped".
The characters felt like they weren't even the same people! The "romance" was awkward and forced. Lastly, the plot was just way too all over the place. It is basically made possible with these magic mirrors. It was just all over the place.

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I received an advanced reader copy of The Stolen Throne via NetGalley. 💚 A big thank you to Entangled Publishing! 💚 I read and reviewed this title voluntarily, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 💚

I want to start by saying I absolutely enjoyed reading this book and am so sad that I have an even longer wait for the next one. This sequel did a fantastic job of expanding the overall world, maintaining the slow burn, and really dove into the found family trope.

This sequel picks up a few weeks after the ending events of The Liars Crown but not everyone is as we left them. Tabra is but a ghost of herself, Reven is slowly unraveling, and Meren is lying for her life.

The overarching theme of found family and learning to rely on others that this book has explored was a favorite for me, especially for both Meren and Reven who spend a great deal of time taking on burdens and keeping secrets to the detriment of themselves and the group.
There is also a great deal of expansive world building in this book from places, mythical creatures, powers, and the magic system itself.

The one thing in this book however that did not work for me was the “love triangle”. This particular love triangle between Meren, Reven, and Cain reads a bit strange because we have been aware since the first book that Meren has no romantic feelings towards Cain in the slightest. Even as much as Meren relies on Cain, it’s never come across as anything other than platonic on her end. In other words, this love triangle felt over before it even started.

I think Owen has a great cast of characters she has created and I hope that in future books she explores them more deeply than we have seen so far. I especially hope to see more of Tabra, her powers, perhaps even get something in her POV, especially surrounding her relationship with Achlys, as I feel it is important for this relationship to be more than just a background subject. I think The Stolen Throne has definitely left room and set up the story to do this.

Overall, The Stolen Throne had me thoroughly entertained and I can’t wait for the next installment. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

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This book picks up right where the first one ends, with Meren, Cain, and Reven having saved Tabra from Eidolon’s clutches and being on the run now. Meren needs to take control of the situation quickly, and she needs to find a way to defeat Eidolon for good before he finds them and eradicates them, or before he can get Tabra back for his nefarious plans. The characters were okay, but not impressive to be honest.

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I love this series. It's just so good. The only problem is that now I have to wait for the third book and I want to know what's going to happen NOW!
I've been a fan of Abigail Owen's books for quite some time, so many five-star reads among them, but I think this latest series is a step above the rest. With fantastic world-building and a gripping storyline that keeps you guessing and turning the pages, it's so hard to put the book down once you start.
The stolen throne rejoins Merren and Reven as they try to save Merren's sister and find their way against the evil king Eidolon. At the end of the last book, there were so many questions and so much that I wanted to know. Some of that was revealed here, but there's still so much to find out.
I love Merren as a character. She's such a strong and resourceful woman but still has plenty that makes her so relatable as a character. Reven makes a great partner who challenges and also supports her completely.
I can't wait to find out what is going to happen next. The Dominions is a brilliant series, highly recommended.

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I loved this sequel! It was so fun to see where the sisters went next. If you love YA fantasy, you need to pick this one up by Abigail Owen.

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I liked this book - but just didn't love it.
Sadly I felt that Merrin ust lacked some of her punch from the first book!

Perfectly readable and enjoyable fantasy but didn't quite live up to my expectations from the first book!

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I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Well, this book was just action after action after action. I was kept on my toes the whole time. The Reven/Meren and Meren/Cain story was great. Pella got to play a larger part in this story. Omma managed to wiggle her way a bit into my heart. But wow I can't wait to read the finale book of this series and I am really sad that I have to wait over a year to do so. I will buy these hardcovers to put on my shelves. They are so pretty!

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Y’all, @abigailowenauthor and her characters officially live rent free in my head.

This sequel to The Liar’s Crown is a page turner you will be addicted to from very first chapter. This book follows Tabra’s journey after the insane ending of the previous book. Our favorite cast of characters are back, but not all of them are going to make it. Yes, you better believe I was in the authors DMs asking her to pay for the therapy I was going to need after she caused me emotional damage.

This sophomore novel in The Dominions Trilogy will blow your mind and keep you guessing (and crying) every minute. I’m sitting on the edge of my seat patiently awaiting the conclusion of this series, so please hurry her along @entangledteen

You need this the second it comes out, so set your calendar for 5/2/23 because you don’t want to miss this one!!

Thank you @entangledteen and @netgalley for the early access 😍😍

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Thank you go Net Galley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an exciting sequel! The story is compelling and the characters wonderful!

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3.5 stars, a somewhat unpopular rating, I know…

I know it will seem like I complain a lot in this review, but I enjoyed this book overall, just not as much as the first book.

This book picks up right where the first one ends, with Meren, Cain, and Reven having saved Tabra from Eidolon’s clutches and being on the run now. Meren needs to take control of the situation quickly, and she needs to find a way to defeat Eidolon for good before he finds them and eradicates them, or before he can get Tabra back for his nefarious plans.

This was a good sequel, but some parts of the plot or some of the characters’ decisions still don’t make total sense to me. I will start with Eidolon. Where is he during this whole adventure? What is he doing while Meren is running around the realm and Reven parades around pretending to be him? With all his spies and powers, I cannot imagine that he has no idea what’s happening and what quest Meren and her group embarked on, or that he has no way of reaching them in another kingdom, so what is he waiting for?! Once again, the big bad guy that’s supposed to be a big looming threat didn’t make much of an impression on me. Sure he was there to thwart Meren’s plans every once in a while, but I was expecting him to be more of an active villain and to cause more trouble.

In line with this, Meren seemed surprised every time she encountered an obstacle, but she set off on a mission to visit the other kings and queens of the realm with a half-baked plan to get some relics from them while staying hidden from Eidolon, and she wonders why it didn’t work perfectly? She didn’t stop to think about alliances that might exist between Eidolon and the other monarchs, or the fact that he was still in Aryd, spreading rumors about her and her disappearance while she was just strolling around with his body double (aka Raven). The half-baked plan could be excused by the fact that she was desperate and didn’t have any other choice, but the fact that she was surprised by every twist or obstacle just made her seem stupid at times.

Now, let’s talk about the romance… There is a wannabe love triangle, but it was never really believable because it was clear from the start who Meren loved. This subplot was brought in a good way though so I am not mad. We all knew that Meren was in love with Reven, but with her need for support and resource, a potential political alliance that would give her manpower and resource was brought up, and it was a logical solution to her problem. Did Meren seriously consider it? Of course not, and magically the whole romance/mate-bond plot made it so she didn’t even need this marriage in the end, which was very convenient for her, but also made the whole “love triangle” feel even more useless (by the way, I don’t even understand why the word “mate” was used when it’s never been brought up before?).

The characters were okay, but not impressive to be honest. Reven was even moodier than in the first book, and while I understand that he was trying to protect Meren and her group by staying away, the stilted conversations and grunting made him appear like he had the expressive and emotional capacity of a tablespoon at times. I am not saying that he didn’t feel anything, because he loves Meren, but I was not a fan of his darker/moodier persona in this book.

Tabra was also a disappointment. After not seeing her at all in the first book (even though it would have been interesting to have some chapters in her POV), she was a useless accessory in this book too. She followed around or was dragged around, but she never did anything useful or even contributed ideas. She was just passive and honestly, she could have died in the first book or remained Eidolon’s prisoner for all the difference it made in this book.

Even Meren seemed to lose her newly gained confidence and badassness in this book. She seemed to rely on Reven for her happiness way too much, and she was constantly doubting herself and she gave off a big insecure vibe.

On a more positive note, the world-building continues to be a strength of this series, and the author has a way to write beautiful and vivid descriptions. I would still recommend this series to fantasy and YA lovers, but I do hope that the next book will wrap things up nicely without any useless romantic drama (I don’t mind romantic drama, as long as it is well developed and serves a purpose) and that the plot will be a little more thought through.

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This book has it all...... love story, action, fantasy and royalty. This story idea actually comes a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale. I absolutely enjoyed this story line and characters are built wonderfully. I enjoy the diversity of the characters and the different place that they come from. The leading character is a strong female leader who was not meant to become the leader but takes the role on with greatness. I rushed through reading the first one so that I could read this ARC and I am so glad I did. I LOVE this series and look forward to the next installment.

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Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book!

I thought this was a fantastic follow up to The Liar's Crown. Meren is a character who has her flaws, but is always trying to do the right thing. We are back with everyone after Meren's capture.

This one is all about secrets being unraveled, and learning the true history behind the world. I was fascinated with it from the beginning. This one has a tiny bit of political intrigue, but this is a fast paced, action packed fantasy book with a side of romance. (Okay, it's probably a bit more than a side...)

There are some twists and turns in this book that I hadn't expected. Many of the characters (unless they died in the previous one) are back in this book. While the POV is Meren's, we do have a full ensemble cast, and each play an important role in the book. I liked that Pella had a more prominent role in this book than in the previous one.

I definitely liked the romance in this book, but it was far more angsty than the previous book. This was an expertly woven romance, and is very slow burn. I think there was a lot to take in between Meren and Reven, and how they interacted. Meren feels so intensely about everyone and everything, and she hates hurting people. She is such a loving person, and I love that about her character.

I don't want to say too much more about the overall plot of this book as so much of it is spoilers, but suffice to say we have yet another cliffhanger at the end!

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I loved this one as much as the first book! Highly recommend and will be purchasing a physical copy for my library.

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