The Stolen Throne opens up with a Reven POV chapter and, man, I was thirsty for it!! Why wasn't there more??

The Liar's Crown was such a fun read with with mistaken/switched identity, adventure, lush world building, and a fiery romance. I was really excited to read its sequel, The Stolen Throne!

The Stolen Throne fell a bit into "second book syndrome" where it seems like a bridge book between the first and third novels in a series. And, honestly, there's nothing wrong with bridge books because that's often where a lot more history and world building is established. I think that happens here and is one of the strengths of this series, yet there were times where I was still feeling a bit bored.

I felt like we lost some of that fiery chemistry between Meren and Reven in this story. It's warranted due to the circumstances, but it was such a highlight from the first book so the lack of it in the second was very apparent.

I love that this series has a bit of a found family trope. I want more of Vos and Tziah and BENE!! Bene was specifically such a delight!

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys:
- Romantasy
- Upper YA (borderline NA)
- Unique Elemental Magic (our FMC can manipulate and control sand. That's new.)
- A super broody, self-sacrificing MMC who's just a softy, sweet cinnamon roll on the inside (oh, and has shadow magic)
- Short and quick chapters
- themes of identity/self-discovery
- fated mates trope

I'll still be reading the third book when it comes out!

3.5/5 Stars (rounded up)

There was so much going on! It took me a minute to get reacquainted with some of the story but once that happened I was transported back into it all.

As they embark on their quest to stop Eidolon, Meren and her friends have their work cut out for them. Frustratingly, he seems to know their every move.

Before the book ends, Meren will be dealt with a betrayal, plenty of adventure as they travel among the realms and maybe even death.

So prepare for an ending that may shock you a little. I can't wait to see how the story continues!

Thank you so much to the author and Entangled for this ARC to review.

I don't think I've ever read a book with quite so many fascinating characters as this one. Each character is so fully fleshed, lovable, and important to the story.

Meren and Reven continue their fight against Eidelon, a surprising ally that has my whole heart, a betrayal that cut deep, and an ending that had me shaking my fist in the air! This was quite the adventure. Definitely an epic sequel! I can't wait to see how this story wraps up in the next book!

If you enjoy awesome characters and an engaging but easy-to-follow young adult fantasy novel, THE STOLEN THRONE is exactly what you want in your hands.

Reviewed for Fresh Fiction by Annetta Sweetko

https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=82157

This was a fantastic sequel. The characters and the plot all really developed nicely, and it drew me in just as much as the first book did. I am excited for the next one.

I am always impressed with the creativity that comes out of Owen's mind. She invents these worlds that are so different yet identifiable and believable. These characters may live lives we can't even picture but they're still likable and the reader is invested in their fights and triumphs.

I had not read The Liar's Crown and I really wished I had. I was able to enjoy this story without it but there were so many questions and a lot of references to events from the first book.

The world, the characters, the everyday struggle against evil, the love triangle all made for a fascinating novel that any reader who enjoys paranormal would spend enjoyable hours with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for the ARC.

LATE ARC REVIEW
As they say in the dominions, HOLY HELLS. Full of twists, turns and reveals. Omma 🥺. I absolutely loved this more than the first one, and i need the next one already! This was amazing.

Non vedevo l'ora di leggere il seguito di "Il regno delle bugie" (che da poco è stato pubblicato anche in Italia), perchè lo avevo davvero adorato. Il punto forte di questo libro, e di questa serie, sono sicuramente i personaggi.
Son costruiti davvero molto bene e la loro caratterizzazione è complessa al punto giusto.
Sentire il conflitto tra Reven e Meren del dover star lontani, del non poter accettare i sentimenti che ci sono tra loro, mi ha coinvolta in maniera pazzesca nella lettura e non vedevo l'ora che finalmente trovassero il modo di far funzionare le cose (e quei capitoli finaliiii!!!! OMG!).
Ma non solo loro sono interessanti e ben costruiti. Anche i personaggi secondari riescono a entrarti nel cuore. Ho adorato Bene, e come Horus , Hakan e Vos cercassero di proteggerli con tutte le loro forze.
Cain ha avuto alti e bassi.
La costruzione del sistema magico, della storia e del mondo in questo libro si ampliano ancora di più e ne sono davvero soddisfatta perchè è uno dei punti che apprezzo di più quando leggo un libro fantasy.
Ora attendo solo che ci venga raccontato di più di Eidolon e del suo passato. Ci vengono dati dei piccoli indizi in questo libro, ma è ancora troppo poco!

Ho adorato questo libro e spero davvero che molte altre persone ne verranno a conoscenza perchè davvero merita di essere letto. Se vi manca la compagnia di Rhysand e Acotar, allora leggetelo assolutamente, perchè è quello che mi ci voleva da quando ho finito di leggere la serie della Maas. Finora nessuno era ancora riuscito a raggiungere il suo livello.
Gli ultimi capitoli mi hanno distrutta emotivamente (ero in lacrime..al punto di non vedere cosa leggevo!) e spero davvero di poter leggere presto il seguito!!!

GRAZIE GRAZIE Netgalley e Entagled Publishing per avermi permesso di leggerlo!!!

---------------------------

I couldn't wait to read the sequel of "The Liar's crown" (which has recently been published in Italy too), because I really loved it.
The strong point of this book, and of this series, are definitely the characters.
They are built very well and their characterization is complex at the right point.
Hearing the conflict between Reven and Meren of having to stay apart, of not being able to accept the feelings between them, drove me crazy into reading and I couldn't wait for them to finally find a way to make things work (and those final chapters!!!!OMG!).
But not only them are interesting and well built. Even the secondary characters manage to get into your heart. I loved Bene, and how Horus, Hakan and Vos tried to protect them with all their might.
Cain has had his ups and downs.
The construction of the magical system, history and world in this book expand even more and I'm really satisfied with it because it's one of the points I appreciate most when I read a fantasy book.
Now I'm just waiting for us to be told more about Eidolon and his past. We are given little clues in this book, but it's still too little!

I loved this book and I really hope that many more people will know about it because it really deserves to be read. If you miss the company of Rhysand and Acotar, then by all means read it, because that's what I needed since I finished reading the Maas series. So far no one had yet managed to reach her level.
The last few chapters destroyed me emotionally (I was in tears..to the point of not seeing what I was reading!) and I really hope to be able to read the sequel soon!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU Netgalley and Entagled Publishing for letting me read it!!!

I seriously LOVE this series! I can’t get enough! I’m beyond ready for the third and final book. Meren is such a great character and I love her strength! Meren is now acting as queen while those she care about are hiding in the desert. But Reven and Cain come for her…even though Reven is weak. Once they are back in the desert, Meren sees how sick her sister is. No one knows what to do to help her. But as time and adventure continues, Meren learns more about Eidolon and what she needs to do to try and defeat him. Meren is so strong and holds more power than she thinks! I don’t want to give away much but I can say I highly recommend this series! Absolutely amazing!

thanks to entangled for the arc in exchange for review.


I really wanted to like these books but the writing is just so flat and i don't want to root for any of the characters.

This one is so much faster paced than the first book!! I wish there was a little more of a refresher written into the story, but it starts off right where the first one ends. Love the world she has created! This is such a fun YA fantasy that I will absolutely recommend to our YA patrons.

3-3.5 stars

It took me almost 2 weeks to get through this book. I had a really hard time with it because I feel like it has veered off quite a bit from book one. It would be in a good way if this one weren't so focused on Meren and her need to know if Reven likes her. The other problem I have is that she is still acting like she is the throwaway twin so that makes her more reckless and acts like it doesn't even matter to anyone but herself. Like she is only thinking of herself when she does things, even though it is for others.

There was sooooo much potential for character building on the side characters and even world building but it focused highly on Meren and Reven. It wouldn't be a huge problem if it wasn't 95% "stay away from me", 3% "I need you near me" and 2% "we can be together".

I really wish this focused more on the amulets, what they hold, what could happen if they're released, and what it means for Meren to step up for Tabra truly. She always knew her life was Tabra but acted like she could have her own knowing that her sister may not make it out alive. She was doing what needed to be done but also made it seem like she never would actually sit on the throne. It's so hard to explain what I mean but if you read, maybe you'll understand?

I absolutely love this author but this series is falling flat more me.

DNF at 40%

I tried to get into this book multiple times, but I just couldn't muddle through it. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so it was very disappointing. The pacing was very slow, the characters felt one-dimensional, and the plot was a bit uneventful. Reven in particular was extra brooding and annoying. The romance was nonexistent within the first 40%. Sadly, I won't be continuing this series, as it just isn't holding my interest.

*Please note: I will not be rating the book in my review.

The journey got even more complicated with the king trying to get to the queen and that cliffhanger on the last book. The romance was great but her crush enters and it becomes a bit of a triangle. Loved the amulets and the discoveries that linked them to other ancient things. Bene was a fun addition.
Loved Cain and Reven, it's hard to choose.
Def check these out if you love fantasy and fairy tales.
This was a story built from an idea after reading The Shadow by the brothers Grimm.

Thank you entangledpub and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I feel like I enjoyed this one more than book 1, but I'm pretty sure I'm giving it the same rating. So, to start with, I am just going to say that I recently read Fourth Wing and it's really hard to jump into another fantasy book right after reading that one. That one was amazing, and it's so hard not to compare. However, I'm not going to compare, just know that my rating probably reflects that I recently read that book.

I did enjoy this one more than the first book in the series. I thought the writing has improved a lot. The world building and world itself was super good. There were times where I just thought "OMG what is happening" and it kept me interested. However, I could not stand the love triangle with Cain. Cain just needed to get the picture and he just didn't. I am sorry, but it just made me dislike this book with how much that dragged out.

This book was a slow burn, which was so surprising after the last one. I needed the spice WAY sooner than it happened. And maybe a little more frequently would have been nice too.

I liked the characters and was not expecting most of what happened to happen. So, that is always a plus. But I just felt like this book was too long for what it was, and I needed a little more from it overall. I will be continuing this series because I have enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite fantasy world.

The Stolen Throne is the anticipated sequel to the Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen. The first book in this series was one of my favorite breakout reads from last year so I was so excited to continue reading Meren's story with the sequel.

Once again, I loved the romance between Meren and Reven (the end of the novel holy-). I didn't mind the "love triangle" that was being forced because I think it was very clear who Meren wanted.

The overall plot of the novel was interesting with the gang basically going on a scavenger hunt. It was intriguing to see where the plot would take us!

I feel as if the Stolen Throne suffers a tad from "second book syndrome" where it is just a bridge to a larger story. Not that I didn't enjoy it! But some parts of the novel were slow so it dragged on at times.

The ending climax of the story was the best part of the book. I was so engaged while reading it and it left me absolutely breathless! Drop that mic, Meren.

Overall, all fans of the Liar's Crown need to check out the next book in the Dominions series and I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Entangled Teen for an eARC of this novel. All thoughts and reviews contained within this review are my own.

I enjoyed The Stolen Throne even more than the first book! The novel opens sometime after the events of the third book, with Meren basically being held captive by Eidolon. It's not long before she finds a way out of a palace, determined to find a way to stop him.

One aspect that I really loved about this book over the first is that we get to see more of the side characters. In the first book, a large section was just Meren and Reven. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones where the whole group is gathered together. I especially loved the scenes with Meren and Pella, who not only grew on me since the first book but who's also becoming one of my favorite side characters in the book. I also loved the addition of a new character, Bene.

This book also had a lot more action than the first one and overall, the characters are much more active this time around. While the first book was more romance-fantasy, this one leans more fantasy-romance. While the romance is definitely there, I like that there was more going on this time.

The world-building is also so much stronger in this book. In The Liar's Crown, I was confused at times, but The Stolen Throne explains the world more in ways that flowed naturally with the story. I especially liked hearing the story of the formation of Nova.

My minor gripes are that it got a little repetitive at times, and there was a scene where some of the characters changed their minds abruptly with little explanation. I'm also not a fan of love triangles with the obsessively over-protective trope, but that's more of a "me" issue than a flaw within the book.

Overall, it was a compelling read. If you enjoyed The Liar's Crown, definitely pick this up! It's even better than the first one, and I can't wait until April 2024 for the third book because that ending left me desperate for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

I got an ARC of this one from @netgalley and was excited to continue this series. I was also able to combine this with the audiobook copy from Audible and again, loved the narration.

This story picks up shortly after the first book ends, and there’s not a lot of specifics I can go into without giving spoilers. There’s a lot of different dynamics in this one, a bit of a love triangle, slow burn, and lots of mutual pining. I think this world is so interesting and unique and I am so so ready for the next book and wish I didn’t have to wait!

I loved this first book in this series and have been itching to find out what happens to Meren and Reven.
While some of the events that happened fell a little flat for me (aka people making dumb choices) ... I really liked this sequel and felt like it stood up against the curse of the sequel (being all filler).
There is a love triangle that I didnt think needed to be there. Theres enough drama and stuff going on without that subplot.
I loved the expansion of the worldbuilding and getting to know more. Im really hoping the third book ends well and gives us all the answers we're looking for.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of the stolen throne by abigail owen. this was a sequel so no spoilers but i am excited this one is out and look forward to getting it in to my shop. the first book was great and this really followed through.