Captive of the Stolen Empire by Megan Van Dkye is an amazing enemies-to-lovers fantasy read. I love all the thrill, excitement, and characters they brought to life in this story.
The main reason I adore this story is the way the author wrote it. The flow brings everything together, melting the characters and their storylines into one, their emotions into one and how they feel towards the end is a memorable moment.

Another fantastic romantic fantasy from Megan Van Dyke! Fans of her other books will certainly like this one, as will anyone who loves SJM and JLA. Thanks so much for the arc!

A fun enemies-to-lovers romantasy!!

The dynamic/ banter is top tier, and the hate to love situation is so enjoyable to watch unfold. I do agree that the first half is a wee slow, but it really gets going in the second half, however the writing is really easy to read whilst crafting this world.

A very solid 4 star read, perfect for fantasy romance fans!!

This enemies to lovers book is all tell and no show. It grated on me for most of the story. It was the charters that had me going to the end. But I probably should have just DNFed this one. It was nothing really new and the ending had me wondering why I wasted my time reading this one.

Great book! Ilya wasn't my favorite, but that's okay. Creatively, I feel like she could have been so much stronger of a character. I love the dual POV situation we had going on, and enemies to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early ARC.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and City Owl Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved the dual POV style of this book! It was hard to put this book down. I was as captive as the FMC.

<I>“My name, on you lips.” He stroked at my bottom lip for emphasis. “The most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. Say it again.”</I>

Ilya Valerious, heir to the now conquered city of Sorrena, is an ‘honoured guest’ of Emperor Ryszard. If she steps out of line, her family and people will be hurt. And if her people try to rebel, she will be killed. Ilya has to play the game, straddling the line between demure and compliant guest and fiery and determined young women who wants to see her nation freed. Enter the Emperor’s trusted and feared commander, Lucien. Lucian is as mysterious as his powers are feared, but he can’t help but be drawn to the bothersome and defiant heir. As they are drawn closer together, hidden pasts are discovered and secret rebellions rise.

This is a fast paced, dual POV story that I devoured. I really enjoyed the main characters and found it had good world-building and a well developed plot.
Pick up this if you love:
🏰Romantasy
🪄Magic
🗡️Enemies-to-lovers
❤️‍🔥Forbidden love
🏡Found family
🤲Forced proximity
💀‘Touch-her-and-die’

***Thank you to Netgalley for a e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review***

Although I have a couple of Megan's books, Captive of the Stolen Empire is the first one that I have gotten round to reading. I have heard countless great things about her writing and this did not disappoint.
Ilya and Lucien gave me that happy heart feeling when I was reading their story which I am sure needs a continuation as I need to know what happens next! This book was the definition of the enemies to lovers trope that I love so much.
I want to find out more about the other captains, especially Warren, Brishon and Zurina. I just want more of this world and to find out what happens next in the aftermath of that ending.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! The banter is top-notch and Lucien and Ilya's hate to love relationship is fun to watch develop. I liked that it was dual POV, I think it helped keep the action moving. Very enjoyable fantasy!

An enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romantasy. The first half is a little slow but it definitely picks up and gets rolling in the second half. My only complaint is that the villain is never given a physical description - if you're going to make a villain, give him a description and make him terrifying or sinister. Otherwise, an enjoyable read.

AWESOME! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes so I knew I had to read this.

We follow the POV's of Lucien, Captain of the empire that conquered Sorrena, and Ilya, heir to the throne of Sorrena. I really like it because it doesn't matter which POV you are following, the next chapter gives you the POV of the other character of the same scene or something that follows up which make him/her still reflect on what happened before. So we always know what both of them are thinking. This happens almost all the time, there are few chapters from the same POV in a row.

The final 3 chapters are everything I wanted and needed. After that ending, I really hope you are thinking of making this, at least, a duology. I need more from this characters... and their group of friends.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to this book!

When I saw the blurb for this book, I immediately went ahead and requested it. Enemies to lovers is one of my favourite plot lines to read about. However, I felt as is Ilya and Lucien’s relationship progressed too fast for me to really get invested in their story. I know I personally prefer more of a slow burn, so this could be more just based on my preferences. I also felt like this book was heavy on the politics and romance plot, but not as heavy on the fantasy elements. I would have like to see more fight scenes or deeper explanations to the magic system, rather than things just being told.

One thing I did really love with this book is the dual POV. I absolutely loved watching the story progress through both minds of Ilya and Lucien. This was a style I have not read very often, but I genuinely loved. I think doing so really helped build the story. Also, Megan van Dyke knows how to write some good steamy romance scenes which always helps when reading a romantasy.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. The beginning was a little slow, but as you hit the 35% mark, there’s twists and plot developments that keep the reader engaged and really help the story build. I think what would have made this book better is having it be longer and really allow pieces to develop further.

I was really intrigued and got hooked in the beginning, but for some reason I just got really apathetic towards the end. Maybe because I am ready a couple of other romantasies, but my interest faded. There was a lot of political turmoil, love over loyatly, and lost heir tropes. In my opinion it was pretty Stockholm syndrome esque. The rulers of the countries the empire has conquered are held to force cooperation. Ilya falls for her captor and I did not seem that many redeeming qualities of Lucien. There was a lot of will they won't they , which kind of got tiring to me. I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really love a dual POV enemies to lovers fantasy book! The pacing of this book was a little weird, but overall I'd say if you're a fan of the Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen, you'll like this book. The politics, romance, and magic are interesting, and I think Megan Van Dyke should get more noise in the romantasy community.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This is the first book from Megan Van Dyke I've read and I loved her writing. It flows really well it's easy to read. The fantasy world she created was well done and the story itself was really good.
The banter between Ilya and Lucien was amazing, and their story is very beautiful.
It's truly worth reading and I can't wait for the next one.

Loved this book! As a beginner to fantasy romance, this book captivated me! Absolutely loved it! Absolutely loved the characters, especially the mmc!

Thank you to Megan Van Dyke and NetGalley for giving me an e-copy of this book.

"Ilya Valerious was born to rule the city-state of Sorrena in her mother’s footsteps—until the tyrannical emperor conquered her homeland.

Held hostage to ensure her people’s obedience by the emperor’s first captain, Lucien, she plots a dangerous gambit to free her people: seduce the captain, source information for a growing rebel movement, and take them all down from within.

Beyond Lucien’s fearsome, masked appearance and powerful magic is a man trying to fulfill the emperor’s promise of peace and prosperity. A task that would be easier if the captive heirs under his watch would finally submit to the emperor’s rule. One in particular, Ilya, breathes defiance despite Lucien’s efforts to protect her from herself and win her to the emperor’s side.

She’s a dangerous temptation he can ill afford, especially as she starts to uncover long-buried secrets that have him questioning not only his own past and his role in the empire, but the emperor he’s sworn his life to.

When the fate of an empire rests on a knife’s edge, Ilya and Lucien must decide if their blossoming love is worth sacrificing everything they’ve worked for. But only if the emperor doesn’t kill them first."

This has the POV of both Ilya and Lucien. I thoroughly enjoy reading this. It has great world building, captivating plot and easy to follow.

This book was so good. I love fantasy romance books and this book was no exception. It is enemies to lovers and the romance was so amazing. The world drew me in. Would highly recommend!

“They conquered my city, but not me.”

After her city-state is conquered, his loyal captains take Ilya, the born-to-be ruler, captive to the emperor’s palace. To survive alongside other captives, Ilya must hide her hatred for the cruel emperor to protect her people. Still, when an opportunity presents itself to help the growing rebellion, Ilya decides to do whatever it takes to fight for freedom, even at the cost of her growing feelings for Lucien, the captain who took her from her home and who she quickly realizes is not who she thought him to be.

I really liked the main character, Ilya. She is so strong and always willing to fight for what she believes in her freedom and for her people. I didn’t always agree with her decisions, and I thought she often acted recklessly, never seeming to learn from her mistakes. However, this aspect can make for a great character, allows for lots of growth, and makes me interested in her journey in future books. Lucien was our MMC, and his journey was to discover the truth. He’s struggling with what he’s been taught and learning for himself. It was written so realistically, and I liked how he had always been there for Ilya since their first meeting. He can be insecure, which makes sense for his character. I really enjoy that these characters are flawed, which is unique in books.

Ilya and Lucien had a fantastic slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance. There were so many great moments between them, and I loved all their scenes together. Everything felt so organic. I also really liked the secondary characters, found family trope was well written here, and it would be great to see some of them get their own stories in the future. The plot is exciting and fast-paced, and the writing style makes it easy to digest. There is plenty of everything - magic, political intrigue, hidden identities, found family, emotional experiences, and unforgettable characters.

*An e-ARC was provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.