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!

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!

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 😍😍

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

If you read and loved the first volume of The Dominions trilogy, The Liar's Crown, get ready because this sequel is the bomb!!!

Just think: I liked it so much that I read it in less than 24 hours!!!

Right from the start I noticed a marked improvement in both the plot and the author's writing. The Stolen Throne is definitely much more fluent, compelling and detailed than the first volume. This improvement is also noticeable in the characterisation of the characters and their relationships.

The romance is the highlight of this book.

The tension between Meren and Even is through the roof. They both want each other but Reven tries to keep the girl as far away as possible to protect her. This does not stop either of them from fighting and claiming love for the other.

Their story is a love story that touches the soul. It is simple, genuine, true. Too bad about the obstacles they encounter along the way. I hope in the third ( and final volume unfortunately😭😭) they get their happy ending.

If you are looking for a smooth flowing, gripping YA with a brilliant and unique love story that is able to rip your soul from your chest, this is the story for you.

My biggest congratulations to the author because with this second volume she has outdone herself.

I would like to thank Abigail Owen, Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for sending me the ARC copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review

Book 2 in the Dominion series and this book did not disappoint! If you love fantasy, mystery, adventure and a really fun magic system, this book is for you! The main character was so likable and will resonate with people of all ages! Definitely pick up this book.

The Stolen Throne is book two in the Dominions series by Abigail Owen.
I thought the story, the characters, the magic, the secrets, the action, the steam - was all done so well. The world was built creatively and the characters were likable.
This was a magnificent fantasy story. Magic, twisted, romance, action and so much more. I was completely spellbound.
The world building was great! Like I can’t put my words to justice here.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Entangled Teen for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

3.5 stars.

The Stolen Throne is book 2 in the Dominions series and while I absolutely adored the first book (The Liar's Crown) I can't say the same about it's sequel😭. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. It was okay.

The Stolen Throne had all the things I loved about the first book—intricate worldbuilding, amazing story concept, beautiful descriptions—but what was lacking in this book was the relationship between Meren and Reven. I was so excited to revisit this world and to check back in with the adorable couple that I loved so much in the previous book but was sadly disappointed. I love a good angsty storyline but all the angst between Meren and Reven was just so annoying and overly complicated.

This book picked up right after The Liar's Crown but for some reason it took me forever to really get into. I don't know, it just did not have that spark that book one had. It didn't suck me in, consume my thoughts or have me giddy kicking my feet like book one did. I guess after experiencing such a great first book my hopes were a tad bit too high but overall, I did end up enjoying this story once I got into it and will be eagerly awaiting the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC!

Here’s the things. I really liked liars crown but I just didn’t enjoy this one. I found it hard to follow and maybe I’m Not remembering book 1 properly but it felt like a different series.

Oh my goodness, what an incredible book! The character growth was phenomenal. Meren goes from an intimidated young girl who believes that her whole purpose was to just be a sacrifice for her sister, to a strong and capable woman. In this book, Meren begins to become more confident in who she is and allows herself to connect with others. The romance and tension between Meren & Reven was top tier. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this sequel was that it answered some of my questions that I had after finishing the first book and we learned more about the side characters. There is a presence of found family throughout this story which I feel like strengthened the story line. I can't wait to read more about Meren & Reven in the next book!

There’s something about this series that just sucks me in. Meren is not only funny, but she’s strong and knows what she wants. She will do anything to protect her family and friends/those that she loves. She will always back the best choice, even if it is a hard one or not always the right one. I didn’t enjoy this second book as much as the first, only bc I don’t like the “forced separation” thing. The world building was done so well, and I liked seeing more of this world and of course all the adventure. I’m looking forward to the 3rd installment! After this ending, I know the next book is going to be worth the wait. I received this arc from Netgalley, all thoughts and options are my own.

What a ride this book was! Wow, I love this story and am so excited to see how Meren and Reven reach their HEA! The next book can't come soon enough!

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review

I need book three now or I'll riot. Period. 😂

Book Two is way so much better than the first one! Gosh!!

This book is everything (at least for right now ).  Picking up where the Liar's Crown left off, Meren has been taken by Eidolan, posing as her sister, leaving the rest of the group from the Shadowland and Wanderers to figure out a way to get her back.  What happens next is quite sweeping as Reven finds a way to get Meren back, but at what cost to the both of them?

A lot happens in this book.  Physically this group covers a lot of territory as they try to find a way to defeat Eidolon. They have to trek through different dominions, figure out who is an ally, fight off creatures, learn the depths of their powers, and devise some semblance of a plan that leads to their defeat over evil.  But then there is the emotional toll all this takes on Meren and Reven.  They spend a lot of time fighting their emotional connection to one another.  They both want it but at what cost?  Their despair over what they feel for each other and the fight they have before them could almost be a secondary character (it's that strong).  Add in what Meren feels for her sister, Cain and the friends she's made and it's almost too much raw emotion.  But somehow the author merges this all together to give us a hero and heroine that pull at the heartstrings and having us cheering for them to continue to fight.

January 2024 feels like such a long way off, but that is when the final installment to the series The Shadows Rule All will come out.  If you haven't started this series yet, you can pick up the first book, The Liar's Crown for $1.99 on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3yFK3Wv).

Okay this book was way better than I had expected after the first. There’s so much more action and feelings and emotions. I can’t wait to read more of Meren and Reven’s stories!

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled, and Abigail Owens for the eARC!

This book gave me all the feels. It was fast-paced. It tore at my heart strings.
Reven is my new book boyfriend!
The characters were developed, and the pacing was excellent.
This book does end on a cliffhanger, and I am dying to have the next book. I
The author has built an incredible world that sucks you in and does not let go.
The only thing is l, like with the first book, I am left with questions and not many answers.