I felt like this book did not live up to the hype or interesting plot of the first. The captive-captor dynamic didn't work for me and the world-building was lacking. Reven's character seemed completely different from book 1 as well which was difficult to rectify.

I enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing was really well done. It made you want to keep reading.

I really enjoyed book 1. Book 2, however, felt slow and not at all what I'd hoped for. Meren in Books 1 is determined and tough, but it's like something switches and in the beginning she plays the damsel in distress, which is the exact opposite of what I liked about her in Liars Crown...
DNF.
Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

The ending of this book……I just don’t know whether to cry, scream or curse! I’m devastated, yet cheering on Meren. I mean wow! She is amazing and Ifeel so heartbroken for her. She is not being dealt a fair hand at all. Every time it seems she is gaining momentum, something comes barreling in to tear down her achievements.

This book is action packed from the very first chapter. It is nonstop danger and battles from cover to cover. Some very serious things go down in this book and I got to say this quest of Meren’s is far from over. I might even say this is just the beginning. I honestly don’t know what else she can do. It seems so hopeless.

I absolutely love this story and all the craziness that stems from it. It has some cool and unique characters that are very interesting. The world building the author has done is downright amazing. She has created an unusual Fanta world, that has characters with unique capabilities and powers beyond your beliefs. It isn’t just one world but six different dominions. Each unique in its own right.

I sit and wonder how is this story going to end….all I can see right now is horrible brokenness and the devastation of Meren. I truly hope there is a happy ending in store for her, but the war with Eidolon is heating up and all I see in the future is his destruction.

Patiently, waiting for a book 3 ……

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc. Absolutely loved the cover and requested it immediately! I loved the first book and the second did not disappoint. Definitely worth reading!

I'm not always the biggest fan of book 2 in a trilogy and it was the same in this. I liked it but wasn't as in love with it.

Meren has to fight her way out of pretending to be her sister at Eidolon's side until she is rescued by Reven. Then they find they need to get more amulets that have trapped the Goddesses. So they have to embark to many different lands to find them.

I wish we had more of Tabra in this book and not the way she was presented either. It was necessary to restrain her but it also felt just so cruel. Reven was MOODY as all get out in this book but it wasn't a sexy broody.. It was an annoying broody. I wish Meren would see the potential she has instead of always doubting. Hopefully, from the end of this one, she will grow into that in book 3.

The Stolen Throne, by author Abigail Owen, is the second installment in the authors Dominion series. The Stolen Throne started since the reader thinks it picks up right where The Liar's Crown ended, but instead it's months later. This story revolves around two key characters: Reven who is King Eidolon's Shadow, and Meren, aka the False Queen who was born a twin with her sister Tabra who was supposed to be Queen, while Meren was not supposed to survive.

After all the events of The Liar's Crown, Reven has been trying to find a way to rescue his heart, Meren, from Eidolon before she ends up like Tabra, a literal shadow of her former self. With the arrival of her 19th birthday, Meren has somehow managed to survive whatever happened to her sister Tabra. In this world, if twins are born, one is supposed to rule, while one is forfeit. Meren knows Tabra was poisoned or possessed and has trying hard to figure out a way to save her while also posing as Tabra and assume being the Queen.

Meren is also magically bound to Reven, which doesn't exactly go over well with her best friend Cain, who has been eager to make Meren his wife. After Reven miraculously arrives with Cain to break her out, Meren knows that she will never escape Eidolon until she finds a way to fix what happened to Tabra as well as the people known as The Vanished and Wanderers.

Knowing Reven is both enemy and lover pushes Meren to make hard choices as she steps up and shows that she might not be the true Queen but she’s certainly a fitting one. There are set of six stones with Enfernae trapped within, and Meren plans to find them all before he can. She already has one wrapped in the necklace she always wears. Meren soon learns a strange story thanks to her Omma as well as a Devourer known as the Eliminator. Benedorn can feel his consort on Meren, and his participation in this story is much needed.

It is fair to say that this story dragged me down and it wasn't the books fault. Sometimes life gets in the way, and it takes longer to get to the ending. In this case, the ending is pretty shocking, as well as expected if you pay close attention. The found family aspect of this story gives the world a deeper meaning for both Tabra, and for Meren who is now being forced into a war that she seems to be a step or two behind. After traveling to various Dominions throughout this book, it will be interesting to see where the author finishes her story.

3.5 stars

I was so happy to go back to this world, to see more of Meren and Reven's relationship and their gang trying to stop a villain from taking over. I still enjoyed the characters and how much action there was, but the spark between the main characters felt dimmed.

Meren and Reven grow so close in the first book that it's difficult to see him pushing her away and them having constant fights and sulking. I wish it had gone in a different direction and showed Reven leaning on Meren more while figuring out his shadows.

The quest to get the amulets wasn't my favorite. I kind of understand why they were doing it, but it felt like a side plot and not a main focus. I do love quests, this just felt underdeveloped.

The ending was another cliffhanger that hit me in the feels and I'm counting down until the final book comes out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for the copy.

The Dominions Trilogy's second book is this one. When The Liar's Crown originally came out, I read it and immediately fell in love with the story, characters, and world-building. The Liar's Crown leaves off where The Stolen Throne picks up. Meren and Reven are traversing the entire realm in an effort to thwart our adversary Eiodolon and his evil schemes. The worldbuilding and imagery in this novel were some of my favourites.The story's main focus for me is this element, although the surrounding events are also interesting and compelling. In book 2, there is a lot more action and adventure, and the significance of bigger themes is emphasised more so than the emotions of these star-crossed lovers. Just when you think the two of them have fully solidified their love, something happens to drive them away, leaving us hanging on the edge of a cliff in typical romantic fantasy adventure flair. The wait for book three has already been too lengthy; I'm not sure how much longer it will be.

#NETGALLEY #arcreader

Thank you so much Entangled Publishing, Abigail Owen, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book #2 in the Dominions Trilogy. I read The Liar’s Crown (book #1) when it was first released and fell in love with the world building, plot, and characters. The Stolen Throne picks up right where we left off in the Liar’s Crown. Meren and Reven are traveling all over the realm to stop our villain Eiodolon and his nefarious plans. One of my favourite parts about this book was the worldbuilding and visuals. Abigail continues to create this masterful world where her descriptions are vivid and make it easy for readers to visualize what’s going on. I always appreciate this attention to detail when characters are traveling, because sometimes it can be confusing when there's a lot going on at once and it's hard to keep track of what's going on. While I did enjoy the book, I just didn’t enjoy it was much as the first book. First, I didn’t like the love triangle and thought it was unnecessary because it’s obvious that Meren was in love with Reven. Then, the whole introduction of mates felt like it was out of nowhere. At times the book was going between Young Adult and New Adult, and I wished the book would pick one or the other. Honestly, this felt more like a filler book until we get to the finale in the third book. Either way, I still really enjoyed the book and will happily wait for the third book and find out what happens.

a fantasy novel about a swapped queen

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

I purchased for our collection. This was requested to share with high schoolers during book talks. I love having options in the "new adult" category!

It took me a little longer to read this one than I would have liked. I really did end up enjoying the book, but there was a lull in the middle that I didn’t get with the first book in the series. So, for me, this book did suffer a bit from ‘middle book syndrome’. I think the thing that set me off was the almost on-off again/push her away to protect her stuff between Meren and Reven.
All this being said, most of the plot was engaging. There is a bit of a going around in circles feeling, but it fits with the story and isn’t for nothing. With how much is happening, it makes sense there’s another book coming - which I will be reading, because that ending 😮!
The chemistry between Meren and Reven continues to be good, when he’s not trying to ignore her. Eidolon is a great villain and I really need to know more… There were some more revelations in this book, but not enough.
There were also some rather surprising twists.
All in all, I recommend picking up this series. I can’t wait for the sequel.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital arc of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

As much as I loved the first book, this one was so much better. Mainly because we got to delve much deeper into the world and the characters, while also getting to know some new or side characters better. Cain for one and his sister Pella became much more of a feature in this instalment. I also loved that Omma made a reappearance and we got to read about her feelings. Meren and Reven’s relationship becomes more complicated and there is much for them both to work through. While it is this aspect for me that is the crux of this story, the events happening around them are exciting and gripping. There is so much more action and adventure in book 2, and more focus on the importance of the wider issues, rather than the feelings of these star crossed lovers. In true romantic fantasy adventure style, just when you think the two of them have finally cemented their relationship, something happens to tear them apart, leaving us hanging on the edge of a cliff. I don’t know how long I have to wait for book 3 but it’s already too long!

If I thought the first book was good, then this book was amazing. Holy Goddess was this such a great sequel. It was fast paced and the plot kept moving. Sometimes I find it really hard to put my thoughts in words and I find it in this case as well. Meren is rescued almost immediately but that is the least of their problems. There is so much that happens but it all worked. It never felt overwhelming and I never felt lost. There was more world building and history in this book which just made it richer. If all that information was given in the first book, it would have been an info dump. I'm glad that it was more expanded though in this book. And then the ending. 2024 for book three is so far. I definitely thought this was a duology but clearly this is a trilogy.

Along with more world and plot, so much character growth. While Meren and Reven's relationship seemed to have stepped backwards for the majority of the book - everyone else was able to be focused on. I'm so glad we got more of the side characters that make up this family. I really enjoy them all and am glad they got more time. The development of Meren's character was amazing as well. Learning her powers more and trusting her decisions and even her importance.

Overall, The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen was such a great installment. I loved this book so much and thought it was so well done. The pacing was fast and the plot kept moving as well. More of the world was developed and I'm glad that it was introduced into this book. Along with learning the world and history, the characters were developed more as well. Meren is our main character but the other characters had a lot of time as well. I'm glad the other characters got more time in this book to develop even though their point of view wasn't provided. I highly recommend continuing this series if you enjoyed the first one. This book built very well upon the first one and I cannot wait for the conclusion.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was on par with the first one, which I think is a difficult feat for a second book. There was a portion that suffered from a mild case of Second Book Syndrome, but it recovered quite nicely and moved on with the story after that. And honestly, it wasn't completely illogical that things went the way they did. I felt immersed in the story whenever I read it and looked forward to reading it when I wasn't. (So why did it take almost two weeks? I'm a mom: I can't devote all of my time to reading, as much as I love doing it.) I know I said this about the first book, but Owens really is very skilled in creating an interesting story, lifelike characters, and writing about it all in a way that enhances everything rather than detracting.

I really look forward to the third book's release next year and hope I get an ARC of it, too. So far, these are books I would be very interested in buying if it weren't for some of the content.

Note: A little bit of swearing with a handful of f words. A sex scene that middles somewhere between vague and mildly descriptive.

DNF at 44%
I've picked this up and put it down to switch to something else multiple times. I'm sad that it's not working for me because I really enjoyed the first book. I'm not opposed to trying again later, but I can't bring myself to finish over the last two months of attemption to push through.
Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

3.75 stars. This book has way more world building than the first book and it threw me off a bit. I’m not a love triangle fan even when it’s pretty obvious one side isn’t going to work out and most of the book I wasn’t even convinced the other arm would work. The love felt more forbidden love but more forced on themselves than any of outside forces. The action was great and the last half of the book was great! I loved seeing all the magic and powers of the crew come together and shine! I will be anxiously awaiting book 3!

I would like to express my gratitude to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Initially, I was drawn to this book solely because of its beautiful cover. When I received confirmation that my request had been accepted, I realized it was actually the second installment in a trilogy. This compelled me to read the first book, which I absolutely adored. Consequently, I am now even more thrilled to have had the opportunity to read this ARC.

Although this book slightly fell short of my expectations, it remains an incredibly enjoyable read!

Meren continues to be a delightful character, and the world-building and writing are as breathtaking as ever. I cannot contain my excitement for the forthcoming installment.

As this is the sequel to the first book the Liars Crown, I bought the first, read it and loved it and moved to this ARC. The pace was a bit slower in this book, and there were some gaps that needed filling. Eidolon could have been more involved (I would expect that) and this made me lose some connection. The love interest was a bit cold, and despite Meren and Reven were supposed to be endgame, I could not feel the depth of it. Hope in the next book (which I will absolutely read), things wrap up satisfactorily