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.

AH I FEEL SO CONFLICTED.

I loved the first book in the series. It was fun had some great twists and kept me entertained.

Sigh......

Going into this one I enjoyed the beginning! I really like some of the more magical and world building aspects of the story as well as how all the little secrets start to come out one by one to build a bigger picture. I enjoyed the ansty romance and the fun secondary characters.

However, as I kept reading I kept feeling SO confused. I am someone who loves intricate plots and world building/magic systems....however this just felt overly convoluted and I kept having to go back to see if I missed something. I think the author was trying to kept the mystery going but she kept me as a reader in the dark for too long. It felt for me there were a lot of inconsistencies pertaining to the magic system/portals/etc and there were a lot of different cities, names, places and it personally got overwhelming for me and lost its flow.

I also got frustrated with the romance. There is this really cool bond aspect from the first book. I still like Reven, but the romance kept going back and forth in not an enticing way...I still don't know if its possible for them to be together or if its dangerous or what the heck is going on. I wish she would have established some stronger ground on this front.

Despite my critiques and not loving it as much as I did the first book, I do still want to read book three and hold out hope for things to turn around and be brought to a better light! I think this is a unique series with a lot of good things going for it!

The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owens

Overall this was a fun read but there were a few things I had trouble with.

The first half of the book is A-MAZ-ING. The added world building and story were so good! The characters were great, there’s fun banter, and the excitement to continue the story is strong.

Then it’s starts to get a little weird. It felt like there was just a bunch of filler put in to try and make the story longer. The action was choppy and storyline felt out of place. The romance was so hot and cold that I wasn’t sure if I even wanted it to happen anymore.

I still have questions I want answered and things I want to see through so I’ll be reading book three.

Content: explicit language, violence, death, explicit open door

This was fantastic! I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t remember enough from the first book but I found it really easy to slip back into this fantastic world. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of reminding the reader of important events from the first book at key points in the story. Meren, Reven, Cain, and the rest of the group have their work cut out for them. Eidolon seems always to be one step ahead of them but I have faith that they will figure out how to defeat him.

I found this story to be incredibly exciting with enough action to keep the story moving. There were times when things looked really bleak for Meren and the rest of the key characters and I have to admit that I was worried for them more than once. I loved the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into this installment which helped to keep me glued to the pages. The world-building in this series continues to be top-notch!

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy. This book was exciting, with great characters, fantastic world-building, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. I am very eager to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next!

I received a review copy of this book from Entangled: Teen.

When I read liars crow, I knew Abigail would be an author that I would be chomping at the bit to read everything she released. I was dying waiting to be able to read this. And now I’m dying for the next one.

As much as I enjoyed this. There was a bit of time in the middle that I wanted to fast forward too, although that could be because I was in a bit of a slump.

The world building in this is very good, but the backstory is Eidolon is kind of a lot and I get a bit lost in it sometimes.

I like the action and romance, although I was craving more of it in this one. I adore Reven and I just need them happy. The ending was devastating.
Definitely looking forward to the next release

4.5/5 ⭐️
1 🌶️

First I’d like to thank the author and Entangled Publishing for the eARC opportunity. With that said, as always this review is completely voluntary and honest.

Ahh this book was a fantastic continuation to book one. While at first I had a hard time getting back into the world with the FMC sometimes sounding and acting younger than she is, I was thoroughly invested once I got through that and Meren (FMC) came more into her own. She’s funny and deflects a lot around her with that and sass. I could even see a little more growth to her chars as the book continued. She had to face a lot and make a lot of hard decisions even though she just wanted to enjoy the small happiness she grasped.

Reven.. oh Reven. I missed his more sassy side in this book since he was more brooding and closed off for a good chunk of the book in hopes of protecting Meren. But gah, he just made me want to give him a hug 😭. I just want him and Meren to be happy and be able to enjoy it.

The ending left a slight hole in my heart, which leaves me wanting book three immediately. I need more answers. I need everyone to be okay 😩

A great sequel to a great starter. This book had lots of twist and turns. Meren continues to be the strong heroine that she didn't know she needed to be. We learn more about this world and are shown areas of the world that we had only been told about before. Cannot wait to see what happens in the end but we will have to wait til next year for the conclusion.

The first half of this book was fantastic! I was engaged and loving all the angst, magic and world.
I was totally feeling all the banter, characters and LOVING it. Then it started to go downhill.

Meren and Reven were going in emotional pining circles. She wants him, can't have him and he goes all cray cray, when anyone threatens her. (repeat)

The magic was confusing. He can't be near her and then she helps him but then he's too dangerous but then she "grounds" him. Make a decision please.

Also, WHAT are the shadows exactly? are they a magical force he can manipulate or actual ghost people? I'm still confused, and the sexy scene with the shadows was a huge turn off for me.

The minute that "Mates" was suddenly thrown into the plot, was not my thing. Let's leave the mating to SJM.

Reven is gone during random times, and I WISH we'd had his POV during those parts.

There's more but I'll just say that I think this is sadly suffering from the second book syndrome. I ADORED book one. and I'll keep going to book three, but this was not my favorite. I think it's worth the read for the series and maybe you'll love it, so give it a try.

Characters/Depth/Growth – 6
Atmosphere/World building - 6
Writing Style/flow - 6
Plot/creativity - 6
Intrigue/ - 7
Love/Relationships - 6
Enjoyment – 7
Total: 44

Divided by 7 = 6.2 (3 stars)
1.0-2.9 *
3.0-4.9 **
5.0-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

The Stolen Throne is the follow up to the excellent Liar’s Crown, and I hate to say it but you may find yourself upset when you reach the end. Why? Because you’ll be stuck waiting for the third book to see how author Abigail Owens wraps everything up, lol. Picking up not long after the events of book 1, we continue Meren’s journey. As you might recall (*Spoilers* if you haven’t read the first book, which I definitely recommend doing. And no spoilers for book 2 here.) Meren is a hidden twin (who acts as a body double/decoy) for her sister, princess Tabra. On the night before Tabra’s coronation Meren, mistaken for Tabra of course, gets kidnapped setting up the adventure of the first novel. Building upon the lore of the first book, everything gets knocked up a notch or two. And because of the groundwork laid in out in book one, I think Stolen Throne feels like it has a quicker pacing, more action, more intensity overall. Often times the middle film/book of a trilogy can drag or falter a bit, but not here. It’s engaging and intense from start to the finish…the finish that as I said at the start may leave you a bit upset since you’ll find yourself in the position I’m in…waiting for book 3 to arrive. I’d like to thank Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Stolen Throne.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2FHDYB9WL0B43/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This was a great read that anwered any questions from book 1 but still kept the story going. Lots of betrayal, love, friendship and growth.
Overall this was a great read.

Did I forget nearly everything from the first book?
Yes.
Did I reread the first book to get reacquainted before starting book 2?
No of course not, I was far too excited to find out what happens next, because I did remember loving the first book and that I needed to read this ASAP. As I moved through this book the bits and pieces from The Liar's Crown began to come back to me.
The Stolen Throne introduces a lot more treachery, mystery, adventure, intrigue and adorable animals.
To say it had me enthralled would be an understatement.
Abigail Owen has talent and I am here for it; can't wait for The Shadows Rule All to come out because she left me with sooo many questions at the end of this one!
Much love to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for my ARC.

The Stolen Throne is the second book in the Dominions series. The plot picks up right where Book 1 left off, with Meren being held captive by the evil shadow king and Reven trying to rescue her. The world-building is just as beautiful as the first book, and I enjoyed the introduction of new characters and the layering of tales from Dominions' past. The character development and romance factor fell a little below my expectations. Overall, I thought The Stolen Throne was an engrossing read with a unique inspiration from an obscure Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that added depth to the villain and hero characters. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series!

Woo lord, there is a lot to unpack here. It feels like enough happened that it should be 2 books. From goddesses to water monsters to a pet made from sand. Magical rights to shadowy explosions. A jealous love interest who literally plunges everyone into darkness at the mention of her potential marriage to another man. I've gone with 4 stars because the ending is just so good it needs it, but there were points where the romance was taking me out of the action a bit.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Abigail Owen, and the publisher for the opportunity to read the book.

Firstly, the side character development in this book is amazing. Achlys must be protected at all costs. I really enjoyed getting more of her relationship with Tabra. The addition of the goddesses and a certain devourer was a brilliant choice. It allowed the author to take us on a journey to all the dominions and build the world up even more.

Meren is a badass woman, and I love her for it. In this book, we get to see her come into her powers more, and I think they were explained a lot better in this book too. Seeing the different ways she can use her control over sand is super cool. The way she uses them in the climax of this book is absolutely insane.

If I could ask for anything in the next book it would be multiple POVs. Meren and Reven, especially given the ending of this book. I think it would really add to the romantic aspect if we could get into his head. This book had a lot of back and forth and refusing to be together for her protection. I think having his POV might have made that more bearable because it did start to feel repetitive. But by the end, their feelings come across as a lot more developed.