This was a good beginning to a new fantasy series. Ulla was abandoned as a baby, and doesn't know who her parents were, much less what troll lineage she belongs to. This was the first Trylle book I've read (I know Hocking has other series in this setting), and it was rich in details. Some fantastical worlds are hard for readers to relate to, but this was a perfect combination of the exotic and familiar. I was especially fascinated with Mimirin, the prestigious (and somewhat mysterious) organization Ulla has come to intern with. I feel that this was a great introduction to the characters, especially Ulla, Eliana, and Pan, and look forward to reading more!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

The Lost City is a fun, engaging novel kicking of The Omte Origins series.

Ulla (half-human/half-troll) has earned an internship in Mimirin taking her from her country home. Or what she has called home for many years: she had been left by a woman who might or might not be her mother and raised by strangers. Ulla believes this internship with help her find out more about her family but when she gets there things get more complicated. She has to babysit her adopted sister as well as a troll who has memory loss.  Her story becomes wrapped in this girl’s, and Ulla faces danger and questions she could have never imagined.

I enjoyed the novel. I loved the troll world and it coexists with the human world. I loved Ulla and how she looked like a troll no some beautiful superhuman.  Her story of trying to find her family is compelling and I was on her side the entire time.

The story is light-hearted and not overly dark. It’s an easy read. It is a great true YA read while also entertaining adults. There is a weird seemingly required love triangle that I didn’t like but overall the story is interesting and compelling.

 While this is an offshoot of another series, it stands on its own. When I first started I had no idea there were other stories. As I got about halfway in, something in the back of my head was telling me I was missing something. I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt I should have read the others first.  While I feel that way personally, overall it’s an easy introduction to the world and, for newbies like me, gets people interested in the other novels.

I didn’t get the title and its importance to this specific section of the story. They mention a lost city here and there but it didn’t push the story forward and really only mattered at the end.

All that being said this is a fun story and I would encourage fantasy fans who like their stories on the lighter side to read it. I, personally, am going to be looking into the books that came before because I enjoyed this so much.

A note if you read on e-book: this is one of those that ends at 90 percent and has several post scripts sections.  This isn’t a flaw of the book just a heads up as I hate getting that far and then the book “suddenly” ends.

I enjoyed this well enough, I felt like the character was interesting, but I wished we would have gotten more about her. I also felt like the info dumping was unnecessary, and the information she gave us in those dumps wasn't all necessary or important to the story. I just felt like I wanted more from the storyline and the characters overall. I enjoyed the writing well enough, and I think Hocking does have good writing overall. I'm definitely interested in checking out her other books in the future!

DNF’d. While I really enjoyed Amanda Hockings previous works, I really could not connect with this book. I didn’t like the characters, how the setting was established, or the dialogue. This just wasn’t for me and I do not plan on continuing the series.

I loved this book from start to finish. It was a five star read for me. The main reason why has a lot to do with the fact that I have never read a book about a whole society of trolls before. It was so different. In this universe, there are literally two worlds, the troll world and the human world, existing alongside each other.

The human world does not know the troll world exists. The trolls live on the outskirts of humanity, but they are very human in so many ways. They are vegan and can cook up some seriously amazing food. They are scholarly and have places like the Mimirin dedicated to the study of trolls and their history. They drive cars, have computers and cell phones. And don't think they won't partake in a bit of Riverdale every now and again.

When this strange creature called Eliana drops into Ulla's car, who knew where this story would take them? There's the part where Ulla feels she must protect this girl, but she also needs to find the truth of who she is herself. What's strange is that this strange girl says she is from a city that the troll world calls a myth. But is it really a myth, or is it deemed so because no one has ever returned from this place? At the end, you will still be asking that question, because it leaves you with a mighty cliffhanger to prepare you for the actual adventure.

This book is a bit like S. A. Hunt's Burn the Dark series (aka Malus Domestica, a series I am absolutely obsessed with) in that the first book lays down the background to the story and the characters in it. The next book is where the adventure begins.

Considering my obsession with Burn the Dark, if I am comparing The Lost City to S. A. Hunt's series, that should tell you how much I really liked The Lost City. Let me just put it to you this way, Tor Books is aware of my obsession and actually sends me the advance copy of the next installment in the Malus Domestica series. Book Two hasn't even been released onto the market yet. I already have Book Three. Like I'm that kind of crazy obsessed.

Don't expect any jam packed thrills in this first book. She saves that for the last bit of the book as a teaser to prepare you for what will happen in the next one.

I had so many questions at the end. For instance, following Eliana seems to be her only answer. But is she following her to save her, or to find herself? If Ulla is from this mythical place, what kind of troll does that make her? Heck, what kind of troll is Eliana? That's what I really want to know. So many questions left unanswered. That's what hooks you.

Like I said, I really loved this book, because I've never read a book about a whole troll society before. It caught me from the very beginning, because I kept thinking how interesting it was that this book was about a troll society and it wasn't about a bunch of big green, ugly, scary monsters. It was about a whole society of beings told from a very unique perspective.

The next book can't come fast enough.

You don't need to read any of Amanda Hocking's earlier books to jump into this book. This is book #1 in this series. No previous knowledge is necessary. BUT this book will make you want to pick up the other books. I know I will be ordering all of them.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Lost City

Author: Amanda Hocking

Book Series: The Omte Origins Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: fantasy, family secrets

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, romance)

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 384

Synopsis: Ulla Tulin was left abandoned in an isolated Kanin city as a baby, taken in by strangers and raised hidden away like many of the trolls of mixed blood. Even knowing this truth, she’s never stopped wondering about her family.

When Ulla is offered an internship working alongside the handsome Pan Soriano at the Mimirin, a prestigious institution, she jumps at the chance to use this opportunity to hopefully find her parents. All she wants is to focus on her job and the search for her parents, but all of her attempts to find them are blocked when she learns her mother may be connected to the Omte royal family.

With little progress made, Ulla and Pan soon find themselves wrapped up in helping Eliana, an amnestic girl with abilities unlike any they have ever seen before—a girl who seems to be running from something. To figure out who she is they must leave the city, and possibly, along the way, they may learn more about Ulla’s parents.

Review: Overall, this was a good book! I love Amanda Hocking and I fell in love with her Trylle series about 3 years ago and this is set in the same world, so if you liked it to then you’ll love this book. The book had great world building. The writing was also well done.

However, I felt like the pacing was super slow. The beginning of the book takes a bit to get into as well. I’ve also not finished the Trylle series and I do think you need that background info for this book. The book also suffers from the lack of character development for a lot of the characters.

Verdict: Well done and sucks you back into the popular Trylle series!

It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last as I loved it.
I can find no faults: the pace, the world building, the plot and the characters are perfect and I loved every moment of the story.
I strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

2.5 stars

This was a very rough start and I almost stopped reading a few times. I was not expecting an Urban Fantasy so the real world references majorly threw me off and took me out of the story. I also did not enjoy Hanna (or Eliana) at all. They both annoyed me. I wasn't invested in the budding romance between Pan and Ulla at all; didn't hate them but I felt no sparks. The other characters were mostly fine but I didn't feel a connection or that I really learned anything about any of them.

There are some positives though! I though the actual Fantasy elements were interesting, unique, and easy to follow. The chapters were short. It read so quickly. I loved the facts and the glossary at the ens of the book. (Kimda wish it had a map though.)

This very much suffers from first book syndrome but I am intersted in seeing where it goes (but I don't know how long that interest will last).

I've never read any of Amanda Hocking's previous works, but I have heard of them, so when I got the chance to give this one a read I was really excited. While I know this is in the same world as some of her other books, this book definitely gave enough world building that I feel you don't have to read the other books first. I'm sure if you read the other books first you will benefit from them, but I feel you don't have to.

The pacing of the story was pretty good, though there were sections that certainly slowed a bit because of the info dumps that occasionally happened, but other than that it was really well paced and enjoyable. I really liked the characters as we got to know them and felt that they were well rounded. I'm definitely excited to see where this story goes.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Jordan – ☆☆☆
I have read several books by Amanda Hocking that take place in the same world as The Lost City, but it has been awhile since I’ve been back in Hocking’s world of Trylle. The Lost City is the final arc for Hocking’s Trylle world, but prior knowledge or reading of the previous arcs do not seem necessary to read prior to starting The Lost City.

The Lost City focuses on the secretive Omte tribe and follows the story of Ulla Tulin, who was abandoned as a baby. Now, 20 years later, Ulla has landed a prestigious internship at the Mimirim institute, where she will finally have an opportunity to search for her birth parents.

I have mixed feelings about The Lost City because I kind of expected it to be more attention grabbing, but I felt like it only got interesting the last 30% of the book and the first 70% just seemed to drag on forever without anything worthwhile actually happening. Normally I find Hocking’s books to be more alluring, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t dislike it, however, I just hoped I would have enjoyed it more than I did. That being said, I will of course give book two, The Morning Flower, a shot because I am just intrigued enough by the last 30% of The Lost City to think I might enjoy book two more.


Erica – ☆☆☆
In anticipation, I reread the Trylle Trilogy to remember Hocking's world building, hoping to pave the way for The Lost City.

Immediately diving straight into this novel, I was excited for whatever was to come my way... eight days of attempts, when I binge-read three entire books in a day... and it was a struggle to finish.

Fingers crossed The Lost City is the first book curse, where it spent every page building up to book two. The mystery behind Ulla's history is the only thing that kept the pages turning. The characters were all one-note, other than physical features, they didn't truly have any personality traits. The pacing was slower than molasses. I felt no realistic connection between the characters, which would have had me rooting for them, curious to see what the future had in store for them.

What was the worst impediment for the novel would be the info-dumpage. After reading the Trylle Trilogy to brush up on the mythology and world building, every page of this novel was a rundown with a confusing overabundance added. It flowed organically in the original trilogy, Wendy discovering the ins and outs with the reader, not too much so the reader couldn’t digest it and retain it. During The Lost City, Ulla was just as ignorant to the hows and whys, but since she was raised in a troll community, she understood what was being listed by the characters, while the reader didn't. Entire histories for each of the troll lines were written on the pages, but not in a storytelling fashion – a textbook.

I felt as if I needed to take notes, fearing I was missing something important. Just too much information at once, delivered on every page, before the reader could digest what they previously read. I just started winging it – if I missed something, I missed it, because there was no way I was going to remember a textbook of information chapters ago.

I needed more. I needed deeper character building to cause me to become invested in the story. I needed three-dimensional characters, who showed their personality traits, outside of mundane everyday events of going to work and going home. I needed an organic flow of information to keep my eyes from crossing. I needed faster pacing to keep my interests. I needed answers, since none of the mysteries presented in the novel were revealed by the end – I understand this is a series, but some progression forward would have kept my interests.

There was a plot and a story there, but it was used as a vehicle to give an entire history of the troll lines, as if the plot and story were secondary to creating the world building. But since the story itself wasn’t the focus, it wasn’t a rich universe created like in its predecessors, but just words on a page.

Honestly, if I didn't already have the second in the series, I'm not sure if I would continue reading. I'm just hoping upon hope that The Lost City was merely a heavy on the info introduction for the second in the series, where it will all pick up and keep me engaged.

The novel read exactly as a scholar in a city dedicated to recording history would...
I wanted to love it, and I wish I could recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ulla Tulin is a nineteen year old girl who was abandoned by an Omte warrior inside an inn. The family managing the inn took her in and raised her.

When she was old enough to leave them, she got a job working as a nanny taking care of five children.

The one thing she’s always wanted is to find out who her parents are. Fortunately for her, Finn, the father of the children she nannies, has some important connections and she’s able to get accepted into the Mimirin. This is an institute where they dedicate themselves to learn all about troll history and ancestry, giving Ulla an opportunity to find a little bit more about her origins.

THOUGHTS

Even though they described The Lost City as part of the Trylle World, I honestly don’t think that’s true. Even though The Trylle Trilogy and the Kanin Chronicles are completely two different stories with different main characters, they still show you a little bit of the Trylle World.

The first one, of course, introduces you to the trolls and the way of living of the Trylle. While the Kanin Chronicles show you the Kanins… I know, a little redundant, but it’s important.

I thought Omte Origins was going to show us the Omte culture and their daily lives but it doesn’t. Maybe the sequel will introduce you more into this world but I was expecting that and it didn’t happen.

The Lost Cityjust focuses on the Mimirin Institute and it actually doesn’t focus on the main character! It revolves around a side character that just appears out of the blue.

The pacing is very slow and not action packed, it seemed like the story was building up for something major. But that never happened, not until maybe the last 10% of the book.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it was an “okay” fast read. I just felt like it was long and drawn out at the same time. Because of this, it was difficult for me to stay interested in the story while reading it.

It’s not necessary to read the other two trilogies from this world because Amanda did an amazing job filling the blanks while, at the same time, not overloading with too much information. Would it help? I think so. It really depends if you would like to know a little bit more about the Trylle and the Kanins, but it doesn’t affect the narrative of The Omte Origins.

Overall, even though it wasn’t my favorite read, I’m still intrigued to know more about Ulla’s real family and I’ll definitely read the sequel. Maybe The Lost City was a very long introduction and there’ll be more action as the series continues.

The book is about Ulla who is an orphan that wants to find her origins but then she meets Eliana and things get more complicated for everyone.
I really enjoyed reading The Lost City. It's the first time I read a book with trolls as main characters and I liked it. The book is fast-paced and the writing style suits me perfectly.
Despite the fact that the book takes place in the world of the author's previous books, you don't need to have read them to understand what is going on. Everything is explained really well. I am intrigued to read them though.
The world is a very interesting one full of a different kind of magic that I want to know more of.
I really liked Ulla, she is a strong character and I want to know more about her past. Pan is so sweet and I loved the way his relationship with Ulla is evolving.
The book is full of mysteries that need to be solved, like what is going on with Ulla and Eliana and who is the man Ulla runs into all the time? I hope book two has the answers for us.

I’d first like to thank Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review this lovely book!
Right away I was blown away buy the cover of this stunning novel! *chef’s kiss*

This novel follows Ulla’s life and her quest to find her real parents. The writing style was easy to get into so if this was your first novel by Amanda Hocking then you won’t have to worry about any confusion. (Also there is a handy little glossary / index if you are stuck with any terminology or world building!) The pace of the novel was pretty steady throughout and sets the world perfectly for a second book.

This is the perfect book for fans of modern fantasy! If you are ever in the mood for an easy to read book with a quest, this is for you!

3/5 stars

This book missed the mark with me. I'm rating this on the lower side of three stars. I just wasn't into that the story. I couldn't connect to the characters and wasn't a massive fan of the writing. This is mostly personal preference so I could see others really loving this book. I didn't know this took place in the same world as some of her other works, I don't know if that has something to do with me not enjoying it. I may go back at a later time and reread it to see if my opinion changes. If you've previously read from Hocking and enjoyed her other works, I think you would enjoy it.

*I WAS PROVIDED A DIGITAL GALLEY BY THE PUBLISHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF A TOUR. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I was actually kind of taken aback by this book. Having never read a book by Amanda Hocking, I was really impressed!

The beginning of this story was a little rough and had me worried for a hot minute because the transition between the prologue and first few chapters was kind of weird. Hocking did a really great job of displaying the fantasy element in the prologue, but when it came to those first chapters, it felt like I was reading a contemporary book with make-believe moments mixed in. That didn't continue on for long, though, and I'm thankful for it.

This book will fly by. I wasn't the biggest fan of how short some of the chapters were and tended to like the longer ones more so. I just felt like there could've been more done within those chapters than what was given. But, when it came to the longer chapters, I definitely felt like those were written the best and had the most to read from.

Hocking took us on a journey with her characters, and I was really able to love each and every one of them. I personally think she did a fantastic job developing them, and the relationships that the main character Ulla had with each of the side characters flourished well.

There were even some mysterious vibes running through this book that had me guessing whenever they came about. I liked the addition of those, and I especially loved how much effort Hocking put into building up the suspense of Ulla's searching.

All in all, I did enjoy this book, and I do look forward to continuing on with the next one. For that, I rate The Lost City 4 stars. This book was adventurous, as well as fun to read. I haven't had that experience in a while, so I'm really thankful to Wednesday Books for giving me this opportunity.

The last books I read by Amanda Hocking were in her Watersong series, about a cursed group of Sirens, so this book is a lot different!

Ulla and her friends are trolls– which seem to be very much like humans except in skin color and some features. Some tribes also have magic. One tribe is characterized by asymmetrical facial features.

On her internship, Ulla learns lots about the history and lore of various troll tribes and some of the politics between them. She’s curious about her mother, and hopes the resources available during her internship will help Ulla find her.

Though it’s populated with mythical creatures, THE LOST CITY is set squarely in our world with mentions of cell phones, fashion, familiar food, etc. I think this is something this author does well. She creates a familiar landscape and then tells an otherworldly story in it. I find that I really like those two things juxtaposed together.

This is a bit of a slower story, though. There are lots of tribes, lots of history. Many descriptions of food and furniture. Lots of conversations about those things. And lots of troll politics.

I felt like Ulla’s goal (finding her mom) kind of gets diluted with helping Eliana and her feelings toward Pan. That kind of made the level of action in the story feel flat at times rather than rising.

Despite that, I really liked the cast of characters. Ulla is great, of course. Her roommate, Dagny, an aloof, highly intelligent warrior-type, might be my favorite. Pan is sweet and funny.

Ulla’s search for her mom in a fragmented, politically volatile landscape makes for an interesting story, peppered with a variety of great characters. I think readers who enjoyed THE GOBLIN EMPEROR by Katherine Addison or HAVENFALL by Sara Holland will want to check out this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I came in to the world of The Lost City blindly. I haven’t read the other series in the same world as this book. At first, it was hard to enter into this well-established world with almost zero knowledge. I was confused but I kept going and I am glad that I did. The world Amanda Hocking is amazing. I loved knowing about the different tribes of trolls. Hocking has definitely figured out even the little details in the world that she created.

I also liked the author’s writing style. The book is easy to read and I just glided through chapter to chapter. The pacing is slow but the pacing actually helped me absorb the details better.

I like the characters in this book in the sense that I want to be friends with them. They are relatable and nice to read but they all just felt one-note. I kinda don’t see enough distinction between the characters. It was like there is just one person with different names. I am hoping that I’ll see more depth within the characters as the series moves along.

I also didn’t like how the book ended. Nothing much happened throughout the book. It was okay for the most part but I expected more from the ending. Instead, it was just anticlimactic.

Overall…
I liked this book. I love the world-building. It was easy and enjoyable to read. Although I didn’t like how the characters feel superficial and how the book ended, I will still read the next book in the series to find out how the story progresses. I recommend this book to lovers of YA and Fantasy.

Returning to the world of Trylle, Amanda Hocking brings a new series starring Ulla Tulin, an orphan in the dark and a half breed. She tries to find her parents while working with Pan Soriano. Along the way, they end up helping an amnestic girl with strange abilities, which also may lead Ulla to find out her own truth.

I’ve never really gotten around to reading the original Trylle series, but I didn’t really feel lost while reading The Lost City, thankfully. I’ve heard that there are a few Easter eggs, but if there were any, it didn’t halt my reading. I think that’s a big thing that Amanda accomplished with this book where the reader doesn’t have to start with the original series if they want to read The Lost City.

Ulla is a pretty strong character and I enjoyed beginning her journey to finding her parents. It’s a classic storyline, but it’s made difficult because her lineage is hard to trace and she is told she should be ashamed for being half breed. Regardless of her early struggles in life, she doesn’t allow it all to break her down. She’s like any other human girl: awkward, strong and a believer in what she wants and she’ll do whatever it takes to grab the chance to get her closer. That really allows to her stick out as the main character and not fall into the stigma of being afraid at the beginning.

Besides Ulla, there are plenty of other characters that compliment her. Dangy, her roommate, was really interesting, for example, and I liked their interactions. Probably because her attitude reminded me of my own a bit.

The romance is pretty cute and slow, but not too bad where it drove me crazy. Pan, just like the other characters in the book, aren’t a part of the stigma in literature. He is kind of lanky and adorable and doesn’t shy away from telling Ulla that he likes to be around her. Yeah, there are moments where things should happen between them and then they get taken away, but it makes their romance even more addicting. I think they are good for each other, even though Ulla had a habit of trying to stay more focused on finding her parents and the answers she needed. I think Pan could really be a good companion to help her, so I’m excited to see the rest of their journey in the sequel.

Going off of that, it does look like the sequel is going to be very interesting, so I’m definitely excited that it’s going to be released in a few weeks. Maybe it’s high time I finally pick up the original Trylle series, though.

Ulla was abandoned as a baby and has no idea who her parents are or who she truly is really. When she has the opportunity to intern in Mimirin, she believes she will finally be able to discover her lineage. She finds out that her mother may be connected to Omte royalty and won’t be able to discover much information. During all this, Ulla ends up helping a strange girl who can’t seem to remember much about who she is or where she came from, but is definitely running from something. In the end, Ulla and her new friend Pan must leave Mimirin in order to try to find out more about Ulla’s mother.

I have always been a big fan of Amanda Hocking’s books, and this one definitely did not disappoint. I read the Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy a long time ago and given that this book is also about trolls, I thought I might be a little bit lost while reading this book, but luckily I was not.

I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it was a great start for this new series. All the characters were great, well except a few (*cough* Sylvi). I thought Ulla’s character was simple but interesting in way that you want to know more about her just as she does. Pan’s character was cute and I hope he and Ulla eventually become more than just friends throughout the series. I really liked how Dagny, Ulla’s roommate, changed in just the few week’s Ulla was in Mimirin.

I can’t wait to dive into the rest of this series and learn more about Ulla and what she finds out about her mother.

I highly recommend this book and all of Amanda Hocking’s books if you’re into YA fantasy.

Thank you, Wednesday books for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read any of the Trylle Trilogy? if not, you should! Amanda Hocking's world building is brilliant and she has outdone herself yet again with the first book in the new Omte Origins trilogy, which will be the last installment set in the world of Trylle. I found that Ulla was a very relatable character and I loved the relationship she develops with Pan. The book sensitively explores issues around abandonment, identity and finding oneself, all set within a fantastical world with an interesting magic system...and Trolls. 🧡

I'm super happy to have had the opportunity to be part of the blog tour with wednesday books st martins press and amanda hocking