The Lost City was so beautifully written, I am remorse to give it a mediocre rating.

This book is the first in the Omte Origins series and is a take off of Amanda Hocking's Trylle trilogy. MC Ulla is part troll who was abandoned at an innkeeper's doorstep one stormy winter's night as a baby. Though she has grown up within a loving family, she still feels lost and longs for answers about her parentage. She gets an internship at the Mirmirin where the different tribe's history are stored. When there is a chance her mother might be of royal blood, she is blocked at every chance to learn more. There are dragons, bounty hunters, and dangerous games, all of which Ulla and her new friends must endure to find answers to their questions.

Overall, The Lost City was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the world building but I found the pacing to be a bit slow at times. I loved the secondary characters but Ulla was written too flat for my liking. I just found that I didn't care about her or connect with her. Hocking's writing is absolutely beautiful but I wasn't completely fulfilled by the book. Maybe I just need to read the next installment.

First Impressions

I knew when I first heard about The Lost City that I wanted to read it. I've read all the previous books set in this world and enjoyed them all, though the first trilogy is my favorite. I went into the book with little background knowledge, only that it was about a new character and would likely have some connections to the previous books. I think that worked well for me, but the one thing I would recommend is checking out the guide in the back of the world to get a lay of the land if it's been a while since you've read the previous books.

Characters

The Lost City follows Ulla. She happens to be a nanny for the children of Finn, one of the main characters from the Trylle series. She was abandoned as a baby and wants to learn more about her parents, but all she knows is that she was left at an inn by a woman from the Omte troll tribe who seemed to be a warrior. With her unclear origins, Ulla has a hard time figuring out her place in the world. Being amongst other trolls feels right to her, but many don't accept her heritage of mixed tribes.

There are also a handful of side characters. It's unclear which will be notable characters further in the series, but that kind of worked well. The first major side character we meet is Hannah. She is 12 years old and one of the children Ulla helps care for. Hannah is supposed to spend the summer with her grandparents, but ends up tagging along Ulla's adventures. Perhaps my favorite side character is Eliana. Her origins are even more mysterious than Ulla's, and she has a bit of a memory problem. A larger part of the plot is helping her figure out what's going on. There's also Panuk, who Ulla works with. He seems nice and is set up as the love interest, but I have to say, I'm more intrigued by a certain mystery guy Ulla keeps running into. I'm curious to see where all that goes.

World Building

The Lost City builds heavily on the world of the previous two trilogies. I highly recommend reading those books before diving into the new series! The world of the clones with their five tribes is highly complex, but Ulla (and Hocking) does a good job of explaining pertinent information in the moment. If you're willing to just roll with whatever isn't explained, you should avoid any world building headaches.

Final Thoughts

This is a great addition to the world Amanda Hocking has created! The Trylle trilogy will hold a special place in my heart as my favorite, but this will definitely appeal to fans of the previous books. I read the book in practically an afternoon, so it's a fun, fast read. And for readers just getting introduced to these book, there are six great ones to check out right now (including an awesome bundle of the entire Trylle series as one book)!

Ulla is just a troll trying to find her place in this world and when given the opportunity to access resources that’ll hopefully point her in the right direction of where she comes from, she jumps at the chance, even though it means leaving the only family that she’s ever known. Traveling to a secret city that holds the Omte kingdom, Ulla begins her journey to find out who she is and where she comes from, and what she learns is certainly not what she expected.

THE LOST CITY is the first in a new series that explores the Omte, a race of trolls that have been previously introduced in two of Hocking’s other series, one of which I’ve been interested in for quite some time. It’s not necessary to have read either of them because she does a fantastic job of filling in the blanks without overloading the reader and bogging down the narrative. The only thing I found confusing were the trolls in this world — they aren’t very detailed and aside from a few brief descriptions, Ulla could have very well been a tall, blonde, vegetarian human. She wore human clothing, drove a jeep and I don’t know what I was expecting, but nothing about the characters, Ulla included, particularly screamed troll.

I really liked Ulla as a character, I loved her loyalty to those she loves, I loved her determination and her drive to discover where she comes from even when it seems like everything and everyone is stacked against her, and I loved her perfect balance of strength and vulnerability. She is definitely a character with plenty of heart, but she can and will fight when she needs to. THE LOST CITY is a very quick read, and while not particularly fast paced, Hocking’s writing style is so smooth and no-nonsense that it’s so easy to just keep turning the pages. I’ve read several of her other books and that’s always something I appreciate about her style.

Bottom line — THE LOST CITY was a good series starter that will definitely leave the reader with more questions than answers. The story is just getting started and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds in the rest of the trilogy, though I think I’ll probably read the other two connected series before continuing on. But only because I’m weird like that. 3.5 stars.

*Many thanks to WednesdayBooks and NetGalley for the arc.

Title: The Lost City
Author: Amanda Hocking
Genre: YA, fantasy
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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.

I haven’t read the Trylle series. If I remember correctly, I tried to read the first one and just couldn’t get through it. I made it through this one. I know the characters are trolls, but with a few exceptions, they just seemed like human teenagers.

Honestly, I found bits of this boring…and a few parts interesting. I wasn’t totally sold on the characters, but perhaps with a bit more exposure they’ll grow on me.

Amanda Hocking lives in Minnesota. The Lost City is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

When Wednesday Book’s asked me if I wanted to be apart of the blog tour for Amanda Hocking’s newest book I will admit I didn’t know who she was and had to look her up, but I just knew this was a book for me. After thoroughly enjoying The Lost City, I know that I will be back tracking to her previous books so I can get back into this amazing world she has created and make my time waiting for the next book less painful.

I am sure everybody can agree that Ulla is amazing and I love her and Pan and I cannot wait to see what happens between them. Yes, I am totally team Pan and Ulla, just in case anybody questioned that. Hanna is the one that truly and fully captured my heart and I sure hope we get more of her. Hanna was so open to others that I just couldn’t help falling in love with her.

Hockings writes such a great story here and she builds this amazingly complex world in such vivid detail and yet keeps the story flowing well. The book flew by without any lag that I finished it in a day!

I am an adopted daughter so I related to Ulla a lot, though I was fortunate to find a real forever family so the draw to find my biological family is not as strong, I still connected with her desire to just know more about herself. I know physically Ulla posses great strength, but her desire to protect others and find the truth made me eager to keep turning pages to find out where her journey was leading.

I recommend The Lost City and I am looking forward to the release of book 2 and 3!

I was so excited when I was asked to review Amanda Hocking’s new series The Omte Origins! I have loved her previous books and so I was exited to delve into the world of Trylle and Trolls again! Let me say I was not disappointed.

I thought the plot of this book was good, it was intriguing from the beginning because we see a baby get left and so you are already wondering her story and then you continue on the journey with her to find out her parents. I like that it isn’t just her that is in search of parents, that there is a whole background to the Trolls and how they are half-breads and there is a project, finally, where they can work and also find their families. It was great that you get some background at the beginning about the Trolls, especially if you are new to the Trylle universe.

The book flows nicely. You are give a background and then you get right into the story. There are some nice surprises along the way that you weren’t expecting and I liked that because it kept me wondering where it was going to go and wanting to finish the book. I thought the writing was well done and loved that there was some humor and a slight hint at a romance that might happen (I have my fingers crossed that it does!).

The characters are well written, you really have your main character Ulla, but the other “supporting” characters really stand out and are really important part of the series and I like this. I am excited to see how each other characters grow as the story progresses and how they continue to ineract with one another. I am especially interested in the mystery Jem-Kruk!

Overall I thought this was a great and quick read. I received the ARC for the second and I am going to dive right in so I can find out what happens next!

I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the duology soon. Amanda Hocking is fast being one of my favorite authors.

SPOILER FREE SECTION

I really enjoyed this book and gave it four stars. Amanda Hocking’s writing style is incredibly easy to read and I got through the book really fast as it always keeps you engaged and wanting to know more which makes it so much more enjoyable.

This book is set within the same world as both the Trylle series and the Kanin Chronicles but you definitely don’t have to have read those books in order to read this one. Although I would definitely recommend reading the Trylle series first just because it brings you into the world of the Trolls and their customs gradually and you get to learn about everything as the main character does, whereas with The Lost City the world isn’t explained as much since we are quite far into the world by now 😀 Also having read the other books before this one you get to see characters from the other series in this book and I love that, I always want to see more from the characters that I love just to see where they end up.

I loved the new characters that we follow in this book, Ulla’s story is so interesting in that she doesn’t really know anything about her ancestry and that is what is really driving her forward, she has always felt so different from everyone around her and feels she needs to find out more about herself in order to connect to herself and her past. Eliana is going through a similar situation but dialled up a couple notches as she is unable to remember almost anything about herself or her past and I really just want to find out all of the secrets that surround her.

I really wish we had gotten a bit more backstory from some of our characters such as Dagny who we really didn’t learn much about other than her work life, and from the bits and pieces we learned about Pan he had a really interesting story but we didn’t get to hear about it in detail which I would like to get.

I really wish that we had gotten some answers in this book because I ended up with 100 times more questions than I had at the start of the book, haha. It really just makes me want to read the next book though because I need to know what is going to happen to these characters and what we will find out about them.

This book is perfect for lovers of YA fantasy and I would recommend all of the series set in this world as they are all awesome and you get to see so much of the world, cultures and mysteries through them that all connect together.

SPOILER SECTION

This book has such an interesting plot line, we are following our characters as we are learning about supposedly mythical lost cities and fairy tale individuals that are real. They may be linked to Ulla but that are definitely linked to Eliana since she has been taken by them. We really only get to learn small amounts about these aspects of the story and I am really looking forward to learning more in the next books. I love fairy tales and myths especially when they become reality 😀

I also love Ulla and Pan’s relationship, it is incredibly sweet and I can’t wait to see what happens while they are on this road trip trying to find Eliana. Even though I love them I would also have to be oblivious not to see the love triangle forming as Ulla is also interested in Jem-Kruk the tall, dark and handsome troll who is a part of the team who kidnapped Eliana but who definitely doesn’t seem as bad as the others since he seems to want to be found by her.

I am so excited to see another part of this world in the next book as our characters are going to visit the Omte tribe, I am really hoping to learn more about this tribe as well as getting some answers about both Eliana and Ulla’s mother. There was also the thing that Sumi said about finding the woman in the long white dress?? Which just leads me with more questions and a need for answers.

Thank you for reading!

I have to admit – when I downloaded this book, I didn’t realize that it was a follow-up series, or that Amanda Hocking was so prolific. That being said, I was able to still read and enjoy this story without this background information, but I imagine that I would have been much more invested if I had read the previous books.

This was a great coming-of-age tale meets found family. Ulla was an interesting heroine, and the characters she met along the way (especially Pan) are so charming. It’s great to watch their relationship blossom.

Hocking is clearly more invested in world building than in plot. Her descriptions and settings are so lush but I found the book, overall, an easy, straightforward read.

While I’m not chomping at the bit for the next book in the series, I am definitely interested in checking out Hocking’s Trylle series. I would love to come back and actually be able to catch all the easter eggs I could (sort of) tell she dropped.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Quick Cut: A girl finds trouble when she uses a prestigious opportunity to try to locate her birth parents.

A Real Review:
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being adopted can come with a litany of questions. Who were my parents and why didn't they keep me? Was there some situation that forced them to seek alternative parenting solutions? These are just some of the questions that Ulla has in the final series in the Trylle world.

Ulla was found as a baby abandoned in the Kanin city. Taken in by strangers and raised quietly, she never stopped wondering about her parents. So when she gets a prestigious internship, she hopes the opportunity will allow her to find her birth parents. Will she find what she's looking for? Or will it just leave her with more questions?

I read Amanda Hocking's original Trylle series and adored it for it's unique writing style. Even though the writing at moments was rough, it was so filled with world building and inspiration that it was worth overlooking it. So, when the opportunity to read this new series in that world? I jumped at the chance.

Unfortunately, this book doesn't even hold a glimmer of the magic that the Trylle series had. Where the original arc succeeded, that spark is missing in this new arena. I wanted to like this one so badly, but found myself pulling my hair out instead.

Unless you're a passionate fan of the original world, this book is likely not to be a hit with you.

My rating: 1 out of 5

So I have yet to read the original Trylle books but when I came across this spinoff start to a new set of books it sounded good and I wanted to jump right in. I don't know if reading the first set might have increased my enjoyment in this one, probably a bit. I did still enjoy it for the most part but I would have liked to see more action. The story kept a rather slow pace and that could make it feel like it was dragging at times.

I liked Ulla well enough. As a protagonist she's rather interesting...she's so even-keeled and pragmatic, which is kind of refreshing in a sense, but it also made it her feel maybe a tad robotic at times and left a little disconnect there. I think her story, her search for answers on where/who she came from helped even that out and give her more depth and feeling. I had similar feelings on the other prominent characters in the sense that I liked them but none were exactly jumping off the pages. Eliana might be the one stand out, but I think a lot of her intrigue came from all the mystery surrounding her.

While it lacked in action for the most part it certainly didn't lack in imagination or world building. This was an interesting world to explore and I would like to see where the next book takes me. I think that one will likely make or break it for me.

This was such a good book! I was hooked from the moment I started. If you love magical fantasy books with trolls, mythology and more, then this is the book you want. I’m going to try my best to not give anything away so this may come across as a short review, bear with me.

From the start, I felt the characters and the world building were very, very well developed. The characters felt flawed and complex, while the world itself felt lush and realistic. Ulla’s backstory and the mystery around Eliana were enthralling. As the story moved forward, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen, what secret might be revealed next.

I highly recommend you add this to your TBR now, if you haven’t already. This is a fantasy series you don’t want to miss out on.

This was a good book. Now I haven't read her other series so i cant compare or tell you anything from that but it was good got a little bit of mystery to it and I will be reading the next book.

I was introduced to Amanda Hocking years ago when I got my hands on an ARC of the first title in the Trylle trilogy. I wasn’t impressed by her writing, but I appreciated her world-building skills, and eagerly read the sequels as they were released.

Fast-forward to 2020, and I’m still not entirely impressed by her writing. There was a lot of telling, and not as much showing. There were moments where I thought we might get some action to move the plot along, but things don’t really seem to pick up until the final chapters. I would almost classify this book as a introductory prequel, as opposed to the first book in a new trilogy. I also found the barest hint of a love triangle making me roll my eyes. That trope has had its heyday, and I’m ready for something different.

Some characters were intriguing, but nothing about them made me wholly invested in their choices. I was merely an observer, instead of being enveloped in the story as it unfolded. Her insertion of an asexual character was a nice attempt at representation, but felt clunky. I did love that not all characters were beautiful, symmetrical, unearthly beings masquerading as heroines. Our main character had quirks, and I found that very refreshing.

If you enjoyed her previous Trylle books, this will be a welcome edition to your reading list. Cameos of past characters and more world-building lend itself well to that. If you’re not familiar with the Trylle, I would recommend starting at the beginning and reading this title later. I don’t believe it will stand as well on its own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in a new trilogy set in the same world as two other trilogies: the Trylle Trilogy and the Kanin Chronicles. It is centered around Ulla, an orphaned troll presumed to be of the Omte tribe. Ulla gets an opportunity to search for her parents and discover her heritage, which leads to all kinds of adventure and discoveries. As with the previous books set in this world, I loved it. The series are all connected, but with different main characters from different tribes. Ulla is likable and well-developed. I definitely recommend this book, but would advise you to read the other books first.

I've read almost all of Amanda Hocking's books. The Lost City makes book 20 of hers that I've read and her writing style in this has the same feel as all her other work. The Lost City is the start of a new trilogy that takes places in her Trylle universe. Therefore, while it stands strong on its own, fans of her previous series ( The Trylle Trilogy & The Kanin Chronicles) will recognize some names and faces the main character comes across.

Ulla Tulin has no idea who her birth parents are or where she came from. After being left at an inn as an infant when she's older she finds herself as a nanny and part of a large welcoming family but the urge to know her roots never lessened. She lands an internship at job that will give her access to ways of discovering her patronage. When there's a chance her mother might have been of royal blood she is blocked at every attempt to find out more. She learns that even her world has secrets and maybe the fairy tales aren't quite tales after all.

The Lost City was on par with what I expected from it. Hocking's books tend to have a slow build and the first book always leaves you with mysteries you want to know more of. She also totally set up the YA love triangle trope subtly by giving us the loyal charming sweet boy companion and dangling a tall dark and handsome mystery man before us that leaves us wanting more. {{sigh}} You just know boy next door will eventually get his heart crushed down the line. Anyways I digress, The Lost City does a lot of explanation of the Trylle world, history and social class. While the story progress a little it definitely feels a bit slow. Ulla doesn't learn a whole lot and at the ends set off on her big journey.

The Lost City was a good start to a new YA trilogy by Amanda Hocking. With likable characters and mysteries to uncover, I foresee it being a trilogy that I end up wanting to add to my bookshelf. I think fans of her previous Trylle universe series are going to enjoy this one as well.

I have been waiting so impatiently to return to Amanda Hocking’s Trylle and Kanin filled worlds. It’s been five years since her last book, Crystal Kingdom came out and finally fans get an introduction to another troll faction, The Omte. I can’t express how excited I was when I got an ARC of the first novel in her new trilogy, The Lost City and it was worth the wait!

This series follows Ulla Tulin, an abandoned orphan with no lineage to trace and a compassion for those like her, a half breed. This book explores the awkward and frowned upon unions of troll factions mixing blood with humans or other species. This is an angle ripped right from our own society. Although we progress on acceptance and inclusion we are still far from perfect and this shows an old world view that still exists today. There are many relatable tidbits strewn about that I think many readers will be able to connect with and Hocking’s writing sets a conversational tone that incites emotion for those who might not be familiar.

Ulla tries to find her parents and this is yet another perspective unexplored in this vast world that Hocking has created. I’ve been a fan of her work ever since the first book, Switched in the Trylle series came out back in 2012. If you haven’t read these books I urge you to do so because they are amazing. These books do not have to be read in order as each one tackles a different faction but the world does progress and Hocking does include these ‘easter eggs’ in as you read from the Trylle series, to the Kanin and then to this one about the Omte. You will definitely be able to find spoilers about other characters if you start with this book, The Lost City. If this type of YA fantasy interests you I suggest starting at Switched and follow the story as they were published that way you’ll be able to appreciate all the odes to her other series when you reach this one!

This is a story that takes old Swedish fairytales and combines it with a science fiction edge which seems like an odd choice but it worked extremely well. The Norse connection and it’s link to their troll biology gave a fresh outlook to the series because it combines old stories with new technology. There’s tons of mentions that a fan like myself really appreciated because this is a world that has evolved immensely throughout 6 previous books and this shows that. I liked knowing the connections from her other series because I grew attached to her other characters like Finn and Bryn, Wendy and Loki etc. And the best part is that if you haven’t read the other ones you aren’t bogged down by these really heavy histories’ because each new series explores a different concept and plot that doesn’t make for information overload or confusion about characters you have no clue about. Each new series is a new start, fans can appreciate the connections and new readers aren’t confused by the references because everything you need to know to understand the story of the book you’re reading is explained.

Let’s start with this new species of troll, The Omte. They are imperfect with asymmetrical facial features and are deemed the least beautiful of this world to date. To see the main character, reflect on her features in this way set the tone.

“Meanwhile, I had broad shoulders and wide hips with hardly a cinch of a waist in the middle, making my body type ‘rectangular’, as the magazines would helpfully declare, and not so much fat as I was wide, although I was a little pudgy, too. Like many Omte, my face had a slightly squished lopsided appearance. The skewed look on my face was mostly due to my mouth---the left corner of my puffy lips drooped a bit—and my eyes—the left eye was slightly larger than the right, and the left pupil was permanently dilated in a birth defect, making the eye appear darker and even larger than it actually was. It was only the Omte who were known for their asymmetric features, hulking bodies, and generally going against the grain of Western beauty standards in the twenty-first century. And that was me. While I still enjoyed putting on a gown and getting all gussied up for big events like the royal party at the palace, the pressure of perfection made my less-than-perfect self-uncomfortable.”

Ulla’s story is a difficult one. She’s looked at for what she is, a half-breed, a shameful mistake that everyone wants kept buried. Her adoptive parents got stuck with her out of convenience rather than love and that makes for a hard life from the beginning. She’s resourceful and throughout the entire book she seems convinced that she’s worth more than how she’s been treated which is amazing self-esteem. Yes, she’s naïve and awkward. Yes, not everything goes her way. But she doesn’t let that stop her. She’s an underdog and she uses her intellect to find answers not forthcoming to her.
__________
“Well, I would argue that we’re far more observant and intelligent than the humans’, he replied with a derisive chuckle. I bristled and struggled to keep my voice neutral when I tactfully said, ‘That sounds a tad bit racist.’ It was more than a tad honestly, and it was the kind of thing I’d heard used a hundred times to dismiss me. Because I was Omte, and everyone knows they’re the dumbest of the tribes. Because I’m a half-breed, and everyone knows that mixed blood makes them weak and stupid. Because I’m from Isklya, and everyone knows only the unsophisticated and naïve live there. Because I’m female. Because I’m asymmetrical and overweight.

Because I’m blond.
Because I’m an orphan.
Because.
Because.
Because.”
__________

She does not let others bring her down and this resonated with me from the start. She is a strong and resilient lead with a compassion to stop the status quo especially when it’s wrong. But she’s not the only strong character in here. Many side characters also caught my attention but most notably was Dagny, her dry and sarcastic roommate. She’s hilariously real and brutally honest to a fault. She comes off a little mean and jaded but she is lovable.

“Good,’ Dagny replied without looking up from her meticulous care of the longbow. I don’t want you to tell me anything. Secrets are for friends. You’re not my friend. You’re like an invasive species who I tolerate because you make delicious food and your benefactor pays rent.”

One of the best things in Hocking’s writing is her ability to add humour seamlessly throughout that showcase her characters in a quirky way. These are not the traditional trolls. The Trylle, the Kanin and the Omte are all a part of a sophisticated society that’s enriched with technology. These aren’t the trolls that make a living terrorizing others while living under a bridge. No, they aren’t even close. My favourite inclusion to this novel in respect to the main character was her monologue about overpacking. It is too true for me. I was that girl that would always pack way too many books for a weekend away and I KNOW I’m not the only one who does that. If you’re like me, you’ll easily love Ulla.

“Trolls tended to have hoarding tendencies, and I was no exception. One of the more obvious ways this presented itself was how much I overpacked. It didn’t help at all that my stuff was essentially already packed for the big move, so why not just pile it in the jeep in case I needed it during the next six weeks? Like literally all my clothing and jewellery. Would I need a winter jacket in June in Oregon? Probably not, but why risk it.”

This has been me way too many times to count and it was here that I found an instant connection with the main character and that’s powerful for any author to create for its readers. Well done, Hocking!

The Lost City features a sweet and slow romance. Pan is an adorably cute researcher she meets at the institute and despite his awkward kind of gangly way with Ulla he countlessly expresses his want to be with her, spend time with her and he is genuine. He cares about her greatly and Hocking teased so much of this budding relationship, every time they were close something would drag them away, it was infuriating! Cannot wait for its sequel because they’re on a road trip for answers, unchaperoned!!!!
____________
“I do, but I still think you’re wrong. Your parents and your ancestors aren’t the definition of you. You’re more than the colour of your eyes or your super-strength or your beautiful smile.
I rolled my eyes.

‘Okay. Now you’re just being ridiculous.’

‘I’m not.’ He smiled at me. ‘I swear I’m not. I don’t want you to overlook what you already have and who you are. You have a lot going for you. You’re dedicated, you’re kind, you’re a lot of fun to be around.”
____________

Because this is a slow burn romance there’s an emotional component that’s tested constantly. Ulla is at this institute to figure out who her family is and why they might have abandoned her. She’s not thinking about boys and the like but Pan just kind of slipped into her heart. She wasn’t there to find him but that made this relationship so much better because it wasn’t an instant flirtation or some really heavy charged affair either. It was slow and steady and it seems like they got to know one another as friends first so you know their feelings came from somewhere rather than thin air. I’m not a reader who loves insta-love romances and this was definitely not one of those. I’m a hopeless romantic and Pan is an exceptional love interest who suits Ulla to a T. I’m convinced Hocking wrote this romance slow because it’s not the focus of the story but I think that was clever. Infuriating because I want them together but clever all the same. She’s letting Ulla’s story be the focus as it should be. So bravo! They also share a scene with one of my favourite quotes from the book so of course I included it! This had me swooning for Pan!

“You’re more than a line in a book. Nobody can fit an entire lifetime into twenty words or less.”
_____
The arrival of a potential second love interest caught my attention but Ulla’s instant infatuation with him make me hope that this is not the case. But this is really the only negative I have for this novel. I am so excited to continue this series with the second novel, The Morning Flower set to release August 4th 2020 and I cannot wait to see everything progress. I have fallen for these characters and I’m eager to see what’s in store for them and how the story will go from here and one of the best things with these series are the release dates. You can read the entire trilogy within months because of each books release. If you like these books (past and present) check out Danielle L. Jensen’s Malediction trilogy as it also features trolls!

Firstly a big thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review. Going in I thought that I might struggle having never read anything previously by this author and her Trylle trilogy, but there's plenty there for a newcomer. From the cover I was expecting a YA high fantasy, but it was a quirky hybrid between both high and low with the fantastical Mimirin, with its magical creatures and spells contrasting with the use of electronic devices and pop culture TV and music. At first I found that a little jarring, but actually I grew to really like those little moments. I also want to mention that the cover has a great body positive representation of Ulla which is fantastic!

The Lost City is a book full of fun and genuinely likeable characters, I instantly warmed to Ulla although I was saddened by a passage where she starting listing her perceived physical faults which felt endless. She was down to earth and easy to read, her character wasn't reckless and I liked how she didn't fall into many of the established tropes she could have done. Her wonderful sense of caring really shone through and I found her really refreshing as a YA protagonist. Dagny I think is my favourite, she has quite the little character arc going on and I feel that she will be a great ally in future books.

The books main focus is within the Mimirin itself and I wish we had got to know more about it, whilst Hocking has a wonderfully descriptive writing style, it felt a very character driven piece with the focus on Ulla's search rather than the world around her. The introduction of Eliana broke up Ulla's search in the archives well and added that much needed additional dimension to keep the story flowing, albeit slowly. It's a very breadcrumb start and for me took a while to really get going, granted lots of foundations are laid and there is a lot of information and character introduction, however, things had just started to get really interesting and I turned the page to find the end.  The last 10% was so good, with a lot of twists and some much needed action that really drove the story forward and gave it greater purpose and upped the star rating a little from me.  Whilst frustrating this last section was enough to make me intrigued enough to carry on with the series, I just felt disappointed at the abrupt end. I did however have a sneeky peek at the cover and blurb for book 2 and it's looking good!

One thing that I really enjoyed was the section after the story had concluded which outlined the different tribes and a brief history, this was likely the bulk of what happened in previous books and I was glad to have it, it would have been nice for it to have been at the start though as I would have felt more comfortable with the world and then the story itself could have perhaps been just a little more focused.

Overall though it's great little read that flowed nicely, with endearing characters and some Ace rep. The minor romance element is mainly feelings based and would be perfect for a teen reader to the younger end of the YA market.

3.5

Amanda Hocking's books are well loved for her world building and her character development. People and places are so well defined and have so much depth, that you feel you know them and care for them. THE LOST CITY is the first book in a series that is a branch off the Trylle series. The characters come to life quickly and I loved watching them grow and mature as they faced life's challenges, building a family from the quirky members they pick up along the way to solving our main character's quest to find out who she is. Abandoned with no clues to her family and raised by an elder couple; she realizes she must answer her family questions before she can hope to move forward in life. The trip and the cast that accompany her are an excellent start to what we hope is a long running journey for Ulla.

I read the original Trylle trilogy back in 2012 (I even reviewed it! Please ignore how amateur it was). I absolutely loved it - Hocking created a magical world embedded within, yet hidden from, our own. The characters were feisty and the narrative addictive.

The magic of her world is on full display in The Lost City. Ulla, a half-breed troll of unknown origins, begins the book in Northern Canada (Nunavut, if you're curious). Already, we're sucked into the story through Hocking's lyrical, yet straight-forward narrative that quickly throws us into the world of trolls and myths. As I knew a lot of the history from my memory of the Trylle series, it wasn't too hard for me to digest the different branches of trolls, with there even being a callback to the Trylle series in one of the first few chapters. However, there are a lot of info-dumps. There's lots to absorb when it comes to the history of the trolls, and I think a big part of this method of world-building is driven by the fact that Ulla, our MC, is diving into troll history and studying her own origins. As a result, this information is necessary in order to understand their world as much as it is to understand the character. As such, I appreciated the short-chapter format the story is told in, as it definitely helped make the story more manageable and easy to process.

Ulla's journey to self-discovery made this book very relevant to current events. In a time of protests against sexism, racism, among other major societal issues, The Lost City takes on some of these issues and makes them both fantastical and topical.

"It was more than a tad, honestly, and it was the kind of thing I'd heard used a hundred times to dismiss me. Because I was Omte, and everyone knows they're the dumbest of the tribes. Because I'm a half-breed, and everyone knows that mixed blood makes them weak and stupid. Because I'm from Iskyla, and everyone knows that only the unsophisticated and naïve live there.
Because I'm female.
Because I'm asymmetrical and overweight.
Because I'm blond.
Because I'm an orphan.
Because.
Because.
Because."

I felt that quote in my bones, and I was very surprised and pleased to see these topics being addressed. Throughout the book, we continuously get to see Ulla crash through the stereotypes attributed to her and I absolutely loved that.

Beyond Ulla, the development of the secondary characters was fantastic and  how each one had a chance to grow with the story and its events. Similar to the original Trylle trilogy, there were moments where I wanted just a little more depth with the characters and with the story, but this is only the first book so I guess there are plenty of chances to get everything I want in the upcoming sequels!

All in all, it was fantastic jumping back into this world and I had so much fun with this new cast of characters. I'm curious to see where this series leads!

Plot: 4/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 3.5/5
Pacing: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5
GoodReads: 3.8/5

eARC obtained via St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from advanced proof and may not match the final book.