Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The only good thing about The Stolen Kingdom is its gorgeous cover. That's it.

I really tried to like this book. I even finished it even though I was tempted, multiple times, to DNF it. I hoped it'd get better but no, it was still flat and boring.

Both POVs, Maralyth and Alac's, weren't remarkable and that's why it's hard for me to get invested in them and their story. There weren't much difference between the two POVs and the character development was weak. Both of them were so naive and their choices were, to put it simply, stupid.

The blurb promised court intrigue but where? I couldn't find it. All of their plans were so simple it hurts. There's also little to no worldbuilding and it's so disappointing. The background characters also did not stand out in any way; they're really, really flat. So yes, I did not care about any character in this book because they're just... so dull.

Second, the 'romance'. Oh God it's another case of instalove and if I knew about it, I wouldn't read this book. There was no development and they just fall in love at first sight. It's so weird seeing how Alac, the supposedly smart prince, trusted Maralyth whom he just known for a few days with a bunch of his deeply personal opinions and feelings about his family and it just doesn't make sense at all. She's literally a stranger. Why would you lay your cards on the table so quickly?

To sum it up, The Stolen Kingdom is a very disappointing read that is way too simple to be a fantasy book released in the year of our Lord 2021, even if it's targeted for young adults. Perhaps I've outgrown YA books... or at least I've outgrown the ones about mysterious girls who turns out to be the lost heir of a magical kingdom.

A standalone fantasy novel feels like a real unicorn in today’s market, so I was very excited to be able to read something without having to commit to three (five, seven…) books.

“If you’re planning treachery against our king, I want no part of it,” I said.
“You’re already part of it,” Nelgareth said. “Heirs to thrones don’t have the luxury of saying no.”


Mara has a connection to growing things, a magic her mother made her promise to hide from everyone, even her own family. She loves the family vineyard and winery, but it’s her brother who’s set to inherit it all. Instead of working out in the fields, Mara’s stuck cooking for the fieldhands. Alac is trapped in his own way, if a bit more comfortably. As the second son to the king, he’s viewed as mostly useless, at least until his father insists on inducting him into the blood magic that helps their family keep the throne. Alac knows the truth, though – the magic is corrupted because it was stolen from the rightful rulers. When a noble figures out that Mara has the magic – the deposed monarch’s magic – she’s manipulated into being the figurehead for a coup. But while no one can deny that the king is evil and slowly destroying the kingdom, the king’s sons, especially Alac, are a different story. As she attends the wedding festivities for the king’s heir, she grows closer to Alac and starts to realize that things aren’t as clear cut as the rebels want her to believe.

“Were I braver or more selfless—or if I lusted after the magic the way Cannon had seemed to—the choice would have been easy. But receiving the stolen magic and allowing it to possess me for the rest of my life was something I’d never wanted.”


I found both Mara and Alac to be very likeable, but I had problems connecting with them. While they were definitely everything you want in protagonists – brave and moral but gently imperfect – they felt a bit superficial and one-dimensional. Since it is a standalone, there’s a lot that happens in the book, from setting up the background to the political machinations of the coup to the romance to… well, you get the idea. There’s not a lot of time to get to know the characters, especially with the POV split between Alac and Mara, and then even less for the romance to develop. Both characters do admit that they’re in the early stages of a relationship and certainly need to get to know each other better, which did make up for the speed and that’s something that I appreciate seeing in YA romance. It’s an enjoyably fast read, though, with quick pacing, and a generally interesting if predictable plot.

As for cons, there were some religious undertones to the book. Magic was a gift given by God to the original ruling family, and when it’s stolen it’s corrupted, turning from something that heals and grows to something that ages and hurts. It’s not really explored much more than that, though, and I would’ve liked more about it, though I suspect that would’ve put this more firmly in the Christian fantasy genre. To be honest, I wanted more of Mara’s magic and more of the winery, though I found it a little too pat that Alac was so interested in vineyards himself. I also found it unrealistic that Mara would be able to rule the kingdom well when she didn’t even have the experience of running her own family’s vineyard.

Overall, I think this would be a great book for younger YA readers, considering the sweet romance and general inoffensiveness of the content.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme

I want to thank Netgally for allowing me to get a copy of this lovely book before it was released! The cover is BEAUTIFUL, and the description had me really excited to get approved for it!

The Stolen Kingdom is a perfect blend of a love story, a strong female lead, a story of stolen magic and that our past ghost will always haunt us. Maralyth would love nothing more than to take over her fathers vineyard but when she finds herself kidnapped and told of her true bloodline, everything changes. Maralyth knows that the current rule over their kingdom has caused nothing but suffering and death and thinks that she might be able to change that with her magic. She has all intentions of taking the crown by killing the king and his two sons, but when she meets Alac, a Thungrave prince, she knows that that plan can not work. Maralyth and Alac go from friends to enemies quicker than she ever thought and soon her life is in shambles. She must do everything she can to protect the people of her kingdom, even if that means sacrificing herself.

I adored this book. I would definitely categorize it as young adult simply because it doesn’t go deep into the relationship or any gore. I really enjoyed the friends to enemies to lover’s trope in this. I loved all the magic and the back story that the author provided to allow the reader to understand why things are happening they way they are. This story was full of so many lovely things that it is hard to pinpoint what I loved because I loved the entire book.

I feel like the author could have had the main characters show their love for each other a little more deeply and still been in that “young adult” category. I can see why she didn’t and I am hopeful that there will be a second book that will give us more of Maralyth and Alac’s love story. I would also love to see how she rules the kingdom and if their solution to everything did indeed work. I have read some other young adult books that go in a little deeper and have more danger to them, which I think this book could have done if she wanted to. However, I do think it was a good balance that kept me on my toes.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book and I already have to some friends. I really hope there is a second book and I get to hear more of the love story and see Maralyth grow into her new position.

This book… It was a ride, and it was amazing!
I got addicted to this book since the first page, I just liked the writing and how the story starts so much! The author doesn’t write about the world nonstop, she just gives you little information where it is needed and I love it, because this way it felt like I was seeing the world through the characters eyes.
The book had different perspectives, we have Maralyth and Alac, and I didn’t mind at all, it was so nice to get to know them both. And I loved how their story connects and how different their story is. I didn’t expect t oread a book like this, but it was such a nice surprise!
The only things I didn’t like was that the book was so short that there were some points in the story I would’ve loved to see more developed.
The book pace is fast, only the first chapters were a little bit slower, but then, hold me because I would not leave my kobo! This is a great book for a slump.
A special thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

The Stolen Kingdom is a great standalone YA fantasy.

In a world where you are either born with magic or steal it, there is one family left with it; the royal family. Their magic is passed down from King to King with only one person having it at a time. The only problem, it’s stolen magic and that makes it dark and destructive.

Mara, our heroin, growing up the daughter of a vintner, wants more out of life than to tend to the men who work on her father’s vineyard. Mara has a secret, she was born with magic. This secret leads to her being kidnapped by a leader of a group hoping to overthrow the current King. Mara’s magic means she is a member of a royal bloodline thought to be slaughtered by the current royal family for their magic/power and is the rightful heir to the throne.

Infiltrating court with her kidnapper, Mara meets the charming and usually overlooked second son of the king, Prince Alac. The two are drawn together. Causing Mara to question the path she is on.

It has romance, magic, and betrayal. It’s the making of a fun and quick reading adventure. I would say it is more on the lower age range of the YA scale, great for middle school and high schoolers.

Thank you so much to Tor Teen and Netgalley for letting me read an e-ARC of The Stolen Kingdom! I'm obsessed with the cover (isn't it gorgeous???) and the description of the book itself makes it sound exactly like something I would love, so I was really excited about reading it!

The Stolen Kingdom 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

For a hundred years, the once-prosperous kingdom of Perin Faye has suffered under the rule of the greedy and power-hungry Thungrave kings. Maralyth Graylaern, a vintner's daughter, has no idea her hidden magical power is proof of a secret bloodline and claim to the throne. Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son, has always been uncomfortable with his position as the spare heir—and the dark, stolen magic that comes with ruling.
When Maralyth becomes embroiled in a plot to murder the royal family and seize the throne, a cat-and-mouse chase ensues in an adventure of dark magic, court intrigue, and forbidden love.

Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid book. I liked Maralyth and Alac and the story woven between them. I liked the magic and the hidden heir and the stolen throne storylines. I feel like there were parts where they talked about how the kingdom used to be prosperous but wasn't anymore and I feel like we never knew that it wasn't prosperous and we were just supposed to go along with that assumption because we were told it then- it would have been more powerful (to me anyway) if we had been shown it in some other way earlier in the book. Also, we were told many times about how the king's stolen magic was "bad" and whenever Alac "used" it, it made bad things happen, but it was always unintentional/the magic had a mind of its own- could the king control it? Maralyth has immense control over her power, which I thought was a little weird since she was never technically taught about it or really allowed to use it, so she was able to gain such great control in her stolen moments of use? I also was a little confused about whether or not her father was her actual father and was her brother actually her brother? And if her mom also was her brother's mom, why didn't he have any of the secret hidden magic? Besides all of my questions though, I really liked the book and I liked how the author did the ending and everything leading up to it! Overall, I think this was a solid fantasy novel and I highly recommend it!

This YA fantasy propels young Maralyth Graylaern into becoming the figurehead for a rebellion against the king of Perin Faye.

The king's younger son, Alac, fears the dark magic that has given his family power, but that changes each king and heir - for the worse. When Mara and Alac meet, there is an instant attraction.

Mara's magical talent becomes the key to defeat the dark magic released by the coup before it destroys everything in its path.

This is a solid, wholesome fantasy book.

The plotline is really engaging.
We see the kingdom of Perin Faye under the strict rule of a magic crazed king. As per old tales, the current ruling family - Thungraves, stole the magic from the its rightful owners and rulers of Perin Faye - the Dallowyns. Ever since the Thungraves came into power, the magic has taken a dark turn and it now hangs like a cruel curse over the rulers, corrupting each king that comes into power.

We follow dual povs of our two MCs. Alac is the king's second son and the spare to the heir. Maralyth is the daughter of a skilled vintner whose family has been rendered poor because of the King's autocratic rule.

Both of them have ambitions that are different from what their families expect from them and are undermined by their families. They find their lives irrevocably interwoven by a twist of fate.

To me, both Alac and Maralyth felt like ordinary characters. Things were just happening to them and they were letting things happen to them. In many ways, they were shown as helpless. But both possessed a good heart and a desire to do better. Personally, I would have liked it if there would have been a little more fire, a little more spirit in these two. But that's my personal taste. On their own, these two MCs were very wholesome.

I liked the supporting characters as well, like Alac's friend Tucker or Maralyth's brother Nestar. I also liked the negative characters.

The plot was straightforward and did not deviate much. There were a few twists, but nothing too shocking or unexpected. The ending was surprisingly clean. Overall the story ties up all ends neatly.

There are few standalone fantasy books. And while this one was not excellent for me, it surely was a good book and provided good entertainment while reading.

Rating: 3/5

What happens when good magic is the wrong hands? In The Stolen Kingdom we follow strong and fearless Maralyth Graylaern who posses magic which she must keep to herself. In alternating chapters we follow Alac Thungrave who is the second son to the king, a king who holds a dark magic. Maralyth soon finds herself caught in a plan to bring down the royal family. Caught between her friendship with Alec and the pull of magic, Maralyth must learn the truth of her bloodline and fight for what is hers.

While I enjoyed the plot of this story, I felt that many of the pivotal plot points where very rushed. I wish there had been at least 100 more pages so we could of had more complex action and detail to these parts. This book kept to the theme of young adult, the character development was good and the situations were age appropriate.

Overall this was a good young adult stand alone fantasy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for an advanced reader copy for an honest review.

Title: The Stolen Kingdom
Author: Jillian Boehme
Pub. Date: March 2, 2021
Rating: 3.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book, and pretty much read it one sitting.

Overall, it’s a decent read, but I do think it falls short in some areas. The plot and premise is pretty strong, but it doesn’t have enough time to make you really feel the impacts. Everything happens so quickly in this book, and there’s very little building tension.
I feel like if this book had been maybe another 100 pages, or even another book – stretching it into a duology – it would have been more impactful.

I could see what the author was going for, but I just never really felt the weight of what was happening. And because of the quick pace, character reactions just seem too easy, too surface. They all basically take everything in stride. There’s very little fighting back.

That’s not to say that I didn’t like Maralyth, I just didn’t fully understand her motivations. She’s not without care – we see that through the way she treats the workers, her family and those in her community, but when she gets pulled into this plot to overthrow the current regime, she just goes with it.
This was the part that I didn’t really buy – especially after her wariness and urgency for people to not voice treasonous opinions.

As for Alac – he was pretty basic. I knew from the moment he met Maralyth was his arc was going to be. He didn’t really do anything for me. He’s the typical Prince who longs for a different “better” life, hates the fact that he’s royal, but lives in excess, exploiting his status. He’s pretty much all talk, and then his personality tries to do a180 and change, and I just kind of rolled my eyes. He behaves exactly how you expect him to.
Which brings me to the romance between the two of them. Again, very surface, very predictable, but really no emotional weight. I don’t really care about them. She’s different from any other girl he’s ever met, and he’s her mark. While it was sweet and cute at times, nothing really had me rooting for them.
This book wasn’t terrible, it made for a quick, enjoyable read. I think the author had grand ideas and wanted to shove as much into this book as possible, to cater to as many as possible, and you’re just kind of left bereft and wanting more.

So, if you’re looking for a quick, enjoyable and predictable fantasy read that will just allow you to escape for a little bit, then this is the perfect book. It’ll transport you to a world with drama and court intrigue, stolen magic, stolen moments, a teasing friendship, a curse and the lengths one will go to, to save the world – all with a back drop of wine and vineyards.

Thanks to netgalley for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a quick and easy YA fantasy read, similar to many I've read before but unique enough in premise to feel satisfying and fun. I think this easily could have been split into two books and would perhaps benefit from the additional time and space to flesh things out. From characters to plotlines, it did feel decently rushed, the entire book lasting no more than two weeks. I also felt Mara agreeing to the plan so quickly and committing so easily was a missed opportunity for her to grapple with her new found lineage and how she would want to rule.

Overall, however, this was an easy and enjoyable read!

I think the author has a lot of promise. There were the beginnings of a truly epic story here. It got a bit bogged down in places and was a bit scattered in places. I rarely ever think of how a book would translate to the screen but this felt more like the bones of a really good screenplay actually. The magic system was interesting (and I wish explored more) and it felt very much like there were no real villains just...those who unfortunately had to live with the mistakes of those who came before them. That made for an odd plot with no real stakes but still worth the read.

In the "ordinary girl finds out she's somehow CHOSEN in a fantasy medieval world" genre, this book struggles to stand out from the crowd. For all that this book is about who should rule, the machinations of governance are glossed over or left unconsidered at crucial moments in the plot. The love story - which is also central to the plot - was cute at first with all the flirting and whatnot, but lost me in the end when real conversations should have been had.

"... her long, golden-red curls resting like sleeping kittens over the front of her bodice." - That quote gives you a sense of the author's writing style. While it made me laugh out loud, I don't think that was the intended effect.

This objective review is based on a complimentary advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an e-copy of The Stolen Kingdom.

What isn't to love here? Magic that once was good, but became corrupted when it was forcibly taken. A princess who didn't know she was a princess. Courtly intrigue and some amazing double-crossing. Honestly, this whole book was a delight to read and perfect for any fantasy/royal intrigue lovers.

Maralyth has grown up on a vineyard - knowing she has magical powers to help the vines grow, the fruit ripen, and to protect the crop from frost. She also knows this must never, ever be talked about or shown to others. Alac has been living in the shadow of his father, the king, and his older brother, the heir, for this entire life. He has seen what the magic that has been passed down from generation to generation has done to his once affable father. However, not is all as it seems in Perin Faye. Royal families conspiring to over throw the crown and the spare chasing after dark magic that is not his to claim.

I received this ARC in exchange for giving an honest review.

The Stolen Kingdom was a great read. I felt that it was a little slow to get going but I really enjoyed the storyline and the ending.

Trigger Warnings: blood, murder, gore, drugging, abduction, self harm

I thought the beginning of this story was quite slow and I really had to push myself to get through it. Once I reached the halfway mark things started to get interesting and I couldn't put this book down.

I enjoyed the quaint fantasy world that the author created. The lineage and lore was interesting and easy to follow. I wish the author would have dug a little deeper into this world's history as it did feel underdeveloped.

The romance was entirely underdeveloped. I could not understand why Alac felt so deeply for Maralyth when he only knew her for a week. However, I did appreciate that Maralyth did not return those feelings immediately. I enjoyed the betrayal much more than I enjoyed their initial romance.

The wine making subplot was interesting a different. Its not something I've seen in a fantasy book before. Personally I didn't really enjoy it but it did stand out.

I wasn't a fan of the magic system with this book. Maralyth's magic was spell casting based which I don't particularly like in high fantasy settings. It works more with whimsical stories. I also didn't really understand the Thungrave magic. It was just a menacing black cloud that aged things. Why was it so bad? Because it was stolen? It just wasn't particularly interesting.

This was an average cute standalone. It's really refreshing to read a simple standalone fantasy as most of them are lengthy series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to Tor Teen for the digital ARC of The Stolen Kingdom via NetGalley!  This is a great standalone YA fantasy, with everything from a king killer plot to just a twist of romance!

This book to me is exceptionally well done as a stand alone fantasy.

The Magic: My favorite magic systems are the ones tied to the land, tied to a Kingdom, because they not only make sense to me but add so much to the richness of the world building.

A pure, healing magic, was given to the original King of Perin Faye by the land’s deity. Corrupted into dark and destructive magic when it was stolen, it twisted a king killer into something terrifying.  This is the legacy passed down through generations to the current king.

The plot/story: the plot ran at breakneck pace, again making it a great standalone.  A rebel lord has decided to replace a true descendent of the first king on the throne to seize power.  He finds a magic wielder and a plot to murder the ruling family is put into action.  Will the corrupted magic even allow this?  The current king is away while his sons entertain the heir’s wedding party.  The first son/heir is incredibly important as the stolen magic requires a vessel at all times.

Maybe a better question is, will Maralyth play along with this scheme of murder or will she fall for the prince?

The Characters: I liked the characters! A vintner’s daughter, Maralyth, has hidden her magic but doesn’t really know why it is considered illicit. The second prince, Alac,  who doesn’t want the throne OR the dark magic of his father, is the other point of view.  They are both drawn unwillingly into this insane queen maker plot.  There is instant attraction between them, but then it buds slowly over months.  I liked this tiny bit of romance.  Both characters had full arcs as they realized how tied to the kingdom they are, and the side characters were great too.  Why not throw in an insane and terrifying king, and funny guard? There is banter for days between them all.

The World: so much magic and lore. I wish she had discussed the religion more, although it only played a side role it would have added to the lore. There was more than enough world building for a standalone for sure. Food, wealth distribution, bit of history, economy, political structure, plus two sides of the same magic. Betrayal and a tiny bit of intrigue too.

Very low content as well, just a FEW kisses and a bit of poison and swordfighting.

I just can’t get over how the magic was tied to everything in the plot, I kind of feel like this is how fantasy magic should be! Plus strong, brave, funny characters, and plenty of action, this book was a huge win for me!

Links:
https://onereadingnurse.com/2021/02/28/arc-review-the-stolen-kingdom-by-jillian-boehme/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLr-nOygHKU/

I honestly couldn't wait for this book to be over. At one point I thought I was almost done, but was actually only at 37%. I couldn't believe there was more left. It was slow, boring and just couldn't keep my attention.

Rating: 3.5!

What I loved:

I really appreciated that this book was a stand-alone, it helped it stand out on my shelf amidst a slew of long fantasy series. The world building was top-notch; it felt real and well-lived in, but kept me curious and wanting to learn more throughout. Mara is a great strong heroine with understandable motivations and convictions, and I definitely felt connected to her and her journey! The plot in the first half ran fast paced and kept me engaged (I love a good royalty story!), and there’s lots of juicy twists and turns throughout.

What I needed more of:

The romance! Romance is a major draw for me in YA books, and this one needed to be pushed way more. It had enemies to lovers, but there just wasn’t enough emotional investment and angst to match up to other books in this genre. I really just wanted more, because the foundation of the love story was great! The plot seemed to drag, for me, in the latter half of the book and at times was rough to get through, though I really enjoyed the ending.

I really had no expectations for this book going in but I genuinely enjoyed this book. Finding good standalone books that wrap up a story nicely is really hard to find and one of the main reasons I recommend this book.
It is not a very fast paced book by my standard but I love that it was a lot more character driven and focused on characters development instead of just pages and pages of world building.

TW - Violence

The banter, magic system and king killer and forbidden romance kept the story interesting throughout.

This was one of my most anticipated reads and I loved the chance to get it early and i see a reread very soon in the future.

Rating : 3.75 Stars