Overall this was a cute story. Some of the pros were I really liked the basics of the story and the magic “system” that was set up in it. I also really enjoyed the dual perspectives. It helped round out the story more.
One of the cons for me was that it could have actually been filled out a little more. It is not a huge book and some of the character development and storylines could have been more detailed. Parts of the book seemed rushed.

Overall like I said it was a cute story and I enjoyed it.

In the realm of Perin Faye only the king is allowed to perform magic. Therefore, Maralyth/Mara has no other option but to hide her magic from her family for her whole life. She allows herself to give in only to help with taking care of her father’s vineyard. Her secret is not safe, and one day she's forced to face the truth. She has magic because she is one of the last descendants of Dallowyn’s royal family who were gifted with magic by the Holy Gods. She has a rightful claim to the throne and this is a chance to save her family and her realm by taking part in a coup to kill the royal family of Thungraves, who stole the magic from the last king Dallowyn. However, when she meets the young Alac Thungraves she questions her role in the plan.

This was such a lovely read, I didn’t expect to be so invested in this story. The plot is told from two different perspectives, Mara and Alac. In the beginning, I was a bit underwhelmed by the general pacing, and I didn’t have any clue where these two plot lines were going. But then I slowly started to see where these two characters were going and from the right point when Alac and Mara meets, I couldn’t put the book down.

These two characters are quite the opposite - Alac doesn’t want to be king or become the heir to the throne and he is scared as much as every one of his father's magic. Mara on the other end realises that she actually wants to become a queen and loves her magic, as she knows it can be used to do good for the realm.

I loved that she wasn’t for any moment unsure of her personal skills and capacity, but she kind of embraced the situation and be on board with it, like “you know what, I actually want to be a queen”. They both share love for wine and a strong interest in vinery and vineyard. I found it quite original, I personally never encountered this theme in another YA. However, for some reason, I kind of expected it to be like a turning point in the end, or I thought wine would play a big part in the story development but it didn’t.

I still enjoyed this story very much regardless of the wine bit. The romance was a slow development, it played a big part in the story but without taking the spotlight away from all the events around the coup. Other countries in this world and an imminent war among them are mentioned, so you get an idea this world is so much bigger and complex than what it is. It had still the right amount of details and sufficient world description for a stand-alone to not overload the reader. On the other hand, it makes me curious to read the writer’s future projects and to find out if they will be in the same world.

The fact that this was a stand-alone is a plus, I prefer stand-alone. The story was an easy read overall, with a fast pace, and it’s superbly written so it keeps you guessing until the end. It’s an easy read, with a cute fairy-tale-like romance, and a well-rounded ending of the story.

The Stolen Kingdom is simply irresistible. It is an enjoyable standalone fantasy novel.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

This story was dark at times and equally riveting. I found myself flipping through each page faster to see how the story would end. While many book-series take two or three books to cover the story ( sometimes fail to achieve it), this book could encompass the whole story in 57 chapters. If you're looking for a standalone fantasy to get lost into, then do not hesitate to pick this book. I could see myself re-reading this book someday.

Thanks to the author, Macmillan-Tor Teen, and NetGalley for this eARC.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Pub date 2 March 2021

Have you ever read a book that just rubbed you the wrong way from the start? That was Stolen Kingdom for me. Little details like how the main character calls her father Poppa and how everyone kept saying “cruce” and “holy god” bothered me and I could tell from the beginning that this was going to be tough to get through. Initially I was going to rate this 3 stars but the more I think about it the more I realize there was very little substance to this story and ultimately feel that 2.5 stars is a more accurate reflection of how I felt about this book.
Our story begins with Maralyth, the ostensible heroine of our tale and a pretty boring character. She hates being stuck in the kitchen doing all the cooking for her family and the workers for her father’s vineyard. But she has a secret - MAGIC. Then we meet Alac, the spare to his father’s, the king’s, heir. He wants to be a vintner and do all the wine related things but he can’t because he’s the son of the king so he just drinks a lot of wine and complains.
Naturally the two meet and fall in love immediately. Like THE SECOND THEIR EYES MEET. It’s very dramatic. Then they spend a lot of time pretending like they don’t care for each other because it’s ridiculous since they’ve only just met (and dear reader, it is ridiculous). Before this ridiculousness happens though, Maralyth is kidnapped and becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the monarchy. I don’t want to spoil anything but I’m sure you can imagine how things play out (yes, it is that predictable). Ultimately I felt like the writing was repetitive and juvenile. The actual story had elements of originality and I liked the concept of stolen magic but the execution of the whole thing just didn’t ring my bells. I know this is supposed to be young adult fiction but there was zero nuance and it seemed like I was reading a children’s book aimed at 10-11 year olds. The relationships were not believable and the characters all fell flat. I don’t think I’d recommend this book unless you are a middle schooler who hasn’t yet graduated to true YA fiction and needs a quick, easy read that won’t take up too much space in your head after you’re done.

I received this copy of The Stolen Kingdom from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Maralyth has always had a deeper connection with mother earth than most. A gentle touch, or warm thoughts was enough to coax her family's vineyard to life during a dry spell. Her mother shared the same talent, and had warned Mara when she was young, to keep it a secret... Until now, it has been. When the lord's of Perin Faye find out her truth, a plan to change the hands of power is put into motion, and the kingdom is held at the mercy of it's success.

This was an amazing book. I am absolutely astounded by Jillian Boehme's gift of story telling. The Stolen Kingdom has all the potential to become the next big thing. I fell in love with the characters, the plot, and the setting. The plot was very easy to follow, and overall the characters were very likable. This book does have an ending, but there is potential for a sequel down the line if the author so chooses.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of the constant POV change. It is a great writing technique to keep the reader in suspense, but after awhile I found it tiring. As the story started to really gain momentum, I would get confused as to who the chapter was about because it is all written in first person with little indication as to who was speaking. (The chapters were labeled, but I got caught up in the story so many times, I'd forget to look who it was.)

The Stolen Kingdom comes out on March 02, 2021. I highly recommend this book to any and all readers who love Kings, Queens, and all those in between.

This was a pretty good fantasy novel. I’m a big fan of fantasy, so this was right up my alley! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Stolen Kingdom is a beautiful and engaging story of a tyrannical king whose ancestors stole both crown and power and a girl who will stop at nothing to free her kingdom. The story centers around magic, or rather the fight between magic that was stolen, that has become perverted and dark, and natural magic, that comes from within and is pure.

Maralyth was such an intriguing character with so many complex layers. Her evolution throughout the series was perhaps my favorite thing about it. From the shy daughter of a vineyard owner to the long-lost queen of Perin Faye. I relished reading her deep connection with the soil and earth and how the magic seemed to be an extension of herself, blooming from within.

Alac- as the second son to the king he was considered a spare and nothing more His disdain for the negative effects of magic on his father and brother is such an essential component to the overall story. This refusal to settle for a future ruled by magic spurred him to seek a better way to rule.

As the story escalates, secrets from the past are revealed and poor Mara soon finds herself as a pawn in the destruction of the royal family. But as her feelings for Alac develop, her heart and head become torn. Its very PG- less lovey-dovey and more action. The role of romance was very small and was more to compliment than a major steering factor towards the overall plot. The reversal of roles was a delicious irony as we have a female, fighting for her rightful crown, to be Queen

While Jillian Boehme is a great writer, I found Stolen Kingdom to be extremely descriptive, which for world-building purposes may not seem so bad, but from a plot and character perspective, I felt a lot of the secondary characters could be developed further. Also, the ending felt very rushed and somewhat unexpected.

This was a great standalone novel and very reminiscent of the Shadows Between Us. It's a great read for those interested in YA with a light romance, who enjoy good triumphing over evil and neat and tidy endings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher MacMillan for providing me with an arc.

This will be posted on my blog: https://jessicareadsit.wordpress.com and my Bookstagram on the pub date 2nd March 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor-Forge for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review. The Stolen Kingdom was such a pleasant surprise for me. The first 25% of the book was a bit slow and it took me a while to truly get into the story to the point that I thought this was going to be a DNF for me. After that first quarter, this book pulled me in and I had such a hard time putting it down and I am glad I stuck with it.

The magic system and world were very interesting and unique. My one complaint is that I wish we had a bit more information about the magic system but I think it was purposely left that way to help the plot along. The main characters, Mara and Alac are extremely likable. It is refreshing to read a fantasy book with royals who truly want the good for their kingdom. Although their relationship is a bit intsa love/ insta connection, it was not in your face or cringey.

If you are looking for a mature romance fantasy book then this is not the book for you. The story and romance are very sweet with action here and there. The romance does not overpower the plot of the book but it serves to drive the the story arc.

There were a few things that were mentioned in the book that I wish were explained more but overall I thought this was a fantastic YA fantasy book. The plot moves along quickly, the characters are likable and I liked that for a standalone, the story was not rushed.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

"I'd fallen for her from the moment she'd first stepped out of a carriage in the courtyard, and I didn't feel capable of unfailing. Every word poised on my tongue felt like it would lumber forth with a clumsiness that would let the world know that this girl unraveled me."

The Stolen Kingdom is a remarkable approach to YA Fantasy and a stand alone.
Two royal blooded lines hold magic.

One given freely, pure and good.... one stolen, dark and wicked.
Maralyth Graylaern has always known she hold a power unlike anyone else as she brings life the the nature around her family's vineyard. Until one day she is kidnapped and held against her will to take hold of her blood right... to be queen of Perin Faye.

Alac Thungrave, second son to the crown, hates the dark magic that consumes his father and refuses to accept it. Until he meets a beautiful woman in court visiting for his brother's wedding, and realizes she may be the key to saving his family... and his future.


Jillian Bohme has a unique writing style that is fun for all.

Read if you like:
-sweet romance
-"clean" regency romance
-a twist of magic and the fight of good vs. evil.
-a curse so dark and lonely
-the midnight bargain

What was missing:
I found the story very easy which was nice, but I think I just missed a bit of a PUNCH. ACTION!.
The ending had potential but it sped through the climax rather quickly and by the end I just felt it left the pacing a bit off.
I could have tapped 20 pages and still known exactly what was going on... heavy inner dialogue.

Rating:
story:⭐️⭐️⭐️
romance: sweet regency feeling romance
steam: got me about as excited as looking at my 7th grade picture
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Song: I wouldn't Mind by He is We

"The Stolen Kingdom" by Jillian Boehme was definitely a slow burn for me. Honestly, it took for me almost half of the book to start to really engage with story. I do not necessarily think this will be the case for all readers by any means, but for some like me it will.

Boehme is very vivid in her descriptions and brings this world to life. I enjoyed that the story is told from two different perspectives. Maralyth is a vintner's daughter and as it turns out-surprise- she is a direct descendent to the throne. The other perspective is from Alac, who is the 2nd son to the king; otherwise, known as the "spare heir."

While the book did get interesting later on, I feel like overall there were plot holes for me. Some things could have been spent less time on and others could have been expanded on. This could just be a preference of mine. I do think Boehme is a great writer; this particular story was just not my cup of tea.

I received an ARC of "The Stolen Kingdom" by Jillian Boehme from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

I plan to show this off on my TikTok account (cityveinlights) but overall, I enjoyed it. This isn't the BEST thing I've ever read, but I'm a sucker for the whole "I must kill you" enemies to lovers trope. Like I am a full-on sucker for it. I think that's why I liked this one. It did have it's flaws (plot was a bit lacking in places and the characters needed more fleshing out, for some reason their whole personalities felt lacking) but overall, a solid 3 star read.

This was a nice and easy read that played out like a Disney film in my head.

I didn’t feel as connected to Maralyth as I did to Alac until it got to towards the end of the book but I feel like that’s just a personal thing (I enjoy reading make POVs). I especially liked Alac and Tucker’s friendship as the dialogue they had between each other was amusing to read.

A light, middle grade read with soft fantasy that was pleasant to read in a short time.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.!

Jillian Boehme is a great writer. The world building in The Stolen Kingdom was fantastic and I really felt that we knew how the main characters really came to be where they are. Maralyth is a strong protagonist that you are rooting for the entire time! For a standalone novel, I think Jillian Boehme set up a world that I would be willing to read a second novel from. I really love the duel perspectives as well. It made the story seem more well rounded and complete. I also feel like the magic aspect was new and refreshing and honestly trying to figure it out kept me engaged.

However, all of that said, I think this book should have been longer. I feel like some aspects of the plot needed to be expanded upon and that the plot seemed rushed because of how short it is. I would have liked to hear more about Maralyth's training and how she became ready to take over her throne. I would have loved to read more about Cannon and Maralyth's family. I feel like characters were introduced just to be introduced so it felt random and unsatisfying. It took me a really long time to get into the story, and overall, it was interesting but not captivating, unfortunately.

I received an e-arc of this from netgalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one was a struggle at the start unfortunately and even as I continued I found my mind wandering from the story. I couldn't connect to any of the characters and some parts of the plot were just too unbelievable for me to get invested. Like when Lord Nelgarath said he'd pay her family in silver for her cooperation and she suddenly was all agreeable? To me that was too easy and she agreed to quickly, even with the threat to her family, there was no sense of danger for me personally.

Though I was so excited to read this, I has to DNF. This is in no way the book or authors fault. I couldn't get attached to the characters or the world. I think that a lot of people will like this and enjoy this book 🥰🥰

This book took me a little while to get into. Honestly the first few pages didn't really draw me into the story, so I had a little trouble staying focused on the book and put it down several times. I had to really make myself read this. Towards the middle part it got a lot better. I really enjoyed the interactions between all of the characters in the middle of the novel, however once Mara gets away from the castle, I feel like the author kind of rushed towards the ending and also ignored one of the plot tensions?? The ending was nice, but felt a little too nicely wrapped up, especially because of all of the tension and loss that Alec was feeling. Just overall I feel like this was decent, but the beginning felt a little slow, then the ending felt a little too fast.

The Stolen Kingdom had just enough adventure, fantasy, and romance. For a story with passion, it wasn't sexual (kissing in the last quarter of the book). The characters were well developed enough, even though there were a handful of them, I could keep them separated in my head.
I enjoyed this single book story more than I thought I would.

This took a while for me to get into. Honestly, I probably didn't care much until 50% in. But luckily after that, it seemed fast paced and more cohesive.

I'm always a sucker for a girl taking back her throne so of course I had to give this a try. Mara was likable enough and I thought it was a fresh take on the trope to have the girl kidnapped and convinced to take her birth right.

I also really liked the part where the magic got loose and wreaked havoc around town. I thought it was a cool characteristic of the magic to search for its heir instead of dispersing into whoever was closest or into nothing. It gave the magic personality, which just added a little something extra.

I'm not sure I totally understood the king's and Cannon's roles in all this. Maybe the Thungraves as a whole. I just didn't fully get how they were able to keep the magic in their bloodlines for the past century without the magic seeking its true heir. It may have been explained, but not enough for me to wrap my head around it. I also didn't get Ellian's quick change of character. That seemed a bit extreme.

Overall, I did enjoy this, but it took me way too long to get into to be anything more than 3 stars.

This book follows Maralyth, a vintner's daughter, in the corrupt kingdom of Perin Faye. This kingdom has been ruled by a family possessing stolen, dark magic for a century, and they claim to be the only ones gifted magic. Maralyth possess magic of a different kind, but she has to keep her magic secret in order to stay safe. She gets swept up in a plot for the throne as she finds out that it is her birthright. She meets Alac, the King's second son, who does not seem to corrupted by this evil, and they form an unexpected connection.

I really liked the magic system. I read a lot of fantasy, so I like to think that I can grasp complex magic and political systems pretty well, but it was really great to read about a magic system that was fairly simple to grasp. It was still just as magical despite its simplicity. I loved the symmetry in the two different kinds of magic. I liked both Mara and Alac as main characters. They were both level headed, and not at all annoying as leads, but I think there could have been more characterization. I feel like I did not get to know either of them as well as I could have.

The romance was not developed as much as I was expecting. I was really hoping for more romance in this book, but the book was more focused on other aspects. I also wish there had been more of a true villain. I always find villains to be one of the most interesting parts of books, but in this book there was more of an evil instead. I'm such a sucker for a good villain.

I enjoyed this book, but there were aspects that could have been developed more. It had some slow moments, but it held my interest the whole time I was reading. I think a lot of aspects fell flat because this is a standalone. However, because it is YA, it is not going to have the length that a lot of fantasy books have to develop the world, so I cannot really fault the book for that.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A fun romp in a world of double sided magic, secret destiny and wine!

The characters were endearing but a bit simple, both quickly changing to their surroundings but not developing much over the course of the story.

The world was well built with immersive descriptions, you could easily get caught in the sights and sounds of horses galloping, vines growing and mystical forces beyond our world whispering dark secrets.

The plot moved quite quickly, but a fun read all together.

I don't like all that half-star business, but this was, like, 2.5. It was flat but okay-ish.

This story about stolen magic begins and ends with a vineyard.
Mara is a girl with a rare gift of magic and she has no idea where it comes from as only two families have it - the family on the throne who stole the gift of magic, and the family from whom the magic was stolen about a century ago.
Then, a certain lord discovers of Mara's gift and its origins and decides that the throne is hers to take, so he kidnaps her and, under the threat of killing his family, organizes a coup.
On the other side, we have the younger son of the dark king - Alac, who wants nothing more but to have his own vineyard.

However nice it was to have characters have some interests besides the main story line, this wine-making and vineyards had <i>no</i> importance for the story, and I found them a little overdone.

The characters were okay, I guess, but I didn't feel anything for them.
Alac kinda reminded me of Nathaniel from [book:Sorcery of Thorns|42201395], but further than that, I felt nothing towards them.

Of course, there had to be a love story somewhere there, but I didn't feel it either. It might be because I didn't fall for the characters, but it seemed unnatural and pushed. Some liking was there between the two, but not <i>romance</i>.

Then, there is the kind who was mostly gone, but there was a lot of word about him, how horrible he is, how dark his stolen magic is and all that. But when he finally shows up, he just...dies. Not very amusing.

The plot didn't have a steady pace and this often threw me off the balance. At one moment, the things will be happening supper fast, and in the other, they will be walking through a garden for pages and paaages.
I don't like this in books, and I didn't appreciate that the book just zoomed through the most important "battle". If anything should be slower, it's definitely it, and not fig-ripening or whatever.

This is a standalone, and I appreciate that. It is really good not having to be tied to a series, especially if it isn't all that good. And the horrors I've been through for not bailing on ACOTAR after the first book!!!

Overall, it had a lot of potential, but it came out flat with both characters and their relations, and with the plot. It is a book of about 350 pages, so the world building isn't ideal, but it can be a fine quick read.