A Stolen Crown

I've been waiting for this book for what seems like a long time! I read the first book in the series, A Stolen Kiss, early last year and fell in love with the world and characters. It was a perfect easy, breezy kind of love story that had me giggling and smiling along as I read. I was hoping for the same kind of feeling with this book and while it tried, it never did capture the same magic as its predecessor.

So, before I go on, while A Stolen Crown is the second book in a series, don't worry. You don't actually have to read A Stolen Kiss to understand what is happening. It focuses on different characters but is set in the same magical world. Some characters from the first book do make small appearances but you won't be left scratching your head. Everything is explained so you are never lost.

The story starts when Princess Cecily leaves her kingdom to marry a prince that she has never met. However, things don't go as planned and Cecily find herself in the middle of a forest fighting for her life. While the plot was a lot of fun, with tons of adorable moments, I didn't immediately connect with the story or its characters. It's really hard to top A Stolen Crown and I found myself comparing the two books a lot. The beginning was a bit slow for my liking, just riding around in a carriage and Cecily's lady maids arguing. The story really picked up about a quarter of the way in when Cecily is kidnapped. That's when I started to enjoy it a lot more. There were fight scenes, magical creatures, spells and a whole lot of kissing! Eeeeeee!
I think part of the reason the book didn't jump out at my were the characters. I didn't really love any of them. Cecily was a spoiled brat and Rory was too hot headed. But I did appreciate their friendship. They were loyal and would do anything to help each other through some of the toughest obstacles. If anything, this was a story not about romance but true lifelong friendship. I really enjoyed it when past characters made special appearances. I squealed when Ellis, a mysterious shapeshifter from the first book, showed up! I want a book with just him in it. He's so devious and sarcastic.

While I loved the first book a lot more, A Stolen Crown was still a lot of fun. It has a bit of something for fans of fantasy and romance. There were heart quickening kisses, laugh out loud moments and heartbreaking scenes that will keep you entertained until the end. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Love, magic, and friendship is at the center of this good feel book. I love when we have magical aspects in books like this and the strong bonds that are formed between the two main character’s in this installment. For not having read the first book, I was able to follow along really well with A Stolen Crown. The first few chapters of this book took a little longer to build up momentum, but once it did it didn’t stop.

Cecily wants to find true love in her fiance from Myrzel, while Rory just wants to protect her friend from harm that seems to find its way to them often. I am taken into this realm of young love gone wrong, and at times finding its right footing. A true friendship filled with heartache for having to do what is wrong in order to protect the one’s they care for. Conflicted emotions all around and trickery from every corner.

“Daegan’s grin faded as she shifted back to her true form. For a moment, she seemed to struggle with what she was about to say. ‘You are to… acquire… one of Princess Cecily’s crown jewels for me.’

Rory jerked back. ‘You want me to steal from Cecily?’ She shook her head. ‘No. That’s absurd.’ Daegan had asked her to do foolish things before, but never against Cecily. Even as she denied the command, Rory’s fingers twitched with the urge to take a jewel, the magic taking over.”

A Stolen Crown doesn’t just follow any already played out fairy-tale happy ending, we see Cecily finding out the truth of life in Myrzel through her fiance’s twin brother Ephraim, whom tells her about all the wonderful “traditional” marriage customs his family lives by.. includes having half brothers and sisters. As well as spending most of her time in their palace without her husband-to-be nearby and a maniacally driven shape-shifter, Daeghana, who’s bent on destroying any chances Cecily may have with him on his return.

“Cocking her head to the side, Daeghana read Barbo’s face, surprised at the lack of hesitation. ‘Do you often place love spells?’ she asked, drawing a curious glance from both Barbos and her master. ‘ I never thought much of them before.’ Could I use one on Rakesh?”

I’m introduced to Rory and her many endeavors to protect Cecily, physically and mentally, and how much that begins to affect her internally. She becomes frazzled as everything around her comes undone and protecting Cecily becomes harder than she had ever imagined.

This second book in the series, takes a sharp turn as a kidnapping ensue and turns everyone’s world upside down, struggling with a means to get their loved ones back safely. All while trying to find out the actual location of Cecily’s fiance Rakesh.

“Mercusius sighed. ‘Rakesh wasn’t at the southern villa as we’d assumed. The servants there said he never arrived. We don’t have access to our crown prince or our queen. We don’t want to alarm the public in the meantime. I’m afraid you’ll need to remain in the palace until they return.”

Kelsey Keating has created a world that we want to keep being a part of and it just keeps getting more and more interesting the further you get into this book.

So what happens with the royal family’s and their loyal companions? You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out.

*** I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ***

Enchanting and captivating.

Mystery and magic, forming a peculiar world of fantasy and adventure surrounded with an amazing characters who will make you believe that a bond of friendship is as strong as love within itself.

I haven't read A Stolen Kiss, the first book of this series, yet I fell in love with how Kelsey Keating create an imaginative world of the Fangralee Forest where dark, hideous creatures live like shapeshifters, arachnae, gargantupede, ko'oxol and so much more, WITHIN a story outside of it where two kingdoms, Dellsby and Myrzel united through the marriage of Princess Cecily Degalt and the Crown Prince Rakesh Nohchil.

And the adventure begins...
When Princess Cecily travel to Myrzel to finally meet her betrothed with Rory, the only woman in the King's guard born with an incredible strength who also happens to be her personal guard and best friend, along with the other lady-in-waiting and Dellsbian guards. She never been very pleased with her looks and insecurities sparks like diamond who fears that her husband-to-be-king will never like her, worse never love her.

But there were too many secrets along the way and unravelling them was the best getting to know each of the characters: Rory's secret, the truth about Tom, Daegan's master and Ephraim's poor rescuing game. There was Mercusius of course, who's character made me startled a bit but predicted his true identity. But Kel? Him! The element of surprise was like an internally shocking incident to me. I didn't honestly notice him and I actually don't like his character. I never expected him to be so unforthcoming. Well, I think that's too much of a spoiler and I don't want to reveal more about it. Read it yourself.
"Love spells accelerate what would happen in its own time, given the opportunity."

I like the idea of fate vs love spells. Is it really love that driven Kel and Cecily together or just another unintended love spell activated for the wrong person? Well I think the greatest magic of all was they were fated to be together after all.
“Believe what you want, but I’ve never lied to you, Rory. And I never will. Friends don’t lie.”

I love Cecily and Rory's relationship. Their friendship means a lot to me, seeing right through me. Kelsey Keating's brave way of showcasing the true meaning of friendship in this story was very comforting. It was not entirely focused on love for the opposite sex like most of YA reads but how two friends' bond overpower any kind of relationship because love makes of who they are and what they mean for each other.

There were other topics or issues touched like traditional (fixed) marriage, fidelity, customs, servitude and abusive relationship which made the entirety of the story being completely awestricken, done with sensitiveness for the readers to realize; but it was a right mix of fairy tale fantasy and adventure which recommended to all ages.

And ending the story with Rory and Tom made the infamous punch line of "and they happily ever after..."

Creating a story like this and turning one into a film is very intriguing. I am a movie and tv series freak so I can't help thinking how will the characters came to life or how will they look like as describe in the book (imaginations making the most out of me) if given the chance this one will set to be a movie someday.

This book has been my first fantasy read for a very long time. If does Twilight series count? I am more of a Contemporary Romance person and I am very excited to read more of this type of genre anytime soon.

***Thank you NetGalley, Swanifide Publishing, and Kelsey Keating for offering me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review!

***The review of this has also been posted on goodreads.

Never read the first book, but I loved book. Unconventional heroes. Unexpected romance. Enduring friendship. & the plot twit OMG!! didn't not see any of those coming!