The Stolen Kingdom

The Stolen Kingdom didn't seem like it'd be a stand-out book just from reading the summary. The plot sounds like hundreds of other books. And yet, it's its own story, and I absolutely loved it.

It took a few chapters to grow attached to the characters. Still, the action starts right away when Mara is kidnapped and coerced into joining the plot to overthrow the throne.

I'll admit I didn't like Alac for a while, but I liked him more as we saw him through Mara's eyes. His chapters had a little too much, “She's not like other girls” at first. By the time we really hit the action halfway through the book, those sentiments were in the past, and I was fully absorbed in the story.

I could not stop listening for the last third of the book. I just wandered around my house, listening to the rest of the story unfold because there was no way I could stop at that point.

The Stolen Kingdom is a standalone, which I'm sad about because I absolutely want to read more of Mara and Alac. Still, I also think was the best choice for the story. (So much character development and not dragged out over three books)

To sum it up: I absolutely recommend and will definitely read more of the author's work!


Audiobook Review: Both narrators were great, but it took a while to appreciate the male performance simply because Suzy Jackson was so good. She fills her chapters with emotion and is the perfect voice for Mara, while Alec's chapter just ended up feeling... flat. By the end of the book, there's more passion in the performance, which mirrors the story's arc. He does wonderful voices for characters (except the women, which is a common failing for male narrators).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review closer to 3.5 stars. This moved at a good place but I feel like a lot of the world and characters were kind of underdeveloped which takes away from the reading experience for me.