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A review by a_perennial_reader
The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme
3.0
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.
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.