Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this! The action and plot kept me engaged throughout, I really enjoyed the characters and how they understood their own strengths and weaknesses, and I just overall really enjoyed reading this. As much as a I love a long, descriptive fantasy series it was really nice to read a shorter stand-alone that moved the story along. ( )

While browsing through the available titles on Libby, I could not pass up The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme when I saw the gorgeous cover! I started reading the book in the midst of also trying to finish multiple other books, but I simply could not put this book down. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a compelling novel!

There were so many likeable aspects of this book, and I felt like it was equally driven by the characters and the plot, which I really enjoyed. The book is told from alternating perspectives: Maralyth, who is the daughter of the owner of the biggest vineyard in the kingdom, and Alac, who is the frequently overlooked prince, second in line for the throne. Maralyth and Alac are thrown into difficult and dangerous circumstances throughout the novel that leave them questioning their aspirations in life and their duties.

If you’re looking for another world to escape into, this book is definitely for you! With an interesting magic system, morally questionable characters, and royal kidnappings, what more could you ask for? While there wasn’t necessarily anything that made the novel especially unique, it is the type of feel-good fantasy book that I truly adore reading! ( )

A tale of deception, stolen magic and two members of warring families who fall in love.

Maralyth is a winemaker’s daughter who hides her magic, trying to help her father make a profit by making the grapes grow perfectly plump while the whole family struggles under the rule of an evil king.

But when Maralyth is kidnapped because of her magic, she’s involved in court intrigue and a plot against that king. All of this is complicated, however, when the king’s second son, Alac, seems to be falling for Maralyth. His good heart begins to win her over, and Maralyth must decide where her loyalties lie.

This book is perfectly plotted, keeping me turning pages. I enjoyed the choices the characters had to face because of the evil magic harnessed by the king, and the scenes with Maralyth and Alac were sweet.

This is an excellent stand-alone fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This is a story about roles not wanted. A boy who has no desire to be a king, but a vintner, and a girl who has amazing powers over natural things, who wants to better the lot of many like her father whose vineyard produces the best wine in the kingdom, but can barely put food on the table. When a secret about the origin of her powers comes to light, it starts a journey, both physical and emotional which has the two young people meet as opponents, but end as something else. Great and satisfying story. ( )