The Stolen Kingdom

January 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Maralyth has grown up assisting her poppa and older brother on the family vineyard, keeping secret the magic she uses to grow the grapes to perfection. When she was young her mother found her using magic and forbade her to use it. Maralyth doesn't know where the magic comes from, and after her mother's passing no one knows of her gift. This proves to be untrue when she's kidnapped by a vineyard worker and spy for Lord Ogden Nelgareth who wants to use her to take back the kingdom of Perin Faye. Alac, second son of the King, has always feared the stolen magic that passes through the kings in his family and turns them cruel. He can't help being drawn to the magic as he learns his father's life is coming to an end, and Alac wonders if magic can be used for good instead of fear. Told in a dual narrative, this fantasy depicts different aspects of society and delves into what it means to be a good ruler. The plot takes off once the two protagonists meet and wonder what they can reveal as they slowly fall for one another. Well-drawn characters will have readers rooting for them both, even as they come into conflict. Meticulous world-building and a fleshed-out history produce a rich world that will be hard to leave behind. Characters' skin tones aren't described. VERDICT A thought-provoking tale on challenging the status quo on your own terms and going after your dreams; sure to be popular with all teens.-Rebecca Greer, Hillsborough Cty. P.L. Coop., FL

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
Two reluctant leaders rise to power. Prince Alac is the heir's spare, more interested in wine than in his Thungrave ancestors' usurpation of the Perin Faye throne and seizure of dark magic from the Dallowyn dynasty. Annoyed by his brother Cannon's wedding festivities, he unexpectedly falls for Maralyn Keele, a newcomer to the court. But Maralyn is actually Maralyth Graylaern, a commoner raised by her vintner father and mysterious mother who is gifted with magic powers she must conceal. Stolen by the manipulative Lord Nelgareth and backed as a true Dallowyn heir, Maralyth must make it through courtly parties and a vicious coup if she wants to be queen. The protagonists' transformations from reluctant royals to contestants for the throne parallel their evolving relationship and are more richly written than the thin plot and thinner worldbuilding. The reasons for the rebellion are unsatisfyingly vague, attributed to alleged tyranny and a century-old coup, while the magic central to the plot feels omnipresent yet ill-explained. Genericness abounds, with a vaguely Northern European setting, a typically tumultuous feudal system, and a default-White cast of characters. The attentive focus on wine, while delightfully detailed, may miss the mark with underage readers who likely do not know their cabernet from their chardonnay, yet the triteness of the plot--lost heir overthrows bad king, restores good magic--may not impress more experienced audiences. A fairly standard fantasy tale featuring grapes and wrath. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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January 8, 2021
Grades 8-12 Maralyth is a vintner's daughter who works behind the scenes cooking and cleaning, while her brother is set to inherit their family's fortune; but after being abducted and brought before a mysterious lord, she learns of a secret bloodline that gives her a claim to the kingdom's throne. Thus, Maralyth is swept into a murderous plot against the tyrannical Thungrave royals; but when she meets the youngest prince, Alac, she has second thoughts. Having no claim to the throne himself, Alac has been relegated to the role of tutor, and he seeks liberation from his family. Boehme explores oppression through a kingdom suffering under Thungrave rule and through Maralyth's confinement to the shadows as a girl better seen than heard. Her determination to overcome these restrictions drives her to embark on a journey, putting herself into the midst of a nefarious plot that leaves her conflicted about how far she's willing to go to obtain her own independence and power. This exciting new epic is more than a fight for power; it's the fight for empowerment, independence, freedom from oppression, and the birthright of a throne.

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