A high fantasy adventure - The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme (2021)

Jillian Boehme delivers top-notch high fantasy with The Stolen Kingdom. Not since J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis have I experienced such a perfect blending of faith and fantasy.

Stories of rightful heirs to a throne intrigue me, which is why I elected to read this novel in the first place. Maralyth comes from a line of rightful kings to the land of Perin Faye, a truth unknown to her until she is forced into a bid for the throne. Magic has always dwelt in the veins of the true kings and queens of Perin Faye, a gift from the Holy God given only to those leaders. When the magic was stolen by a usurper to the throne 100 years before Maralyth's time, it turned into something dark, evil, and twisted, the complete antithesis of its healing and merciful purpose.

Prince Alac, second-son of the usurper lineage, and not expecting to be in line for the throne, also ends up in a bid for the throne when the rebellion against his family becomes all too real. His affection for Maralyth deepens every day since the first moment he met her during the events leading up to his older brother's wedding. But when he discovers she is not what he believed her to be, even though he never desired the power of the magic, it begins to whisper dark things to him, turning him even against Maralyth.

There must be a way for the rightful rulers of Perin Faye to take the throne without bloodshed or without breaking the deepening bond between Maralyth and Alac.

Jillian Boehme's characters are richly developed, from Maralyth to Alac and even to Alac's best friend and loyal guard, Tucker. The story never flags, never wavers, never turns to the right or to the left. Common tropes are avoided, leaving nothing to distract me from the story. It is strong and cleanly thought out from start to finish. The prose is colorful without falling into the pit of purple prose. I felt by the end of the book that I knew and loved both Maralyth and Alac.

Maralyth especially is a solid example of what a YA heroine should be. She is strong without demeaning others. She avoids petty squabbles or fits of childishness. She is imaginative, gentle, and fun, a deeply authentic person who feels real, as if she could just walk off the page of the book and be someone I would enjoy calling a friend. She is a true ruler who puts the well-being of her people far ahead of herself.

As for Alac, I loved him from the beginning. A reluctant prince who ends up being enticed by magic that doesn't belong to his family. He yearns for it and is repulsed by it at the same time because he knows it is not meant to be his. Every emotion he undertakes feels natural, even down to his rage and hurt before he finds his way to forgiveness and love. It also helps to remember that Alac is being negatively affected by the stolen magic. It is changing him, little by little, and not in a good way. Ultimately, the true Alac that he is on the inside and who she finally frees from a burden that wasn't his to carry is a perfectly equal love interest to Maralyth and they are ideally suited.

Sexual content is kept to a minimum. A young woman is almost forced into a political marriage with a much older man against her will. Alac's brother and his fiance have been intimate before their marriage and Alac interrupts one of their intimate sessions, but nothing is seen. Alac's love for Maralyth is both intellectual and decidedly physical, so he suffers from all of the effects that go along with being a teenage boy in love for the first time. There are some kisses shared between them, but nothing else.

Finally, I love the religious aspect of the story. Jillian Boehme approached the idea of magic uniquely. It isn't something that can belong to everyone but is a gift from a Holy God who loves His children, to be used for good by the rulers of Perin Faye. When it is stolen, the world erupts into chaos and great damage is done.

Many, many congratulations to Jillian Boehme for her marvelous book. I hope to read many, many more from her in the future as she continues her writing career.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for a free ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

The Stolen Kingdom

Author: Jillian Boehme

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★★★

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A Peter Pan retelling - Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas (2021)

When children go missing, people want answers. When children go missing in the small coastal town of Astoria, people look to Wendy for answers.

It's been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road, and gets pulled into the mystery haunting the town.

Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, claims that if they don't do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. In order to find them and rescue the missing kids, Wendy must confront what's waiting for her in the woods.

Peter is what really shines in this book. The author clearly had a solid vision of what their Peter Pan should look like, feel like, act like, and the book really brings him to life. I appreciate that Peter is slightly different from the usual incarnations of a boy who refuses to go up and constantly runs from trouble. Peter is a shepherd of sorts, in a way that I won't go too deep into since I don't want to give spoilers. He's generous, compassionate, and merciful, a very sweet boy with a universe of stars in his eyes. And all the emotions that go along with first love.

I had a bit of a harder time pinning Wendy down. Peter's obvious right from the beginning, and I love him, but Wendy is difficult to like. You feel bad for her, yes. Grieve for her, absolutely. But liking her is a different thing altogether. She would be a very heavy weight in anyone's life, so I have to say that Jordan is a much, much better friend than I would be capable of being. I did love Wendy's fairy lights that she's got strung up by her window. It makes sense since I have fairy lights too. And once she's acknowledged that Peter is who he says he is, well, it makes her more relatable. Along with all the girly emotions of crushing on Peter Pan because, seriously, he's always been one of my crushes. So, as the story progresses, I grew to like Wendy more, and she becomes quite a courageous heroine by the end.

One thing I did think was a little difficult was the prose. It feels a little too juvenile for the age of the characters, and that's unfortunate. There's also a ton of passive descriptors used instead of active ones. Active sentences are my jam in fiction so I hate it when authors don't use them enough.  I also get tired of the anti-police trope that's in full force right now. I just can't go along with that stereotype. And unfortunately, Lost in the Never Woods is full of incompetent, bullying cops. Not cool. One of the reasons I love the tv series Teen Wolf is because Stiles' dad is the town sheriff and he's amazing, a great dad, and a terrific sheriff. It would have been nice to see something similar done here.

There's also a distinctive gap of action in the middle of the novel, but at the same time, this is when we see Peter and Wendy really interact, so it's a toss-up. They're charming when they're together, and their physical attraction is very real. Peter cherishes her, if that's even a thing anymore, and I loved watching their relationship grow stronger. Kisses are nice.

Also, I'm not sure if the author has seen the Rise of the Guardians film, but Peter and his Shadow have a LOT in common with Jack Frost and Pitch Black. I mean, a LOT. So that was a bit, mmm, on the iffy side for me. I'd seen it before, so that plot device didn't feel very original. That being said, I liked the use of shadows in this retelling, and that they're built of people's fear. That was pretty neat.

Overall, it was a light-hearted read with just a few hiccups. My favorite Peter Pan retelling at the moment is Dust by Kara Swanson, but I did enjoy most of Lost in the Never Woods. It'll be interesting to see if there's ever a sequel since the book finishes a little open-ended. I'm good either way, sequel or no sequel.

On a completely random note, the cover is super pretty.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Swoon Reads for a free ARC. I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lost in the Never Woods

Author: Aiden Thomas

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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