The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme
Synopsis:
For a hundred years, the once-prosperous kingdom of Perin Faye has suffered under the rule of the greedy and power-hungry Thungrave kings. Maralyth Graylaern, a vintner’s daughter, has no idea her hidden magical power is proof of a secret bloodline and claim to the throne. Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son, has always been uncomfortable with his position as the spare heir―and the dark, stolen magic that comes with ruling.
When Maralyth becomes embroiled in a plot to murder the royal family and seize the throne, a cat-and-mouse chase ensues in an adventure of dark magic, court intrigue, and forbidden love.
Review:
Maralyth has had to keep her magic a secret from everyone, but it turns out the reason is that she’s a secret descendant to the true royal family. Instead, a family sits on the throne who has stolen magic – a power with destructive capabilities. But as Maralyth embeds herself as a reluctant spy, she begins to develop feelings for Prince Alac.
The Stolen Kingdom had an intriguing plot that grabbed me from the start. Both Maralyth and Alac are great characters – and it’s easy to root for them. I loved the twist that the object of the heroines’ affection is someone who she’s supposed to be complicit in assassinating. Full of intense suspense, intrigue, magic, and romance – this is a fantastic YA adventure. This clever story has a lot of twists and turns, that made it hard to put down. This has definitely been one of my favorite reads this year so far!