This was fantastic! I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t remember enough from the first book but I found it really easy to slip back into this fantastic world. I thought that the author did a wonderful job of reminding the reader of important events from the first book at key points in the story. Meren, Reven, Cain, and the rest of the group have their work cut out for them. Eidolon seems always to be one step ahead of them but I have faith that they will figure out how to defeat him.

I found this story to be incredibly exciting with enough action to keep the story moving. There were times when things looked really bleak for Meren and the rest of the key characters and I have to admit that I was worried for them more than once. I loved the fact that there were some pretty big surprises worked into this installment which helped to keep me glued to the pages. The world-building in this series continues to be top-notch!

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy. This book was exciting, with great characters, fantastic world-building, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. I am very eager to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next!

I received a review copy of this book from Entangled: Teen. ( )

Ah! So thankful to get the ARC of this book. I read the first and wanted more, so definitely was excited to get the sequel.

It's been a couple months since the end of the first book and the start of this one, but so quickly we get caught up on what everyone has been doing. And then we get more of the dominions and rulers as the story progresses.

I really love the world building for this series. It's a magical place that I want to keep reading about. The characters are also really fun and interesting. We are introduced to some new people in this book, but they fit in perfectly with the rest of the gang. I do wish, though, that a few were more fleshed out. They seemed to get lost among the crowd.

I also really loved the relationship between Meren and Reven in book one, but that almost is pushed back in this one. We get sort of a love triangle that isn't really a love triangle. ( Personally, I think it's pretty obvious which one Meren loves ) I won't spoil anything, but those last few chapters were... a lot. I cried. I need answers for all of that.

I do think this was a good sequel for the series. We learn more about the dominions, the goddesses, more about the past, but we also have more questions and need more answers. And I'm positive that the conclusion will get those. I can hardly wait for that one. ( )

I am an avid fan of Abigail Owen’s and will read anything she writes! That being said, The Stolen Throne, Book 2 in the Dominion series, is even better than The Liar’s Crown. Each book has grown in depth and detail, from the world building to the characters growth. There is no shortage of action and danger.

I am a huge fan of book covers. Once I read that someone saw a lobster on the pretty cover of The Stolen Throne, I couldn’t stop looking at it. Check it out for yourself. Great cover, Elizabeth Turner Stokes. And, I love maps. Kellerica did a great job on the maps of Nova.

I read a lot of teen and young adult novels. Many times I cannot give them a five star rating, through no fault of the author or the story. It’s just not deep enough, engrossing enough, sexy enough, violent enough…well, you get the drift.

The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen is an exception to my normal. The book was long, so I couldn’t finish it in one sitting, but I would have if my eyes didn’t start to cross, blurring the words. I was so engrossed in the details, wandering the worlds with Meren and her unlikely group of heroes, traveling through portals to places I never would have dreamed of on my own. I feel their pain, their struggles, their love, their loyalty…to the twin of the Queen, who was meant to be disposable.

I have a people to protect. I have a bondmate to save. I have a king to destroy.

We have moments to smile, even laugh. Moments to drown our sorrows in those lost. Moments of hope and inspiration, like Abigail Owen’s inspiration for this novel, which starts with an obscure Hans Christian Anderson fairytale about a man who shed his shadow, and when the shadow turned real, he took over the man’s life. She found her villain and her hero. I love when one character can fit both roles. It makes for a more interesting character.

I loved everything about The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen.

I can hardly wait for The Shadows Rule, Book 3, due for publication in January 2024.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com ( )

Vivid world-building collides with action and intrigue to create the second book in an adventure, which is dark, rich, and sinister.

This is the second book in the series and needs to be read as such, since the tale takes off where the last one ended and continues. So only read as a series.

Meren has taken the place of her sister at the dread king's side and does her best to keep her identity hidden until Reven can free her. But when he does, it's only the beginning of the battle. Meren's twin sister and actual destined ruler is only a skeleton of her earlier self and in no condition to handle anything. Reven barely keeps his shadows at bay and is as much a threat as friend. The king is hunting them down with power and evil, which seems impossible to stop. And somewhere in between is a traitor, who will ruin any last chance Meren might have to succeed.

Book one, The Liar's Throne, was an exciting read, which is hard to follow, but this second book does a nice job. The world building is even more stellular as Meren heads to the desert and comes up against more challenges and magic. It's enjoyable just to dive into these moments. There's a tighter weave of intrigue as the background behind the king's power and the world seeps into clarity...a tale within a tale. There's more danger as the king threatens to destroy everything, and especially Reven borders on destruction himself. And there's family. The characters are knit and true as ever with sub-plots and individual personalities to draw in. To say that this book sags as book two is simply not true. It continues the story well.

There is less romance in this book, which I do prefer. However, there is a sex scene more toward the later end. This read is more about closing all those information holes, letting the characters shine, and adding more tension and action to the mix. Reven, Meren's heart's desire, loses quite a bit of his allure in this one, but he does have his own shadows (literally) to deal with (in the worst way). Meren has, obviously, tons on her plate and grows quite a bit in this read. She's a heroine to root for, and it will be exciting to see where the third book goes because it promises to end the series with power pure.
I received a DRC through the publisher and found this to be a rich read. ( )