The Stolen Kingdom by Jillian Boehme sweeps its readers away in a tale of magic, murder, and the quest to heal the land.

When Maralyth learns she's the rightful heir to a long lost throne, she is less than thrilled to give up her old life for it, but she is given no choice when her family is threatened. Reluctantly she assumes the mantle of a lord's daughter to infiltrate the palace and assume the throne once the current ruling family is killed. This doesn't sit right with Maralyth and it's rare that the consequences of a coup are explored within YA. Boehme constantly reminds her readers of the bloodshed that comes with this sort of transition, even if it is to install a better government.

As a whole, Boehme's cast of characters captured my imagination. Maralyth was fun, her strong moral compass and doubts over the coup built up her character throughout her story, while her interactions with others were enjoyable. Alac was also a fun counterpart, he's dynamic and his relationship with his family's magic is at the centre of his character arc. However, few secondary characters stood out. The antagonists are quickly taken care of as they arise, Alac's personal guard revolved entirely around the prince making him rather flat, while the rebelling lord was predictable and taken care of all too easily.

I enjoyed the, it was well paced and dynamic. At no point did I feel it drag, and I was happily surprised by how well the ending wrapped everything up, without coming off as cheesy. Boehme's strength here is her characters, and their inner conflicts drive the book, so it's delightful that they play so well off the action.

Overall I enjoyed A Stolen Kingdom. This character driven fantasy was neatly packaged in a single book without leaving me wanting.