THE STOLEN KINGDOM

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.