Author: Laurel Black

Synopsis:

Trusting him is the only way to save the kingdom.
Betraying her is the only way to keep them both alive.

Stripped of her memories and her magic, Raven has been left for dead.

As a prisoner in the enemy’s mineral mines, her only clue to who she is and where she came from is the mysterious map tattooed on her hand—a map containing hidden secrets that some people would kill for.

Jeddak is one of those people.

A warrior from the Kovak tribe, he’s hunting for the powerful Zavien stone to pay the corrupt king’s ransom. If he doesn’t return home with it by the new moon, his betrothed will be executed.

When Jeddak discovers that a prisoner named Raven has the only map that leads to the artifact, he allies with her as they navigate treacherous lands and battle against ancient magical forces to unravel the map’s secrets. But can Raven trust this stranger who’s helping her? If the map gets into the wrong hands, thousands of people will die.

As their feelings for each other grow, their tenuous alliance begins to fray. Until Jeddak is forced to make a decision—betray Raven or forsake his kingdom.

Choose wrong, and he’ll lose everything.

Review:

Lost Kingdom was a young adult fantasy that swept me away.  With secrets, lies, adventures, friendship, and betrayal, this book was a magical journey that was impossible to put down!  I loved learning about this new world.  The tribes, magic system, and politics were fascinating!  The characters felt so real.  And the story-line was so easy to devour.  With an extremely slow burn romance, this book will have you begging for more.

Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone.

Raven was a prisoner in the mineral mines.  With no memory of her past, or even what tribe she belonged to, she was struggling just to survive another day.  The conditions she lived in were atrocious.  Then there was Jeddak, who was from the Kovak Tribe, and was in search of a stone to give to his king.  If he didn’t do that, his betrothed would be murdered.  And Raven had the only map that would lead them to the stone.  The story alternated between Raven and Jeddak, and I truly had no idea how it would all unfold.

No one would be punished except me if they found him dead now. At this point, I would gladly accept the consequences just to see him choke on his last breath.

Raven was so effortless to like.  She persevered in the face of atrocity.  Where she was used as nothing more than just another body to accomplish someone else’s goal, she was still brave and fearless.  She fought to stay alive.  But at the same time, she was so unsure of who to trust.  Her past was a blank slate.  So many that surrounded her kept her hidden from their true intent.  Yet through it all, she had this fire that burned deep inside her that pushed her along!

My breath caught. With his dark, wavy hair and long lashes, he was already strikingly handsome. But now the subtle dimples on his cheeks and the playful sparks in his gold-flecked eyes made me temporarily forget it was cold outside. He could rule a kingdom with that smile.

Jeddak, oh my goddess my feelings towards him kept twisting and turning.  I loved how he tried his best to protect Raven.  He was brave, smart, and I loved his relationship with his bear, Kah.  Btw Kah was not only the voice of reason, but I adored his sarcasm.  He cracked me up again and again!  So I kept wondering, who was going to protect Raven from Jeddak?  He was keeping secrets from her.  That entailed not only why he was helping her. But that he was betrothed.  Yet…..just wait….because once we get the full picture at the end of this story, my kaleidoscope of emotions towards Jeddak turned solid and became true and heartfelt.  I can’t say more without spoilers, other than it was a path to get there!

I felt the weight of one of his throwing knives in my hand. Like the sword from last night, it felt oddly familiar. Using a nearby tree as a target, I took aim at a small knot in the wood and let the knife fly.
The knifepoint hit the center of the knot.
My eyes went wide. Who am I?

Jeddak and Lila together will run you through the gamut of emotions.  They connected on such a deep level, but at the same point they kept each other at arm’s distance.  They kept secrets from one another.  But they also needed each other to survive and accomplish their goals.  It was a perilous journey every step of the way!  And there were unthinkable obstacles.  It’ll keep you on your toes wondering what’s going to happen next!  So watching even the tiniest bit of their friendship form had me smiling so huge!  Just try not to smile during the runes scene.

I studied his face, lit by the golden flames. Just a few days ago, he was a stranger. A liability I wanted to leave behind in the stables of Malengard. Now, he felt familiar. Safe. Even though I was in a foreign land, I felt like I’d found a small piece of home in him.

This story had so many twists and turns.  And while it felt fast paced, there were also so many deeper moments laced throughout the pages.  With foreshadowing, a possible deadly fate, and battles in the future, this book had so much story within these pages.  I am nervous for what’s to come and looking forward to that next book!  Especially because of Skyler.  I don’t know what that says about me, especially the feelings I have towards that character, and nope I’m not explaining anything more other than I am beyond obsessed!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*