Lost Kingdom by Laurel Black

Read Dates: November 6, 2023 – November 13, 2023
Expected Publication Date: January 17, 2024
Source: ARC via Author

Goodreads — Amazon

First of all, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Laurel Black for providing me with a copy of her debut novel to read and review! Not only did she give me the chance to read her book but she also spoke with me herself via email and is the absolute coolest author I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with.

On to the review!

This book was everything I love about a good YA fantasy novel. The amount of action and adventure and the plethora of intriguing characters… Black did not skimp. I knew from the beginning that this wasn’t going to be one of those books that always gave a happy ending for the characters we came to enjoy. The mines of Malengard with a race of relentless brutes who lack any empathy or compassion is no place for happy endings and triumphs.

The entire first part of the book keeps you on the edge of your seat as Raven lives in murderous conditions and navigates who she can and can’t trust. A wild series of events starts to unfold before your eyes leaving you to wonder, not only who Raven truly is and where she comes from, but who all these other characters are and whether they will play a positive or negative role in the grand scheme of things.

The world Black has constructed is absolutely amazing. When I saw the map at the beginning of the book, my heart soared. Not only did she give us a grand and fascinating world full of different cultures and landscapes but she also gave us all these different tribes with different peoples. I loved meeting and learning about different people from different tribes.

I felt like I was going through the same uncertainties Raven was. I was weary of newcomers but hopeful because they were truly likable characters. I found myself getting emotional at parts where tribes seemingly at odds with each other would work together for the greater good against a common enemy. Some of the dialogue written between these people had me crying happy tears. (I actually cried a lot reading this book…) I was just FEELING so much during this entire book!

Not only were the landscapes beautifully written but so was the dialogue. I had no trouble envisioning the world Black was constructing through the absolutely stunning imagery she paints with her writing. I felt those cold caverns and sleeping quarters in the mines. I saw the menacing bramble and felt it close in around me the way it closed in around our main characters. I marveled at the beauty and complexity of the castle in Askeland. Everything that was described left me with no question. I knew exactly what the world around me looked like going through this book and I FELT IT.

The dialogue was no exception. Of course, I have a soft spot for the bits of the story that dealt with the little bit of romance in this book. Specifically the relationship between Raven and Jeddak. Some of the things that were said cut me right to the core. I had literal pangs in my chest through damn near the entire second half of this book. I found myself feeling raw and split open just as the main characters were feeling in those moments and I loved every second of it. I love it when an author can construct a tone for their story that doesn’t feel forced or stretched. It feels natural and it carries so much weight to it. That’s exactly what Black did with this book. She made you feel that you were in that world. Almost as if I was standing in the shoes of the main character. I absolutely love when a book does that and this one absolutely did that for me.

Raven was a strong and intriguing female main character. Despite her lack of memory about her past and where she came from, she stood her ground and was brave. In doing that, she was able to find that her memory wasn’t completely lost to her. As she did things such as picking up a sword or attempting to make a fire, she found that she had these skills though she had forgotten how to use them. The little things that would happen to make her feel familiar kept me guessing and dying to know who she really was. I was eager to learn more right along with her.

Jeddak… He was just everything I love about a male main character. I absolutely loved him and couldn’t wait to get to the chapters giving us his point of view. He knows what he HAS to do but wars internally with what his heart is telling him to do. There’s so much at stake in Jeddak’s world, and yet he is constantly giving pause and acknowledging his faults and the hard truths of his mission. I just thoroughly enjoyed his character so much.

I can’t leave here without mentioning Kah, Jeddak’s bear. I feel like we all need a Kah. Blunt, unrelenting, logical, fiercely loyal… hilariously sarcastic. I enjoyed him so much and loved getting to read the banter that went on between him and Jeddak. 

There are so many other characters I’d love to mention and praise but I loved the way I read it blind and met these characters without knowing they were coming or how they would contribute to the story. So I’m not going to get into any of the other characters… BUT there’s another character in this book I’m dying to know more about and I can’t wait for the next book. (Because there’s for sure going to be one… right???!!) I need MORE. I still have so many questions and there’s absolutely no way this is where the story ends. Not with a key character not even entering the picture yet and Raven’s journey just beginning.

If you’re a fan of YA fantasy novels with incredible world-building, relatable characters, an intriguing plot with mysterious side (and main) characters, and a writing style that keeps you flipping pages until you’ve reached the end, this one is for you. Get your copy and suffer with me as we wait for book two! You know you want to.

Laurel Black’s debut novel Lost Kingdom is available for pre-order NOW on Amazon!

✌💛