The Stolen Kingdom: An Aladdin Retelling (The Stolen Kingdom Series Book 1) by Bethany Atazadeh
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The Stolen Kingdom: An Aladdin Retelling
The Stolen Kingdom Series Book 1
Yong Adult Fantasy Retellings
Grace House Press
August 20, 2019
ebook, paperback
311 pages
amazon.com
How can she protect her kingdom, if she can’t protect herself?
Arie eagerly anticipates becoming Queen of her humble kingdom. Even when a Jinni’s Gift manifests before her 18th birthday, she fights to hide the forbidden ability.
But when a neighboring king attempts to marry her and steal her kingdom, discovery feels imminent. Just one slip could cost her throne. And her life.
A Jinni hunter and his crew of thieves are her only hope for removing this Gift. And she must remove it before it’s exposed. Or die trying.
The Stolen Kingdom is a loose “Aladdin” retelling. Set in a world that humans share with Mermaids, Dragons, and the elusive Jinni, this isn’t the fairytale you remember…
I know people either love or hate fairy-tale retellings. Well rest assured, this is one to love.
Bethany Atazadeh takes a refreshing new look at the Aladdin tale that we all think we know and puts a new spin on this story that is nothing like the Disney version, in the best possible way. The Stolen Kingdom is the first book in this series, and if you like this one you are in luck! Book Two, The Jinni Key comes out December 3rd!
The Stolen Kingdom follows Princess Arie as she attempts to prevent Amir from stealing her kingdom (see what I did there?) and hide the fact that she’s a Gifted woman, something that could get her killed. The romantic plot we are all here for follows Arie and Kadin, and their journey.
“I’m not looking for a prince!” I snapped at the closed door, kicking at my skirt as I paced. “I’m looking for a sword!”
Arie is a great example of a strong female lead and I enjoyed seeing her grow through trials, making reasonable choices and mistakes and interact with the other characters she meets and yet, keep her regal personality throughout. The twist of her being a Gifted woman only adds an extra wrinkle to her quest and she deals with those complications well. Arie and Kadin have such a sweet story and I love that they don’t have an “insta-love” relationship. He respects and balances her in a very relevant way.
The world was well built and though out, you definitely feel like you are reading an Aladdin-esque tale that still takes it’s own spin and has its own identity.The magic system was clearly defined and easy to navigate, even if it isn’t the most unique I have seen. The story is told in an engaging way that will keep you hooked once it sinks its claws into you. There were a couple places where I would have liked a little more detail or explanation but it was never enough to pull me out of the story.
All in all I really liked this story and it’s one I all but threw at my teenager once I was done because I can’t wait to talk to her about it!
Grab your copy of The Stolen Kingdom today!
