Book Review: Kingdom of Stolen Crowns (Stephanie Storm). #KingdomofStolenCrowns #NetGalley

I received a copy of Kingdom of Stolen Crowns by Stephanie Storm from NetGalley. It is an enemies to lovers fantasy romance book is the first of the author’s Sacred Arbor Realm Series. The story follows a vampire lord, Victor Custodius, who is stripped of his power and exiled to another realm. In the exiled realm, he meets Runa Starborn, a sorceress turned bandit.

The story begins with Victor Custodis falsely stripped of his title and power by his peers in a power move to get him out of the way. Victor is banished to another realm, which is his birthplace, and he has a lot of resentment towards it. Runa Starborn has magical abilities and is part of a gang along with her adopted brothers. When Runa finds Victor in the realm, she kidnaps him for a debt she has to pay. Once they are found, Victor tries to save himself by betraying Runa and her brothers. This does not work, landing them all to participate in forced trials to survive as part of the punishment. Forced to be each other’s allies to survive the deadly trials, Runa and Victor come to an understanding.

As the story moved ahead, there is more at stake than surviving these deadly trials. There is a prophecy that is about to be fulfilled, in which unknowingly, Runa and Victor have an important part to play. Victor is shown as a power-hungry vampire. He has achieved his power through blood and violence. When his past is slowly unravelled, you can understand that he is trying to hold on to power. As a child, he felt helpless and was at the mercy of others. He wants power because he never wants to feel helpless again. Runa has found a family with her adoptive brothers and their surrogate mother, Yaga. She has witnessed the terrible situation of the people around her. She is strong and determined; for her, loyalty is important.

Victor and Runa are fated mates. This is something Victor has an inclination towards since he met her, but does not want to believe it. When the trials bring Runa and Victor closer, it is impossible to deny their chemistry and attraction. It took a while for the romance to begin, but I thought it was worth it. They take time to start building trust and understanding, although Runa is wary of Victor’s intentions. She worries that he likes power above all, which means he will never choose anything else. I assumed it will be enemies to lovers romantasy with trials. The prophecy was an unexpected addition to the story for me, but it worked well. I liked how there was world building, yet it was not much exposition. It is described in a way that helps to create a picture of this world.

Kingdom of Stolen Crowns by Stephanie Storm is an intriguing fantasy romance (romantasy) book. It has plenty of micro tropes that I enjoyed, like enemies to lovers, vampires, fated mates, and deadly trials, all woven together well in this fantasy world. I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait for the next installment of the series.

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