The Lost City The Omte Origins (from the World of the Trylle)

*********I was kindly given an Arc of this book by Netgalley for my honest review.*********** This was a 3.5. This was hard to try to rate for me. I have been a fan of Amanda Hockings books since early 2011. When I saw that she was coming out with another Trilogy in the Trylle world. It felt like it was taking a while to get to the storyline. I am glad that we get to follow Ulla. Hopefully this book was a build up to the story line and that it will get more into it as the books continue. I will be continuing with the series.

I went into this, not really knowing what I was getting into, as I haven’t read any of the Trylle series books or other connected series. However, this was good! I was actually surprised to see it’s set in “our” world—though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it urban fantasy. I do wish there had been a bit more backstory to the world building, which is something I assume I’d get if I read the other books, but overall this was quite enjoyable! It reminded me of some of the old school YA books I enjoyed reading in the late 2000s, however the representation is much more up to par with what we expect to see now. I would have liked a bit more romance, but that is just personal preference. Because of that, I’d say this book is easily suitable for younger YA readers. I’m looking forward to reading more!

4.25 Stars Oh, to be back in Amanda Hocking's troll world. Ah, I love this place. This book was just as amazing as the previous entries in the troll world! I loved the little bits we got to see of characters from previous books at the beginning and that just made me jump right back into the world I love and missed. Ulla is a great character. She seems like she has a great head on her shoulders despite that she hasn't had the ideal life. All of the characters were really well done and I loved getting to learn more about them as the story progressed. I like the idea that we're not only discovering the origins of Ulla, but also the troll world as a whole. That makes for a good bit of mystery and I do really enjoy mystery in my books. Overall, I really enjoyed this, I flew right through it and moved immediately on to the sequel! Cover 4; characters 4; Plot 4; Pace 5; Writing 4; Enjoyment 5.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: The Lost City Author: Amanda Hocking Book Series: The Omte Origins Book 1 Rating: 4/5 Recommended For...: fantasy, family secrets Publication Date: July 7, 2020 Genre: YA Fantasy Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, romance) Publisher: Wednesday Books Pages: 384 Synopsis: Ulla Tulin was left abandoned in an isolated Kanin city as a baby, taken in by strangers and raised hidden away like many of the trolls of mixed blood. Even knowing this truth, she’s never stopped wondering about her family. When Ulla is offered an internship working alongside the handsome Pan Soriano at the Mimirin, a prestigious institution, she jumps at the chance to use this opportunity to hopefully find her parents. All she wants is to focus on her job and the search for her parents, but all of her attempts to find them are blocked when she learns her mother may be connected to the Omte royal family. With little progress made, Ulla and Pan soon find themselves wrapped up in helping Eliana, an amnestic girl with abilities unlike any they have ever seen before—a girl who seems to be running from something. To figure out who she is they must leave the city, and possibly, along the way, they may learn more about Ulla’s parents. Review: Overall, this was a good book! I love Amanda Hocking and I fell in love with her Trylle series about 3 years ago and this is set in the same world, so if you liked it to then you’ll love this book. The book had great world building. The writing was also well done. However, I felt like the pacing was super slow. The beginning of the book takes a bit to get into as well. I’ve also not finished the Trylle series and I do think you need that background info for this book. The book also suffers from the lack of character development for a lot of the characters. Verdict: Well done and sucks you back into the popular Trylle series!

*Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review* I was expecting a lot more out of this books after really enjoying the series before this one. This book felt like it wasn't even written by the same author and that really disappointed me. There was no excitement to it and honestly didn't really feel like a fantasy to me, it was so mundane. All of the actions is in the last like 5% of the book so you feel like you wasted all your time reading most of it.

I have some mixed feelings about this book! Amanda Hocking's writing style is fantastic and tried to pull me into this story, but that's where the book falls flat. The plot was...absent? For the majority of the book, there really isn't anything going on. No high stakes, no danger, just a girl doing research to find her parents - which gets really old after a while. The "Lost City" is only mentioned in the last 50 pages! The story was just boring to me. It's almost like it should have been a prequel/setup to the first book in the series instead of the actual first book. 2 stars.

For full review: https://wordsoftheroses.com/2020/07/1... “Nothing in life is certain, not even the past.”   Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for sending a copy my way! I never thought I would enjoy a book about trolls but it's hard not too with the intricate folklore and the fully developed characters Amanda Hocking has created. Ulla Turin’s goal is to find her family. She was abandoned as a baby. The only clues she has is the name and tribe of the woman who left her. Ulla is dedicated to her goal and will stop at nothing to find her family. I adored that Ulla is plus size. I think we need to see more diversity in body types in books, especially in YA fantasy. There is a lot that is going on with the plot. Even though I was interested in a lot of these elements, it was too busy. I wanted to see more time spent on the folklore and Ulla's search for her family.   I love the addition of the Tribal Facts at the end of the book. It helps to add in some history and background to the tribes and the world without clogging up the narrative with unnecessary information.

Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures! This was so cute! Ulla is plus sized, y'all! I loved it! And it was a normal thing! That was really nice to see in a YA book especially! Ulla is smart, bold, and not afraid to go after what she wants! She is also really kind which I always love in an MC! There are a few twists that I can't wait to see where they lead in the second book. Oh, and I totally ship Pan and Ulla! He's so freaking nice! This really reminded me of Gail Carsen Levine's books! Very nostalgic feel for sure!