Title: The Lost City
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: The Omte Origins
Page Length: 400
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Synopsis:
New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking returns to the magical world of the Trylle with The Lost City, the first book in the final Trylle arc.
Nestled along the bluffs of the forested coast lays the secret kingdom of the Omte—a realm filled with wonder…and as many secrets.
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.
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LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
My Review:
The Lost City is the first book in The Omte Origins series and is a spin-off of Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy. I absolutely love Amanda Hocking and was thrilled to get an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
For those of you who read the Trylle series, several characters make an appearance in this book!!
The heart of this book is a coming-of-age story with Ulla’s quest to find out her true identity. Ulla is a richly developed character who begins the story lacking direction and insecure. Abandoned and left in the care of an elderly couple when she was a baby, Ulla does not know where she belongs and does not feel like she fits in.
Ulla is determined to find out who her parents are and goes on an internship to Mimirin in the hopes of uncovering information about her heritage. There she meets a variety of trolls, from Pan, the handsome guy she gets to work with to Eliana, the amnesiac with unbelievable powers. She learns a lot from her internship and just as much from her new relationships. As the story progresses, Ulla grows and develops into a more secure and confident person.
I love the world that Hocking created. The setting is described so intricately and vividly that it is impossible not to be drawn in. The book provides a ton of information about the troll tribes and their histories, and it can be overwhelming at times. However, it is necessary in order for Ulla to figure out where she came from. Providing this plethora of information gives depth to the setting and characters.
I also like how Hocking integrates some familiar characters into the story as a way to connect the original Trylle story to this one. After finishing the original trilogy, I wanted to find out what happened to some of the characters, and this book tells you! Of course, this doesn’t take away from the fabulously unique and new characters in the story. Ulla, Pan, and Eliana are just some of the fascinating new additions to the Trylle world.
Amanda Hocking’s writing style is engrossing with a perfect balance of character-development, world-building, and plot-progression. The way in which Hocking writes – her use of dialogue, imagery, her intricate attention to detail – makes for an immersive read.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- Dynamic and interesting characters, especially Ulla
- Excellent world-building
- A few characters from the original Trylle trilogy make an appearance
Recommendations:
Fans of Amanda Hocking will enjoy the story. (If you’re not an Amanda Hocking fan, check out the Trylle series. It’s fan-tabulous!) Readers who enjoy young adult fantasies with dynamic characters and masterful world-building will also love this piece.
I’m glad you enjoyed this one! It looks super interesting
It’s good. Not a ton of action, but an interesting character-driven story. 🙂
I’ve only read her Watersong series (and scored huge when I found one of them signed at my local bookstore). I am definitely going to start reading her other books. Great review!
Thanks so much! The Watersong series is good! If you like her work, I recommend the Trylle trilogy and the Kanin Chronicles. 🙂