Author: Amanda Hocking

Publisher: Wednesday Books

First Published: 07 July 2020

Rating: 4 stars

 
“Nothing in life is certain, not even the past.”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much John Karle and team at Wednesday Books for sending a copy my way. I am very thankful for be part of this blog tour.

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’s 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.

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.

The Lost City is the first in Amanda Hocking’s The Omte Origins Series. This is a spin-off series from her Trylle and Kanin Chronicles. I haven’t read the previous books but I still really enjoyed The Lost City. You don’t need to read the other books to read this story.

Ulla Turin’s goal is to find her family and find where she belongs. She was abandoned as a baby and raised by an innkeeper and his wife. The only clues she has is the name and tribe of the woman who left her. When Ulla is offered an internship with the Inhemsk Project, she moved to Mimirin. The project is designed to reach out to mixed blooded trolls and to help them learn about their history and find their families. 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.

I felt the exploration of the racism faced by mixed-blood trolls, or TOMBs, was handled with respect. I wasn’t expecting it but it added to the richness of the world-building.

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 was confused by the setting at the start. This may be because I haven’t read the previous series. I do love that it was an urban fantasy. I love the idea of a hidden troll world.

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.

I’m interested to learn more about what happens next with Ulla and am excited to pick up the next book, The Morning Flower.