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Stolen Away
For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.
The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.
Watch Alyxandra Harvey talk about Stolen Away
The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric—who may or may not betray them.
Watch Alyxandra Harvey talk about Stolen Away
278 pages, Paperback
First published December 25, 2011
31 people are currently reading
3176 people want to read
About the author
Alyxandra Harvey
59 books3,159 followerswww.alyxandraharvey.com
Alyxandra Harvey is the author of The Cinderella Society, The Dainty Devils, The Drake Chronicles, The Witches of London, Haunting Violet and more!
She likes chai lattes, tattoos, and books.
Sometimes fueled by literary rage.
Alyxandra Harvey is the author of The Cinderella Society, The Dainty Devils, The Drake Chronicles, The Witches of London, Haunting Violet and more!
She likes chai lattes, tattoos, and books.
Sometimes fueled by literary rage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 277 reviews
January 17, 2012
Soon after her 17th birthday, Eloise started seeing Faeries everywhere. Unfortunately, that means they can also see through the glamour that’s been hiding her. She is wanted by Lord Strahan, king of Faery, and she has no idea why. A fierce warrior named Lucas shows up claiming that he is pledged to her, which makes him honor-bound to defend her, but Eloise is unsure whether she should trust him or not. Her best friends Jo and Devin are there to help her every step of the way, and even try to save her when Strahan finally succeeds in kidnapping her. Conveniently enough, Jo has been Touched at some point in her life, so she also has the ability to see the Fae.
Unfortunately, Stolen Away is a pretty generic YA paranormal, made better only by Alyxandra Harvey’s bright sense of humor. Even that, however, cannot compete with the humor in her vampire series, The Drake Chronicles, simply because she failed to create another character that would be nearly as amusing as Lucy. Jo had definite potential, she is stubborn, audacious and very smart, with a big mouth that refuses to close even at the worst of times, but she still doesn’t have Lucy’s warmth and I didn’t really believe her loyalty to Eloise like I believe Lucy’s loyalty to Solange and the rest of the Drakes.
It made sense for Harvey to create two very different couples. Eloise and Lucas, who do everything right, never break the rules and, truthfully, never show that much passion, and Jo and Eldric, both rebels and both full of confidence and fire. I’m quite sure that Eloise and Lucas will have their fans: those who enjoy a steady, non-turbulent romance without too many uncertainties and will-they-won’t-they moments. While I didn’t really feel anything more than mild affection for them, Jo and Eldric had me jumping up and down in my seat and rooting for them wholeheartedly. Another thing I really liked is that there wasn’t even a hint of a love triangle, even though I kept expecting it to rear its ugly head as soon as Devin entered the picture. It’s usually the nerdy best friend that ends up being hurt in these things, but Devin was refreshingly uninterested in either of the girls.
So to conclude, I can always count on Alyxandra Harvey to make me laugh. While Stolen Away certainly isn’t her best work, it’s still a pretty good choice when you just want to relax and have some fun.
For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library
Unfortunately, Stolen Away is a pretty generic YA paranormal, made better only by Alyxandra Harvey’s bright sense of humor. Even that, however, cannot compete with the humor in her vampire series, The Drake Chronicles, simply because she failed to create another character that would be nearly as amusing as Lucy. Jo had definite potential, she is stubborn, audacious and very smart, with a big mouth that refuses to close even at the worst of times, but she still doesn’t have Lucy’s warmth and I didn’t really believe her loyalty to Eloise like I believe Lucy’s loyalty to Solange and the rest of the Drakes.
It made sense for Harvey to create two very different couples. Eloise and Lucas, who do everything right, never break the rules and, truthfully, never show that much passion, and Jo and Eldric, both rebels and both full of confidence and fire. I’m quite sure that Eloise and Lucas will have their fans: those who enjoy a steady, non-turbulent romance without too many uncertainties and will-they-won’t-they moments. While I didn’t really feel anything more than mild affection for them, Jo and Eldric had me jumping up and down in my seat and rooting for them wholeheartedly. Another thing I really liked is that there wasn’t even a hint of a love triangle, even though I kept expecting it to rear its ugly head as soon as Devin entered the picture. It’s usually the nerdy best friend that ends up being hurt in these things, but Devin was refreshingly uninterested in either of the girls.
So to conclude, I can always count on Alyxandra Harvey to make me laugh. While Stolen Away certainly isn’t her best work, it’s still a pretty good choice when you just want to relax and have some fun.
For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library
March 31, 2012
<3 I loved this.
I love how Eloise, Jo, & Devin are such great friends. Most book, there'll be two best friends, and either a) The main character starts seeing faeries, vamps, or other fantasy stuff, and then she starts keeping secrets from her BFF, and they get into arguments & start moving apart, then the BFF is hardly in the book. Or b) If the BFF is a guy, he loves the main character, but she loves some other guy, and that separates them. Or something like that. The BFF's aren't usually close in fantasy books.
But not in this book. Eloise starts seeing strange stuff, and straight away she tells her best friends, and while at first they hardly believe it, they still help, and eventually they believe completely as well.
Another thing I love? The best friends were 2 girls, and 1 boy. So straight away I think "O God, here we go. The guy loves one of them, they don't even know, and they don't love him back." So then Eloise meets a guy, and Devin doesn't act weird when when he's is around. So I'm thinking "Oh good. So either he's really good at hiding how he feels and it's gonna come out later, or, more likely, he likes Jo". But then Jo meets a guy too, and when Devin finds out about him, he doesn't act weird then either. So I'm starting to get excited, but still half expecting to find out Devin really does like one of the girls. Nope!
And there were the two guys, Lucas & Eldric, both different types of guys. Like Puck & Ash, Jem & Will, Adrian & Dimitri.. There's always the two types. But in this book, they don't fall for the same girl. One falls for Eloise, the other for Jo. And the whole story isn't just in Eloise's POV. It switches between Eloise & Jo. So we get to see both relationships happening.
So, in short, I loved the romance.
I loved the whole book.
A big thank you to Stephanie who recommended this to me! :D
I love how Eloise, Jo, & Devin are such great friends. Most book, there'll be two best friends, and either a) The main character starts seeing faeries, vamps, or other fantasy stuff, and then she starts keeping secrets from her BFF, and they get into arguments & start moving apart, then the BFF is hardly in the book. Or b) If the BFF is a guy, he loves the main character, but she loves some other guy, and that separates them. Or something like that. The BFF's aren't usually close in fantasy books.
But not in this book. Eloise starts seeing strange stuff, and straight away she tells her best friends, and while at first they hardly believe it, they still help, and eventually they believe completely as well.
Another thing I love? The best friends were 2 girls, and 1 boy. So straight away I think "O God, here we go. The guy loves one of them, they don't even know, and they don't love him back." So then Eloise meets a guy, and Devin doesn't act weird when when he's is around. So I'm thinking "Oh good. So either he's really good at hiding how he feels and it's gonna come out later, or, more likely, he likes Jo". But then Jo meets a guy too, and when Devin finds out about him, he doesn't act weird then either. So I'm starting to get excited, but still half expecting to find out Devin really does like one of the girls. Nope!
And there were the two guys, Lucas & Eldric, both different types of guys. Like Puck & Ash, Jem & Will, Adrian & Dimitri.. There's always the two types. But in this book, they don't fall for the same girl. One falls for Eloise, the other for Jo. And the whole story isn't just in Eloise's POV. It switches between Eloise & Jo. So we get to see both relationships happening.
So, in short, I loved the romance.
I loved the whole book.
A big thank you to Stephanie who recommended this to me! :D
November 6, 2014
3.5 stars. I can't remember what's going on in that book, nothing so bad and nothing so good, I guess?
November 8, 2011
The beginning was a big turnoff for me, so I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up liking this book. I'm not a big fan of fairy books, but this was not a bad read at all. It was different from your typical Seelie vs. Unseelie books with characters in some way related to King Oberon or Queen Tatiana.
The thing that really kept me from giving this a higher rating was the characters were very grating on my nerves. I think Harvey may have tried a little bit too hard to be clever, and her characters ended up being quite annoying. I hate it when girl best friends talk to each other in kind of ditsy, silly ways. Eloise was just somewhat annoying, but her friend Jo is the worst. And what's up with Jo's obsession for Brits, not that I mind, but it's never explained, and it's kind of odd that an American girl is going around saying, "I'd song that" and "what a wanker?"
I also wasn't fond of our two heroes in this book. I mean, they were okay characters, but not great, swoony dream guys. I also felt Lucas' entrance was beyond ridiculous. I mean, sure he's from another world, but really? He kneels before her in an ice cream parlor, saying, "My lady Eloise. Finally, you are undressed to our eyes." And again later when he scared her on the roof and she "squawked like a chicken being plucked bald." Again, I felt Harvey tried a little too hard to be clever here.
But I did like the story itself. I just felt I had to roll my eyes at the writing one too many times.
The thing that really kept me from giving this a higher rating was the characters were very grating on my nerves. I think Harvey may have tried a little bit too hard to be clever, and her characters ended up being quite annoying. I hate it when girl best friends talk to each other in kind of ditsy, silly ways. Eloise was just somewhat annoying, but her friend Jo is the worst. And what's up with Jo's obsession for Brits, not that I mind, but it's never explained, and it's kind of odd that an American girl is going around saying, "I'd song that" and "what a wanker?"
I also wasn't fond of our two heroes in this book. I mean, they were okay characters, but not great, swoony dream guys. I also felt Lucas' entrance was beyond ridiculous. I mean, sure he's from another world, but really? He kneels before her in an ice cream parlor, saying, "My lady Eloise. Finally, you are undressed to our eyes." And again later when he scared her on the roof and she "squawked like a chicken being plucked bald." Again, I felt Harvey tried a little too hard to be clever here.
But I did like the story itself. I just felt I had to roll my eyes at the writing one too many times.
May 1, 2016
Ich wünschte, ich könnte behaupten, dass mir Stolen Away gefallen hat, aber leider ist das Gegenteil der Fall. Und das sage ich als SEHR SEHR großer Fan von Harveys Drake Chroniken.
Das Problem, was ich bei diesem Buch hatte, das war, dass ich keinerlei Zugang zu den Charakteren gefunden habe. Sie waren nicht direkt schlecht oder gar nervig, aber sie waren mir (fast noch schlimmer) egal. Das liegt daran, dass sie keinerlei Tiefgang hatten und bis zum Ende hin sehr blass blieben, ganz besonders die Love Interests. Generell waren die Liebesgeschichten furchtbar oberflächlich, eine noch ein wenig mehr als die andere.
Aber am meisten hat mich wohl gestört, dass das Buch darüber hinaus auch nichts Neues geboten hat. Die Sache mit den Feen ist einfach ein so durchgelutschtes Thema und wenn man sich gerade dieses aussucht, dann muss man auch dafür Sorgen, dass man ein paar neue Elemente anbietet. Aber auch das war hier nicht der Fall.
Insgesamt bin ich ziemlich enttäuscht und hoffe, dass mir ihre anderen Standalones besser gefallen werden.
Das Problem, was ich bei diesem Buch hatte, das war, dass ich keinerlei Zugang zu den Charakteren gefunden habe. Sie waren nicht direkt schlecht oder gar nervig, aber sie waren mir (fast noch schlimmer) egal. Das liegt daran, dass sie keinerlei Tiefgang hatten und bis zum Ende hin sehr blass blieben, ganz besonders die Love Interests. Generell waren die Liebesgeschichten furchtbar oberflächlich, eine noch ein wenig mehr als die andere.
Aber am meisten hat mich wohl gestört, dass das Buch darüber hinaus auch nichts Neues geboten hat. Die Sache mit den Feen ist einfach ein so durchgelutschtes Thema und wenn man sich gerade dieses aussucht, dann muss man auch dafür Sorgen, dass man ein paar neue Elemente anbietet. Aber auch das war hier nicht der Fall.
Insgesamt bin ich ziemlich enttäuscht und hoffe, dass mir ihre anderen Standalones besser gefallen werden.
February 21, 2015
find more of my reviews at http://karinysteenbooxfrenz.blogspot....
MY REVIEW
I loved Alyxandra's writing since i read Breath of Frost. Since it was set in victorian times the language was pretty poetic and this novel, the writing was so modern it surprised me! In a good way of course :P! When i read the Summary it looked so intricate that i wondered how the author could cover all that in a standalone novel less than 300 pages! I expected it to be kind of rushed or something but it really totally was not. There were details and action and romance and funny moments=my kinda book!
I loved the friendship between Eloise, Jo and Devin. Even though Eloise was the main character i loved Jo a LOT more, She was witty, strong, funny and so loyal to her best friend, It all starts when Lucas keels in front of Eloise at an ice cream parlor and vows to protect her from a faerie king. Obviously she thought he was scary-i mean wouldn't you if a hot medieval guy swore fealty to you in front of all your classmates? Well maybe some of you like me would be scared but since we're book addicts i think we're all secretly wishing we're the heroine in the book!
Eloise goes home and things get weirder when Lucas shows up on her balcony and saves her from evil crows. She confides in her friends and then she gets kidnapped by an evil faerie king who uses her as bait to get his wife-her aunt-back.
In the meantime, Jo is being befriended and kissed(hotly) by Eldric who cannot seem to stay away from her! I loved the mystery surrounding Aunt Antonia..It was absolutely confusing and i had so many unanswered questions that i kept asking myself,. It made me want to keep reading so i could find this stuff out! The world building was breathtaking and i kept wishing i could see this stuff for myself.
The only thing i didn't like in this book was a teeny tiny part to do the with love interests; Eldric and Lucas. For one I LOVED ELDRIC AND JO!!absolutely awesome and hot together!!Eldric is an intense character and i liked that a lot however i felt that Lucas was too perfect and there was no real story to him compared to Eldric. I can honestly say i like Jo and Eldric more than Eloise and Lucas,,,But i feel that i should have liked Lucas a little more because he is the main love interest of the main character, I did like him, i just felt there was no character development. All we know is that he's sweet, shifts into a hawk and loves Eloise. That's it. Whereas with Eldric, we know that he broods, has mysterious and wicked smiles, he's in pain and feels lonely because he hates his Dad and has never met his mom. he was the typical hot brooding guy with shadows and Lucas was the golden boy. and that's not a bad thing i just wished there was more of a background to him!
Nevertheless i loved this book and it has made me love this authors writing even more!!Awesome standalone!
MY REVIEW
I loved Alyxandra's writing since i read Breath of Frost. Since it was set in victorian times the language was pretty poetic and this novel, the writing was so modern it surprised me! In a good way of course :P! When i read the Summary it looked so intricate that i wondered how the author could cover all that in a standalone novel less than 300 pages! I expected it to be kind of rushed or something but it really totally was not. There were details and action and romance and funny moments=my kinda book!
I loved the friendship between Eloise, Jo and Devin. Even though Eloise was the main character i loved Jo a LOT more, She was witty, strong, funny and so loyal to her best friend, It all starts when Lucas keels in front of Eloise at an ice cream parlor and vows to protect her from a faerie king. Obviously she thought he was scary-i mean wouldn't you if a hot medieval guy swore fealty to you in front of all your classmates? Well maybe some of you like me would be scared but since we're book addicts i think we're all secretly wishing we're the heroine in the book!
Eloise goes home and things get weirder when Lucas shows up on her balcony and saves her from evil crows. She confides in her friends and then she gets kidnapped by an evil faerie king who uses her as bait to get his wife-her aunt-back.
In the meantime, Jo is being befriended and kissed(hotly) by Eldric who cannot seem to stay away from her! I loved the mystery surrounding Aunt Antonia..It was absolutely confusing and i had so many unanswered questions that i kept asking myself,. It made me want to keep reading so i could find this stuff out! The world building was breathtaking and i kept wishing i could see this stuff for myself.
The only thing i didn't like in this book was a teeny tiny part to do the with love interests; Eldric and Lucas. For one I LOVED ELDRIC AND JO!!absolutely awesome and hot together!!Eldric is an intense character and i liked that a lot however i felt that Lucas was too perfect and there was no real story to him compared to Eldric. I can honestly say i like Jo and Eldric more than Eloise and Lucas,,,But i feel that i should have liked Lucas a little more because he is the main love interest of the main character, I did like him, i just felt there was no character development. All we know is that he's sweet, shifts into a hawk and loves Eloise. That's it. Whereas with Eldric, we know that he broods, has mysterious and wicked smiles, he's in pain and feels lonely because he hates his Dad and has never met his mom. he was the typical hot brooding guy with shadows and Lucas was the golden boy. and that's not a bad thing i just wished there was more of a background to him!
Nevertheless i loved this book and it has made me love this authors writing even more!!Awesome standalone!
March 27, 2012
**Thank-you to Bloomsbury Australia for providing me with a copy of this to read and review!**
Stolen Away is yet another brilliant tale by author Alyxandra Harvey that explores the world of Faerie in a quick, fun and modern setting!
I love Alyxandra Harvey’s books and this one is no exception. Harvey is a talented storyteller who always manages to entertain me with her captivating world and her precise and easy to read writing. In Stolen Away, Harvey delves into the world of the Fae in a story that is entertaining and romantic. Personally, I would have liked a bit more world building and at times I did feel as though parts of the story were rushed, but I’m taking into consideration that this is a stand alone novel when I look at that. The mythology was lovely and I loved the overall plotline!
Told in dual perspective, the book continues back and forth between best friends and protagonists Eloise and Jo. This isn’t new for Harvey, with some of her other books set out in a similar manner, and it gives us an insight into the different goings on during the story from both girls. I found both Eloise and Jo to be likable characters and it was easy to follow them throughout the story. Both had their individual personality traits and were strong young women. As always with Harvey’s books, the feeling of friendship is undeniable with both characters dedicated to helping each other no matter what.
Filled with a fantastic range of characters both from the mortal and human world, Stolen Away never lacks for flair and magic. It was so incredibly easy to get lost in the Faerie world that was so beautiful throughout the story. The Fae creatures and characters both Eloise and Jo met added a new layer of fun to the story, from a tiny warrior faerie Jo quickly befriends to Eloise’s colourful mother and aunt, they were all wonderful editions to the story.
In the amidst of the danger and adventure both girls manage to find romance, Eloise with her protector Lucas and Jo with Eldric, a mysterious boy who isn’t who he appears. I enjoyed both relationships; they were sweet and romantic, although they came on a bit fast for my liking. The passion was undeniable between Jo and Eldric, while Eloise and Lucas was more a subtle underlining to the tale.
Overall Stolen Away was an easily enjoyable story. Beautifully written and created, the tale draws you in easily and holds you the entire time!
Stolen Away is yet another brilliant tale by author Alyxandra Harvey that explores the world of Faerie in a quick, fun and modern setting!
I love Alyxandra Harvey’s books and this one is no exception. Harvey is a talented storyteller who always manages to entertain me with her captivating world and her precise and easy to read writing. In Stolen Away, Harvey delves into the world of the Fae in a story that is entertaining and romantic. Personally, I would have liked a bit more world building and at times I did feel as though parts of the story were rushed, but I’m taking into consideration that this is a stand alone novel when I look at that. The mythology was lovely and I loved the overall plotline!
Told in dual perspective, the book continues back and forth between best friends and protagonists Eloise and Jo. This isn’t new for Harvey, with some of her other books set out in a similar manner, and it gives us an insight into the different goings on during the story from both girls. I found both Eloise and Jo to be likable characters and it was easy to follow them throughout the story. Both had their individual personality traits and were strong young women. As always with Harvey’s books, the feeling of friendship is undeniable with both characters dedicated to helping each other no matter what.
Filled with a fantastic range of characters both from the mortal and human world, Stolen Away never lacks for flair and magic. It was so incredibly easy to get lost in the Faerie world that was so beautiful throughout the story. The Fae creatures and characters both Eloise and Jo met added a new layer of fun to the story, from a tiny warrior faerie Jo quickly befriends to Eloise’s colourful mother and aunt, they were all wonderful editions to the story.
In the amidst of the danger and adventure both girls manage to find romance, Eloise with her protector Lucas and Jo with Eldric, a mysterious boy who isn’t who he appears. I enjoyed both relationships; they were sweet and romantic, although they came on a bit fast for my liking. The passion was undeniable between Jo and Eldric, while Eloise and Lucas was more a subtle underlining to the tale.
Overall Stolen Away was an easily enjoyable story. Beautifully written and created, the tale draws you in easily and holds you the entire time!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Even though I haven’t been technically a young adult for more than a decade, I read a lot of YA, like 100+ titles a year. To date, I’ve read everything that YA author Alyxandra Harvey has written. With one recent exception, I’m a big fan of her Drake Chronicles series, and I flat out loved her Victorian ghost story, HAUNTING VIOLET. When I heard she was writing a new stand alone about faeries, I jumped at the chance to read it. Unfortunately, STOLEN AWAY wasn’t half the book I was hoping it would be.
First of all, it’s short. Really short (288 pages) and it feels like it. All the character developments, romances, and major plot points are rushed. So instead of learning through action and dialog about, for example, Eloise’s kitschy love for rockabilly, we just get told that she loves it. Ditto for Jo’s obsession with all things British. It made both protagonists feel very two dimensional. The romances, specifically Jo’s, happened so fast that I got whiplash. She meets a strange guy, invites him back to her house, and is sharing ‘heated kisses’ with him and wondering why no guy has every made her feel that way before. The whole thing made Jo seem needy and desperate—not to mention incredibly stupid—not characteristics I enjoy in a heroine.
The main plot about Eloise getting trapped in Faery, escaping, and then mounting her own rescue operation felt tedious despite how quickly everything happened. Worse was how quickly Eloise accepted the Faery world. It was a bit like, “I can’t believe Faeries exist, but I guess they do, so let’s go!” Seriously, that’s not much of an exaggeration.
I’m still a fan of Alyxandra Harvey, and will continue to keep an eye out for her books, but after two disappointments in a row, I’m going to have to start giving them the excerpt test before buying in the future.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
Even though I haven’t been technically a young adult for more than a decade, I read a lot of YA, like 100+ titles a year. To date, I’ve read everything that YA author Alyxandra Harvey has written. With one recent exception, I’m a big fan of her Drake Chronicles series, and I flat out loved her Victorian ghost story, HAUNTING VIOLET. When I heard she was writing a new stand alone about faeries, I jumped at the chance to read it. Unfortunately, STOLEN AWAY wasn’t half the book I was hoping it would be.
First of all, it’s short. Really short (288 pages) and it feels like it. All the character developments, romances, and major plot points are rushed. So instead of learning through action and dialog about, for example, Eloise’s kitschy love for rockabilly, we just get told that she loves it. Ditto for Jo’s obsession with all things British. It made both protagonists feel very two dimensional. The romances, specifically Jo’s, happened so fast that I got whiplash. She meets a strange guy, invites him back to her house, and is sharing ‘heated kisses’ with him and wondering why no guy has every made her feel that way before. The whole thing made Jo seem needy and desperate—not to mention incredibly stupid—not characteristics I enjoy in a heroine.
The main plot about Eloise getting trapped in Faery, escaping, and then mounting her own rescue operation felt tedious despite how quickly everything happened. Worse was how quickly Eloise accepted the Faery world. It was a bit like, “I can’t believe Faeries exist, but I guess they do, so let’s go!” Seriously, that’s not much of an exaggeration.
I’m still a fan of Alyxandra Harvey, and will continue to keep an eye out for her books, but after two disappointments in a row, I’m going to have to start giving them the excerpt test before buying in the future.
Sexual Content:
Kissing
May 31, 2013
You can say what you want about me but I love Alyxandra Harvey novels.
Stolen Away took me back to why I’ve always loved Harvey’s books. I fell in love with the story completely.
It I really liked reading Harvey’s take on the Fey. Which was pretty traditional, I liked the whole aspect of the fey shape shifting into birds. If you’ve read Harvey’s other books you’ll also know that she creates very strong friendships bonds. Which is always refreshing, because Eloise Hart and Jo are a great duo. They’re strong-brave YA female characters, who always have each other’s back, the ideal besties. As El and Jo’s story are told from two different POV’s, I felt like Jo’s story overpowered El’s. Jo story was way more interesting, a leading story.
Love interest Lucas(Eloise) and Eldric( Jo) are totally different characters. It’s really a good vs. evil kind of thing. But they both have the same background; strong, dark, protective personalities that make them both good guys for these two amazing girls (which makes me jealous lol.) At times like Jo & El, Eldric overshadows Lucas. Eldric comes from a“brokin home” I understand his character, while Lucas on the other hand is like the “golden boy.” I want to know him deeper than him just liking Eloise.
The writing as always with Harvey was perfect; I’m so use to just breezing through her books but the pacing was a little roller-coaster-y; fast at the beginning but towards the middle it seemed to drag a little then the pace picked but up in the end. But that was just because Harvey had a lot of background to cover with Elise’s family and such. Be prepared to be stolen away in this wonderful Fey tale!
Stolen Away took me back to why I’ve always loved Harvey’s books. I fell in love with the story completely.
It I really liked reading Harvey’s take on the Fey. Which was pretty traditional, I liked the whole aspect of the fey shape shifting into birds. If you’ve read Harvey’s other books you’ll also know that she creates very strong friendships bonds. Which is always refreshing, because Eloise Hart and Jo are a great duo. They’re strong-brave YA female characters, who always have each other’s back, the ideal besties. As El and Jo’s story are told from two different POV’s, I felt like Jo’s story overpowered El’s. Jo story was way more interesting, a leading story.
Love interest Lucas(Eloise) and Eldric( Jo) are totally different characters. It’s really a good vs. evil kind of thing. But they both have the same background; strong, dark, protective personalities that make them both good guys for these two amazing girls (which makes me jealous lol.) At times like Jo & El, Eldric overshadows Lucas. Eldric comes from a“brokin home” I understand his character, while Lucas on the other hand is like the “golden boy.” I want to know him deeper than him just liking Eloise.
The writing as always with Harvey was perfect; I’m so use to just breezing through her books but the pacing was a little roller-coaster-y; fast at the beginning but towards the middle it seemed to drag a little then the pace picked but up in the end. But that was just because Harvey had a lot of background to cover with Elise’s family and such. Be prepared to be stolen away in this wonderful Fey tale!
September 13, 2013
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Eloise Hart had no idea that her family was connected to the world of the Faery until she was abducted by Lord Strahan, the king of the Faery, and was used as a hostage to lure his wife, Eloise’s Aunt Antonia out of hiding. Now Eloise and her best friends Jo and Devin must forge alliances with other Fae to recuse Antonia, including Lucas, a boy who has sworn to protect Eloise and Eldric, who may have feeling for Jo or may be planning to betray them all.
Stolen Away is a new book by Alyxandra Harvey which has romance, action and Faeries. While I really liked this book, I felt there was something missing but I can’t put my finger on what.
I really like Eloise and Jo as they were both loyal and good friends but are also very different people. However I did feel the romance was lacking, very sudden and did not feel realistic, even though both of the couples had some very romantic moments.
Stolen Away is a very enjoyable YA faery story and I would recommend it to people who like the Fire Spirits series by Samantha Young or the rest of Harvey’s novels.
Eloise Hart had no idea that her family was connected to the world of the Faery until she was abducted by Lord Strahan, the king of the Faery, and was used as a hostage to lure his wife, Eloise’s Aunt Antonia out of hiding. Now Eloise and her best friends Jo and Devin must forge alliances with other Fae to recuse Antonia, including Lucas, a boy who has sworn to protect Eloise and Eldric, who may have feeling for Jo or may be planning to betray them all.
Stolen Away is a new book by Alyxandra Harvey which has romance, action and Faeries. While I really liked this book, I felt there was something missing but I can’t put my finger on what.
I really like Eloise and Jo as they were both loyal and good friends but are also very different people. However I did feel the romance was lacking, very sudden and did not feel realistic, even though both of the couples had some very romantic moments.
Stolen Away is a very enjoyable YA faery story and I would recommend it to people who like the Fire Spirits series by Samantha Young or the rest of Harvey’s novels.
January 20, 2012
***FINAL RATING: 3.30 STARS***
CATCHALL
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't love it as much as I did Haunting Violet, but I still found it extremely enjoyable. It was a fun, quick read. The reason that my rating is relatively low even though I loved it so much will be explained. For one, the cover wasn't great. It was okay. For not as pretty as I'd hoped.
THE HEROINES
No, that's not a typo. This book is actually told from two different girls' P.O.V., thus making them both heroines in tis lovely story.
ELOISE
I didn't care too much for her. I liked her well enough, but she's not one of my favorite characters. She was kind of, um, I hate to say it, but boring. She was too serious for my taste. I prefer my heroines fun. Deep down, she was more emotional, but on the outside she was too stiff. Still, she was actually a pretty intricate character, but definitely had room for improvement.
JO
I loved Jo! She was such a flirt! She was exciting and emotional. While on the outside she appeared flighty, inside she was more vulnerable. She had a nice, solid background. I enjoyed her part of the story immensely. Jo was, in my opinion, a better character than Eloise. I really, really liked her. Honesly, I'd like a sequel just so I read my of her story. She's fresh and exciting and moreover, alive. But, uh, she was a bit too British for an American.
THE LOVE INTERESTS
ELDRIC
Mmmm. What can I say? I totally fell in love with Eldric. I mean, DAMN. He was hot. And totally sweet. And, um, I have a thing for bad boys :) Sometimes. He's tall. And dark. And handsome. Who doesn't love the gorgeous stranger? He was one of my favorite characters, hands down. He seemed genuinely caring but also passionate. And perfectly mysterious!
LUCAS
Hmm. I was okay with him. I thought he seemed pretty cute, but overall I just wasn't feeling it. He was from a different world, sure, but, um, overall I think Harvey overdid this point. He acted really weird at some points and it was just kind of not realistic or believable. Sure, he had his good points, and I love him for it, but as a general rule…not so much.
THE OTHER SECONDARY CHARACTERS
DEVIN
Devin was sweet and I really liked how he stayed a part of the story! A fun, layered character who I really enjoyed reading about. Not only that, but I really liked how Devin stayed a part of the story.
JASMINE
Eloise's mother was peppy and upbeat. I liked her a lot. She was a fun addition to the story. i didn't expect to like her so much, but there you have it. Jasmine was one of those minor characters who just draws you in.
THE PLOT
To be honest, there's not a whole lot going for the plot. It's predictable and small, not going over a wide range of events but focusing on a climax. Still, it was nicely thought out. There wasn't too much extraneous stuff going on that detracted attention from the main focus. Honestly, it was really good. I only wish there had been a bit more depth and length to it.
THE ROMANCE
I am not going to give away who ends up with who! You can read other reviews or probably even guess, but I won't be the one to tell you, because that's part of the fun!
ELOISE'S ROMANCE
Sweet, if a bit underwritten. There's not a whole lot that goes on with Eloise's romance, not really. It's pleasant, but a tad bit instalovey. Still, I did think it was nicely written. Once or twice it was too disgustingly father-daughter, but I got over that and it got better.
JO'S ROMANCE
I enjoyed this so much better. Jo's romance was more fun, but again, it leaned towards instalove. The big moment was sweet, but when I was reading it I actually thought about how unbelievable it was. Anyhow, I did enjoy her romance. It was an equal romance with a bit of fairytale mixed in.
THE WRITING
Some of the writing was…questionable. For example, this line:
"My lady Eloise. Finally, you are undressed to our eyes."
Uh, what?
Actually, the funniest thing about this quote is that it sounds even worse out of context than in context. But still. I really didn't like some of this writing, and this is just one example. I won't launch into them all.
Oh, actually, as aforementioned, Jo is too British for an American. This includes her Brit-speak, which just sounds kind of odd and misplaced. It really wasn't necessary.
Okay, but in general, I liked this writing. I doesn't have the gorgeousness that is Haunting Violet, but overall I thought it was nice. Harvey has a pretty writing style that I really like. It was pleasant and quick to read, and I didn't have to go back to try and understand.
It took me a little bit to realize there were two different P.O.V.s going on, but once I realized this it went much more smoothly.
THE ENDING
While a bit too predictable for my taste, it was still fine. It wasn't random or odd; it really fit and I'm sure Harvey did a fair bit of thinking before she chose to end it this way. I don't want to give this ending away, though! So all I'll say is that I liked it very well. It wasn't my favorite, perhaps, but it was still a very good choice for an ending.
WRAPUP
My second Alyxandra Harvey book. It wasn't as good as the first I read, but it was good enough that I still want to read her other books. I will be eagerly awaiting future releases from her! I would definitely recommend this book to others, but not to everyone.
FINE.
Find this review and more on Sparkles and Lightning!
CATCHALL
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't love it as much as I did Haunting Violet, but I still found it extremely enjoyable. It was a fun, quick read. The reason that my rating is relatively low even though I loved it so much will be explained. For one, the cover wasn't great. It was okay. For not as pretty as I'd hoped.
THE HEROINES
No, that's not a typo. This book is actually told from two different girls' P.O.V., thus making them both heroines in tis lovely story.
ELOISE
I didn't care too much for her. I liked her well enough, but she's not one of my favorite characters. She was kind of, um, I hate to say it, but boring. She was too serious for my taste. I prefer my heroines fun. Deep down, she was more emotional, but on the outside she was too stiff. Still, she was actually a pretty intricate character, but definitely had room for improvement.
JO
I loved Jo! She was such a flirt! She was exciting and emotional. While on the outside she appeared flighty, inside she was more vulnerable. She had a nice, solid background. I enjoyed her part of the story immensely. Jo was, in my opinion, a better character than Eloise. I really, really liked her. Honesly, I'd like a sequel just so I read my of her story. She's fresh and exciting and moreover, alive. But, uh, she was a bit too British for an American.
THE LOVE INTERESTS
ELDRIC
Mmmm. What can I say? I totally fell in love with Eldric. I mean, DAMN. He was hot. And totally sweet. And, um, I have a thing for bad boys :) Sometimes. He's tall. And dark. And handsome. Who doesn't love the gorgeous stranger? He was one of my favorite characters, hands down. He seemed genuinely caring but also passionate. And perfectly mysterious!
LUCAS
Hmm. I was okay with him. I thought he seemed pretty cute, but overall I just wasn't feeling it. He was from a different world, sure, but, um, overall I think Harvey overdid this point. He acted really weird at some points and it was just kind of not realistic or believable. Sure, he had his good points, and I love him for it, but as a general rule…not so much.
THE OTHER SECONDARY CHARACTERS
DEVIN
Devin was sweet and I really liked how he stayed a part of the story! A fun, layered character who I really enjoyed reading about. Not only that, but I really liked how Devin stayed a part of the story.
JASMINE
Eloise's mother was peppy and upbeat. I liked her a lot. She was a fun addition to the story. i didn't expect to like her so much, but there you have it. Jasmine was one of those minor characters who just draws you in.
THE PLOT
To be honest, there's not a whole lot going for the plot. It's predictable and small, not going over a wide range of events but focusing on a climax. Still, it was nicely thought out. There wasn't too much extraneous stuff going on that detracted attention from the main focus. Honestly, it was really good. I only wish there had been a bit more depth and length to it.
THE ROMANCE
I am not going to give away who ends up with who! You can read other reviews or probably even guess, but I won't be the one to tell you, because that's part of the fun!
ELOISE'S ROMANCE
Sweet, if a bit underwritten. There's not a whole lot that goes on with Eloise's romance, not really. It's pleasant, but a tad bit instalovey. Still, I did think it was nicely written. Once or twice it was too disgustingly father-daughter, but I got over that and it got better.
JO'S ROMANCE
I enjoyed this so much better. Jo's romance was more fun, but again, it leaned towards instalove. The big moment was sweet, but when I was reading it I actually thought about how unbelievable it was. Anyhow, I did enjoy her romance. It was an equal romance with a bit of fairytale mixed in.
THE WRITING
Some of the writing was…questionable. For example, this line:
"My lady Eloise. Finally, you are undressed to our eyes."
Uh, what?
Actually, the funniest thing about this quote is that it sounds even worse out of context than in context. But still. I really didn't like some of this writing, and this is just one example. I won't launch into them all.
Oh, actually, as aforementioned, Jo is too British for an American. This includes her Brit-speak, which just sounds kind of odd and misplaced. It really wasn't necessary.
Okay, but in general, I liked this writing. I doesn't have the gorgeousness that is Haunting Violet, but overall I thought it was nice. Harvey has a pretty writing style that I really like. It was pleasant and quick to read, and I didn't have to go back to try and understand.
It took me a little bit to realize there were two different P.O.V.s going on, but once I realized this it went much more smoothly.
THE ENDING
While a bit too predictable for my taste, it was still fine. It wasn't random or odd; it really fit and I'm sure Harvey did a fair bit of thinking before she chose to end it this way. I don't want to give this ending away, though! So all I'll say is that I liked it very well. It wasn't my favorite, perhaps, but it was still a very good choice for an ending.
WRAPUP
My second Alyxandra Harvey book. It wasn't as good as the first I read, but it was good enough that I still want to read her other books. I will be eagerly awaiting future releases from her! I would definitely recommend this book to others, but not to everyone.
FINE.
Find this review and more on Sparkles and Lightning!
August 16, 2013
Check out more of my reviews at We Live and Breathe Books.
I got Stolen Away as a Kindle daily deal – I was so intrigued by the blurb that I had to have it. Eloise Hart is just a normal girl who likes to fly under the radar. One day when she’s at the ice cream parlor with her friends, a strange boy in medieval dress kneels in front of her and tells her that she needs to go with him or “the others” will find her. Of course, Eloise is totally freaks out and leaves. As it turns out, Eloise’s aunt Antonia was married to the King of Faery, Lord Strahan, and Strahan wants to lure Antonia back to the world of Faery with Eloise as bait. Soon, Eloise gets captured and it’s up to her friends to try to save her.
Stolen Away is told from alternating point of views between Eloise and Jo. Although I found both girls to be charming, their voices were very similar and I found it a bit confusing sometimes. When the girls were separated, it was fine because of how different their situations were, but when they were together, I could barely follow who was saying what because of the “she said” and “I said”s.
Jo’s story seems to center around her romance. Jo’s romance was cute, but it was really rushed, even more so than Eloise’s. Jo sees this gorgeous stranger at a party, but doesn’t get a chance to talk to him. One day while she’s at a coffee shop, said stranger appears and she starts getting to know him. Of course, when I say, “getting to know him,” I’m using this rather loosely. Jo ends up bringing this guy to her family’s farm and kissing him before she even knows his name. In fact, he actually shows up at her farm later on and they kiss some more and she still doesn’t know his name after this encounter. Once she finally knows his name, she insists that she loves him. Sounds a bit like my favorite Pixar dog…
But seriously. After they actually get to know each other, the romance grew on me a lot more. In between seeing this boy, Jo is supposed to be helping her friend escape from the Faery Rath in which she is trapped. Jo is surprisingly resourceful when it comes to finding her friend, but she’d probably do a better job if she weren’t obsessed with her handsome stranger.
On the other hand, Eloise’s story is a lot more action packed. Her story follows how she’s trapped in Strahan’s Faery Rath and how she finds out about the Faery world and her aunt’s part in it. Through Eloise’s point of view, the reader finds out most of the mythology in this book. Although the mythology is interesting, it’s thrown at the reader a bit too fast. Like Jo, Eloise had a romance, but hers was much briefer. Eloise’s romance was so sweet and made me giddy. I wish there had been more of this romance.
The ending of Stolen Away, while finishing the actual conflict of the story, seemed to need more. I wish there had been a few more chapters to explain how everything turns out rather than the few pages of epilogue we get right after the conflict is resolved. It was just too brief. After investing myself in the plot and the characters, I just wanted more from the ending. Honestly, I would love to see a sequel. With a second book, Stolen Away would definitely move up to 4 stars for me.
Overall, I really wanted to enjoy Stolen Away more than I did, but it was just too brief. This book had so much potential with its story, but it lacked the follow through and elaboration I was looking for. However, I would still recommend this story for someone looking for a fun paranormal story with interesting faery mythology.
Rating: 3.5 stars
I got Stolen Away as a Kindle daily deal – I was so intrigued by the blurb that I had to have it. Eloise Hart is just a normal girl who likes to fly under the radar. One day when she’s at the ice cream parlor with her friends, a strange boy in medieval dress kneels in front of her and tells her that she needs to go with him or “the others” will find her. Of course, Eloise is totally freaks out and leaves. As it turns out, Eloise’s aunt Antonia was married to the King of Faery, Lord Strahan, and Strahan wants to lure Antonia back to the world of Faery with Eloise as bait. Soon, Eloise gets captured and it’s up to her friends to try to save her.
Stolen Away is told from alternating point of views between Eloise and Jo. Although I found both girls to be charming, their voices were very similar and I found it a bit confusing sometimes. When the girls were separated, it was fine because of how different their situations were, but when they were together, I could barely follow who was saying what because of the “she said” and “I said”s.
Jo’s story seems to center around her romance. Jo’s romance was cute, but it was really rushed, even more so than Eloise’s. Jo sees this gorgeous stranger at a party, but doesn’t get a chance to talk to him. One day while she’s at a coffee shop, said stranger appears and she starts getting to know him. Of course, when I say, “getting to know him,” I’m using this rather loosely. Jo ends up bringing this guy to her family’s farm and kissing him before she even knows his name. In fact, he actually shows up at her farm later on and they kiss some more and she still doesn’t know his name after this encounter. Once she finally knows his name, she insists that she loves him. Sounds a bit like my favorite Pixar dog…
But seriously. After they actually get to know each other, the romance grew on me a lot more. In between seeing this boy, Jo is supposed to be helping her friend escape from the Faery Rath in which she is trapped. Jo is surprisingly resourceful when it comes to finding her friend, but she’d probably do a better job if she weren’t obsessed with her handsome stranger.
On the other hand, Eloise’s story is a lot more action packed. Her story follows how she’s trapped in Strahan’s Faery Rath and how she finds out about the Faery world and her aunt’s part in it. Through Eloise’s point of view, the reader finds out most of the mythology in this book. Although the mythology is interesting, it’s thrown at the reader a bit too fast. Like Jo, Eloise had a romance, but hers was much briefer. Eloise’s romance was so sweet and made me giddy. I wish there had been more of this romance.
The ending of Stolen Away, while finishing the actual conflict of the story, seemed to need more. I wish there had been a few more chapters to explain how everything turns out rather than the few pages of epilogue we get right after the conflict is resolved. It was just too brief. After investing myself in the plot and the characters, I just wanted more from the ending. Honestly, I would love to see a sequel. With a second book, Stolen Away would definitely move up to 4 stars for me.
Overall, I really wanted to enjoy Stolen Away more than I did, but it was just too brief. This book had so much potential with its story, but it lacked the follow through and elaboration I was looking for. However, I would still recommend this story for someone looking for a fun paranormal story with interesting faery mythology.
Rating: 3.5 stars
January 13, 2012
This was a very quick read - and honestly, it was a solid story, but it didn't catch my interest as "Haunted Violet" did. I'm not sure if I'm faerie'd out (if that could ever happen to me, I'm not even sure), or if this particular faerie story just wasn't for me. It didn't keep my interest, and it felt like a lot of the other faerie stories out there that have already been written, and quite frankly, written better than this one was.
But this isn't to say that Alyxandra Harvey isn't a good writer or that "Stolen Away" isn't a good story - it's more that I feel that "Haunting Violet" is her best, and is a pretty hard act to follow. This story is solid, but just not as well-developed as "Violet" was. "Violet" was gorgeous, and I'd love to see more books in that Victorian world that Harvey captured so well. "Stolen Away" felt more like Harvey was phoning it in, and maybe writing it because the fae are big right now, I'm not even sure (even if that does sound cruel, an author has to eat, and I completely understand why she might have done that if that were the case). I wish I could say better, but I just can't. My interest wavered and attention wandered throughout so many parts of this book that I feel like I had to crawl to the end of the book on my belly.
The characters didn't feel very solid, or very filled out, and the pace was far too fast. I can see where maybe this might be a good book for the very young YA crowd just getting into the world of faerie and all of its complications, but so many authors have done it better. I have to agree with a lot of the other reviewers in that the dialogue felt stilted and cliched at times, and the romance left me completely unmoved. However, I did like Lucas' character, because he felt the most solid and detailed of them all. Even if at times he sounded totally ridiculous with his otherworldly/outdated speech, but I dig things like that.
However, one of Harvey's more strong points (sensory/descriptive language) really shone in this one. I think this one saved the book for me, even if I just couldn't finish it. The sensory language was at its best, and reminded me of "Violet". The words there flowed the most, but got stopped up with dialogue and word choice in that dialogue. The sensory language really saved the book. I really just wished everything else had worked as well for me as it did for other readers.
I think what the main problem was was the execution of the plot. The plot was excellent and that's what drew me in in the first place. But I think the faulty execution was a lack of development with the most important/main cast of characters, and the words they spoke. The rest of it flowed pretty well when you take out those two major elements. Had the arc and sub-arcs been different, I think I might have enjoyed this more.
I really hate giving reviews like this, especially since I had some high expectations after finishing "Violet" and getting excited over the synopsis blurb for this book. However, I stress that this is probably just me, and you should definitely give "Stolen Away" a try since it is a very solid story. I guess my idea of faerie is just more than Harvey could give me, and that's okay. It hits shelves on January 17th, so be sure to pick it up at your local store or library and give it a browse, and tell me what you think.
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
But this isn't to say that Alyxandra Harvey isn't a good writer or that "Stolen Away" isn't a good story - it's more that I feel that "Haunting Violet" is her best, and is a pretty hard act to follow. This story is solid, but just not as well-developed as "Violet" was. "Violet" was gorgeous, and I'd love to see more books in that Victorian world that Harvey captured so well. "Stolen Away" felt more like Harvey was phoning it in, and maybe writing it because the fae are big right now, I'm not even sure (even if that does sound cruel, an author has to eat, and I completely understand why she might have done that if that were the case). I wish I could say better, but I just can't. My interest wavered and attention wandered throughout so many parts of this book that I feel like I had to crawl to the end of the book on my belly.
The characters didn't feel very solid, or very filled out, and the pace was far too fast. I can see where maybe this might be a good book for the very young YA crowd just getting into the world of faerie and all of its complications, but so many authors have done it better. I have to agree with a lot of the other reviewers in that the dialogue felt stilted and cliched at times, and the romance left me completely unmoved. However, I did like Lucas' character, because he felt the most solid and detailed of them all. Even if at times he sounded totally ridiculous with his otherworldly/outdated speech, but I dig things like that.
However, one of Harvey's more strong points (sensory/descriptive language) really shone in this one. I think this one saved the book for me, even if I just couldn't finish it. The sensory language was at its best, and reminded me of "Violet". The words there flowed the most, but got stopped up with dialogue and word choice in that dialogue. The sensory language really saved the book. I really just wished everything else had worked as well for me as it did for other readers.
I think what the main problem was was the execution of the plot. The plot was excellent and that's what drew me in in the first place. But I think the faulty execution was a lack of development with the most important/main cast of characters, and the words they spoke. The rest of it flowed pretty well when you take out those two major elements. Had the arc and sub-arcs been different, I think I might have enjoyed this more.
I really hate giving reviews like this, especially since I had some high expectations after finishing "Violet" and getting excited over the synopsis blurb for this book. However, I stress that this is probably just me, and you should definitely give "Stolen Away" a try since it is a very solid story. I guess my idea of faerie is just more than Harvey could give me, and that's okay. It hits shelves on January 17th, so be sure to pick it up at your local store or library and give it a browse, and tell me what you think.
(posted to goodreads, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
December 14, 2011
It’s official! Alyxandra Harvey can do it all! After having successfully written about the world of vampires and ghosts, she’s now moved onto a new subject, faeries, weaving a captivating story of love and danger amidst the faerie realm. I found myself totally immersed in ‘Stolen Away’ from the moment that Lucas appears on the scene with his sword by his side and kneels at the feet of the main protagonist Eloise. He has vowed to protect her against the danger posed by Lord Strahan, the faerie king, who wants to use Eloise as a pawn in his battle to hold onto his crown.
There’s romance aplenty between Eloise and Lucas, but also some hot and sizzling moments between Eloise’s best-friend Jo and Eldric, the dark and handsome stranger that arrives on the scene to sweep Jo off her feet. I absolutely adored the relationship between the latter pairing as Eldric set my heart aflutter too. Everyone loves a bad boy! He’s quite an enigmatic figure and so at the beginning of the book it’s impossible to know whether or not he can be trusted but as his character is gradually developed we learn more about him and his own family history. I loved the way that he seemed as drawn to Jo as she was to him, like a magnetic force which is out of their control and he always appeared just when she needed him. There are plenty of hot kisses between them and an undeniable spark in the air whenever they're together. My only complaint was that I wanted to read more about them and I have my fingers firmly crossed that we may just see a sequel about them in the future.
Eloise and Jo are joined by their other best friend Devin who is right there by their side throughout the events of the story. Their friendship is rock solid and I liked the fact that even when they didn't necessarily agree with each others opinions or choices, they were always there to back each other up.
I love the writing style of Alyxandra Harvey and the way she paints such vivid pictures of people and places that I always feel completely transported into the story. 'Stolen Away' is no exception with wonderful descriptions particularly of the fae, including Isadora, the no-nonsense and feisty flower fairy, as well as the wasp and hornet riding fae who manage to be both endearing and fierce at the same time. There are also some fabulous passages conjuring up images of the realm of the fae which appears to be deeply magical as well as incredibly dangerous.
Harvey had me hook, line and sinker, captivating me completely with her tale of blossoming love amidst the world of the fae. This is another brilliant book by my current favourite YA Queen and I look forward to seeing what she'll turn her hand to next!
There’s romance aplenty between Eloise and Lucas, but also some hot and sizzling moments between Eloise’s best-friend Jo and Eldric, the dark and handsome stranger that arrives on the scene to sweep Jo off her feet. I absolutely adored the relationship between the latter pairing as Eldric set my heart aflutter too. Everyone loves a bad boy! He’s quite an enigmatic figure and so at the beginning of the book it’s impossible to know whether or not he can be trusted but as his character is gradually developed we learn more about him and his own family history. I loved the way that he seemed as drawn to Jo as she was to him, like a magnetic force which is out of their control and he always appeared just when she needed him. There are plenty of hot kisses between them and an undeniable spark in the air whenever they're together. My only complaint was that I wanted to read more about them and I have my fingers firmly crossed that we may just see a sequel about them in the future.
Eloise and Jo are joined by their other best friend Devin who is right there by their side throughout the events of the story. Their friendship is rock solid and I liked the fact that even when they didn't necessarily agree with each others opinions or choices, they were always there to back each other up.
I love the writing style of Alyxandra Harvey and the way she paints such vivid pictures of people and places that I always feel completely transported into the story. 'Stolen Away' is no exception with wonderful descriptions particularly of the fae, including Isadora, the no-nonsense and feisty flower fairy, as well as the wasp and hornet riding fae who manage to be both endearing and fierce at the same time. There are also some fabulous passages conjuring up images of the realm of the fae which appears to be deeply magical as well as incredibly dangerous.
Harvey had me hook, line and sinker, captivating me completely with her tale of blossoming love amidst the world of the fae. This is another brilliant book by my current favourite YA Queen and I look forward to seeing what she'll turn her hand to next!
March 15, 2012
Originally posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me
It was just an ordinary day when a young man kneeled down by Eloise's feet and called her "my lady". Suddenly, her life becomes entangled with danger when she's told someone's out to get her and discovers she must resist all temptations in order to stay alive. After being kidnapped by Lord Strahan who wants to lure out her aunt Antonia, the next Queen of Faery, she immerses herself in a magical world where she can't trust anyone or anything... A charming novel that's enjoyable for all!
The first thing that caught my attention about Stolen Away was the characters. With friends like Jo (man-eater) and Devin (self-proclaimed hottie), El's life is far from boring although it's about to get a whole lot more complicated… Throughout the book, El's family and friends are largely involved with her kidnapping and release, working together to beat the impossible odds. I loved how the story was told from two perspectives (El and Jo), allowing us to experience two totally different journeys. The characters really made the book work, although I do wish we had been able to explore them and the world more thoroughly, as they remained very slightly two-dimensional.
With two perspectives come two romances. Yes, you read that correctly… Kidnapped El has a love interest, as does the main's character best friend, who, might I add, is quite amazing herself. I'll admit I loved Jo the most as a character and adored her love story! It was dark, seductive, dangerous and riddled with the types of complications you know you should avoid. Did I mention the mystery? Have fun turning over some stones in that head of yours! Hot Rock Star Guy is like a maths equation... Le sigh. Down in her prison cell, El's haunted by the other captured fae and the thoughts of her striking knight in shining armour, Lucas. They certainly have their sweet moments but they're not together nearly enough! While both romances were specked with insta-love, I managed to enjoy them for what they were ;)
Overall, an entertaining read by Alyxandra Harvey, whose Haunting Violet I adored. It was great to reunite with her elegant style again and roll around in the troughs full of romance and humour. If I were to complain about anything it would be the ending. Even now I'm asking, "Is that it?" because things aren't fully resolved and I'm left hanging! Another few pages would've done the trick. But nevertheless, give this book a try if you're in the mood for a supernaturally fun read!
It was just an ordinary day when a young man kneeled down by Eloise's feet and called her "my lady". Suddenly, her life becomes entangled with danger when she's told someone's out to get her and discovers she must resist all temptations in order to stay alive. After being kidnapped by Lord Strahan who wants to lure out her aunt Antonia, the next Queen of Faery, she immerses herself in a magical world where she can't trust anyone or anything... A charming novel that's enjoyable for all!
The first thing that caught my attention about Stolen Away was the characters. With friends like Jo (man-eater) and Devin (self-proclaimed hottie), El's life is far from boring although it's about to get a whole lot more complicated… Throughout the book, El's family and friends are largely involved with her kidnapping and release, working together to beat the impossible odds. I loved how the story was told from two perspectives (El and Jo), allowing us to experience two totally different journeys. The characters really made the book work, although I do wish we had been able to explore them and the world more thoroughly, as they remained very slightly two-dimensional.
With two perspectives come two romances. Yes, you read that correctly… Kidnapped El has a love interest, as does the main's character best friend, who, might I add, is quite amazing herself. I'll admit I loved Jo the most as a character and adored her love story! It was dark, seductive, dangerous and riddled with the types of complications you know you should avoid. Did I mention the mystery? Have fun turning over some stones in that head of yours! Hot Rock Star Guy is like a maths equation... Le sigh. Down in her prison cell, El's haunted by the other captured fae and the thoughts of her striking knight in shining armour, Lucas. They certainly have their sweet moments but they're not together nearly enough! While both romances were specked with insta-love, I managed to enjoy them for what they were ;)
Overall, an entertaining read by Alyxandra Harvey, whose Haunting Violet I adored. It was great to reunite with her elegant style again and roll around in the troughs full of romance and humour. If I were to complain about anything it would be the ending. Even now I'm asking, "Is that it?" because things aren't fully resolved and I'm left hanging! Another few pages would've done the trick. But nevertheless, give this book a try if you're in the mood for a supernaturally fun read!
November 28, 2011
Stolen Away
is quite a spectacular tale of romance and adventure. It's a wonderfully written book that involves the mystical and entrancing world of the fey, filled with dangerous peril, heart-pounding (possibly forbidden) romance, and epic adventures that await the main protagonist. The fae world is not only enticing, but fascinating as well. Harvey's special care in creating such an amazing world that provides an earthy backdrop for her characters, and the originality of the story she tells has introduced an interesting take on the world of the fae in general. One of my favorite things regarding the faeries and the different courts, was that the fae could shift into various animals and take on their forms.
The character's were well written and established. Even though Eloise was the main protagonist of the novel, Jo ended up being my personal favorite. I enjoyed the fact that she walked to the beat of her own drum and possessed so much spunk and just seemed very likable and fun. The bond of friendship that Eloise, Jo, and Devin shared made this book even more fun to read. Their loyalty to one another, went above and beyond at times and made them even more likeable. Harvey did a wonderful job with character development and giving each of these character's their own sense of style and purpose, that possessed just the right amount of flare to have any reader falling in love with them.
I appreciated the fact that there wasn't a love triangle introduced into this story, like so many young adult books tend to over-use. I think my favorite love connection to read about was the one happening between Jo and Eldric. They had a very interesting dymanic going on between them, because neither Jo or the rest of them can ever really know for sure whether or not Eldric will betray them or continue to help them. Plus, there's something so forbidden about these two, that makes me appreciation them even more. It's almost hard to describe, but there's this burning snap, crackle, and pop of fire between them - the perfect mix of chemistry to balance the other one out.
Stolen Away is a fast-paced, beautiful look at the world of fey, that will defintiely keep anyone who enjoys fantasy novels entranced. The world Harvey has created is not only magical, but is filled with such richness and splendor in the story it has to tell and the history of the different fae courts interwoven amongst. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Melissa Marr, Holly Black, or Julie Kagawa.
The character's were well written and established. Even though Eloise was the main protagonist of the novel, Jo ended up being my personal favorite. I enjoyed the fact that she walked to the beat of her own drum and possessed so much spunk and just seemed very likable and fun. The bond of friendship that Eloise, Jo, and Devin shared made this book even more fun to read. Their loyalty to one another, went above and beyond at times and made them even more likeable. Harvey did a wonderful job with character development and giving each of these character's their own sense of style and purpose, that possessed just the right amount of flare to have any reader falling in love with them.
I appreciated the fact that there wasn't a love triangle introduced into this story, like so many young adult books tend to over-use. I think my favorite love connection to read about was the one happening between Jo and Eldric. They had a very interesting dymanic going on between them, because neither Jo or the rest of them can ever really know for sure whether or not Eldric will betray them or continue to help them. Plus, there's something so forbidden about these two, that makes me appreciation them even more. It's almost hard to describe, but there's this burning snap, crackle, and pop of fire between them - the perfect mix of chemistry to balance the other one out.
Stolen Away is a fast-paced, beautiful look at the world of fey, that will defintiely keep anyone who enjoys fantasy novels entranced. The world Harvey has created is not only magical, but is filled with such richness and splendor in the story it has to tell and the history of the different fae courts interwoven amongst. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Melissa Marr, Holly Black, or Julie Kagawa.
February 26, 2012
Stolen Away was a cute short read! In my opinion it doesn’t come close to some of the other amazing fey novels out there like the Wicked Lovely, Iron Fey, of Wondrous Strange series but it was a good story.
It’s told in two POV’s the main POV is Eloise and honestly I didn’t care for her parts that much. The POV that I liked and that kept me interested was her best friend Jo’s. Jo had me cracking up with her attempts at using British slang and her arguing with a faery the size of a flower. I also loved that she was fiercely protective of her friends and didn’t care if she looked like an idiot or got dirty defending them. There’s a fair share of swoon worthy guys in this the main 3 being Lucas, Eldric, and Devin but I really didn’t feel an intense attraction to any of them. I guess if I had to choose I’d pick Eldric because he reminded me the most of my fey crushes Ash, Irial, Niall, and Sonny.
The story itself played out pretty well there wasn’t much originality to it there were parts of faery lore that we have seen in other books but like I said it was cute and funny. I also liked that it read fast and it’s a stand alone novel.
Here’s a quick passage and a glimpse into Jo’s mind.
Isadora gave a long-suffering sigh, folded her arms over her chest, and refused to elaborate. Fortunately, Lucas didn’t have any such compunctions.
“Isadora was lady of her ancestral rath,” he explained. “Until she was transformed and could hold it no longer.”
“She was shrunk,” I explained for the others. She glared at me and I shrugged. “Well you were. You said so yourself.”
“By who?” Devin asked. “Evil sorcerer? Troll king? Man, this is just like D&D.”
I snorted “Not quite.”
“What then?”
“A poet.”
Silence.
“A poet?”
I nodded. “Apparently he ‘believed’ her into being wee.”
Devin wiped cookie crumbs off his shirt and sprawled back into his chair. “I told you English class was bad for my health.”
It’s told in two POV’s the main POV is Eloise and honestly I didn’t care for her parts that much. The POV that I liked and that kept me interested was her best friend Jo’s. Jo had me cracking up with her attempts at using British slang and her arguing with a faery the size of a flower. I also loved that she was fiercely protective of her friends and didn’t care if she looked like an idiot or got dirty defending them. There’s a fair share of swoon worthy guys in this the main 3 being Lucas, Eldric, and Devin but I really didn’t feel an intense attraction to any of them. I guess if I had to choose I’d pick Eldric because he reminded me the most of my fey crushes Ash, Irial, Niall, and Sonny.
The story itself played out pretty well there wasn’t much originality to it there were parts of faery lore that we have seen in other books but like I said it was cute and funny. I also liked that it read fast and it’s a stand alone novel.
Here’s a quick passage and a glimpse into Jo’s mind.
Isadora gave a long-suffering sigh, folded her arms over her chest, and refused to elaborate. Fortunately, Lucas didn’t have any such compunctions.
“Isadora was lady of her ancestral rath,” he explained. “Until she was transformed and could hold it no longer.”
“She was shrunk,” I explained for the others. She glared at me and I shrugged. “Well you were. You said so yourself.”
“By who?” Devin asked. “Evil sorcerer? Troll king? Man, this is just like D&D.”
I snorted “Not quite.”
“What then?”
“A poet.”
Silence.
“A poet?”
I nodded. “Apparently he ‘believed’ her into being wee.”
Devin wiped cookie crumbs off his shirt and sprawled back into his chair. “I told you English class was bad for my health.”
December 7, 2011
One of the things I love best about Alyxandra Harvey’s books is that they always make me laugh out loud. There hasn’t been a book by her that I’ve read that hasn’t made me smile and laugh at some point. Stolen Away is no different. The characters are all very funny and very easy to like. It has action, a cute love story between the characters and lots of humor. It’s a fast read and super entertaining. It has some similarities to her Drake Chronicles series, only with Faeries.
Eloise has no idea that Faeries exist until one day out with her friends this boy walks up to her and literally gets on his knees in front of her. He tells her how he has finally found her and how she is in danger. Eloise doesn’t know how to react to this. She thinks he is just some weird kid dressed in weird clothes playing some kind of trick on her. Soon this boy keeps showing up and keeps giving her the same warning and begs her to let him protect her. She finds out his name is Lucas and even though she still finds it hard to believe, she can’t ignore the weird things that have been happening around her. When she gets kidnapped, Eloise realizes that everything Lucas tried to tell her is true.
Stolen Away is not a complicated story at all and the story moves at a great pace. It’s told from Eloise and Jo’s points of views. You will fall in love with the characters and the new world Harvey introduces you too. You will also laugh and smile a lot throughout the story. If you liked her Drake Chronicles series, then you will definitely fall in love with Stolen Away. I enjoyed Eldric and Jo’s story more than I did Eloise though, and wish I had more of them. I would love to read a standalone of Eldric and Jo. Eldric was a nice mystery that I had to solve. I had no idea whose side he was really on. This is a really good book! I recommend it!
4 out of 5 Stars!
Eloise has no idea that Faeries exist until one day out with her friends this boy walks up to her and literally gets on his knees in front of her. He tells her how he has finally found her and how she is in danger. Eloise doesn’t know how to react to this. She thinks he is just some weird kid dressed in weird clothes playing some kind of trick on her. Soon this boy keeps showing up and keeps giving her the same warning and begs her to let him protect her. She finds out his name is Lucas and even though she still finds it hard to believe, she can’t ignore the weird things that have been happening around her. When she gets kidnapped, Eloise realizes that everything Lucas tried to tell her is true.
Stolen Away is not a complicated story at all and the story moves at a great pace. It’s told from Eloise and Jo’s points of views. You will fall in love with the characters and the new world Harvey introduces you too. You will also laugh and smile a lot throughout the story. If you liked her Drake Chronicles series, then you will definitely fall in love with Stolen Away. I enjoyed Eldric and Jo’s story more than I did Eloise though, and wish I had more of them. I would love to read a standalone of Eldric and Jo. Eldric was a nice mystery that I had to solve. I had no idea whose side he was really on. This is a really good book! I recommend it!
4 out of 5 Stars!
November 29, 2011
My Thoughts: Stolen Away is told in two different prospectives. First, we have Eloise whom the book is about. Than we have her best friend Jo who falls for the bad guy. A guy who is supposed to be against Eloise.
Eloise has spent her whole life with a glamour hosted on her to protect her from the world of fairy but over time it wears off and now she's likely to being seen.
Her aunt has been the faery queen for many years and her husband is looking for a new wife. Someone in the same family line. Her aunt is the only one who can break it.
Eloise gets kidnapped and than goes after the king, to take him down.
With the help of Lucas, who is sexy by the way and Eldric who is the king's son she goes on her way to freeing her aunt and destroying the king's reign. She must enlist other fae to help her fight a long the way.
Honestly, this one sounded really great and I enjoyed reading it a lot but it still wasn't as great as The Iron Knight. I think that is probably my favorite book based on fairies. It would be very hard to top that series though.
Stolen Away didn't have a lot of depth, half the time I wasn't sure quite what was going on and I had to sit back and think, so what just happened? It was a really good book but just not as great as other fairy books out there.
Overall: I enjoyed reading it a lot but not a 5 cupcake fairy book in my eyes. Would I recommend it to other people? Sure. Could it become a series? Sure, but I think it would be better as a stand alone and if the ending was just left alone.
Cover: The cover is gorgeous, has a lot of colors.
What I'd Give It:4/5 Cupcakes
___________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
Eloise has spent her whole life with a glamour hosted on her to protect her from the world of fairy but over time it wears off and now she's likely to being seen.
Her aunt has been the faery queen for many years and her husband is looking for a new wife. Someone in the same family line. Her aunt is the only one who can break it.
Eloise gets kidnapped and than goes after the king, to take him down.
With the help of Lucas, who is sexy by the way and Eldric who is the king's son she goes on her way to freeing her aunt and destroying the king's reign. She must enlist other fae to help her fight a long the way.
Honestly, this one sounded really great and I enjoyed reading it a lot but it still wasn't as great as The Iron Knight. I think that is probably my favorite book based on fairies. It would be very hard to top that series though.
Stolen Away didn't have a lot of depth, half the time I wasn't sure quite what was going on and I had to sit back and think, so what just happened? It was a really good book but just not as great as other fairy books out there.
Overall: I enjoyed reading it a lot but not a 5 cupcake fairy book in my eyes. Would I recommend it to other people? Sure. Could it become a series? Sure, but I think it would be better as a stand alone and if the ending was just left alone.
Cover: The cover is gorgeous, has a lot of colors.
What I'd Give It:4/5 Cupcakes
___________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
May 15, 2012
I’m beginning to read more and more books based on the Fae. I have to say I am really getting into these kind of books. Anyway back to Stolen Away, it was a fairly good book and the story was certainly exciting in places. It has certainly made me want to read more books on fairies and also I would like to try more books by this author. I don’t like to write authors off after one book.
One of my concerns was that I was a little confused at times with the dual narrative, I kept getting the two female characters mixed up and had to keep going back to see who the character was. The two main characters are Eloise and Jo, they both have different experiences of the Fae but both of them have a love interest. Also at times the story seemed to fall a bit flat. A couple of times I really had to pick the book back up otherwise it was in danger of staying unread. Although not gripping read, it did have moments of glory. I felt there was no one character that stood out for me, they all seemed to lack depth. I love a good complex character, and I certainly like to see character development throughout, this did not happen for me in Stolen Away. The British slang used by Jo is a little annoying too, I’m from England and it had me cringing.
However this book does have some good points, I liked the setting both in this world and the Fae world. The description of the surroundings was certainly a plus for me. The style of writing is also good, it is an easy reading style and one I certainly felt comfortable with.
I wish this book was not a stand alone; there was certainly room for another one as there were questions left unanswered. Shame really.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
One of my concerns was that I was a little confused at times with the dual narrative, I kept getting the two female characters mixed up and had to keep going back to see who the character was. The two main characters are Eloise and Jo, they both have different experiences of the Fae but both of them have a love interest. Also at times the story seemed to fall a bit flat. A couple of times I really had to pick the book back up otherwise it was in danger of staying unread. Although not gripping read, it did have moments of glory. I felt there was no one character that stood out for me, they all seemed to lack depth. I love a good complex character, and I certainly like to see character development throughout, this did not happen for me in Stolen Away. The British slang used by Jo is a little annoying too, I’m from England and it had me cringing.
However this book does have some good points, I liked the setting both in this world and the Fae world. The description of the surroundings was certainly a plus for me. The style of writing is also good, it is an easy reading style and one I certainly felt comfortable with.
I wish this book was not a stand alone; there was certainly room for another one as there were questions left unanswered. Shame really.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 7, 2012
Stolen Away took me back to why I've always loved Harvey's books. I fell in love with the story completely.
It I really liked reading Harvey's take on the Fey. Which was pretty traditional, I liked the whole aspect of the fey shape shifting into birds. If you've read Harvey's other books you'll also know that she creates very strong friendships bonds. Which is always refreshing, because Eloise Hart and Jo are a great duo. They're strong-brave YA female characters, who always have each other's back, the ideal besties. As El and Jo's story are told from two different POV's, I felt like Jo's story overpowered El's. Jo story was way more interesting, a leading story.
Love interest Lucas(Eloise) and Eldric( Jo) are totally different characters. It's really a good vs. evil kind of thing. But they both have the same background; strong, dark, protective personalities that make them both good guys for these two amazing girls (which makes me jealous lol.) At times like Jo & El, Eldric overshadows Lucas. Eldric comes from a"brokin home" I understand his character, while Lucas on the other hand is like the "golden boy." I want to know him deeper than him just liking Eloise.
The writing as always with Harvey was perfect; I'm so use to just breezing through her books but the pacing was a little roller-coaster-y; fast at the beginning but towards the middle it seemed to drag a little then the pace picked but up in the end. But that was just because Harvey had a lot of background to cover with Elise's family and such. Be prepared to be stolen away in this wonderful Fey tale!
*Review Taken from Ramblings Of A Teenage Bookworm
It I really liked reading Harvey's take on the Fey. Which was pretty traditional, I liked the whole aspect of the fey shape shifting into birds. If you've read Harvey's other books you'll also know that she creates very strong friendships bonds. Which is always refreshing, because Eloise Hart and Jo are a great duo. They're strong-brave YA female characters, who always have each other's back, the ideal besties. As El and Jo's story are told from two different POV's, I felt like Jo's story overpowered El's. Jo story was way more interesting, a leading story.
Love interest Lucas(Eloise) and Eldric( Jo) are totally different characters. It's really a good vs. evil kind of thing. But they both have the same background; strong, dark, protective personalities that make them both good guys for these two amazing girls (which makes me jealous lol.) At times like Jo & El, Eldric overshadows Lucas. Eldric comes from a"brokin home" I understand his character, while Lucas on the other hand is like the "golden boy." I want to know him deeper than him just liking Eloise.
The writing as always with Harvey was perfect; I'm so use to just breezing through her books but the pacing was a little roller-coaster-y; fast at the beginning but towards the middle it seemed to drag a little then the pace picked but up in the end. But that was just because Harvey had a lot of background to cover with Elise's family and such. Be prepared to be stolen away in this wonderful Fey tale!
*Review Taken from Ramblings Of A Teenage Bookworm
May 12, 2012
Originally posted on my blog here.
I enjoy books about the Fey and Fairies quite a bit so was excited to give this one a try. I had attempted to read Alyxandra Harvey's vampire series but ended up quitting after 1.5 (for the same reasons, though the first one was descent enough) of them but wanted to see if this one was better.....no such luck.
What I liked about this book is that it tried. There were times where the details almost, almost made it more believable, but then it just annoyed me.
I am going to keep things short for this review because honestly, I just didn't like the book. It wasn't my cup of tea and I don't want to belabor that point unnecessarily. The characters tried to have depth but it was fake, the storyline is not original in how it portrays the fey, I did not feel transported to another world or another time, and there was a TON of insta-love.
In the end I just lightly skimmed the last 100 pages because it just was not keeping my attention at all and totally knew how it was going to end. I was getting frustrated reading it and just don't like forcing myself to read that kind of thing when there are simply oodles of other great books that I could move onto.
Overall, not a recommendation. You might like it if you liked her vampire series the Drake Chronicles, but I'm glad I moved on to other books.
I enjoy books about the Fey and Fairies quite a bit so was excited to give this one a try. I had attempted to read Alyxandra Harvey's vampire series but ended up quitting after 1.5 (for the same reasons, though the first one was descent enough) of them but wanted to see if this one was better.....no such luck.
What I liked about this book is that it tried. There were times where the details almost, almost made it more believable, but then it just annoyed me.
I am going to keep things short for this review because honestly, I just didn't like the book. It wasn't my cup of tea and I don't want to belabor that point unnecessarily. The characters tried to have depth but it was fake, the storyline is not original in how it portrays the fey, I did not feel transported to another world or another time, and there was a TON of insta-love.
In the end I just lightly skimmed the last 100 pages because it just was not keeping my attention at all and totally knew how it was going to end. I was getting frustrated reading it and just don't like forcing myself to read that kind of thing when there are simply oodles of other great books that I could move onto.
Overall, not a recommendation. You might like it if you liked her vampire series the Drake Chronicles, but I'm glad I moved on to other books.
February 6, 2012
It was readable. Didn't really see the point of the switching POV between Jo and Eloise. I feel as if Jo's POV could have been cut out of this entirely.
It's a fast-paced book. I enjoy more dialogue than description, but sometimes this book moves way too fast. It was rushed in places, as if the author wanted it over and done with (I know the feeling). But I shouldn't get that feeling as a READER. Quite often it read: And then this happened. And then this. And then this. (Insert lots of dialogue and repeate cycle.) So yeah, kind of under-developed at times. The characters were all right. I got a sense of who they were and everything.
However, it's ridiculous that by the end of the book Lucas and Eloise are "in love". Now, when I say "by the end of the book" you may be wondering what's wrong with that. Well, they didn't talk about anything. They don't know anything about each other for them to love each other. They meet up now and then throughout the book but it's brief and not very insightful. I didn't feel a connection between them at all.
Still, this book would be good for when you're travelling. You know, just something light, quick and something that you can put down and not have any in-depth feelings upon you. This book didn't touch me in a way that makes me feel as if I have been sucked into the story. It teeters on the edge: fun, fluffy and overall just "okay".
It's a fast-paced book. I enjoy more dialogue than description, but sometimes this book moves way too fast. It was rushed in places, as if the author wanted it over and done with (I know the feeling). But I shouldn't get that feeling as a READER. Quite often it read: And then this happened. And then this. And then this. (Insert lots of dialogue and repeate cycle.) So yeah, kind of under-developed at times. The characters were all right. I got a sense of who they were and everything.
However, it's ridiculous that by the end of the book Lucas and Eloise are "in love". Now, when I say "by the end of the book" you may be wondering what's wrong with that. Well, they didn't talk about anything. They don't know anything about each other for them to love each other. They meet up now and then throughout the book but it's brief and not very insightful. I didn't feel a connection between them at all.
Still, this book would be good for when you're travelling. You know, just something light, quick and something that you can put down and not have any in-depth feelings upon you. This book didn't touch me in a way that makes me feel as if I have been sucked into the story. It teeters on the edge: fun, fluffy and overall just "okay".
January 28, 2012
I love Alyxandra Harvey’s writing, her style, her books…especially the Drake Chronicles. I have a copy of Haunting Violet staring at me, and after finishing Stolen Away, I now plan to dive in immediately. Harvey knows how to write young, fresh characters. I always enjoy their dialogue, and Eloise and Jo were super cool and fun. Eloise with her Rockabilly style, and Jo with her quirky love of all things British. I loved that they were best friends yet had different interests and personalities. Even the ways they approach guys and think in terms of relationships are different. But, they ban together and defend each other against anyone who threatens the other. That’s real friendship.
Harvey also has a knack for writing romance. Eloise’s relationship with Lucas wasn’t as all-consuming as Jo’s and Eldric’s, but it was deep and sincere on its own level. I loved reading about each of these developing love interests from the protagonists. Harvey has proven she can write just about anything in the world of fiction, and I was so impressed with her take on Fae. Combining the old myths with a new, original twist, along with witty, loveable characters, Harvey has penned a must read for anyone wanting they’re next fantasy fix.
Harvey also has a knack for writing romance. Eloise’s relationship with Lucas wasn’t as all-consuming as Jo’s and Eldric’s, but it was deep and sincere on its own level. I loved reading about each of these developing love interests from the protagonists. Harvey has proven she can write just about anything in the world of fiction, and I was so impressed with her take on Fae. Combining the old myths with a new, original twist, along with witty, loveable characters, Harvey has penned a must read for anyone wanting they’re next fantasy fix.
June 24, 2012
This is a fun read with a lot of great faerie lore references that I really enjoyed. It's not as developed as some of Harvey's other novels, sadly, but it really didn't matter all that much in the end, I still enjoyed it very much. I kind of wish she would turn this one into a series, honestly - there is clearly more here and I want to read it! I do feel like, if it wasn't planned to be a series, there should have been more to the novel because it does feel ever so slightly thin.
The thing that I can't get over with Harvey's novels is that her aesthetic is *exactly* my aesthetic... the descriptions she comes up with for places and clothing particularly practically makes me drool with desire. It's just perfect. Her roses and Persian rugs and candles and flowery tattoos and Pre-Raphaelite references and Victorian coats and skirts, etc. all give me a ridiculous amount of joy. I think I would honestly read anything by her just for the fantastic aesthetics. While this one didn't quite reach the insane "THIS IS ME OMG" levels of Waking, it was pretty close and I was delighted by it.
Harvey's definitely a writer to watch, I've loved everything she's come up with thus far and think she's only going to get better and better.
The thing that I can't get over with Harvey's novels is that her aesthetic is *exactly* my aesthetic... the descriptions she comes up with for places and clothing particularly practically makes me drool with desire. It's just perfect. Her roses and Persian rugs and candles and flowery tattoos and Pre-Raphaelite references and Victorian coats and skirts, etc. all give me a ridiculous amount of joy. I think I would honestly read anything by her just for the fantastic aesthetics. While this one didn't quite reach the insane "THIS IS ME OMG" levels of Waking, it was pretty close and I was delighted by it.
Harvey's definitely a writer to watch, I've loved everything she's come up with thus far and think she's only going to get better and better.
November 27, 2013
The book cover caught my eye at first and I was intrigued of how neat it looks. So I decided to give it a try for my book report at school. The book was really interesting on how it began. It had a bit of humor in it which caused my to laugh multiple times. I was a bit confused with a few chapters because I was too busy indulged in it to be noticing the POVs. Eloise is timid, quiet, and shy but she also has bravery and courage in her. Jo is the opposite of her. She's fierce, rebellious, and outgoing just like her lover Eldric. I enjoyed it but I got a feeling something was wrong or either missing in the story. Alyxandra seemed like she was rushing things out, I didn't get the romance between the four lovers, and I didn't feel like I connect with the characters in the book, especially the romance part. There were only a few romance scene, which was really good, but it seems like it was all rushed. So Eloise just kiss the guy she just exchanged a few sentences for the past few days? So, I really don't get that part. Although the book was rushed, it was really awesome and interesting. It was well-written though I don't recall any mistakes. It was really good! I recommend this book to people who enjoys fantasy, with specks of romance and adventure.
June 11, 2015
Only took a few pages to get me hooked. Once I was, I just flew threw the pages. I love Harveys books. I haven't read one that was less than perfect, from her. She is an author to watch.
So Eloise has a pretty simple life. Cool style, good mom, tattoo, and just a normal teen life. Well at least she thought it was normal. Things were going just fine until a guy shows up, makes the crows go away and give her a necklace. Then her mom mentions that something is happening. Then she gets kidnapped by the fae. Normal just went out the window.
So now El is under the hill and is trying to figure things out. She needs to find out more about the fae, why they have her, and about her aunt. And maybe plan an escape. Meanwhile, Jo is trying to figure things out. When she doesn't get very far, she goes to Els mum.
Soon the pace picks up even more and I just had to finish the book. Els aunt shows up and sends El home and she just shows up on her couch. So now El and Lucas are in Els home. El explains things to her mom and her mom explains everything else.
The entire story was just amazing. I love the characters, the details, the overall story. Harvey is such a great writer and I have loved every book she has written so far!
So Eloise has a pretty simple life. Cool style, good mom, tattoo, and just a normal teen life. Well at least she thought it was normal. Things were going just fine until a guy shows up, makes the crows go away and give her a necklace. Then her mom mentions that something is happening. Then she gets kidnapped by the fae. Normal just went out the window.
So now El is under the hill and is trying to figure things out. She needs to find out more about the fae, why they have her, and about her aunt. And maybe plan an escape. Meanwhile, Jo is trying to figure things out. When she doesn't get very far, she goes to Els mum.
Soon the pace picks up even more and I just had to finish the book. Els aunt shows up and sends El home and she just shows up on her couch. So now El and Lucas are in Els home. El explains things to her mom and her mom explains everything else.
The entire story was just amazing. I love the characters, the details, the overall story. Harvey is such a great writer and I have loved every book she has written so far!
January 8, 2012
Stolen away was a quick read. I read all of Alyxandra Harvey’s books and the writing style is always flawless. Just note that this review might be at some points a little bit spoilery.
I have to admit that Stolen Away is the one I liked the least. There was nothing wrong with the book per say I just didn’t get into it as much as I expected to.
I like the two main characters that shares POV (Jo and Eloise) but when Jo and Eris shared the big “I love you” it made me cringe.
The characters are different, but yet very simple. It seems that Harvey was trying to give levels to her characters but sadly they seem to be mostly uni level, there is not a lot of background on the characters.
The plot is very simple too, there was not a lot of surprises.
I think this book might be a lot more enjoyable for younger teens.
In conclusion: Stolen away is definitely for younger teens, The book was a quick read but the extreme simplicity of characters and plot might not make it such an enjoyable read for older teens.
Stars: 2.5/5
I have to admit that Stolen Away is the one I liked the least. There was nothing wrong with the book per say I just didn’t get into it as much as I expected to.
I like the two main characters that shares POV (Jo and Eloise) but when Jo and Eris shared the big “I love you” it made me cringe.
The characters are different, but yet very simple. It seems that Harvey was trying to give levels to her characters but sadly they seem to be mostly uni level, there is not a lot of background on the characters.
The plot is very simple too, there was not a lot of surprises.
I think this book might be a lot more enjoyable for younger teens.
In conclusion: Stolen away is definitely for younger teens, The book was a quick read but the extreme simplicity of characters and plot might not make it such an enjoyable read for older teens.
Stars: 2.5/5
May 12, 2013
Stolen Away is honestly a very good, very cute book. I think that the only reason it wasn't a huge hit with me is because it feels like it may have been written for a younger YA crowd than I, who is not a young YA anymore. Not even a YA at all. I think it would be a great book for my 16 year old niece. The plot is fun and fast paced, the characters are all cute and distinctive. It honestly just comes down to my age, I think. Haunting Violet was a story that seemed written for an older crowd. Me thinks that is why I loved it in a big way, unlike this one. Very cute story, just not for me. Definitely recommend to the 13-16 crowd. I can't wait to read the Drake Chronicles. I have heard fantastic things!
April 20, 2012
Eloise has a family secret that even she doesn't know about. So she was unprepared for the Fae prince who showed up at the parking lot of the ice cream palor and changed her life. She and her best friends Jo and Devin are about to get a crash course in defeating a fairy king.
Why I picked this up: Great cover and I loved Harvey's other teen series. Plus I needed something to read while I biked this morning.
Why I finished it: Light, breeze and fun. This is a perfect teen summer read...
Why I picked this up: Great cover and I loved Harvey's other teen series. Plus I needed something to read while I biked this morning.
Why I finished it: Light, breeze and fun. This is a perfect teen summer read...
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