Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. Currently, she lives in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and two kids.
She is a high school math teacher by day (please don’t hold that against her) and YA author by night. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. Kissed is her first novel.
“But the more she learned, the more she realized that there was so much out of her control.”
This is difficult to rate, since I read the whole series all at once.
A world is divided into two parts, one country has only sunlight and the other country lives in a night. These two countries have a strained relationship. While Sol, the sunlit country has fresh food, it is hampered by lack of magic, slavery, and the religion lead by the Voice, which is literally a voice in your mind that tells you what you are doing wrong and will punish you if necessary. Stella, the night country, trades fresh food for magic potions and technology.
Zwantee is the main character, and I spent a majority of the time trying to figure out how her name is pronounced. She’s a princess of Sol, who doesn’t want to be a princess. She falls in love with a slave. When Luke, a prince from Stella, comes to Sol to court her, she accepts thinking she can bring her lover with her and run away once she leaves Sol.
There’s a love square instead of triangle, and while I was impressed with where the author ended book three (the author really went there and you’ll either love it or hate it), I felt that the end of book four would have been best if Zwantee had just ended up alone.
Book one was ok and really had me intrigued on where the story was going, but it’s a little slow.
Book two and three were great, if not a little long. The exploration of Stella and the culture clash was a delight. It reminded me of the Tainted Accords series, which explored a romance between two very different cultures, one being very conservative and the other a little more modern and accepting.
And book four was surprising. But I can’t say it was my favorite, even though Zwantee really grew up and into her role as princess in this one.
All in all, I’m giving this series 3.5 stars. Thankfully all the books are out, so you don’t have to wait for the cliffhangers to be resolved. It was free on kindle unlimited, and while it wasn’t a waste of time, it’s not a series I will be reading again.
Man I am so glad I pushed through and finished reading this series. There were a couple of places I wanted to give up because it couldn't keep my attention (stupid adhd) but in the end it turned out even better than I hoped
God of the Sun - I loved reading this book. It's so different and twisted its wonderful. Zwaantie is amazing for not wanting to just play along like everyone just expects her to because that's what's done (what a load of crap). I love when someone decides that they are going to be the person they want to be even if it goes against what everyone expects of them. This is an awesome book and such a lovely read. I'm really interested in where its all going and whats really going on with in this world. I hope that the further this series goes the more it explains all about the history and how everything came to be the way it is. Great book and I hope everyone else who gives it a shot loves it as much as I did.
Prince of the Moon - I'm really getting more into this series and how there is so much going on in Stella and Sol that we never get to see. I'n really curious what all is going on with The Old Mother and The Voice and it just makes this better and makes me constantly want more. Kimberly has done an amazing job on this series and I keep wanting more, because when I get to the last page it's so hard to wait. I can't even decide which character is my favorite, but I do know I love Sage and Ari. I'm on the fence about Zwaantie and Leo and I know I don't like Pheonix and I'm not sure if Luna is because of the voice or if I just don't like her. I do know that book 3 can't come fast enough.
King of the Stars - I love how each book has picked up right where the previous left off, even though the wait is a bit torturous. This series is amazing and so mysterious. I'm assuming and hoping it's all going to work out and have a happy ending, but man these plot twists that Kimberly keeps throwing in really makes that a question. There is one thing I'm really curious about and only realized close to the end of this book, but what's going on in Sol and are we missing a bunch going on there or what? It just makes me want book 4 so much more and I can't wait.
Queen of the Dawn - Such an epic ending to an amazing story. I can't believe all the twists and turns this series has taken and I'm happy and sad at the same time. I'm so happy to have gotten to read this series, but sad it ended (book nerd problems lol). There is so much about this book that I loved that I honestly don't know where to begin or what to say or anything except that I loved it. It was so awesome that I really read it all in on sitting (at the bar even). Everyone needs to read this series because the ending is epic and just so flippin awesome.
God of the sun: Wow! The creativity it took to create Sol and Stella is off the charts! This spell binding tale of Zwantee and her growing pains and rebellious nature took me by surprise! I am totally enraptured by these amazing characters and now that I have reached the end of this book I realize how conflicted I am as to how I imagined this would turn out. That right there is a sure sign of an amazing read! It goes without saying that I am patiently waging for the next installment, Prince of the Moon. Looking forward to discovering more of this journey. This voluntary review is based against an advance copy. Prince of the moon: Total culture shock for Zwantee. No privacy, clothing, the smells, Stella is total sensory overload. Once again, her plans for freedom are thwarted by prophecy. I thought book one was amazing, but book two is taking it to another level! I am so utterly confused to who I want Zwantee to end up with, and I am loving it! I am on pins and needles to get to the next book and continue this spellbinding journey! This writers ability to capture my undivided attention is why I love seeing another one of her books out! King of the stars: Whenever I pick up a book to read it is always a hope that it will engage my emotions and place me in a time warp. This writer surpassed my expectations. Seriously dark thoughts crossed my mind over some events that happen, but the brilliance it took to dare to reach those emotions....sheer courage. Okay, once I recover, there is no doubt I will be waiting for book 4. I am still in shock as I write this, but nevertheless, if you haven't started the Stella and Sol series yet....it truly is a must read! Queen of the dawn: When reading a conclusion to a series that has kept you on the edge of your seat book after book, you really want the conclusion to be all encompassing and feel complete. This author delivered in spades! Brilliance flows from these pages. The life of the main character Zwantee has gone through some really major growing pains throughout these books and finding a path to any HEA seemed really futile. With the loss of a major character in a previous book, it was anyone's guess where this storyline would lead. This narrative of the future of Stella and Sol could not have been more perfect! Highly recommending this series does not seem strong enough to convey what an amazing storyline this is! Well done!
Book 1 It’s been a while since I’ve read a pretty decent book. This one wasn’t perfect, because it had a slow start, but I grew to love the characters. The world building is pretty awesome. I like the dynamics of the two different countries and look forward to seeing what Stella is like. The main FMC was really immature. I didn’t like her and Phoenix together because it just felt like a childhood romance based on circumstance. I look forward to seeing her and Leo together in the next book. And really hope that going through the mist has messed their memories up like crazy. The ending was enough to get me pretty excited for the next book. I read this first book as part of the box set.
Spoiler alert: she and Leo hardly hang out together in the second book. What a major letdown.
Book 2 This was an interesting introduction to Stella. It sounds a lot like a modern world with magic. But the story is kind of weird. It doesn’t really seem to have a purpose at all except for Zwaantie running around confused for most of the novel. And for some reason, she can’t ever find people like Phoenix or Luna, and it seems like the people in the kingdom are just giving her the runaround. But then she starts to connect with Ari and Sage. And that has some interesting promise. There’s like hardly any screen time with Leo, which makes you realize that something’s gonna happen between Zwaantie and Ari. That just makes sense. I thought the lock in was cool and I knew what was gonna happen with the glow potions. But there just wasn’t enough emotion at the very end when Ari told Zwaantie what he could see. That kind of left me disappointed.
Book 3 Ugh. Man, I slogged through this book. And the ending just made me angry. I’ll only read the fourth one since I got this book in a box set.
Book 4 I finally finished this book and series. I don’t think I would’ve gone through the whole thing if I hadn’t had the box set on my Kindle, but this last, volume, book four, made for a good ending to tie everything up. I was glad to see and learn the history of Stella and Sol. Glad that everything had a resolution. I was a little tired of the internal monologue that constantly was going on in Zwaantie’s head. And even after Ari’s fate, he was never forgotten, because his name was brought up like every other paragraph, ad nauseam. I do think that the author was very good with really getting the reader to feel the loss that the characters were experiencing because of the constant repetition of feelings.
Title: Stella and Sol: The Complete Series: Author: Kimberly Loth Format: Audio Narrator: Angel Clark Genre: NA, Fantasy Standalone: Yes Part of a Series: Books 1 - 4 of Stella and Sol POV: Mostly Zwaansi Steam Level: Mostly Clean, some kissing 3/5
I'm of mixed mind about this story. Overall, I liked the suspense and the action throughout. My biggest issue, I didn't like Zwaansi. I never connected with her, didn't really like her and, frankly, was not invested in her or her happiness. She just seemed immature and selfish throughout. She lies or avoided everything difficult throughout. She matured a little at the end, but not enough to redeem her. I found this whole thing frustrating. See below for my reviews of each book.
Book 1: God of the Sun 4/5
The world that Kimberly Roth has created is different. Two kingdoms must unite - one dark, one light. One magical, one not. I'm interested to see how this story plays out. It took me a little while to warm up on this book and I'm still not completely sold but it's interesting the morality instilled by the voice. What pulled me in was the mysteries that have pupped up along the way.
Book 2: Prince of the Moon 4/5
While a bit slow, Prince of the Moon is well written and is keeping me intrigued. I'm still not sure if I like Zwaansi but I don't dislike her enough to stop listening. I'm interested to see how this series plays out.
Book 3: King of the Stars 5/5
King of the Stars has been favorite of this series so far. The stakes and threats and assassination attempts continue to rise and the story explodes in King of the Stars. The person who wants Zwaansi dead is revealed and the ending is insane. I cannot wait to see the fallout and the conclusion to this epic story.
Book 4: Queen of the Dawn Author: Kimberly Loth Format: Audio Narrator: Angel Clark Genre: NA, Fantasy Standalone: No, read the rest of the series first Part of a Series: Book 4 (the final book) of Stella and Sol POV: Mostly Zwaansi Steam Level: Mostly Clean, some kissing 3.5/5
Queen of the Dawn is the final book in the Stella and Sol series. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. There was all this build up and action throughout and then it just ended - no epilogue, nothing. The rest of the book was good, action-packed with the mystery throughout.
I received this audiobook for free from Audiobooks Unleashed. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I always find it hard to review a whole series with one review. I have decided to review by book. As these were my thoughts after reading each individual book there may be spoilers if you read all 4 at once.
Book 1: I really enjoyed the interesting world that was created in this book. I did think it was slow getting into the main story of Leo and zwaantie but I’m interested to see what happens next. Book 2: For someone who wanted to be normal zwaantie was quite snobby when she first got to Stella. Also what was up with the revelation ari gave at the end? First we had a love triangle and now it’s a love square? I’m a little apprehensive about book 3. Book 3: I’m starting to get whiplash with all this back and forth going on. I hate that there have been so many different love interests. I was rooting for ari in this one though because Leo did NOTHING to try and win zwaantie over. It was like he got engaged to her and then stopped caring. I really hope the ending from this book is fixed in book 4 all that trouble and heartache would be a waste otherwise. Book 4: This entire series has seemed to revolve around hurting Leo. He didn’t deserve to be lied to again after all the previous times he was lied to. I also felt that zwaantie and Leo’s story was way too drawn out. It was way too back and forth and the story didn’t even seem like it was about them. Their entire relationship was all about lies and deception from the start. I was completely team Leo in this book because he deserved to care more about himself than others after all that he went through. I loved the world that was created but I wish zwaantie hadn’t been such an indecisive heroine with her heart.
I pick up these 'box sets' for the Kindle on Amazon occasionally. I should really learn to stop.
I read the first book in an evening and while the story was intriguing the dialog, choppy sentences, and simplistic writing were bad. But you know, new author to me, maybe this was an early work and it would get better.
Book 2. Nope.
Book 3. Nope. Should I stop? Too far in now, might as well finish.
Book 4. The villain of the entire series is gone in a couple paragraphs. I actually reread it thinking I missed something. And the method in which he was gone? Ugh. Wouldn't have happened. Zwaantie would be dead.
Zwaantie was a terrible character. I kind of get what the author was trying to portray her as, but mostly she seemed like a petulant brat. The writing didn't make me believe book 1 Zwaantie could turn into book 4 Zwaantie.
Overall I feel like this was a cleaned up set of romance novels with very little substance. I can't even say it was a fun read, I just wanted to know how the story ended.
This series was SO GOOD. I loved how mysterious and magical everything was! When I first started reading, I thought I might be disappointed, but then I got all caught up in the intrigue of Stella. The Voice was such an interesting part of the story...although I was still a bit confused as to how it transferred from person to person. When it was transferred to Raaf, did he have a choice? Or did he just become that person, someone with an absolute need to protect the Voice. The story did leave me heartbroken at points (poor, lovable Ari!), but in the end, I was so glad that the characters were all happy. It all wrapped up very nicely and I will be sad for a few days now that I'm finished with this wonderful series. (Side note: I finished all four books in guess how many days? ONE. That's how good they are!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I struggled a bit choosing the rating for this one. On one hand, it's a great story, loads of twists and turns and it keeps you sucked in. On the other hand, it gets to a point, where all your hopes and dreams for the main charactes get cushed and your heart is just not that into it anymore. The fact, that the main love interest changed no less than 5 times is a bit much for me and I didn't much like how the story went from the finale of book 3. It kinda face forced. But in the end I did enjoy tge whole series immensely. The writing was good, the characters we complex and entertaining. It just didn't feel right knocking off a star, because I would have rather seen a different ending.
OMG, THAT WAS SO GOOD! I CRIED HARD FOR ARI, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU KILLED HIM OFF. But. I understand, it was Z's and Leo's love story, even if Ari and Z would be better together. But all I can say is MINDBLOWN. It was an incredible story with lots of love, laughter and crying. Why did Z's bro want to kill her, yeah, because of the Voice, but you never did make that clear. Other than a few small details that I didn't get until the last book or not at all, I LOVED THIS SERIES.THE 😭❤💕😍🤯😭🤣 WAS THE BEST. If you cant read emoji then I'm sorry, have fun deciphering my message. ❤- Favorite Reader
This series pretty good. I think the last book was probably the best. Didn’t always like how the Mc acted. A lot of the characters really. The characters were fleshed out pretty good, but a lot of the situations, ie love situations, were not. A lot happened through the series. Very satisfied with the ending, as that is how I thought it should have been. Though the end of book three crushed me. Definitely keeps you turning the pages. And it is clean reading too. I appreciate that.
This series was very touching, imaginative and full of magical moments. I enjoyed seeing Princess Zwaantie mature as she navigates through the demands of her royal duties, her personal desires, and the vying affections of the incredibly charming Prince Leo and the tantalizing Prine Ari!
The series is slow to develop, but keeps a good pace overall. I would have loved to see the Author expand more on the the process of Zwaantie's mentality change from naive Princess to her ultimate royal destiny as a Queen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book series is fantastic! Kimberly Loth did it again with this series. I have loved every book series she's written that I have read so far. The characters she creates become so lifelike. This book series was no different. I laughed, I cried, I mourned, felt frustrated when certain things happened but felt happy when I reached the end. I couldn't stop once I started. I highly recommend!
This series had me on an emotional roller coaster! It was so good I read all four books in 3 days! Book one and two were so good at building the world in my mind and making everything come to life. Book three absolutely broke my heart and book four was a perfect ending to it all!
Absolutely riveting reading! 4 amazing stories that gives you all the feels
I devoured this series. It had a bit of everything. Great well rounded characters, fast paced action and the ups and downs of life and love. I laughed at times, read fast and furious at others, even had a few tears. Another exceptional series by Kimberly Loth!
Read the whole series at once. Had to remember the age difference between myself and the characters a few times. There were a few “are you serious?” moments but, all in all and it’s a good series. Think my only complaint is the gross overuse of “disconcerting”. Sorry dear, get a thesaurus and find new words!
I love to get a complete set when I buy a series. I hate waiting for the next book. Well written and hard to put down. The characters are relatable and likeable. Magic is feeling used in Stella but banned in Sol. Something called "The Voice" rules the people in Sol. If you love a good love story combined with mystery, this series is for you.
This book definitely wasn't for me. I could tell I wasn't going to like it from the way it started out. I gave it until book two and groaned. So then I skipped around the books to get a jest of the story and read the end and will not read more from this author. So with that I say farewell.
I really enjoyed this book and loved the characters and how they came together. I was sad that Ari died but she did get a piece of him when she had his child. I was happy that Leo and her finally got together. It was sad also that it was her brother that wanted her dead.
Okay so I really loved this series. I read all 4 books in one day. Need I say more? My only complaint is I wish the main character was a bit more into her ending love interest. Poor guy.
I loved these books! Love and lose and learning to love again, with amazing characters that draw you in and keep you turning pages and reluctant to go to bed. I will definitely be buying more books from this author.
Privileged princess meets a non-invested prince who claimed he fell in love at first sight but is hardly present. Characters and world building is sadly v v lacking.
Holy moly! This was all the books in the series, and dang! I couldn’t put it down! Well written, just enough plot twists and dangerous situations. I will for sure look into more books by this author!!!
I like that the whole series is complete and available for binge reading all at once. There were many twists throughout the series. The characters are unique and all have different motives that slowly get revealed.
The idea is cool, but the actual writing was sort of boring. I kept having to remind myself this is supposed to be YA and the main character was 16... especially when they brought pregnancy into the whole thing.
I liked the series, but I find myself getting very frustrated. Leo and Z (I'm not even going to try and spell her ridiculous name) just really frustrated me. Some things went too fast, others were excruciatingly slow and ridiculous.
The series was amazing and kept me on my toes and staying up late most nights. However, the ending came very fast compared to all the build up of the book and multiple time jumps occurred with not much happening.
They were good stories but I still feel bad for Leo. He was the only to to stay true to his feelings which cause him to be hurt even though in the end it did work out for him.
I love all of Kimberly's books, this has been one of my favourites and hard to put down, and I haven't wanted it to end. It's been a journey and at one point I wasn't too happy with a certain ending in one of the books. But it all worked the way it should.