Stolen

Magi Rising #2

by Raye Wagner

Dark fantasy. Slow-burn romance. Unexpected twists you won’t see coming.

My memory is lost. Gone. I can’t remember my name or magîk. I don’t know what happened to our ruler or why the jungle is transforming, becoming even more wild. Who is the guard and why is he angry? And why do I feel safe with a deadly panthera?

Arriving in Pûleêr, I hope to find relief among the magî and, hopefully, some answers. Instead, the laws of nature change before my eyes, and the dangers of the jungle are nothing compared to this twisted utopia.

When the panthera leaves, a new magî joins the outpost, and I know he has answers. But what if all of my questions were wrong?

As the jungle vines converge and tighten, I begin to wonder . . . Was my memory truly lost—or was it stolen?

Welcome to the kingdom of Qralî where magic, romance, and mystery tangle amidst the lush fauna and deadly predators of the jungle. If you enjoy fantasy books with unique stories, plot-twists that will keep you guessing, and dangerous risks—all in the name of love, be prepared to fall hard.

Better clear your schedule first.

Scroll up and one-click for a romantic adventure you’ll never forget!

**Due to thematic elements, STOLEN is recommended for upper YA/adults. Sensitive readers should be aware of potential triggers.**

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Slow Burn, Paranormal Romance

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2019

About the author

RAYE WAGNER is the USA Today Bestselling author of young adult fantasy books, but she hates writing bios. She’d much rather tell you a story. She’s partial to fantasy, with dragons or magic or something so she can lie and not feel guilty. She also has an obsession with sweets (all the bakery goodies), nerf wars, wigs, and occasionally tutus.

When she isn’t writing, shenanigating (I’m sure that’s a word), or lying, Raye is with her family . . . preferably at the beach.

Come chat with me! I love to hear from readers. You can connect with me via Facebook (Raye Wagner), Twitter (@rayewagner), Instagram (rayewagnerauthor), or her website: rayewagner.com

Reviews

[Wendy Higgins]

True high fantasy escapism! Loved Ruin! :)

[Candace Tidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twists and turns galore. I think I stayed just as confused as Taja throughout this entire book. As of this moment, I'm still scratching my head and wondering wtf?!
What would you do if you completely lost your memory? Who do you trust? That's just a couple of questions that will run through your mind as you read this book.
Stolen starts off with a bang. Afterwards you try to play catch up and figure out how, why, what, when and where. Taja's character is impressive and strong minded. Everything is a mystery so enjoy reading the book and trying to peice together Taja's life and lost memories.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt lost the majority of this book - mainly because the main character has amnesia and is lost too.

I’m going to need to read the prequel to see if it makes it clearer.

It has a unique setting - magic jungle and there is zero infodumping.

[Sandra Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

I saw this was recommended by Leia Stone so I have it a try. I don’t think I have read anything by the author before but I really enjoyed this book. I have a feeling I know part of what is going on but can’t wait to find out more about Taja and Ruin. Going to also check out more of Raye’s work.

[Mia LeNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just drown him

I was confused the whole book. I had amnesia too trying to figure out the MC's life. How in the world did I miss all of that killing?

[Bethany Hoeflich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the world building and the characters. I guessed the big plot twist, but now I'm left with more questions than answers regarding a certain character. Big questions. And considering that character is now dead, I'm not sure if I'll ever get the answers.

The only thing that bothered me and pulled me out of the story was the varying timeline (in one chapter, the MC says she's known her friend for months, but in the next chapter it says that it's only been a few weeks).

Other than that, it was a quick, enjoyable read in a beautiful setting with well-developed characters.

[Whitney Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a lot of the plot twists in this book were predictable because of the way it was written, but truthfully in this case I don’t think that was a bad thing. It feels like a parallel to the characters own missing pieces that we’re just waiting for her to catch up to/find. The latter half of the book did surprise me in how easily it kept my interest. Excited to read book 2! Well, book 1? This is book 2. Idk.

[Nottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My own impatience made me frustrated with this book. It's a very enjoyable mystery, well written, but I just did not like feeling entirely blind and the ending did not provide the answers I needed to lift the fog.

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book before reading Betrayed (Magi Rising #1). I found myself struggling to figure out what was happening, but I loved the mystery of it. I silently wished for certain endings, but certainly could not have predicted the ending Raye Wagner created for this book. I am excited to read Illusions (Magi Rising #3) to find out how all of the pieces connect between the three books. This story, timeline, and fictional land have so much depth allowing me as a reader to get willfully and happily lost in it all.
Raye Wagner-you amaze me with your ability to create such beautiful characters, places, and timelines.

[Arceli · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This world is full of dark twist and so much action. There was such a unique take on mages and the entire paranromal world. Nothing about the book was run off the mill. It was completely unique and so fun to read. I loved the pacing the most in the book. The author made the pacing in such away that nothign was rushed. The blossoming romance between the hero and heroine grew from first distrust to then slow friend. I really liked how the entire pacing made the romance and world building A+. Speaking of world building, it is so cool and fun. I really liked all the supernatural creatures. They are super scary, but extremely cool. I also really enjoyed reading the book through the heroine's eyes. The book was super unique and extremely fun. The small moments of humor really added a lot to the fun.

All in all, go one click this book because you will really enjoy reading it. I highly recommend this book for PNR lovers.

[Jemimah Decker-Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderfully mysterious read. It starts off with a bang where we're thrown right into the mystery that surrounds the main character and who she is and it ends with another bang, although at this point we may know a little bit more about the complex Taja, but just like her we're not sure what we can trust. The world building in this first book is amazing, I would like to know just what the bûyi is and how it came to be as it sounds terrifying to me. I got easily pulled into this story by wanting to know what was going on and what would happen next. I'm desperate to know just who Taja is, in fact I think I want to know more than she does. I also want to know more of this world. I really enjoyed this first foray into this book and am looking forward to book number two. Five stars from me.

[Roxcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but too confusing

This author is a brilliant writer and I can understand why a lot of people loved This One but there were too much unknowns in this book for me to thoroughly enjoy it. I've already pre ordered the next one in hopes of more answers because this left me too frustrated 3.5

[Bookish Serendipity Shannon williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG

Holy shiznit. This book is amazing. There are so many twist and turns, it’s like a crazy roller coaster that will leave your mind mush but wanting more. I need the next one. Like now.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! The characters were amazing. The plot line was unique. This story has so much going for it. Crazy twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat, you never knew what was going to happen.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool.

Magic in the world. Different realm. MC with amnesia. Filled with deceit and intrigue. Can't trust anyone. I really liked it.

[Jellybean70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Quick read, little confusing in the beginning, but quickly caught on.

Rare Wagner again leaves me excited to continue to the next book!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This book was awesome! I love her slow burns and build up. I didn't realize that I finished the book in a day.

[Gabi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t understand why the author wrote this whole book and didn’t tell us anything at all. It feels like a useless read, or maybe she could have written this more shortly, as most of the information given is unnecessary since it seems like she didn't bother to explain it at all.
>>>>> SPOILERS >>>>>> Throughout this whole book we have no idea if this is the MC narrating the story, and it seems no one really knows who this girl is. Who is this girl? Why did she lose her memory? Why is she plucking leaves all the time? I assume it was her, since she puts the guy backs to his body. And this guy, omg, the author gave clues of who he was (with the whole buttercup thing and hair) and turned out he was not the guy she gave clues but this other male character whom we have no back story whatsoever. The main character is confused and mad the whole book, and so was I, the reader. And again, WHY WAS SHE PLUCKING LEAVES? anyway, another thing that bothered me so damn much was the fact that Rune doesn't know it is her, but at the beginning of the book, this panther keeps showing up and then turning into a man and kissing her and protecting her the whole time just to disappear out of nowhere. When Rune comes back and gets her, he has no idea who this girl is and has no recollection of ever seeing her? Hello? Who was that panther then??? then this man who was with her the whole book thought she was the sister? Even though she put him back to his body, and he just doesn't remember? But then he alludes to remember being dead and not dead and still thinks she's the sister with no power of necromancy? Is he dumb? ANOTHER thing, they keep saying she created this village she's in, the Queen's sister, who gave speeches and was this new role model for them when she could have NEVER done these speeches and meeting them when she had her sister soul in her body back at the "castle" and has since lost her memory. Who was going around preaching in her place? There is so many plot holes in this book, and I am sorry to say this, but I seriously don't understand why this whole book was written.

This book doesn’t answer any question from the first, creates more unanswered questions and I am disappointed. What a waste, I assume I could have skipped this and moved on to the next one and I would still be as confused as the main character.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love/hate?

There are a lot of things in this story that I found really frustrating: Taja’s amnesia for the WHOLE story meant we are left with huge gaps and are basically in the dark - not only about her and her past but also about the world she inhabits. Given that there is a lot of world building going on - but from Taja’s limited point of view - it was hard at times to connect with the world and the other characters. In principal, I don’t mind this idea of such limited point of view (and Taja’s internal voice was compelling for the most part), but so much of what happened to her could have been told in half the time (it feels like every other page she is eating plantain or cheese) and the plot just didn’t really feel like it went anywhere until the last few chapters. I also felt there were some inconsistencies with how time played out in the narrative and we are left with about a thousand questions at the end ... I’m assuming that’s the intention, but I would have liked to have some answers (and even the few that were hinted at - Ruin?! -were not really satisfactory for me).

That being said ... I am a big fan of RW and am intrigued enough to read the second book. Maybe when I find out what the heck is going on I’ll enjoy this book more in retrospect!

[BlueBug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each time I read one of this author's books, I find myself more intrigued with her dark side. This book is the perfect example of that darkness. Taja is a young girl who wakes in the jungle without her memories. She isn't even sure about her name, but it feels right. When she's rescued by a Panthera, Ruin, she is introduced to a whole world of magic. She trusts Ruin, but he disappears just as she's trying to figure out where she fits in this world. And as she finds herself in a small village, trying to become a part of the daily life of the residents and find out as much as she can about the magi so she might be able to gain her memory back, she is thrown into moment after moment of mystery and secrecy. The action is non-stop. The descriptions of the scenes are lush and brilliant. And even as we begin believing one thing, we discover nothing is as it seems. The cliffhanger ending was unexpected and harrowing, leaving us with no idea which way the story could go next.

This story is fascinating, the would building creative and wild. My mind was grabbed from the moment I opened the book, and the author's imagination had me questioning everything I read even until the very last page. I love when I have no idea what's going to happen next. It was perplexing and exhilarating, and I am waiting impatiently for the next chapter in the story.

[Nicole Strait · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that has a bit of mystery

The beginning of the book started out a tad bit confusing but I believe it was just me trying to understand some of the magi words and what they meant. While reading the book the writing made me feel like I was experiencing the FMC, Taja, struggles right along with her. We aren’t really given any extra hints behind who Taja is and why everything is happening to her until Taja finds out little details herself. The mystery surrounding Taja, the Pantheras, what is causing the buyi and why just makes me want the second book to be released all the more. Reading book one had me biting at the bits to solve the mystery and the ending had me in a downward spiral for being all the more mysterious. Would definitely recommend to people who love a good mystery and intrigue in their books.

[Paranormal Tendencies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taja wakes in the jungle with no memory of who she is. No memory of anything about her life. Things get weird when a panthera seems to like her and follows her to a village that takes her in. Things get weirder when a serik arrives and seems to be protective of her. Are the two related? And what is her magik? Will she ever get answers?
I was a bit confused when this book began. The main character had no memories of her life and the book opened on a chase scene. She had no idea who or why she was running from. To be honest I didn’t follow too well for the rest of the book either. The names were hard to read and say in my head, I couldn’t get invested in the characters, and the story just didn't catch my interest. I am going to give this one 3 stars. A lot of her fans loved this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

[Lynn's books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing

I struggled to follow all the characters and their connection to the overall plot. There are a lot of names the begin with a "Z" and other characters that follow a specific syllabic pattern which made it hard for me to remember who was who and how they were connected to each other. That said I found myself contemplating abandoning this book. However, I read the Blood Oath series by this same author and it was phenomenal! She is an incredible writer so I forged ahead. The first chapter and the last four chapters were incredible and an intriguing plot line has come to life. I need to continue this journey because in true Wagner style, she leaves you hungry for more with all the mystery she includes. I recommend that you write down the characters names and titles as you begin. It will help you figure out who, what, when and where.

[A. Rooney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not happy


!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS. !!!!!!!!!!


I like the idea in the first book.... I liked the characters. But in this book??? Not so much. This entire book was pointless. I’m not sure anything crucial happened. And.... the last part of the book is the first two chapters of book three... and She still doesn’t know who she is!!!!! Uhg... I’m done. And, rune finally comes back into the mix and he’s an ass. I just... no more please.

If she had recovered her memory and her reunion with zivrune was better then it would have been ok but... idk. The new people she met were pointless bc half of them die. The two she got close to that would have been if some import die... my reviews aren’t normally this scatter brained but.. I really disliked this book more than I thought after I started writing this.

[BookWormKH26 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never give a 1 star rating ever

This may very well be my first one star rating. I finished reading this book and the next two in the series a few months ago but I didn’t want to write negative review. However, several months later and I am still mad about this book/series. I encourage you NOT to read this book. The series has NO ending. It’s weird, contradicting and ends on a cliffhanger. The whole series ends with no conclusion. I’m still mad about it! The whole thing is insanely weird but I stuck with it only to be disappointed that it has no conclusion. Don’t read it. There is no point.

I hate writing a bad review so let me add this, I do really love this author and highly recommend her Shifter Island and Darkest Drae series. Both of those are fantastic! Read them!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stolen, I thought, was better than Betrayed. It picks up with a girl who has lost her memory who has been taken in by a villager in Puller. From the beginning, I determined that she must be Disa, but you still don’t have concrete proof even by the end of the book. This one piqued my interest more and felt quicker paced than Betrayed. I appreciate the world building in Stolen, but perhaps that’s because the focus was on one village and it’s politics rather than the overall land in which they inhabit. It’s not clear what the buyi is yet, but it’s clear that this girl will be important to figuring it out or even stopping it. I am someone who tries to power through a series whether I enjoy it or not, but I’m really glad I kept going with this one and I look forward to the next book.

[Lorieah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've read something by Raye that I haven't liked. As everyone else has said, it's a new world, with a lot of new names and rules going one, which gets a little confusing, but you're drawn in from the very first scene where Taja realizes something just isn't RIGHT. I took off one star because I would have liked less pulling-evil-plant-time and more where-the-heck-has-Ruin-been time; it does have a few typos with one of the names; and I'm not a huge fan of cliffhanger books to tell the whole story — but at least we don't have to wait too long, and I DO plan to purchase the next one!

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a lot in this first book! Every time I thought I had it figured out, Raye Wagner would throw in another curve-ball that had me second guessing where this story was going to go... and I loved it! I am so intrigued by this story and cannot wait for book 2 to find out more. This world is big! There is a lot still shrouded in mystery, but I am excited to see where Taja will go next. I can't believe how much Taja had to deal with in this first book. I really thought she had some people she could depend on and trust, and then everything just got turned upside down. And that ending?! I am so ready for book 2!

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing

I normally love Raye’s books but I found this one pretty confusing and a letdown. The story was hard to follow at times, especially the constant back and forth between Taja’s feelings about Esi. Most of this book was repetitive descriptions of pulling up plants and eating gross food. I didn’t like how Rune was a huge part of the story at first and then just disappeared with little mention until the end. The ending did peak my interest, and part of me wants to read the second book just to finally know what the heck is going on.But, I don’t know that I want to spend the money on it...

[Melanie Johnston · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this book a 0 star rating I would. I have no clue as to what’s going on. What happened between this book and the first? Why is Zeron still alive? They stabbed him in the heart and these souls disappear in less than 5 mins. So I don’t get why Ziyana was going to have to go into hiding if he’s dead and what’s up with this girl’s memory loss? I thought Svek was a good guy and why is he killing women? Nothing is filling explained. I thought this would continue into them fighting the biyu but nope. I’m so glad I skimmed through so much of this book because 90% of the story was completely pointless.