Review: The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town…My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I've been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I'm coming to think I have another purpose here.Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I've discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.   ~Goodreads

The Kingdom (Graveyard Queen Series) by Amanda Stevens
Published: March 27, 2012 by Harlequin Mira via Netgalley
Source: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and thoughful review.
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


My Thoughts:

There’s something about Mrs. Steven’s books that make them so hauntingly beautiful.Maybe it’s the words she uses or the emotions that come across the page clear as day but, there something there that makes me want to drop everything and read her books as soon as it’s released.

I loved The Restorer, the first book in the Graveyard Queen Series it was definitely one of my favorite books in 2011 and this book is no exception. The world building is fantastic and unlike other ghost stories I’ve read, this book will definitely have you sleeping with the lights on. The words seem to come to life and give off this scary and mesmerizing emotion that you can’t shake. I want to keep reading the book but yet at the same time I am afraid to find outwhat will happen next.

The story is the continuation to The Restorer and it follows Amelia Gray to another restoration job in Asher Falls. From the minute Amelia arrives she know ssomething is off kilter, everyone there is mysterious and strange. Amelia sets off to start her restoration project but she instead finds herself entangled in a mystery that is much older and deeper than she could ever imagine.

The story definitely takes creepy to another level. The writing is captivating and once you find yourself pulled in to Amelia’s world it’s hard to disentangle yourself from it. If I thought that the idea of ghost feeding off of your warmth and energy was frightening it does not compare to what lurks after twilight in Asher Falls. I loved that we learn more about her family, and at times I feel really bad for Amelia because she really has no one to confide in about what she’s going through and she’s utterly alone.

The story was definitely fast paced and pulled me along for a crazy and at times terrifying ride, whenever I thought that maybe I had figured out the plot I was thrown a curve ball until the last minute. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

4.5 out of 5 Stars.