The Kingdom (Graveyard Queen #2)The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

My rating: 5 of 5 flames

In Asher Falls, the cemetery was flooded when the river was dammed up. Now the townsfolk are living with the aftermath.

“…around here we call it Bell Lake.”
“Why?”
“In the old days, coffins were equipped with a warning system-a chain attached to a bell on the grave in case of a premature burial. They say at night, when the mist rolls in, you can hear those bells.”

Amelia hears those bells. She hears them every time there is a mist, and with that mist is a spirit who not only won’t leave her alone, but who has been able to project her emotions and thoughts into Amelia. This particular spirit latched on to Amelia and wouldn’t let go, but Amelia has let her fear of spirits rule her for too long. She finally decides she’s going to figure out what’s going on around here, and possibly help the spirit.

In this second full-length novel in the Graveyard Queen series, Amelia has left Charleston for a while. She was offered a job restoring the cemetery in Asher Falls, and the majority of this book is away from her beloved Charleston. Dealing with the aftermath of being nearly murdered, and having Devlin, the man she loves, still being haunted by his dead wife and daughter, Amelia is ready for a chance to get away.

She has a new love interest, but he stands very little chance against Devlin. And Amelia has an incredible mystery on her hands. This is more than just restoring a cemetery, this is more than just an unmarked grave. This whole story is Amelia finding out about herself.

I must admit I was really upset when I realized it didn’t have Devlin in it, and I was kind of annoyed that we got a whole new cast of characters, but I think it was necessary for her to leave Devlin for a while. It didn’t hurt that Asher Falls has a lot of trouble mixed in. I wasn’t sure I’d like it very much, but I think this is my favorite in the series. (And I’ve read the next book The Prophet, so I’m not just saying that).

As we all know, the Highland Hussy here likes her romances. When I don’t have romance, I get crabby. So when I say that I liked how the heroine escaped the hero for a few months it’s really unusual for me. I would want him to go charging in and retrieve her, growl “You’re mine” and they’d have the sex, living happily ever after.

This is different. I was so entranced in this world Ms. Stevens has created, that I went over my book allowance to make sure I could read all of them. I even (it turns out) bought The Kingdom twice! Lol
But because there is so much going on in this book that I can’t reveal, I’m going to leave you with this.

This book is so well-written and eerily beautiful that it will haunt you for days.

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