The Kingdom (The Graveyard Queen)

I absolutely LOVE this series!
I read the Abandoned a while ago, and finally got around to this one. Note:I accidently bought The Kingdom instead of The Restorer, but it didn't matter! I was sucked in and finished it in 2 days. This was awesome.

Amelia has been commissioned to restore an old cemetery at Asher Falls, South Carolina. When she arrives things take a strange turn and she begins to wonder the real reason she was bought summoned to Asher Falls and why she feels like she is there for a greater purpose. With the way the residents of Asher Fall’s act around her has Amelia wonders that maybe she wasn’t chosen by random to restore to Asher Falls Cemetery. The land is cursed, Amelia can feel it in her bones as if she is also a part of it. There is a great evil that lurks in the darkness of the mountain and a woman who keeps showing up always in time to save Amelia from trouble.

Wow! If I thought book one was dark and creepy, it doesn’t begin to hold a candle to The Kingdom. It was creepy, with a gothic undertone and it was tenfold more atmospherical. The book also takes on a more evil and paranormal tone over book one and makes it reading late at night that much more chilling. Don’t make that mistake, I did and found that I lost a bit of sleep because of that, hah.

I loved it. I loved everything about this book. Steven’s writing is enthralling and so good. I was so focused on the mystery, so eager to uncover the secrets of Asher Falls, the secrets of the unmarked grave that Amelia stumbled upon and why Amelia is so drawn to this place.

Thought by the end things unraveled rapidly, I was a bit surprised by the amount that was left unsaid. It might be the reason I did not give the book 5 stars and held back. I felt there was quite a bit answers left for the dead along with Asher Falls. I really hope that sometime in the future things will come to light, but I am a bit doubtful. I wanted to know more about the Asher history, their sins, why almost no one bore an heir yet and how the old cemetery ended up under the water.

I do love how the story progressed and we learned a lot about Amelia. Even if Devlin was absent in this book, his present was still strong through Amelia’s inner battle. There was a brief romance between Amelia and Thane Asher, I wanted to feel angry about it because of Devlin, but I knew there was a reason and in the end it was all going to work itself out.

I cannot wait for book 3, I feel like I should take a break and maybe read something else, but I have been so drawn to this series it is really hard to put down. Especially with the mood setting weather that we are currently experiencing.

I borrowed this from my library to make sure I wanted to buy it. And I certainly will. We finally find out some of Amelia's heritage, and solve the mystery of her adoption. She finally has a good talk with papa, but mama is dealing with cancer and is only there briefly. This book takes place outside of Charleston, so Devlin is only mentioned by Amelia. He isn't actually in it.

I really would have like to have found out more about the 'Witches of Eastwick or should I say Asher Falls'. And the bad guys are kinda hinted at, but not really detailed. Well, the inhuman bad guys anyway. Who is the man with the flapping coat? Is he helpful or harmful. I don't think Ameila is even sure.

New guy, but again, no HEA. I do hope we find out more about Thane's journey.

I do recommend this book, if only to find out more about Amelia. On to the 3rd.

5 Intensely Frightening Stars... The way in which Amanda Stevens guides her audience through these ghostly encounters allows them to become quite sensual for the reader; allowing them to experience all facets of the moment just like her characters... In this read, Amelia Gray is thrust into a true ghost town filled with secrets that seem to speak directly to her; opening doors to her unknown past that may have deadly consequences... From start to finish this haunting tale takes the reader on an exciting albeit frightening journey into the heart of the supernatural realms.... absolutely brilliant:)

Book two in the Graveyard Queen series picks up a few months after the events of book one, [book:The Restorer|9722219], and finds Amelia heading out to Asher Falls on a new restoration project. Needing to clear her mind and, possibly, her heart, Amelia feels that a change of scenery will help her get over the frightening events of book one as well as the man she loves but feels she can never have.

As much as I enjoyed and was engrossed by the first book, I can't truthfully say that this book held the same level of interest for me. It still did an admirable job of maintaining that creepy, southern gothic feel so I really had to wonder at why this book just didn't quite hit the mark and I think I've narrowed to a few factors.

First of all, one thing that really stood out for me with book one was just the sense of realism. Yes, it was chock full of ghosts but the city was real and the characters all felt like people I could actually meet in real life. That sense of realism was in such contrast with the creepiness and the more supernatural elements that the clashing of worlds felt more ominous. In comparison, Asher falls and its inhabitants felt too...<i>out there</i> which, I know sounds odd considering this is a book about a woman who sees dead people. But that's rather the point. The supernatural elements of the story needs a realistic backdrop to ground it and keep from spinning off it's axis. Instead of feeling real, Asher Falls and its citizens came off as more Witches of Eastwick (to borrow an in-book reference) and there's nothing wrong with that but the result, for me, is that I never felt like a part of the story. I was more a disconnected observer.

Another thing that niggled at me is that Amelia herself felt less like the practical woman she was in the first book and more like some of the more typical heroines who stubbornly proceed into the fire despite repeated warnings to turn back. Now I realize that certain things had to happen in order for Amelia to discover certain truths but here's the thing. I'm not certain that the truths that were learned really matter. They certainly didn't clear up what is, for me, the most basic question I have about our heroine. Maybe it will all become important later in the series but as it stands right now, the cliff notes version of this book would have sufficed for me. I also found it extremely difficult to believe that Amelia could just bounce back after some of the more truly frightening (for her) events in this book and just continue on, sometimes within minutes, like nothing major just happened. It felt too much like character serving the plot rather than the other way around.

Then there were all the new characters. It's understandable given that Amelia is a totally new city but I found this to be a bit of a momentum killer coming off the events of the last book. Rather than seeing a continuation of the friendships/relationships from that book, I found myself jerked to this completely new setting. With The Restorer there were several characters that I liked (and felt invested in) well enough that was hoping they would not be complicit in that book's murder. Here, the characters were so odd and left of center that I found I didn't really care if any of them were the guilty party. They all felt more like exactly what they are, characters in a creepy story, rather than real, living and breathing individuals.

And, I'm not going to lie, I missed John Devlin. In the first book I was as intrigued by the mystery of his backstory almost as much as I was in the murder mystery itself. There was no character equivalent for me in this book. There is Thane Asher, the man who takes a liking to Amelia but I couldn't drum up any interest in him. For crying out loud, he has almost the same exact backstory as Devlin so he was just too derivative for me to do anything other than shake my head at him.

And finally, I admit that some of this story felt overly long. There was nothing wrong with the writing style and the author still does an admirable job of creating a mood, but I guessed the twist early on so then I was just waiting for Amelia to catch up. In the first book I kept going back and forth between the possible guilty parties so I was in it right next to Amelia until the end.

Now, all of this may sound like I didn't like the book but that wouldn't be true. I did like it. I just didn't have that same personal connection with it as I did with book one. I was an observer rather than a participant. As I said, the author still sets a foreboding mood like no one's business and I enjoy her prose immensely. And Amelia's past needed to come out one way or another. That said, I am more than ready to get back to Charleston and characters who feel less like mustache twirling caricatures.

Amelia Gray's story continues in The Kingdom. She has been hired to restore a community graveyard in the isolated town of Asher Falls, South Carolina. Almost immediately after her arrival, she sees her first ghost. This doesn't bode well for the job she has ahead of her.

An important part of the restoration, is researching the history of the graveyard. This should be relatively straight forward since every body in the cemetery is dead and their lives are closed. Written history, so to speak. But it is made clear to Amelia that she would be better off not asking questions. Now she has ghosts, the creepy Asher family crypt and people keeping big secrets, everything needed for a riveting read.

I love this book even more than The Restorer, the first book in the series. The characters were more mysterious with quite varied backgrounds. Each one of them took this story on many twists and turns that I didn't imagine. The addition of the dog Angus, added a new dimension to the story which I totally enjoyed.

Book 3 is now available, and Amanda is currently working on Book 4, The Visitor, due out some time during 2015.

As I was reading The Kingdom, it made me think of Saints in the Shadows by Alana Cash, which I reviewed previously. While both books had an bit of an other worldly feel, it was not the creepiness that stuck with me. I was drawn to the main characters in both books, there was a warmth to them, the kind of warmth that had me wanting to invite them over for tea. I felt comfortable with them. That is ultimately the best feeling I can get from a work of fiction.

This was, very much, not what I expected. I actually started the book and put it aside, mostly because of the idea of the ghosts. I guess I just wasn't in the mood; the eerie and creepy was not what I was looking for. Fortunately, I went back to it, and the eerie did click with what I wanted; I'd have regretted missing out on this book. This isn't a horror novel, not by today's standards, of spattering blood and running zombies (they were so much easier when they just shambled), but it is indeed eerie and creepy to a very satisfying degree. There may have been one night I ... accidentally left a light on when I went to bed. Sheer coincidence, really.

As the book description says, Amelia Gray is called "The Graveyard Queen" for her work in restoring cemeteries. She grew up as the adopted daughter of a cemetery caretaker, and never knew anything but love for the place ... up till the day she saw her first ghost. Her father, dismayed at her ability because he shared it, taught her the basics of dealing with it: first and foremost, never let on that you see a ghost, because it craves the warmth a living person has, which it once had. If it sees acknowledgement it will latch on and drain the life from you - which it can't do unless it is recognized. Amelia has lived her life schooling her expression and reactions - she must be a rotten person to play a practical joke on.

After an anonymous contribution, an isolated South Carolina town called Asher Falls has hired her to work on the local cemetery - the currently used one, that is, since there once was another which - due to a greedy move by the local bigwig - now lies at the bottom of a lake.

The house in which Amelia is staying sits on the shore of that lake.

Yeah, the sunken graveyard is definitely haunted.

'Nuff said.

Amelia faces not only the odd dynamics of what has become the next thing to a ghost town along with the differing reactions to her work - the sorts of things almost anyone might face - but also the ghosts, the family of the patriarch who flooded the old graveyard (still around, and creepier than most of the ghosts), and the scarred survivor of a local dog-fighting operation. (If for no other reason than that dog, I am Amelia's biggest fan.)

I loved the characterizations. There is just no way to know who can be trusted - Amelia finds reason to doubt even her own history. Her family is all kinds of quirky, and are wonderful character sketches. The townsfolk are also quirky, only in a frequently more sinister way - their behavior is never predictable, unfortunately for Amelia. And then there was the guy with the wagon. (All right, there might have been two nights I accidentally left my light on. Three, tops.)

This was the second book in the series, but the first I've read, and it stood on its own very well. It was also very good at the job a preview galley is supposed, to wit, making me want the first book in the series and all others hereafter. There were some spoilers for the first book, but by and large they were of the sort that just increased my interest in the rest of the story rather than rendering it unnecessary to read: well done. In fact, in terms of providing necessary background in such a way as to keep my head in the current book, avoid info-dump, and plant the seed of you really need to go read that book too, this is one of the best executed second books I've ever seen. Can't wait for more.

I loved this book so much more than the first one. Spookier,creepier and scarier.

Amelia Gray is called to Asher Falls to restore Thorngate cemetery. But something seems to be wrong in Asher Falls. There seems to a dark Evil entity after her, and she feels a strange kinship to this very place. Scary things seem to happen to her there. It seems as if Amelia has been called to Asher Falls for some mysterious reason.

Amelia rescues a stray bait-dog Angus. Angus somehow proves to a loyal friend and a good company. With Angus's help she stumbles across a hidden grave, and tries to solve the mystery of the hidden grave, while trying to save herself from the Evil being which is after her.

This book is more about Amelia's self-discovery. She finds her past, and who her original parents are. I couldn't help but be outraged at what was done to poor Freya, so much that I wanted to punch those responsible. It was good to meet Sidra-someone just like Amelia. We all miss John Devline-the police cop in this book,of course but I think that's okay.Their Romance gets better and more meaningful through this separation too.

Thane Asher was a great character- so different from Devlin, yet heart-warming just the same. Thane Asher, Sidra, and Tilly make Amelia's life in Asher Falls bearable.

And someone should punch Pell and Hugo Asher, and the three witches(I'm just saying!)

This is a really excellent book.I don't want to be spoilery, so I'm not saying much here. Suffice it to say, do read this book. You'll love this book. I really did.

Amelia Gray may be the Graveyard Queen, but Amanda Stevens is THE Queen of Creepy. She not only matches the bone-chilling tone of The Restorer, she surpasses it by great leaps and bounds. I don't recommend reading this late at night with the lights off, otherwise you'll need a stuffed animal for protection. Clutching my cat didn't work out so well for either of us.
The Kingdom picks up shortly after the end of The Restorer. Amelia has accepted a new contract in Asher Falls, SC to restore Thorngate cemetery at the behest of an anonymous benefactor. Even en route to the tiny town, she's regaled with the creepy local lore of the ghosts of Bell Lake and it's not long upon her arrival before she notices strange happenings and, more importantly, her own draw to the place.
I didn't think Stevens could top The Restorer; it's excellent and it's hard to beat excellent, but she manages to do just that with The Kingdom. For being a first-person novel, Amelia Gray is still such an anomaly. In this creepy follow-up, we get to learn so much more about her (and her past) and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I loved learning exactly why she sees ghosts.
The new characters in this novel were absolutely vivid. Stevens incorporates more than just a mere ghost story into The Kingdom. This time, we get witchcraft, family legacies, and of course, more murder (because what ghost story would be complete without murder?). Stevens really shines when writing her characters. Every turn of the head, every blink of the pale eye is all done with something in mind. Nothing is by accident. The absolutely descriptive flow of writing to describe each character and event had them standing out in my imagination as no television ever could. Amanda Stevens paints pictures with her words.
The plot was heart-racing and I couldn't put it down. At one point (at 1am...), I HAD to put it down before I passed out, and I was about 60 pages from finishing. I could hardly sleep, I was so excited to find out what happened next!
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves mystery and/or paranormal fiction. I especially recommend this if you have read and enjoyed The Restorer. Stevens is simply one of the best writers out there.

The Kingdom is the second book in The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens.

The Kingdom starts couple of weeks after events in The Restorer (first book). Amelia has broken every one of the four rules her father taught her, rules she needed to follow for her survival.

1. Never acknowledge the dead.
2. Never stray far from hallowed ground.
3. Never associate with those who are haunted.
4. Never, ever tempt fate.

Now she needs to put distance between her and Devlin, before something more serious happens.
When Amelia receives an offer to renovate Thorngate Cemetery in the town of Asher Falls, South Carolina, she doesn't think it twice and accepts. Get away from Charleston is just what she needs right now. Packing her bags she leaves immediately to work on her new commission.
Strange things starts to happen as soon as Amelia is on her way; on the ferry that will take her to Asher Falls she is not sure but she thinks she has seen a ghost over the water. Minutes later she meets the mysterious Thane Asher, heir to the Asher family, family that rules and owns half the town of Asher Falls. Thane tells her about the original Thorngate cemetery, the one that was flooded to make way for the Asher Reservoir, that same reservoir they are crossing, the one the locals call Bell Lake.

Quote:
He hesitated, his gaze still on the water. "If you look for this basin on any South Carolina map, you'll find the Asher Reservoir. But 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 premature burial. They say at night, when the mist rolls in, you can hear those bells." He glanced over the railing. "The dead down there don't want to be forgotten... ever again."

After arriving to Asher Falls and meeting her contact she realizes there is more to this commission that just the restoration of the cemetery. Asher Falls is a ghost town, with very weird residents. But what is weirder than all is that Amelia feels a connection to the town, something she had never felt before, a strange feeling she can't explain. And when even stranger things starts to happen Amelia has two options, stay put and discover what is what Asher Falls and its residents are hiding or pack her bags and leave before it's too late.

The Kingdom surpassed all my expectations, since the moment I pick it up I couldn't put it down until I reach its last word and after that I wanted more. Mrs. Stevens' uncanny writing is so vivid and realistic than even though I don't scare easily I started to hear weird noises at home, it didn't help I read until wee hours of the night, as I said before I couldn't put down this book. Yes, it's that good!

Amelia is such a great character; she is determined, strong, caring and smart, even when the world she knew shattered in pieces she finds the strength to carry on. I suffer with her and more than once I wanted her to leave Asher Falls behind. At the end I was very happy she stayed because she discovered things about herself she wouldn't have discovered any other way. Things that left me open mouthed in awe.

Devlin is not physically present in this installment; he is more like a memory of Amelia's past, a memory she can't seem to forget.

Thane serves as a distraction not only for Amelia but for us too. He is a character with which I had an ambivalent relationship, I doubted him, I liked him, I didn't like him, I cared for him and at the end... I will let that for you to discover.

The drama and mystery is one that will have you biting your nails and trying to read faster and faster, at the same time you will have to stop many times to listen for weird noises or to look for shadows that weren't there. Yes, it's this kind of creepy, but a really good creepy, one that will leave you addicted and wanting for more.

The world Mrs. Stevens has created in her series and in The Kingdom, is unique and amazing in a haunting kind of way. One, that days later after finishing the book you will still remember with vivid detail. A world you will want all your friends and family to experience for themselves.

The end wasn't a throw-the-book-to-the-wall-cliffhanger, but one that will leave you dying to get your hands on the next installment of this series the Prophet, which will be release in April 24th, 2012.

The Kingdom is one of my favorite reads of this year and I'm sure it'll be on my top 10 list at the end of the year. I recommend this book to all of you, but especially to those who love modern gothics, paranormal fiction or a good mystery.

This book makes me want to spend two weeks going up and down the east coast touring graveyards.

Even better than the first book in the series. I thought the first half of book #1 was very good and the second half was completely un-put-down-able. Book #2 I thought was a lot more even. I can gush and gush and gush about these books and I want to recommend it to all my friends and family, but not many of them are into commercial fiction, so I will instead highly recommend them to you.

In The Kingdom, the town featured in the story was full of creepy, a lot about Amelia was explained (and a suspicion about her and her father I had from the first book turned out to be true!), the pace was excellent, the imagery haunting. I liked Thane about a hundred times more than I liked Devlin and would much rather see him come back than the detective, although I doubt that will happen. There is something dead perfect about the first person voice that Amanda Stevens pulls off like no other that brings Amelia's character to vivid life.

I'm not totally satisfied with why the father must be distant, especially in light of him having said he loves Amelia more than anything in the world, and I would like a more in-depth look at the exact rules for interacting (or not interacting, as the case seems to be) with ghosts and what happens when the rules are broken. Looking for those things to be explored in a later book. Even so, these little complaints in no way detract from my love and devotion to the series. I'm so incredibly glad I stumbled upon them and decided to pick them up. They are some of the best books I've read in a long time.

I think it's a little funny that twice in a row Amelia has started a restoration project she's been unable to finish. I hope she can finish one featured in the next book!

This book makes me want to spend two weeks going up and down the east coast touring graveyards.

Even better than the first book in the series. I thought the first half of book #1 was very good and the second half was completely un-put-down-able. Book #2 I thought was a lot more even. I can gush and gush and gush about these books and I want to recommend it to all my friends and family, but not many of them are into commercial fiction, so I will instead highly recommend them to you.

In The Kingdom, the town featured in the story was full of creepy, a lot about Amelia was explained (and a suspicion about her and her father I had from the first book turned out to be true!), the pace was excellent, the imagery haunting. I liked Thane about a hundred times more than I liked Devlin and would much rather see him come back than the detective, although I doubt that will happen. There is something dead perfect about the first person voice that Amanda Stevens pulls off like no other that brings Amelia's character to vivid life.

I'm not totally satisfied with why the father must be distant, especially in light of him having said he loves Amelia more than anything in the world, and I would like a more in-depth look at the exact rules for interacting (or not interacting, as the case seems to be) with ghosts and what happens when the rules are broken. Looking for those things to be explored in a later book. Even so, these little complaints in no way detract from my love and devotion to the series. I'm so incredibly glad I stumbled upon them and decided to pick them up. They are some of the best books I've read in a long time.

I think it's a little funny that twice in a row Amelia has started a restoration project she's been unable to finish. I hope she can finish one featured in the next book!

I am totally in love with the Graveyard Queen series! It has all of the elements I love in a good urban fantasy. We have excellent characters, a little paranormal woo-woo and lots of mystery and suspense. I totally want to be a cemetery restorer now! The Kingdom delivers a creepy-tasitc tale and is perfect for fall.

The tale picks up shortly after the Restorer ends and Amelia Gray has accepted a commission to restore Thorngate cemetery located in Asher Falls, South Carolina. She is happy for the distance it puts between her and John Devlin. On the ferry ride over she learns some creepy things about Bell Lake from Thane Asher; grandson of the powerful family residing there. As soon as she arrives, the creepiness I have come to love from Stevens begins. The strange Realtor and the rental home on hollow ground, makes Amelia wonder who exactly requested she be given this job. The tale that unfolds is filled with suspense, mystery and things that go bump in the night! Amelia begins to feel a pull from this place and what she uncovers ...Eep!

Steven's has created some really unique characters with the residence of Asher Falls and I for one will never visit. Amelia is slowly dealing with her abilities and despite all the rules her father taught her; she takes chances and experiments. She is not without fear, but fearless in the face of danger. I love that she just does not run. I mean if all of this freaky stuff was happening to me, I think I would be on the next ferry out! She is inquisitive, pushes people's buttons to gauge their reactions and does not like to be warned away. She gains a new friend in an injured dog, and he becomes her constant companion. Thane is handsome, broken and aids Amelia. There is a little romance that develops and it's wrapped in a little woo-woo. Amelia struggles with feelings for Devlin and her attraction to Thane. While I like Thane and he was certainly swoon-worthy, I was never really sure if I trusted him. From the women Thane refers to as the "witches of Asher Falls" to the sociopath teen who has a crush on Thane these secondary characters add to the ominous feel of the town and its secrets.

Steven's did a fantastic job of describing Asher Falls, its people and Thorngate cemetery. I became completely immersed in the tale and it felt so genuine that I had goosebumps. She provided just enough details about the townsfolk to que the creepy music in my head, and let my imagination run wild. The Asher's, their home and the cemetery oozed with supernatural elements. If you are a Doctor Who fan like me the statues in the Asher family plot will have you running and shouting, " Don't Blink." We learned more about Amelia herself and I found the details fascinating. While Devlin did not make an appearance, his presence was felt. I was still left with a few unanswered questions and felt some things were rushed, but I cannot wait for book three. I am secretly hoping to see the CW pick this up as a series; to air right after Supernatural. I would totally watch it! originally posted at caffeinated book reviewer dot com

Amelia Gray is back with more ghosts trailing behind her! This unusual sequel is backed with more action and even more questions that The Restorer.

When Amelia is summoned to Asher Falls, she expected nothing but a restoration project to take her mind off of Devlin and his ghosts. Instead, she find adventure, new companions and a lot of unanswered questions.

The Kingdom picks up right where The Restorer left us except Amelia is immediately called to a new location. Everything about this book is perfect. Like The Restorer, the pacing is what makes this book. It moves at a slow and steady pace which usually bores readers; the opposite is happening here. The best way I can explain this book is to use the word "linger." The book moves at such a pace that all of the creepy interactions and ghostly things linger, transporting you into Stevens' eerie world. I loved the overall plot and loved how Stevens' kept the readers hooked by keeping the Reveal until the very end, but including little clues to make us think.

Amanda Stevens' strength is her characters. She introduces a whole new town full of interesting and quirky characters, they are all complex and honestly feel like real people, not imitations of real life. This is one of the reasons why I think The Graveyard Queen would make a fabulous movie, these characters come to life so easily. We learn more about Amelia's family and her heritage which will leave more questions than answers. I still love Amelia, she is level-headed, curious, and has a big heart; every action she took was justifiable which doesn't happen often with other main characters.

Stevens' writing is flawless as ever and Amelia is still a great narrator. Amelia is interesting, smart and has great insight. Stevens' writing can easily transport the reader into her world and make the reader feel as if he or she is living the actions alongside Amelia. I loved that Stevens' does not treat the sequel as a standalone book, she still references to actions and characters from The Restorer.

The Kingdom does not suffer from Sequel Syndrome. It opens a whole new world with new challenges for one of the best heroines I have read about yet.

This is one of those reviews I am going to have to try and control my fan girl like moments in!! I loved the first book The Restorer and amazingly this book was just as awesome!! Its creepy and beautiful and just has this whole package of mystery!!

First lets start with the creep factor. This book is filled with creepy moments as our main girl Amelia can see ghosts. And no these are not the sexy ghosts, they are terrifying! I seriously turned on Dora the Explorer to help me through this book so I wouldn't get too scared.

Second Amanda Stevens just has this beautiful way of writing. She sucks you into this small town and gives you all the details without boring you and creates this mystical world. I read this book in 2 sittings because I just could not put it down. As soon as we are on the ferry going to her new job I was glued to the pages. Every moment of this book there was something to grab a hold too and I just could not let go.

You must start with her first book The Restorer because that is where it all starts. And if you have read it then you will find some of the mysteries in Amelias life are uncovered in this book. We also meet some new characters and find out more about Amelias past. I have to say I totally missed Devlin through the whole book, but I really did enjoy meeting Thane. Oh and the very last 3 words of this book had me going crazy and abandoning my blogging duties so I could jump into The Prophet!

This book is a MUST MUST read!! I mean it. Its one of those books I think almost anyone would enjoy. There is something not quite right in Asher Falls and poor Amelia has no idea who she can trust. Not to mention the evil that lurks there and seems to have eyes for her. Like I said its creepy, beautiful, mysterious and one of my most favorite books of the year!!

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This book almost made my grades drop. Why? Because initially I had to read this book in little sips while I focused on my classwork. Eventually the plot and tension in this book got so intriguing that I finally couldn't take it any more and tossed my textbooks to the side in order to finish it. I imagine that I'm not the only one who did this. Whether it's housework, schoolwork, or sleep, you'll find yourself putting off other tasks so you can finish this book!

I absolutely adored this book, most specifically Amelia. While she does have the dubious "gift" of being able to see ghosts, she's not one of those overly aggressive "my way or the highway" female characters that wield their supernatural talent like a +4 battleax against the enemy. Nor is she a wilting flower that relies on anyone (male or otherwise) to do the job for her. Best yet, she's not the type of girl who is going to sit around and mope after a guy. Amelia reflects and maybe mourns some of the guy trouble in her life, but she isn't going to let it overwhelm her- especially not when there's work to be done and danger to avoid. She's someone that I could imagine stepping out of the pages and existing as a regular human being. It's really refreshing to see a character who isn't an invulnerable sexpot (looking at you, Anita Blake) or someone that completely requires others to save her. (OK, Bella- this one was aimed at you, not that you could really help it. Sparkly vampires are surprisingly vicious.)

It also helps that the plot in this is so engaging. There's sinister pasts, mysterious graves, and mountains with giant hex symbols carved into them. (For more information on hex symbols, click here.) These are exactly the sort of plot ideas that instantly draw you in and make you want to read it. Rest assured, this book won't disappoint you. I particularly loved the attention to detail that Stevens put into everything. There's a lot of questions answered in this book but then we get a whole host of new ones to think about, as well as a few new characters that I hope to see in future volumes.

If you haven't read the first volume, it's not an absolute necessity since so much of this book takes place in another town away from the happenings and people from The Restorer. I do recommend it, though. It's not only going to help explain some of the references that are brought up, but it's also a pretty entertaining read. If you're reading this review after the book has been released and you just can't wait to get your hot little hands on this book (or bought it without knowing it's book #2 of a series), Stevens does explain enough to where you won't be completely lost.

Overall this is one of the best books I've read this year (OK, it's February, but still). Stevens has always been an up and coming writer that I've loved, but this book shows how far her writing has come along. She's no longer an "up and coming", Stevens is already here and here to stay.

5 out of 5 stars (Freaking loved this book! I'm actually sorry that my ARC has to expire.)

(ARC provided by NetGalley)

Quite different than the previous book, I was really surprised. Normally when I read series books, they always seem interchangeable to me. Same concept, just switch up the location and some details. Not so with this book. Stevens deftly told a story that was connected to the previous book by including important details and characters, but managed to keep the "formula" out of it.

Amelia travels to Asher Falls to restore another cemetary. She immediately notices the strange town, and the even stranger people within. Weird things start happening, and Amelia keeps feeling a dark force at play. She was drawn to this town like a magnet, and the reasoning behind her being hired is a great mystery thay she is trying to figure out. She was hired for a reason, and it wasn't really for restoration. She doesn't see as many ghosts, only 2 of great significance. She has to figure out why she is seeing only these 2.

We learn a great deal of Amelia's past. There is also a new potential love interest, Thane Asher. I am still stuck on Devlin, so I secretly hope Thane drops off the face of the fictional planet. There was something off about him, something almost dark and sinister, but I am thinking it's because of the mystery surrounding the Ashers. Either way, I hope he gets lost in the next book. We also learn a bit more about Amelia's father, which I was happy about.

I will definitely be moving on to the third installment, The Prophet. Hopefully I can curb my impatience waiting for the 4th book, The Visitor, which I believe has a release year of 2014. I'm hoping it comes sooner, like this year, because I am definitely hooked on this series.

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A woman dragged into a world where her unknown heritage comes back to haunt her.

Opening Sentence: The breeze off the water carried a slight chill even though the sun had barely begun its western slide.

The Review:

The second installment of the Graveyard Queen series, The Kingdom, lives up to the expectations of the first book. This one focuses not on Amelia's present and possible future, but on her past. Her new restoration job in Asher Falls is just what she needs to separate herself from her jumbled feelings for the haunted detective she left behind in Charleston. But the quiet town has more than a few secrets; secrets that no one there wants to come to light. Amelia's own past is intertwined with this little town and the oppressive evil that permeates it.

Amelia Grey has a lot to think about these days. The rules that her father gave her to live by no longer offer the protection it once did. The man she loves is haunted by the ghosts of his deceased family. All of this has left Amelia with the need to discover her own past and face her own ghosts. She begins to question all the things her parents told her that she once took for granted. How did she come to be adopted by her parents? Where did she come from? This place, this dying town of Asher Falls, calls to her on a level she doesn't understand. And when she is drawn to an unmarked grave, the questions it raises are not ones that anyone in town what to answer. Will the answers she seeks about her past be her undoing?

Even with all the trouble Amelia finds in her new commission, there are a few good things that she does find. For instance: her new dog, Angus. A stray Amelia found lurking around the place she was staying at; Angus's physical scars reflect Amelia's emotional ones. Even after all the apparent pain he was put through, the dog remains steadfast and loyal to his new owner. A pet is a good companion for someone who needs to reexamine their lives. Angus offers silent acceptance at a time that Amelia feels that the foundation of her world is crumbling.

Amelia also finds a kindred spirit within the town. Sidra is a teenage girl that can also see ghosts. For someone that has purposely alienated herself from others, Amelia realizes how alone she really was before she met someone like herself. I believe that this is a pivotal moment for our heroine. Amelia sees some of herself in the teenager, Sidra. But can she see a different path available for the young woman, different from the one she herself chose? She starts to see that there are options for her now, other than her father's rules. Can she truly break out of her box? Will she explore other avenues, now that she no longer feels so alone in the world? Should she take the chance, even if it may lead to her doom?

Of course, there is always the handsome Thane Asher. Even though there is a spark of passion between them, both of their hearts belong to others. Amelia is not yet ready to give up John Devlin and Thane is still in love with his old fiancé, Harper. But there are forces at work that want these two people together, one way or another. How far is the Asher family going to go to secure their "legacy?" What will they do if Thane and Amelia dig too deep into things they want forgotten? I like Thane's character. He puts on a good front of disinterest, but his good nature shines through in all of his actions. I hope that Amelia learns to judge people by their actions and not their words, including her family.

One of the neat things about The Kingdom is its villains. Or should I say its lack of true villains. Everyone in the town has something to hide and they all have varying degrees of desperation in keeping them quiet. That makes for a lot of people that have the potential to hurt Amelia, and not all for the same reasons. This one fact lets the reader keep guessing who is behind all the trouble our heroine keeps getting into. Who is to say that the person she feels is following her a person, several persons, ghost, or one of the other beings she found out about in the last book?

On a side note: The two main characters from the prequel story, The Abandoned, are mentioned in passing by Amelia's Aunt Lynrose. I always appreciate an author who ties in their previous work with their current. For me, it makes the side story more cemented into the main one and therefore, worth my time to read it.

Overall, The Kingdom is a worthy sequel to the first novel. Amanda Stevens weaves this story in such a way that makes you feel relieved in the end that justice and peace are served. She leaves you with a sense of hopefulness for the future and not despair. I can't wait for the next installment because this series gets better and better.

The Graveyard Queen Series:

0.5. The Abandoned

1. The Restorer

2. The Kingdom

3. The Prophet

FTC Advisory: Harlequin/Mira provided me with a copy of The Kingdom. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys.

4.5 Stars. The Restorer was one of my favorite books of 2011 and I was anxiously awaiting it's sequel. The Kingdom did not disappoint. The spook factor begins on page one, as Amelia makes her way to the remote town of Asher Falls to restore the small town's cemetery. Amelia's grateful for the change in scenery. She needs a break from Charleston, from the events of the past few months, and she's running away from the man she loves, John Devlin, and the ghosts that haunt him.

But Asher Falls turns out to be nothing like Amelia was expecting. From the moment she arrives she knows something is off. The town seems half-empty, and the folks that are around are strange, and not entirely welcoming. She soon learns who the major players are: an eccentric old millionaire, a disfigured sheriff with a chip on his shoulder, a coven of witches, and a smokin' hot playboy, Thane Asher. Amelia thinks his interest in her is easy to figure out: she's new and different and something for Thane to toy with to alleviate the boredom of being trapped in a small town life, as heir to a family legacy he doesn't even want. But Asher Falls starts having a powerful effect on Amelia, as the ghosts start to rise, the cemetery starts to reveal its secrets, and something evil stalks her from the woods, and Thane may be the only person who can protect her physically and mentally. Keeping her secret becomes difficult, as the ghosts she sees seem to have personal connections to her, and as the townspeople watch her as if waiting for a reaction. When she starts digging in to the town's mysteries and how she plays a role in them, someone--or something--becomes determined to stop her.

And that's where I'll stop to avoid spoilers. The plot is tight and twisted and deliciously spooky. The cemetery at the bottom of the lake aspect was creepy as hell, with ghosts rising like mist off the lake each twilight. The small town mentality, family secrets, witches, curses, sexy Thane Asher, and that thing in the woods all combine for a hair-raising good read. Aside from the difference in setting, this book has quite a different feel from the first book. But the story still had that power to suck me in and keep my spine tingling and on the edge of my seat all night long. And it is full of answers. Amelia finally learns who she really is and where she came from. I could not put it down. And though I loved it, I did really miss Charleston and John Devlin, but the last line of the book--what a way to end it!--promises plenty of both in the final installment of the trilogy!

The wonderfully eerie Graveyard Queen series continues with book two, The Kingdom.

In this one, Amelia is in a new location surrounded by new characters, including a new handsome and mysterious man. An odd choice by the author, to write a plot for this sequel that differs so much from the first, especially with the way things were left at the end of book one regarding John Devlin and a ghost who sought Amelia out for her help. Amelia is the same of course, haunted by her knowledge of ghosts and the fact that she can see them, or rather, try extremely hard not to see them. Her parents and aunt are also in this one for a bit, much like the first in the series, but they are the only characters from The Restorer that appear in this sequel. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book - in fact, I did. I rated it the same four stars that I gave The Restorer, just for different reasons.

In The Kingdom, we follow Amelia as she temporarily moves to the town of Asher Falls to restore the town's Thorngate Cemetery. Asher Falls is almost a character itself, a strange and unnaturally feeling place. Amelia feels immediately drawn to the town, like she is supposed to be there for whatever reason, despite the odd personalities of the town's inhabitants and a group of women reminiscent of The Heathers. Asher Falls is the perfect locale for a ghost story - an isolated island with a tragic past, run by a family with old money. Unfortunately, the ghosts don't really play much of a part in this book. Most of the plot is driven by Amelia's feeling of a strange connection to the town and her discovery of an unmarked grave in the woods near the cemetery. While this story line was interesting, it just doesn't have the same sense of urgency as the ghostly murder mystery being solved in book one. I did appreciate the background info about Amelia that we got from this story. There are some secrets about Amelia's heritage that are finally revealed and this helps to set up what I imagine will be the plot in the upcoming book three.

My favorite thing about The Kingdom, other than the awesomely creepy town itself, is the character Thane, who replaces Devlin as Amelia's love interest. I found him to be more personable and a better match for Amelia, especially considering that in book one we spend more than half the book wondering if Devlin is even interested in Amelia. Thane doesn't come attached to two ghosts either, although he is haunted by less ghostly things that do work against the possibility of a long-term relationship. I am hoping that in the next book we get to see both men - oh, wouldn't that be fun! There is also a secondary character that I quite liked, Sidra. She has much in common with Amelia and I hope she somehow works her way into the next book because I was left with some questions about her.

Amelia Gray, is escaping Charleston after the terrifying and climatic events at the end of book one, The Restorer. She takes on a new graveyard restoration job, in the small town of Asher Falls, South Carolina. Amelia is hoping that burying herself in the cemetery restoration will take her mind off Devlin. She ended her relationship with him, knowing that it could not continue as long as the ghosts of his wife and daughter haunt him. Her brief romantic interlude with the handsome, overly protective detective, led her to break several of the cardinal ghost rules, that were stamped into her head, by her father during her childhood. Disregarding these all important, safe keeping rules, has left Amelia open to the ghosts and possibly the evil that creeps at the fringes of our world. On the ferry ride over to Asher Falls, she peers into the water and sees a ghostly form. Then a handsome stranger, and resident of Asher Falls, Thane, informs her that Asher Falls is no ordinary town. It is an isolated town, cut off from the main road, and steeped in secrets. The old cemetery was flooded several years ago, during a construction project, and now it lies at the bottom of the lake. This revelation is just the beginning of the creepiness that awaits Amelia in Asher Falls. It seems this small little town, in danger of becoming a ghost town, has many dark secrets and evil lurking around every corner. A place where many have tried to bury their secrets and the darkness in their hearts with the dead, but sometimes the dead still whisper and deadly clandestine information refuses to stay buried. What evil is hiding in the town? Why is it stalking Amelia?

What I Liked:
*Amanda Stevens knows how to create a chilling atmosphere. The first pages draw you in when Fate's long, cold, boney finger stabs out, gesturing for Amelia to come closer. Fate continues her deathly lure, dragging a reluctant Amelia into a town with mystery, deadly secrets, ghosts, an unmarked grave, something evil hiding in the mountains and a life shattering revelation. This book will grab your imagination. You can almost feel the spectral fingers that shiver down Amelia's spine. Yet, the scenes are perfectly woven into the story, just enough to provide the right amount of chills without going over the top. If you love a good ghost story with plenty of spine tingling tension, grab this one right away! If you scare easily, don't read this one alone at night.
*I appreciated that this book is written so that it can be a stand alone book. Amelia plunges into a mystery in Asher Falls, that draws upon her background, but for the most part, it is a separate story line from The Restorer. You can easily slip into the ghostly pages of this book, without having read book one. Ms. Stevens provides enough background information to fill you in along the way. Honestly, it has been a year since I read The Restorer, so many of the details were fuzzy for me anyway, and it truly was not a problem in reading this title.
*I am fascinated by the whole concept of graveyard restoration (I know a little creepy, right?) since I read The Restorer. Let's face it, graveyards are not something that most of us care to ponder over at great length. However, Ms. Stevens will intrigue you with her careful descriptions of headstones, their symbols and their meanings, as well as the discussion of graveyards and their restorations. Ms. Stevens has certainly done some meticulous research in creating her series. I had no idea that graveyards could be so intriguing. My only complaint, there isn't more on this topic in the book.
*Can I just say, I love Angus! When Amelia arrives at her new lodgings, she spots a maimed, starving dog wandering loose. This poor pooch was the victim of a dog fighting kennel. Amelia ends up taking in this dog, and he ends up stealing the show. I wanted to scratch his stumpy little ears.
And The Not So Much:
*This book focuses on a murder mystery with roots that go back twenty eight years. When the terrifying events lead to a thrilling climax and a satisfying ending, (no cliffhanger) I was left with many unanswered questions. The revelations felt a bit hurried and many of the details were glossed over. There were just too many loose ends for my taste. I needed more detail especially on Luna, her behavior and actions.
*Two secondary characters Tilly and Sidra were brilliant additions, unfortunately they spend much of the book lingering in the shadows until both come forward and divulge some eye opening information. I would personally like to see them both play more of a significant role. They were fascinating. I only hope that they will be back for book three.
*The other story line left dangling was the discussion brought up in the first pages about Pell Asher and his sins that ruined the town. This was just barely touched upon in the final pages, leaving me wondering, what were all of his crimes?

The Kingdom furls out its ghostly tendrils and drags you into a story filled with mystery, ghosts, secrets and the evil that can consume ones soul and mark it with darkness. If you are a fan of hair-raising, spine chilling ghost stories, you need to check out this The Graveyard Queen Series by Amanda Stevens. Ms. Stevens brilliantly crafts a chilling atmosphere that will leave you shivering long after you close the pages. This is an addicting series that you won't want to miss. I immediately wanted the next book after reading the conclusion of The Kingdom. Luckily, The Prophet, book three is set to release, April 2012. Reader beware, if you are faint of heart don't read this alone on a dark night, you may find yourself peering at all the dark corners in your room once the lights are out. If you want a tantalizing taste of this series, you can read the prequel, The Abandoned for free on the store.

Favorite Quotations:

"The dead down there don't want to be forgotten...ever again."

"She had the air of someone who knew dark things. Like me."

"In that in-between moment of light and dark, the night creatures hadn't yet stirred."

"How can you know who you are if you don't know where you come from?
"Something was seriously amiss in this town. I'd felt it the moment I crossed Bell Lake. The shadows seemed deeper, the nights longer, the secrets older. Even the wind felt different here."

"Without the touchstone of family, one leads an imbalanced life."

"The strongest ties are blood and land. They are constant. Romantic love is all too fleeting."

"Grudges are like supersitions. You know they don't make sense, but you cling to them, anyway."

"The breeze lifted my hair and stroked my face like a lover's caress."

"Moonlight shimmered through the live oaks, silvering the Spanish moss that streamed like an old woman's hair in the breeze."

"He kissed me, again and again, his tongue weaving a trail of black magic that lured and enthralled and seduced."

A big thanks to Mira Publishing for provding me a copy of this book for review.

In the second book in the Graveyard Queen series Amelia is sent to a little town called Asher Falls to restore an old cemetery there. She is still sad about everything that happened (and didn't happen) between her and Devlin in the first book so the change of town and scenery was a welcome one.

As Amelia is on the ferry to get to Asher Falls she thinks she sees something in the water, well a ghost to be exact. As she is leaning over the ferry trying to find her ghost she startled by the mysteriously dark Thane Asher and learns that when the town flooded the old cemetery along with half the town went under water where they all still reside today. Because of the flood the town became somewhat of a ghost town (no pun intended) and local residents claim that at night you can hear the ghosts ringing the bells attached to their coffins (as was the custom back then to do if the person was buried alive by mistake).

From the moment Amelia sets foot in the town something seems off about it and the residents. There is already a creepiness and air of mystery after just reading the first few chapters and I could already tell that this book was going to be even better than the first one.

Everything in the place is different, the air the trees, the ghosts, they are connecting with Amelia like she has never experienced before and she is scared not to mention worried about what that all means.

There is said to be a thin place located in the falls, a place that is thinnest between the world of living and the dead. Could that be the reason for all the strange occurrences, all the strange people and sightings and noise?

This book is such a journey for Amelia, she finds out so much about her life her family and who she is not to mention about the town and all of its secrets.

This book is definitely more creepy than the last one and while Devlin didn't play a role in this book he was never far from Amelia's mind.

We do meet some new and very interesting characters that play a huge role in Amelia's life and I think we will see more of them in the future.

I don't want to give anything away other than to say that this sequel was everything I wanted and them some. It was fabulous and I am so excited to read the next book, after the cliffhanger ending I can't wait to see what happens next!

Amelia Gray, The Graveyard Queen, takes a job at the remote and mysterious Asher Falls. But as soon as she arrives, she feels an unusual pull to the town, the people and the strange circumstances that surround the sleepy town.
Amelia is there to restore the old cemetery, but she can't ignore the ghosts that drift through the land. And these ghosts seem awfully interested in her.

After devouring The Restorer, Book One of The Graveyard Queen series, I immediately picked up book two. Amelia has left her beloved Charleston behind to venture to Asher Falls, giving us new mystery and new suspicious characters. As the mystery unfolds slowly, ghosts hiding behind every corner, Amelia finds some secrets are better left alone.

I love Amelia. She's incredibly smart, clever and very much haunted. She can see ghosts and tries to follow her father's rules. But after breaking a few, or all, of them in the last book, the ghosts have become more interested in her than she is comfortable with. Her heart may belong to a certain detective back home, and he is absent in this book, but the loneliness is still there. Her feelings of isolation add to the haunting landscape and creepy people that populate Asher Falls. She's not over her detective, but is she ready to start something new with Thane Asher? Is he to be trusted?

I loved the setting of this book. The cemetery she has to restore is eerie but no match for the older watery grave that is under the lake right outside the house she is staying in. The ghosts have grown bolder. But what is really dangerous aren't necessarily the ghosts, but the people of Asher Falls- what they're capable of and who or what haunts them.

There is nothing to not love about this book. I recommend reading The Restorer first, only because I think The Kingdom is even more powerful after seeing Amelia in her natural hometown.
But overall, this series has quickly become one of my favorites.

Give it a try. It's a slow creepy feeling, the hair rising on the back of your neck, being watched when you're alone. You know- Awesomeness.

One of my favorite books of 2011 was THE RESTORER, the first in Amanda Stevens' Graveyard Queen series. I reviewed it here and raved about it to every reader I know (and some I didn't!). So I waited impatiently for the second in the series, THE KINGDOM, and luckily scored an ARC. I loved it, too! Here's the back cover summary:

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.

The heroine and Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray, sees ghosts. All her life she lived by her father's rules to keep them at bay--until she met the haunted John Devlin in The Restorer and opened a door she cannot close again. In leaving Charleston she's also left Devlin and before she even arrives in Asher Falls, she meets the handsome, charming Thane Asher whose family pretty much owns the town. But in spite of a mutual attraction, there are too many creepy happenings in the town for Amelia to trust anyone. Ultimately she learns horrifying secrets that change her life forever, but not before they nearly kill her.

As with The Restorer, The Kingdom is a deliciously creepy Southern gothic story that drew me in and kept me up late into the night. The eerie mood, ambiguous characters and ghostly entities are perfectly blended in a story of horror, discovery and redemption. I thought I'd miss Devlin (he doesn't actually appear in this book except as a memory) because I loved him in The Restorer, but once I got into the story I was totally hooked. Read this book! It stands on its own, but is much better if you've read The Restorer which was recently released in mass market paperback.

I read and reviewed the first book in this series (The Restorer) a year ago, and finally the second book is out! I was so excited when I saw that The Kingdom was coming, and I waited very patiently. It was totally worth the wait.

This book is quite different from the first - not only is Amelia moving onto a new graveyard, but she is moving away from her love interest in the first novel, and away from everything that is familiar and safe.

Asher Falls is in a world of its own. A creepy world that seems to have its own rules and far too many secrets for Amelia's liking. Very quickly it becomes obvious that everyone is protecting their own interests, and no-one is telling her the full truth of the situation.

Like the first, this book was deliciously dark and beautifully written. I quickly overcame the brief confusion I had at finding that Amelia and Devlin were not an item any longer, and poured myself into the mysteries within these pages. The book this time seems less about the graveyard, and more to do with the skeletons in the towns closet, and what they mean for Amelia. We finally learn more about her parentage and origins, and how she came to have the ability to see, and communicate, with the dead.

Amelia has spent a lot of her life playing by her fathers rules, which have until now kept her safe, but this town, and the people in it (living and dead), have their own agenda's. Amelia has never been more at risk, and there were plenty of times I was on the edge of my seat, eager to find out how everything would come together at the end.

That said, it's not a perfect book by any means. Amelia is in danger a lot and she makes some awfully risky decisions. I could understand some of them, but others felt like they were a little bit on the not-so-smart side for a character I felt was pretty savvy in the first book.

However, I still really enjoyed it and went straight from this book to the third in the series, which will be released later this year. I'll be reviewing that closer to it's release - but I can tell you that I really enjoyed that one too!

The Kingdom picks up a few months after The Restorer. Amelia has a new job in a Asher Falls, SC and this time she is going to restore the Thornhill Cemetery. On the way to Asher Falls she soon learns that the town is named after a very rich and powerful family who has a need to atone for past sins that has caused for one cemetery to reside at the bottom of a lake and for the Asher's to share their family cemetery with everyone else. But in the beginning of the restoration she finds herself drawn to a hidden unmarked grave in a town full of secrets. This time it seems the secrets reside around Amelia.

I actually liked this one more than the first book the Restorer which I thought was quite good. This time I think Amelia really impressed me she did not seem quite as vulnerable, she was scared and unsure but she was also strong and confident . It was also interesting to see that the ghosts were reaching out to her in different ways but this time she knew she had to figure it out. At the same time Amelia is battling her own ghost with Devlin and trying to get a handle on her emotions.

The setting for this book is amazing and in many ways it is a character. The descriptions are quite vivid and you really get a feel for this barren city which is just wrong. Even something as tranquil as a lake is just creepy. The new characters in this book are great because you are really not sure what to make of any one, at times I wondered is this a person or a ghost?? The plot moves super fast and literally I was glued to the story the whole way through. This time we get a strange death and hexes plus a creepy family legacy.

Love this book and highly recommend it if you like a modern day gothic mystery.

The Kingdom picks up a few months after The Restorer and we follow Amelia gray to a new contract she is working on in a small town called Asher Falls. She has been specifically picked to restore the town's cemetery and a mystery benefactor is paying for her work. Of course things never seem to run smoothly for Amelia and soon she is caught up in a decades old mystery. Lots of secrets are revealed and Amelia discovers more than she bargained for.

I loved this book. I thought it was much better than the first. Whereas The Restorer was rather slow paced The Kingdom grabbed my attention from page 1 and didn't let go until I had finished. The Graveyard Queen series isn't like other books out there. I really like Ms Stevens writing style and she does a great job at creating a spooky atmosphere. Her descriptions about the South are wonderful and it is really making me want to visit this part of the world.

I enjoyed that this book wasn't set in Charleston and we were away from Devlin it gave us a chance to meet new characters...hello Thane Asher....and to get some questions answered that were raised in book 1. Again I couldn't work out the plot. I love it that Ms Stevens can fool me like this.

I highly recommend this series but you MUST read them in order otherwise it will not make any sense at all. I am emotionally invested in Amelia Gray and I'm impatiently waiting for the postman to deliver book 3. I am giving The Kingdom 5 spooktastic stars.

Never more at home than when she is in a cemetery, Amelia's latest job is to restore an old cemetery. Asher Falls is hidden away, surrounded by water, and accessible only by ferry. At the bottom of the lake lies an old graveyard, but that is only the start of strange and creepy things going in this town. Amelia knows she should be running as far away as she can, but she feels a strange pull that seems to be holding her there. The only hope she has is to get to the bottom of the secrets this town holds and expose them all.

I knew almost from the start that this mystery would hit very close to home for Amelia. There was such a sense of impending doom that latched onto her. There was so much build up and mystery behind the creepy town, with the landscape holding just as many secrets as the people. There were several times when I wanted to yell at her for being a fool and not running from that town like her legs were on fire. Of course I think a lot of the reason she stayed had to do with her own innate need for answers. There also was the pesky issue of the extreme draw she felt to the town, and I have to agree with her belief that she just couldn't escape it. I'm still wondering whether or not that issue is really resolved, and if not how much of a role it will play in the next book. I'm honestly not sure how much more of that horrible place I can take.

I was a little let down at Devlin's role in The Kingdom being nothing more than a "ghost" haunting Amelia with a love she cannot have. I find it a little ironic that she has to stay away from him because of his ghosts due to their draining nature, yet emotionally he has become exactly that to her. Even with all the time and space between them, he never seems to stray far from her thoughts or heart. However, in The Kingdom, we meet Thane who slowly starts to crack into the shell of her broken heart. Granted there really isn't much romance considering everything else that is going on, but what was important about what did happen was that it helped Amelia get a little clarity on her attachment to Devlin. As far as whether it drew her closer to him by realizing he really was the one for her or further away as she got some distance, you'll just have to read The Kingdom to find out for yourself.

I'm a huge ninny when it comes to anything scary, and to be honest, if I had known ahead of time that the previous book would have been so creepy, I never would have read it. Which honestly would have been a shame because then I would have missed out on this awesome series. Even so, I found myself putting off reading The Kingdom because I never seemed to have time to read during the daytime, and I absolutely refused to at night. Now that I have finished it, I am more than glad that I had that sense of caution. The creepiness and pure terror factor in The Kingdom makes the events in The Restorer look like child's play. My poor nails are bitten to the quick. However, despite the fear, I was so thoroughly sucked into the story and I cannot wait until I can dive into the next installment. If you enjoyed The Restorer, then be prepared to have your socks rocked off in The Kingdom. Trust me, it is that good.

This is the second book in the Graveyard Queen series. The third book in the series, The Prophet, release in April 2012. I got an advanced reading copy of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, The Restorer, and was very excited to read this book. I loved the haunting setting, the beautiful writing, and the tragic characters. We learn a lot about Amelia's past in this book and it was a wonderful read.

Amelia is leaving Charleston behind to travel to the isolated mountain village of Asher Falls to restore a cemetery there. Upon arrival she meets the dashing Thane Asher who tells her about the first cemetary underneath what is now Bell Lake. Why did they flood this cemetary? Who hired Amelia to restore the newer, Asher cemetary? Why is Amelia so drawn to this town and to the secret grave she finds at the bottom of the cliffs? There is an evil the haunts this town and Amelia needs to solve the riddle behind it before the evil takes her too.

I love Stevens writing style; it is haunting, mysterious, and beautiful...just an absolute joy to read. The plot is creepy, compelling, and made the book impossible to put down. This book has a very southern gothic feel to it.

Amelia is a great character. She has a backbone and is brave, yet still comes across as vulnerable at times. There were a few times in this book where Amelia did some really stupid and dangerous things, these were those moments in a horror movie where you yell "No! Don't go into the dark forest by yourself!" So a couple times I was exasperated with her, but I still just love her character so much and love how her curiousity drives her.

Devlin isn't in this book at all. We see a couple letters to Amelia from him and Amelia pines for him, but he is never present. Instead the playboyish Asher Thane is the male lead. I enjoyed Asher; he was a complex character, that had mysterious motives. His character worked wonderfully with Amelia and he gives Devlin a run for his money.

The plot is wonderfully woven; elements from the first book are woven into the story seemlessly and you can really tell that Stevens meticulously planned this whole story out. I loved the mystery, the creepiness, and the way everything was woven so neatly together. Some of the things revealed in the second half of the book will absolutely blow you away; I was surprised and stunned. The book does end with a pretty big cliffhanger...so I am excited that I got the third book The Prophet for review last week....I will be reading it soon.

Overall I just loved this book. The writing is so beautiful and easy to read; it just flows so nicely. The characters are realistic, complicated, and absolutely endearing. The plot is complex, mysterious, and very well woven together. The book was incredibly engaging and I just had a ton of trouble putting it down. This book is very much a gothic paranormal mystery of sorts. It is different from all the other urban fantasy out there, but should really appeal to fans of that genre. I highly, highly recommend this series to fans of gothic literature or fans of urban fantasy/paranormal stories. This is seriously one of my favorite series right now. I cannot wait to read The Prophet!

This book was nothing like I expected it to be and yet it manages to advance the Graveyard Queen series in a way that maintains the tone and answers some of the questions set up in The Restorer. It has elements of horror. It has danger. It, of course, has ghosts. But what it doesn't have... is John Devlin. But I'll get back to that in a minute.

It's been a few months since the events of the last book and Amelia has accepted a new job in a new town called Asher Falls. She has been trying to keep her distance from Devlin and she feels like this new project will help her do that. But even aboard the ferry --on her way to the secluded town-- there are signs of trouble. An underwater graveyard is one --a mysterious and compelling man is another.

In Asher Falls, she finds a place that's cut off from the rest of the world. A powerful family is responsible for its ruin and, perhaps, things which are much worse. There is an undeniable evil in the town. It recognizes Amelia and she becomes a target, in more ways than one.

I'm not going to get into the details of the plot, because I don't want to ruin the surprises and revelations. I will say that I wish I would have re-read The Restorer before beginning this installment. I found myself struggling to remember some of the particulars that were only mildly referenced here. Perhaps because of that, I had a little bit of trouble getting back in the groove at the beginning of the book. Or maybe because --with a new town and a new supporting cast-- I almost felt like we were starting over.

I was intrigued by the new love interest... but I was very put out that the Devlin storyline was put on the back-burner. I liked learning more about Amelia's past and what makes her who she is. I'll admit that I figured out the "big reveal" early, but I certainly wouldn't call it predictable --and other elements of the story still managed to surprise me and keep me guessing until the very end.

And while we are on the subject of the end --the last line of the book was completely awesome and now has me panting to get my hands on The Prophet. (Thank goodness it will be here in April!) 4 stars.

The very first page. That's how long it took before I was completely and utterly hooked. The events in this book take place six months after the end of the first book. Amelia is on her way to a restoration project in an area cut off from everything else when the lake expanded several decades ago, flooding some areas of the town. All those houses, all those lives are still down there, not to mention all those ghosts of the past trapped in this backwoods place.

Right off the bat I was completely head over heels for this setting. It's remote, it's spooky - it's perfect for this sort of book! The reader becomes just as immersed in these secluded surroundings as Amelia herself and I felt that the author did a fantastic job of creating an eerie location in what feels almost like an abandoned ghost town.

The Kingdom takes things a step further with witches, strange creatures that do not belong to our world, and a dark menace that Amelia calls pure Evil, adding a fascinating layer to the lore in this series.

As of the very first chapter I had tingles going down my spine. That's quite some feat. Every time I put the book down, I had an overpowering urge to delve right back in putting off everything I could in favour of reading. I never once lost interest in the narrative. And that last line? Oh so many promises for the next book in fewer than ten words.

Two words: more please!!

This wasn't as good as The Resteror for me although I still enjoyed reading it, though truthfully I read it just to get me to the third book (I wanted Amelia back in Charleston and Devlin!).

The eerie factor was also in this book, just like The Restorer, the writing was still good, though I found it a bit slow going to start out with. Thane was also an interesting character but different from Devlin. He was the easy going, open character compared to Devlin's dark and brooding type. He was very honest about his feelings for Amelia and openly pursued her. The chemistry was there, though not as intense as with Devlin but there was something in Asher Falls that fuelled the physical attraction.

There were a quite a few scenes in this book that had Amelia literally running scared and her reactions to those things to me, looking at it as if I was observing her reaction as someone who doesn't see/understand what she sees/feels gives her the perception of being crazy. As it was, it would be Tilly (who knows/understands) and Thane (who feels it to a degree and also feels protective towards her), who would come across her after one of those episodes. Amelia seemed more fearful to me in this book and I didn't feel that her character really progressed other than to understand the effect she had on Asher Falls.

The mystery of the book revolved around the characters introduced here and the connection Amelia had to them. Amelia finds that her appointment to the job there was not coincidental but orchestrated for a purpose. The question of where she comes from and who she is is also revealed in this story.

The ending wasn't as rushed as the first book and the last line of the book will make you want to immediately read the third book.

My Review:
I just finished The Restorer and then moved right into this book, but still this book managed to surprise me. It took a completely unexpected turn away from Amelia's relationship with Devlin and into the mystery of Amelia's past. In fact, besides mentions, you don't see Devlin at all in this book. If there was a single thing that I could complain about here, it would be that fact.

But besides that fact, this book was amazing. It was even more chilling, even more creepy than the first book. At the 52% mark of the book, I actually experienced a full-body shudder with the pure creepiness and evil in this book. OMG...I can't believe how much I loved that about the book. Have I mentioned how much I am NOT a horror girl, but this book is so good!! It's all so well done, you can't help but to love it at the same time you worry about the faces you will see in the window that night. LOL!

In this book, Amelia has moved to a new cemetery restoration out of Charleston. Immediately upon entering the town, Amelia feels the draw to it and the fact that there is something different about this town and her reaction to it. I slowly started figuring out where the story was going, but each time, it was only a few pages before the shocker was revealed. This is definitely a book that keeps you guessing and turning the page simply to find out what in the world is going on. So good.

There is also a new love interest, but like Amelia's relationship with Devlin, there are roadblocks with Thane...one of the most serious being that Amelia is not ready to give up on Devlin. This was an intriguing aspect to the story and I really like the way this ended. I am sitting on pins and needles for book #3...I NEED IT NOW!

There is a whole new cast of characters to this story and a whole new set of mysteries. I highly recommend this series. It's simply riveting reading. There are tiny elements of romance, but overall these books are about the suspense and horror that comes from Amelia's other senses. They are creepy and fun and just entertaining reading.

I LOVED The Restorer - Book 1 in the Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens. The only thing I didn't like was how many questions it left unanswered at the end. That's why I was very disappointed that the original release date for Book 2 - The Kingdom, was pushed back. Needless to say, when I finally got my hands on a copy, I was brimming with anticipation.

Maybe that's why I was a little disappointed in it. Don't get me wrong, the Kingdom stands alone as a great, exciting mystery/suspense. Stevens' writing is as spine-tingling and intriguing as always. And, yes, one or two questions leftover from the Restorer were answered. But, I really didn't feel like this was part of a series. I missed Devlin and his ghosts. I didn't feel nearly as connected to this whole new set of people as I did to him and kept wishing he was about to make an appearance. I wouldn't even categorize this as a romance novel at all. The chemistry between what would be the romantic leads was very flat and forced. But, like I said before, the story itself was enough to keep me reading. And the little mentions of Devlin just made me more excited to read Book 3. Hopefully, I won't have to wait as long for that one!

If you liked the Restorer, you should absolutely read The Kingdom, but be prepared to be waiting for all the answers!

The Kingdom: 3.5/5

I read the first book in this series, The Restorer, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read the second book. The Restorer was so good that I immediately bought a keeper copy for my home bookshelf. I'll be doing the same thing with this thrilling tale.

Amelia Gray grew up around graveyards since her father was the caretaker of Rosehill Cemetery - a place Amelia counts as one of her favorite places to be, one of the safest. Amelia can also see ghosts, but she studiously ignores their presence, just as her father taught her to do, lest they sap her life energy from her. In the first book Amelia broke that rule and now she has opened the door to spirits who are insistent in this installment that Amelia feel them reaching out to her.

She travels to Asher Falls to restore the long-neglected Thorngate cemetery. Told in first person point of view, Stevens brings Amelia brilliantly to life along with a cast of creepy characters with secrets they would prefer that Amelia doesn't uncover. This book contained a little more of the paranormal and wicked than the last installment. Though this is categorized as paranormal romance, it is so much more than that. Sure, there's a little sprinkle of romance in the story, but it's mostly an extremely well-crafted, perfectly-plotted thriller. I absolutely can't wait to read the next book in the series!

They call Amelia Gray the graveyard queen, renowned for her amazing work at restoring old cemeteries. She also has a secret, she sees ghost. The book begins when she rides the ferry across to the small southern town of Asher Falls. A town she soon finds is full of dark Asher family secrets and something even more malicious, something from across the veil. She thinks she is going there to restore the Asher family cemetery. She discovers there is deeper, darker purpose for which she has been summoned to Asher Falls.

Beside the old grave yard she is restoring, there is another, an older one, flooded. The underwater graveyard lays just beyond the doorstep of the house she is staying at. Then she discovers a hidden grave, a mystery, she is driven to solve. One by one with twist and turns old secrets are discovered, and the ghosts of Asher Falls are the least of her worries.

Amanda Stevens has been writing books for 45 years and this is the second book in the Graveyard Queen Series. Here is a marvelous video of her discussing her Graveyard Queen series. [...]

The heroine, Amelia Gray, is amazing, complicated and fleshed out. This contemporary, paranormal, gothic mystery is compelling. The Kingdom is a true page turner. The writing is exquisite. I loved this book and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

This is a great sequel to The Restorer (Graveyard Queen #1). While I saw the first book as more of a mystery than a ghost story, this one blended the two perfectly.

The story takes place in a town which has become a world within itself. One where the rules have become a form of law and outsiders are unwelcome. Amelia finds herself drawn here not only by her job as a graveyard restorer, but by a pull she cannot explain. It is the mystery of her life and what came before she was born is the mystery begging to be solved. However, is the mystery itself a danger? Heh... you know I'm not going to spill a thing. :D *evil laugh*

The story has many twists and turns and it keeps your interest. The ghosts are both eerie and fascinating. They don't take over the story and yet enhance it well. Oh and there is an introduction of a dog, Angus, you will just love. He also becomes part of the tension. And those that crave romance, well there is a bit of that but not with Devlin... however, we get hints that she may not be done with that relationship either. ;)

I give this story 5 stars. I know I've been a bit more elusive about the story than usual, but I think those that love this series should read this book with as little information as possible. It preserves the tension. :D

I remember reading the Gothic romances when I was younger and always loved them. Unfortunately that genre has pretty died. THE KINGDOM has that gothic feel to it that I have always been drawn too. And the heroine definitely needs rescued a lot similar to the heroines of the past. Oh and there are definite romantic overtones to the story.

This is a book that I would recommend. The pacing is spot on with a growing eeriness and tension that grows throughout the book. And her characters are ones that stand out and will stay with a person long after the book is finished. I know that the series follows Amelia but I would love to see a spin off featuring some of the unique folks that you meet in Asher Falls.

I have always been pretty anal about starting a series in the beginning however lately I have stumbled onto some great series a bit into them. THE KINGDOM is actually the second book the Graveyard Queen series and while I plan on picking up the first book it's not because I feel as though I am missing anything. Instead it is because I really like Amelia's character and the gothic tone of the book.

I rate this book a 4.2.

***I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest interview. No monies have or will exchange hands.
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Call me slow at times but I should have read this one sooner that is how good it is. This is a really great series and not the average run of the mill either. Like reading with ghosts in it-check. Like reading with a good mystery in it-check. Like reading with a twist to that mystery-check. Amelia's burning question answered in this also. Love also tries to find it's way to her but I do believe she is not quite ready for that regardless what her heart does say. Danger was around every corner and being a type of Sherlock Holmes type of reader when presented with clues trying to figure it out before it is revealed is a challenge to say the least and great ingredient in a mystery such as this. Love the way she always brings it together in her writing style with the twists and chilling events depicted in this story. Who knew that a cemetery could bring forth such good stories, so glad she did and shared them with me the reader.

The Graveyard Queen is a hugely addictive series for me.

If you haven't read The Restorer yet, you might want to skip reading this review until you are caught up.

Amelia has taken a job on a remote island as a way of distancing herself from the haunted John Devlin. She meets the alluring Thane Asher and uncovers a murder mystery and the truth about where she came from. (Cue intense dramatic music)

She also gets a dog.

Like The Restorer, this one is atmospheric and angsty, and just freaking delicious to read. I love all of the gothic glory and tortured romance. It completely works and I want more. It's another book where I don't want to tell you much about story specifics because it was all part of creating the broody, thick tension-filled setting and I don't want to spoil it for you.

There is kind of a love interest in Thane, but we aren't in love triangle territory. I can't explain why, but we aren't there.

I do stand by my thought that Amelia needs to find some way to scratch that itch. Really.

Again, we see ghosts that follow Papa Grey's definition, but we also see signs that there are more to ghosts than just what Amelia knows.

We get some answers in this one, and a bit of a teaser about who will be featured in the next book. I will be reading it soon.

Omg, omg people! This book was so good. Yes I liked book 1 and it was so hard to put down but this one was even better! I started it and was unable to put it down, I realized that I had missed lunch and tore myself away for 5 minutes. I was utterly lost in this world and did not stop until I reached the end. The only thing stopping me from reading the next one at once is that I need to breathe.

The eerie feeling echoed through out the whole book. A creepy town, freaky things in the woods and questions needed to be answered. And the answers were just as creepy as the questions. What an atmosphere she builds!

I could keep on gushing. I even felt the urge to give it a 5. I know right, from me?! Crazy. I wont though even if it deserves it. I reserve those for books I will re-read over and over again. This one, well the eeriness is there, but now I know. So leave it at 4,5. Best book so far this year. It left me empty now. I have only one book left in the series and I will sad. Especially if it's not equally good.

I recommend it. I love when a story pulls me in and refuses to let me go. I could not have torn myself even if I had wanted to

THE KINGDOM, book two, finds Amelia Gray taking a job in Asher Falls, a creepy little town in South Carolina with a historic graveyard sorely neglected throughout the years. Asher Falls, named for the Asher family, has a strained relationship with their namesake thanks to the current patriarch's deal to sell land to the state back in the 80s. The land was used as a reservoir and anything on site was buried under water. To make amends, the Ashers donated Thorngate, the family cemetery. Amelia is forewarned but her reception in town is chilly beyond even her expectations. When she discovers a hidden grave nearby the cemetery, Amelia begins to dig around in the town's history, upsetting more than a few folks -- both living and dead.

THE KINGDOM removes Amelia from Charleston and Devlin altogether. In the wake of events in THE RESTORER, it might leave some readers a bit miffed not to continue with the story they were expecting. I'd be willing to bet that by the end of THE KINGDOM, those same readers feel more than satisfied with the course of Amelia's story. As chilling and finely woven as THE RESTORER with the added bonus of more behind Amelia's upbringing.

Amelia "Graveyard Queen" Gray is renowned for her talent to restore lost respect to neglected cemeteries. Luna Kemper hires her to repair Thorngate Cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina at the foothills of the Blue Ridge. She soon learns there are two Thorngate cemeteries. The original one is below locally named Bell Lake, found on maps as the Asher Reservoir; the other was once called Asher Cemetery.

Amelia also feels drawn to a remote concealed but reverently kept grave in woods near a cave. She senses evil throughout the dying rural town that lost everything when prominent Pell Asher sold his soul for the reservoir. However, Amelia is uncertain whether what she feels is caused by the irreverence towards the dead or by her growing consciousness of her past. One thing she decides is to help the dead rest easy and mend the broken souls of the town; but first the Restorer needs to know what has caused the slow death of Asher Falls.

The second chilling Graveyard Queen thriller (see The Restorer) is a great urban fantasy that makes ghosts feel real alongside of predatory breathers. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action that grips the reader from the moment she meets the grandson of still living Pell, Thane Asher, who says the dead want to not be forgotten. Sub-genre fans will appreciate this dark yet somehow hopeful tale.

Harriet Klausner

I felt as if this second offering of the Graveyard Queen went in a completely different direction. The focus was on Amelia and the secrets her family has been keeping from her. I thought the first book The Restorer
had a better balance between her job and her identity.
I was also slightly disappointed by the fact that Amelia just can't help but throw herself on the first handsome male she meets. Before you know it she is hoisting her skirts, shredding her knickers and doing the horizontal tango with some other man. Where is her loyalty to tortured doe-eyed Devlin?
A big bonus was the new character Angus, an abused and neglected mutt. I can see him quickly becoming a favourite with readers.
The last few chapters became a crescendo of sub-plots melding into one gigantic Macbethian cauldron. Less would have perhaps been more. The reader is left with an strange ending and a demand that I hope will not lead the next book into the world of Harlequinesque romance plots. Arrgh, that would just ruin a decent gothic ghouly paranormal ghost series.
AVP-UK

Second in the Graveyard Queen series, this book is still a fun ride of gothic proportions.
Amelia is asked to restore a graveyard in Asher Falls, SC, a South Carolina mountain town. However, Asher Falls is steeped in myth, legend, tragedy, and redemption.
I love this series as the second book is a stand alone book. Yes, there are items mentioned that happened in the first book, but we are brought along on another adventure with Amelia, not simply rehashing what we discovered in the previous book. There were flashbacks, but those moments helped clarify past assumptions as well as intensify the current situation - and there were some scary situations.
Parts of this book gave me a feeling of a good Edgar Allen Poe story, and at other moments it was like a typical romance novel. Yet other times there was an almost Scooby Doo lets discover this mystery element (this comment meant in a positive light only).
Will be picking up the third in the series, and I do hope this isn't the conclusion. I see a lot of promise with the Graveyard Queen.

I got hooked on this series when I read the first one which I received as an advanced readers copy. This installment of the series delves into Amelia's past and adds even more supernatural aspects to this story. Amelia has always seen ghosts but was warned about interacting with them. She followed those rules until recently and now it seems like she is drawing them to her.

Amelia accepts a job to help restore a cemetery on a remote island, that seems to be calling her. But is the island really calling or is it her trying to escape the ghosts that haunt her most recent romance with a police officer?

I really liked the story, the ghostly tension, and the romantic tension but I think it pushed the envelope with some of the unknown supernatural aspects. The information you discover about Amelia and her past from her trip to this remote location gives you enough chills without adding anything to it. While I don't want to disclose it for fear of spoilers I just felt that some of the added fantasy detracted from the story instead of adding to it.

Never Acknowledge the Dead, Never stray far from hallowed ground, Never associate with the haunted, and never tempt fate.

The Kingdom begins a few months after the events that occurred in The Restorer. She has left Devlin behind, in the hopes of finally obeying her fathers wishes. She quickly emerges herself into her work to forget about the lovely and captivating Devlin. She has been hired to restore a cemetery in Asher Falls, and soon discovers that this town comes with ore secrets than Carter has peanuts. A secret benefactor has brought unsuspecting Graveyard restorer Amelia Grey to Asher Falls to restore this spooky, creepy, graveyard and that's where her past starts to unravel.

The only place I ever felt truly at home was the cemetery. My graveyard kingdom.

Stevens has once again created an appealing story in her sequel to The Restorer. However, I found this story to be lacking a bit in the spook-Tacular category, as well as the romance. While I enjoyed the newest male introduced into the storyline Thane Asher I still felt like he just wasn't a particular match for Amelia, so I actually preferred him more in a friendship role. Amelia's secrets of her past leave me completely shocked and in awe of the mystery that was unfolding. This town has secrets of murder, witch craft, Conspiracies and tumultuous family legacies. It's those secrets that kept my interests throughout the book even though, I was missing a certain someone. I found at times the story dragged on a bit, but luckily those mysterious devious undercurrents in the Asher Falls town history, kept me reading the book.

I should seek sanctuary. I knew that. By acknowledging the dead, I was once again tempting fate. But the door had already opened and I needed to know why I had been brought here. I needed to know the secrets of my destiny. I needed to know why I was so drawn to Thane Asher.

Amanda Stevens has delivered again with an interesting new installment in her Graveyard Queen series! This book has so many revelations, and past secrets being revealed, just when you think you've figured out the mystery, you soon discover you were wrong, keeping you guessing once again.

Though it didn't quite capture my attention and blow me away like the precious book The Restorer, I would still recommend this series to Urban Fantasy readers that enjoy a good creepy ghosts story, with a touch of romance. Let's just say by the end of this book you'll be in dire need of the next book The Prophet!

"I need you"

ARC provided by Netgalley for Harlequinn

The Kingdom is book 2 The Graveyard Queen series and is a really good story. Interesting thing was, this book could have been book 1, 2, or 3 in the series. I was very surprised because at the end of book 1 (The Restorer) you assume the character that asks Amelia for help will be center in the next book and that mystery will be the story. Nope, this book takes place in a different location and all the people/entities you encounter in book 1 are nowhere to be seen.

That being said, The Kingdom can stand on its own as a good story with good characters and and interesting premise. Author Stevens does a great job setting the mood in the various locales - you feel at peace, feel the hair raising on Amelia's arms, and her sense of something building up. She doesn't know what it is, you don't know what it is, but you will feel it.

Excellent read and part of an excellent series.

The Graveyard Queen, Amelia Grey, is back doing what she does best—restoring dilapidated graveyards. In this second book of the series, she’s given a mysterious commission to restore a graveyard in Asher Falls. In this small town, Amelia meets several people with strange, deadly secrets, and she’s thrust into the middle of an old unsolved murder. With people after her and her life in danger, Amelia uncovers the secrets of her own past and who she really is.

Fans of book 1 will love this book, and in fact, I would rate this a notch higher than book 1. The story is a great combination of eerie cemetery/ghost shenanigans and a nice, tight murder mystery. Plus, Amelia is a great character.

The creepiness that intrigued me in Steven's first book "The Restorer" is still around in book 2. When I read about a flooded cemetery I was excited to see where the story would go. However, for me this book was kind of all over the place. Amelia's backstory finally comes out and left me saying "huh" and "I guess"-it was a little too out there. As with the first book, I felt the ending was too rushed and there wasn't enough build up or explanation. Then, another story angle seems to come out of no where and I can't say more without giving too much away. The best addition to the series came in this book and his name is Angus. You'll love him.

I have to say that I was disappointed with this book. It was well written, was creepy as others have said, but it didn't seem to fit in the series. After reading The Restorer(which I loved), I was hoping for more Devlin and to see more of Robert Fremont's story. Instead we got a whole new set of characters. I have to say I wasn't thrilled with the inhabitants of Asher Falls. I missed Temple and the Shaws.
I loved Steven's evocative writing about Charleston. That was a big attraction in the 1st book. I'm glad we found out who Amelia' s parents were. But, that could have been done within another book.
I guess I was just so looking forward to Amelia and Devlin again, that this book just was a big letdown.
I should give it another star because I did love the addition of Angus. Here's hoping The Prophet has lots of Devlin.

Alright...I'm very creeped out by this book. It honestly gave me nightmares one night. But the story was really good and interesting. I'm dissatisfied with where the ending left off, but it's part of a series and I'm ready for the next book. I look forward to seeing if the evil in Asher Falls follows Amelia, or if she can't deny its pull and return to it.

Like the first book in the series, this book does scary in a great way. I would not suggest starting at 8pm because it sucks you in and you will want to read all night.

This story is not only complete in itself, but is also definitely part of a series. We get to learn a lot of Amelia's history. I found it very interesting and a great expansion on the first book.

One thing that surprised me was how strong Devlin's presence is, even though he isn't physically present. I didn't realize how strong Amelia's feelings for him were, until this book. It adds a subplot to the story that will continue into the third book.

I am so looking forward to the third book. I can't wait for it to come out. This is one series that I love!

I loved the first book in the series, The Restorer, and thought I’d love this one too. I liked it, but it did not have the charm with seasoned pieces of magic and mystery. This book was more in your face and seemed forced to me. It felt more like a soap opera. The town was depressing, the people very odd and except for Tilly, I did not like any of the characters. The Thane Asher plot was way too predictable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good ready. I did like how we learned more abut Amelia’s history and background. It’s just if the book had been more original and subtle then this would have been a great book.

Full disclosure! #1 - I tend to love books set in the South and most especially in South Carolina. #2 - I luvs me some ghost hunting! #3 - I am a big fan of Southern Gothic writing. [...]
Amelia Grey, "The Cemetary Queen", has been hired by The Daughters of Our Valiant Heroes to restore Thorngate Cemetery in the town of Asher Falls, SC. The Thorngate project gives Amelia the chance to leave behind her beloved Charleston and the memories of a recent break-up and haunting that have left her heart broken & insecure. A remote town located in the Upstate, Asher Falls is full of folklore and local secrets - the kind that no one wants to talk about. Before her project ends, Amelia will learn more about herself, the townsfolk, and just how far someone will go to preserve their legacy.

I am having a full on love/hate relationship with this book.

What I love:

THE KINGDOM is set in the Carolina Upstate.
The premise that Amelia Grey can see ghosts.
A creepy town full of locals who are mysterious and secretive.
Several intriguing story lines that build in a really suspenseful way.
What I don't love:

An un-believable premise about how the town came to ruin.
An anti-climactic ending.
Ghosts who don't do much of anything.
Stevens has a gift for building suspense. She takes great care in creating detailed imagery and palpable tension in her scenes. In this series, her character, Amelia, can see ghosts and is deathly afraid of attracting them for fear of a creating a psychic bond which would leave her - drained? It seems as if the first book in the series actually gives one a more specific account of what happens if a ghost becomes interested in you but in The Kingdom my impression is that a ghost need only say "Boo" and our heroine would fall apart.

The Kingdom harkens back to great Southern writers like Faulkner especially ABSALOM, ABSALOM - whether by design or coincidence - I really do not know. In both cases a family patriarch, Pell Asher in THE KINGDOM, is willing to do anything to protect the family legacy. Asher has sold off a portion of the town to the government to build a reservoir and in the process cut the town off from the highway. Wait! What? This is so unlikely. No business person would ever agree to a deal like this. This became the second strike against the credibility of this story.

The reservoir is constructed by flooding a cemetery. Creepy! But the most we get out of this wonderful premise is a bunch of bell tolling. :-(

Much like ABSOLOM,ABSOLOM Asher's sons find themselves trapped in their father's dream of glory and part of its demise. As Asher's personal fortune dwindles because of his terrible business decisions, his lust for heirs grows out of control.

Before the book is over, the reader will be introduced to troubled teens, psychics, shape changers, witches and mountain magic - oh - and a dog. Our fragile heroine spends most of the time telling us how wonderful she feels inside a cemetery, as long as it is on hallowed ground, because the ghosties can't reach her there. Which is weird because I would expect to see ghosts in a cemetery not just randomly around town. This really threw me for a loop. When she is not in the cemetery, or hiding from ghosts, Amelia is trying to solve the mystery of a young woman who died under mysteries circumstances at Asher Falls.

I did not read book 1, THE RESTORER, and after speaking with other readers, my recommendation would be to read this series in order as the events in book 2 seem to build upon book 1. This might explain why I felt lost at times as to the significance of certain references. Most of all, I felt underwhelmed by the book. In an era where the paranormal is incredibly popular in mass culture and you can find a paranormal investigator or ghost whisperer on every cable channel, this book failed to deliver a real reason to be afraid of the dead. Instead - Stevens gives you many more reasons for being afraid of the living.

This book immediately made me think that Amelia Grey is a heroine from another era. I could easily see this book being set in the sixties or seventies and Amelia would easily fit in an Ira Levin [...] or David Seltzer [...] type novel. She is part of that class of paranormal heroines who laid the way for the kick butt ultra empowered heroines of today's PNR/UF novels.

This is the second book in the Graveyard Queen series. I saw the series recommended by someone on my twitter feed and decided to check it out. The second book in the series did not fail to impress. I loved it as much as the first one. As with the first one the characters were well written was different than the other "I see dead people" books. Questions I had from the first book were answered and new mysteries arose to be carried into the next book. I highly recommend the series.

This is the second book in the series and I feel like I missed a few things by not reading it first. The story is still good but I feel if I had read the first would of not been lost and confused. I do want to go and read it now
Amelia Gray sees ghosts and she restores grave yard. Amelia has been hired to restore Thorngate cemetery in Asher Falls.
The only way into the town now is across a ferry over a Asher Reservoir or bell lake as locals call it because of at least one cemetery is buried under the reservoir and people hear the bells ring.
Thane Asher heir to his grandfathers money. Pell Asher.
The town of Asher Falls is almost a ghost town. Amelia sees lots of ghosts around the town and feels weird things. Thier are pictures with ghosts in them. pentagrams and talk of witches. She finds a hidden grave outside the cemetery. People warn her away and threatens her.
One of the ghosts she sees she knows was murdered but everyone says she died in a fire.
the society she thought had hired her was a local historicaol soiety but others say it was witches who brought her here.
If I saw ghosts and wanted to ignore them I don't think I would work in cemeterys like Amelia and her father do. I was lent this ebook in exchange of honest review.
03/27/2012 PUB Harlequin Mira Books

Wow, that was another scary story of the graveyard series
Amelia is having trouble letting Devlin go , another project should have been a easy way to forget him and fill up her bank account , she's taking a restoration of the Asher Falls cemetery but not everything or everyone is as it seems ,darkness has a way to find her and even here she's questioning her birthing .

I'm so glad I had the chance to review this book in advance! I had just finished The Restorer and was dying to read the next book when I saw it available on Netgalley. It was fate, surely. *-* LOL. Well, The Kingdom picks up right where The Restorer ended, but this time, unfortunately, there's no Devlin in sight. There is, however, a much darker story for Amelia Gray to get caught into.

Amelia needs some time away from Charleston and John Devlin, so it was a very good thing she got a job to restore the Thorngate Cemetery in Asher Falls, a small town located in the lush Blue Ridge foothills of South Carolina. Even if the money to bring her there was donated anonymously and the woman who contacted her, Luna Kemper, turns out to be a very strange woman. Oh, and the city is almost deserted. A real ghost town. Literally.

On her way there, Amelia meets the charming Thane Asher, the 'apparent heir' of the Ashers, the family who has ruled Asher Falls for years. He's the one who tells her about the other Thorngate Cemetery. The one that was submerged in the flood that destroyed part of the town in the past. The one now residing under Bell Lake, which graces the view from the house Luna has chosen for her to stay during the restoration process. A house built on hallowed ground, very secluded and almost hidden by the forest. At night, the place is surrounded by the ghosts of the people buried in the flooded cemetery. But a ghost in special seems to be haunting her. And something more, something bigger, something even more dangerous, haunts the forest close by. And it wants her.

Very soon, Amelia realizes that Asher Falls hides many, many secrets. Hidden grave, murders unsolved, dog fights, dark magic, possessions and Evil unleashed. And most of these secrets have something to do with her. But the people from Asher Falls want to leave the past in the past, and will do anything to stop her from investigating it.

The Kingdom was so beautifully written! Amanda Stevens doesn't disappoint us at all! She still has such a fantastic way with words and descriptions, she really makes you feel like you're there. The story has a very mysterious setting, a plot that thickens but doesn't tire and some passages are downright creepy! Really, this sequel is even darker than The Restorer, and it completely sucks you into a very complicated web of mystery and the Unknown. You can't put it down. Even if you try. LOL. Oh, Amelia is, no doubt about it, one of my favorite main characters ever.

I loved to meet Angus, a 'bait dog' used in dog fights that was left to starve in the forest, only to be rescued by Amelia. Their relationship was very heart-warming and it was so interesting to see how he reacted to the ghosts and how much he helped her throughout the book. Another fascinating character was Sidra, a young teen who happens to share Amelia's burden. Both of them had been behind 'The Veil', and now walk the paths of the living and the dead.

Thane, the momentary love interest, was very intense and made for great moments in the book, but he's just wasn't for Amelia. And, oh, dear!!! It was SO very satisfying to finally find out about Amelia's past and origins! I can't say the whole thing wasn't predictable, but how the murder and hidden grave came to be... WOW. It was very eery. Seriouly, it made my skin crawl. Even after I finished the book, it still took me a while to finally quit thinking about it and actually go to bed. (BTW, you might not want to end this book before bedtime. LOL). The secondary characters were all very bizarre, but so very curious! I really wanted to read more about them and their past actions. I hope to see more of some of them in the future.

The book ends with a huge cliffhanger!!! I can't wait to see what happens in The Prophet! And I can't wait to see more of Devlin!! :) Let's just hope the book comes out in the promised date this time. :P

If you like ghost stories with A LOT of mystery, a great, strong main character and generous touches of horror and creepiness (don't you just love this word?), go and devour this book right now!!! And if you haven't started the series yet, what are you waiting for? You're totally missing out!

*I was very lucky to receive an advanced e-copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I didn't love the first book in this series (The Restorer) though it had elements I found very appealing but when The Kingdom was made available I couldn't resist. While not strictly necessary, it is advisable for readers to be familiar with the story of The Restorer before beginning The Kingdom, it provides background about Amelia Gray, a cemetery restorer, who is the protagonist for the Graveyard Queen series.
In The Kingdom, Amelia has taken a commission in the small town of Asher Falls, partly to escape her dangerous attraction to Devlin and the hostile ghost of his dead wife. Amelia has been hired to restore the burial ground owned by the Ashers', once a family grave yard, that was opened to public burial after the town cemetery was flooded. The necropolis still lurks beneath the water at Asher Falls and Amelia's arrival seems to have disturbed the spirits that rest there. While ghostly bells ring from the depths of the lake, in the mountains that crowd the town something evil is lurking, corrupting susceptible townsfolk. When Amelia stumbles upon an isolated grave she discovers a terrible secret that has been kept from her for twenty seven years and there are people in Asher Falls that will kill to keep it.

The Kingdom has all of the elements of a gothic ghost story, a sinister family legacy, a small town full of strange folk, murder, romance and shocking secrets. I thought the plot was interesting, revealing as it does Amelia's history which was hinted at in The Restorer. There are twin threats in this story - from the living and the dead- and Amelia has no idea who she can trust. She knows she should leave Asher Falls and return to Charleston but her desire to confront the secrets the town holds overrides her good sense. The pacing is almost perfect as Stevens builds the tension, I couldn't stop turning the pages.
The main reason I am rating The Kingdom five stars though is because I was completely sucked in by the stunningly creepy atmosphere Stevens creates. Despite the ordinary suburban view outside my window, when I lifted my head from the page I was expecting to see thick whorls of mist creeping through a forest clearing so immersed was I in the authors lyrical descriptions. When my neighbour's cat ran along the deck railing, the bell at her collar jangling, I froze, afraid to look up in case a diaphanous spirit lurked outside the open door (after which I promptly got up to close and lock it, drawing the blinds against the dark).

I enjoyed The Kingdom so much that I have dived straight into the ARC of the third book The Prophet which is due for release in May. A mix of gothic ghost story and urban fantasy, I have no hesitation in recommending that you give The Graveyard Queen series a chance.

From the moment, I started reading The Restorer, the first book in the Graveyard Queen series I knew I was onto something stupendous. These are the type of book that you pick up, become immersed in and don't put down until you read those last words!

This time Amelia travels out of Charleston to Asher Falls for her next cemetery restoration. A town, which is more than just creepy... It's a town that holds secrets that will affect Amelia personally, secrets that will break her heart.

I love the fact that in this instalment the characters are all new. It isn't every day you see an author provide the main character with a love interest in the first book only to, completely leave out that interest in the next book. Most times the love interest pops up at some time in the book as we expect. However, Stevens gives us something completely new and makes you pine and sulk for that missing connection. I really have to give her props for that!

If you thought, things were spooky in The Restorer then get ready because you are in for a scare-fest! The ghosts are creepier and the suspense is thicker. I truly cannot wait for The Prophet. The plot had my heart racing and skin goose bumping. Wow! Wow! Wow!

I highly recommend this to anyone who this genre. Just make sure you read The Restorer first, or you may get a little confused with the back story. Amanda Stevens is simply one of the best writers out there!

Whoa! I loved The Restorer, and this picks up where that one left off, except it's all about Amelia and where she came from. But the secrets and histories are tangled in creepy mystery, and it will take more than a desire to restore things to get everything, including Amelia, back on track. Don't worry if you'd hoped she'd get together with Devlin and it wasn't the case in this book. Ms. Stevens left this book with a delicious cliffhanger that makes you NEED the next book. Bravo and well done!

We don't see Devlin much in this book. We meet a new character Thane who is a mystery & possible threat. Some of the questions Amelia background are answered & of course others are introduced. Its a little lighter then 'The Restorer', but there is still darkness & mystery. The next book 'The Prophet'.

The Kingdom is every bit as gripping as the first Graveyard Queen book (The Restorer). The book includes enough backstory to stand alone, but reading The Restorer first is definitely worth the time. The Kingdom answers some questions raised by The Restorer and raises a few of its own. I have the next volume, The Prophet, at the top of my To Be Read stack.

I couldn't put this book down if my life depended on it. Great Book! We finally get answers about Amelia and what the deal is with her parents and her past. We also have a hard time going to sleep because we are scared of the dark from reading about that spooky freaking "sleeping bride' crypt!! WTF was that?! I was thouroughly scared and excited about this entire book. Loved it!!!!!
Can't wait to read The Prophet!!!!!!
Love you Amanda Stevens!!

Just as scary... and fabulous as the last one!  Great story filled with action, horror, mystery, and romance.  Many, many revelations in this one!  This was another page turner!!  I can't put these down!!!  On to the next one RIGHT NOW!

This is an amazing series. I've had an affinity for old cemeteries since we lived in Virginia. They're fascinating places. Amelia, the main character, appeals to me on many levels. The story kept me interested throughout the book and the setting was good and creepy! I'm ready for her next one.

i really loved the first book "the restorer" and have been impaiently awaiting this sequal and boy was it worth the wait. i am glad to see it wasn't filled with her romance with her haunted cop- it was refreshing to see amelias interactions with other people as well. i am so glad the third book is here soon! keep them coming please.

4 out of 5 stars!
Amanda Stevens has penned a dark, gothic, scary and sensuous story.
Very few authors write a ghost story like Amanda Stevens. I truly enjoyed The KIngdom and found Amelia is a more solid character in this second book.