Customer Reviews

The Stolen One

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4 star:		(2)
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Katherine Bab takes her one chance to get out of her country village to go to London when her adoptive mother passes away. She wants, no, needs, to find out who she really is. Soon, Kat becomes a favorite of Queen Elizabeth herself. Rumors are everywhere, since they have matching hair - could she be the Virgin Queen's secret daughter?

She stitches for hours, creating a masterpiece of a dress for the Queen. Two men at court, Rafael and Nicholas, are trying to win her heart, but Kat can't help but think of Christian, her childhood best friend, and the man at her village that wants to marry her.

Who will she choose? And will she find out who her mother is?

I was so impressed by this novel. I loved all of the characters. It was mysterious, and it made me want to find out who Kat's mother was. I was just as curious as she was! I'm a big fan of historical fiction, especially during the time of Elizabeth as Queen. And here is another one that I really enjoyed. There was nothing I was disappointed in during the novel, except a little at the end, only because I didn't want the story to end!

When THE STOLEN ONE hits bookshelves, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Or read it if it just sounds interesting!

Reviewed by: Ashley B

I was very impressed overall with this book! After a couple of slow chapters, the plot takes off abruptly and doesn't let up until the last page, where it is all tied up in a satisfying ending. The heroine of the story, Katherine Bab, is a headstrong teenage girl who is raised in the English countryside during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Kat knows she has a mysterious past and is determined to discover exactly who she is. Because of her extraordinary skill as a seamstress, she is called to court to make a dress for the Queen. There is a mysterious connection between Queen Bess and Kat, one that makes Kat even more determined to discover her past. Kat's journey of self-discovery is full of mystery, romance and tragedies - all of which engaged this reader and made it hard to put this book down. A great read and very engrossing!

I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of Suzanne Crowley's The Stolen One through a GoodReads Giveaway. The cover is gorgeous (I love her hair), and the synopsis made me really curious. It's not just YA, it's YA historical fiction--a good combination.

Kat has been raised by Grace Bab as a sister to Grace's daughter, Anna. Anna is a quiet beauty, with hair as pale as her mother's, speaking only to Grace and Kat in a voice otherwise unintelligible to strangers. Kat is curious and outspoken with blazing red hair and a vibrant personality ill-suited to a young girl coming of age in 16th Century England. Despite all thoughts to the contrary, her confidence and strong-will has attracted the attentions of the young pear farmer Christian Bab, nephew to Grace and cousin to Anna. Of course, Kat is supposed to believe Christian is her cousin, too, but she knows better. She knows Grace has been keeping secrets and lying to her about the real world and her real heritage.

When a mysterious omen appears in the woods outside of their cottage as the ladies prepare for the local festival, Kat is sure death is near. An evening of revelry ensues in which there is a proposal, a death, and a revelation. It doesn't take much to inspire Kat's motivation for the truth and the next morning she packs her bags and takes Anna with her to London in search of her birth mother, leaving the country and Christian behind indefinitely.

The Stolen One is a romantic tale of intrigue at the court of Queen Elizabeth I in which Crowley explores the life of a royal child forever thought lost to the world to fates unknown. There's mystery surrounding Kat's past, gorgeous gowns, lavish dishes, scandal, and, of course, romance. The women of Crowley's imagined Elizabethan court are as flirtatious as they are wicked and cunning. They are quick to jealousy, as hot-tempered as their Queen and as dangerous. Contrast this against Kat's keen eye for embroidery, a talent so strong it wins her a prime spot in Elizabeth's retinue, and the combination eludes to an atmosphere of a 16th Century "Project Runway." There's a lot of focus on dresses and materials, embroidery detail and embellishments, patterns and stitches, techniques and draperies. It's enough to either exhaust the reader into yearning for an accompanying full color pattern book or inspire frequent trips to the local Renaissance Faire to drool at the dress vendors.

There's no argument from me that Crowley has written an alluring book. Kat is at times a bit unsympathetic and selfish in her determination to unearth the secrets of her past. Her adventures and accomplishments come at the expense of poor Anna whom I wished the world for. I was very disappointed with happened to her. But Kat does seem to redeem herself at the end of the book which surprised me as I realized the beauty of the story was in the journey Kat took to bring her where she ended up. The lessons she learns are invaluable, albeit costly.

There are a few characters I would have liked to know more about, like Rafael and his mother; the suspense led me to believe there really was something menacing in Rafael, something to add to his dark physical appearance, but if I was disappointed in this regard, I wasn't disappointed with Rafael overall. That's not to say I liked how his character was treated, I just think the added dimension came too late for Kat to appreciate in any real sense for a girl who'd been stand offish and suspicious of him for the majority of the book.

The Stolen One is filled with characters that are as varied and vibrant as Kat's embroideries; some that are shallow and mean-spirited; some that are benevolent and unambitious. In the end, the people of the court were no more than props to remind us (and Kat) that in Elizabeth's court, "it's all about illusions" (p. 191). Against the beautiful and enchanting backdrop of masques, idle time spent in luxury, sumptuous clothing, and delicacies fit for royalty, Kat comes to realize the truth of her life as she's come to know is more important than anything she could ever have yearned for in the past.

I could have done with fewer uses of the word "aye," but would recommend this book to anyone who wants an overall satisfying read that takes you there and back again through the eyes of an angry, confused, but determined teenage girl. And, it's a colorful, rich journey. Did I mention the dresses?

Kat has an independent spirit and fiery red hair. She is known for causing trouble and many in her village believe she will be a trouble maker the rest of her life. Most want nothing to do with her because of her mysterious past.

Things change for Kat when her foster mother dies. She, and her sister Anna go to London. Kat is hopeful she will find out who her real mother is.

Once in London she is taken in by a wealthy woman and soon her amazing sewing skills catch the attention of Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth loves beautiful things and summons Kat to court where rumors begin to fly that Kat is Queen Elizabeth's daughter.

Kat tries to find out the true identity of her mother while becoming a servant to Queen Elizabeth. While at court she is confronted by people who want to destroy her and men who may not have honorable intentions. As the story unfolds Kat must decide where hear heart belongs. Should she marry one of the rogues at court or should she go back to her small village and marry a simple farmer.

The book is well written, and I enjoyed it a lot. There are a lot of historical characters in the novel and I think a summary of each would have been helpful for those who do not know the time period. I enjoyed the direction this book went in. I thought I was going to read a predictable story about Queen Elizabeth and her lost daughter, but that was not the case. I recommend it for historical fiction fans and anyone who is interested in a good story that has mystery and love.

I was extremely nervous to read this. I get a bit squeamish about historical fiction, and I usually try to avoid it because I always lose interest so quickly. I'm very pleased to say that was definitely not the case with The Stolen One.

It was kind of hard to get a grip on it at first, simply because the dialogue and slang fits so perfectly with that era. But once you get used to it, deciphering it was really easy and only added to how genuine this story was.

Suzanne Crowley wrote this story very beautifully, and she created characters who do nothing but constantly pull you in. Kat, the bold and outspoken lead character, was very enjoyable to read. She went against normalcy in this book, and those are my favorite kinds of characters. I was also entertained by the sheer scandal that surrounded Queen Elizabeth and her court, Kat included. Any preconceived notion I had about this being even the slightest bit boring went right out the window.

I wish I could elaborate, but in the end, everything ties together and will make you gasp really loudly. I read the ending in a car and my poor mother nearly drove off of the road because of my reaction. There's so much to talk about wit these characters, but I know I'd end up spoiling it, so take my word for it!

If you're iffy about novels like this, I recommend taking this one off of that list and picking it up! It was so entertaining and enthralling, you'll have a hard time putting it down!

This was a great read. I loved our heroine Kat.

She definitely has shades of grey. She is spunky and adventurous. But she can also be selfish and vain. Over the course of this book she discovers the mystery behind her birth, but she also discovers the difference between true love and vanity.

The writing is loveley.Although this is a YA book, the quality of the writing and the story should be enjoyable to women of all ages.

I do not want to give away the mystery of Kat's parentage, but if you enjoy this book try Red Queen's Daughter, The.

For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Katherine Bab has lived in the English countryside with her adoptive mother, Grace, and Grace's daughter, Anna. Kat has always longed to know the identities of her birth parents, but Grace has always refused to tell her who they are, or give her any more information than frequent comments about how she inherited the worst qualities of her parents. And despite the love of a young farmer named Christian, who is the son of her adoptive mother's brother, Kat longs for something more than marriage to a farmer, though she does have feelings for him. When Grace dies, refusing even on her deathbed to reveal the secret, Kat decides she and Anna will travel to London in search of the answer to the mystery of her past.

But London is not what Kat expected - it is a busy, dirty, noisy place. Shy Anna, who is deaf, longs to return to the country. When Kat and Anna are taken in by a noblewoman, Kat's talent with embroidery and stitching gets her invited to the court of Queen Elizabeth, to make dresses for the queen and instruct the Queen's ladies. At court, Kat draws the attention of two handsome young gentlemen, but she cannot forget Christian, no matter how hard she tries. And she is troubled by rumors that she could be related to the Queen, perhaps even be her secret, long-lost daughter. Will she ever discover her true identity? And if she does discover who her parents were, how will she choose between her two worlds?

The Stolen One was one of the best historical novels I've read in a long time. Katherine is a wonderfully developed character - she seemed so real, sometimes I would even become frustrated at her actions! The author did a wonderful job at bringing to life the setting of Elizabethan England, and the very different ways of life in the countryside, the city, and at court. Although this book is written for teen readers, I think adults who love historical fiction will enjoy it is as well - it is a wonderful blend of history, romance, and the classic story of a young woman's search for her identity and where she belongs in the world.

This is a very entertaining romantic mystery, especially so because it's presented in a Tudor period first person narrative. It is through a young girl's eyes that this complex story evolves, and the mystery of her birth and parents is discovered. Definately kept me wondering what would happen next - and guessing right along with her - as one well-crafted fact after another is uncovered. Obviously researched with great care, a fascinating vision of this time in European history is created right from the start. Great example of historical fiction. I'm enriched for having read it! Any teen or adult would easily get lost within the pages of The Stolen One. I do hope there are more of these wonderful stories on the way!

Katherine knows that Grace hides things from her. But what Grace doesn't realize is that Katherine knows where her hiding spots are. Maybe one of the hidden treasures will bring a clue to whom she really is.

Katherine Babs has always wanted a better life. She spends her days in a small cottage embroidering beautiful clothes for royalty, along with her sister Anna and her mother Grace. Grace isn't Katherine's biological mother, and over the years has refused to answer any of Katherine's questions. A neighboring pear farmer, Christian, has asked for Katherine's hand in marriage. She bides her time on answering him. But when Grace suddenly dies, Katherine flees to London to uncover the secret of who she really is, and leaves Christian alone.

Kat's fiery red hair and beautiful sewn clothes gather the Queen's eye, and Kat soon finds herself as one of her ladies. Katherine quickly finds herself as one of Queen Elizabeth's favorites, even among the rumors that Katherine could be the secret daughter of the Virgin Queen. She misses her quaint village and Christian, but keeps herself busy embroidering beautiful dresses, and the two handsome men at court who vye for her affections.

Even as the clues unfold that determine who Katherine is, the danger to her life escalates. She must soon come to a decision that will affect the rest of her life and the Court. For matters of the heart are not decisions made lightly.

THE STOLE ONE is a bewitching novel set in Tudor England, rich in period detail, suspense, and romance. Kat is a spectacular character, who just wants to find out where she belongs. There are many interesting characters in THE STOLEN ONE that will intrigue you. I was mesmerized with this story, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

*Courtesy of Romance Junkies

I highly recommend this novel for anyone interested in historical fiction. Katherine Bab's story is set in Elizabethan England. The Stolen One has all the elements one looks for when reading an entertaining, suspenseful novel.

First, the settings are creatively described. The reader has a very clear image of what the countryside looks like and how dramatic the changes are when Katherine finally reaches London.

Also, the author does a great job of getting the reader hooked from the beginning. Katherine has always been curious about who she really is and who gave her life. When her adoptive mother dies without giving Katherine many answers, the vivacious and outspoken teen sets off to London to hopefully discover the truth. Katherine meets Queen Elizabeth I and strikes up a friendship with the Virgin Queen. Along the way, the mysteries unfold and Katherine does learn the truth about who she is, which is an amazing surprise.

Finally, what I really liked about this story was the historical detail. So many YA novels about the Elizabethan era tend to read as not fully researched. The author mentions certain mysteries of the day - not just the question about Queen Elizabeth's exact relationship with Robert Dudley, but also what happened to Katherine Parr's lost daughter. Some questions are answered, some leave us wondering, but overall the novel ended on a satisfying note.

I would recommend The Stolen One to any reader interested in the era who also wants to read a book with substance.