I fell in love with this series after I read The Restorer. The second book in the series, The Kingdom continues Amelia Gray’s story. Amelia is a young woman who has an unlikely occupation: she restores old and abandoned cemeteries. The Kingdom finds Amelia commissioned to restore the Thorngate Cemetery in the town of Asher Falls, South Carolina.Asher Falls is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is an isolated town and the population is eccentric. They seem friendly, but something is off. The town itself is spooky, full of mystery and strange things. Amelia settles in to stay at a house overlooking the lake. The house is built on hallowed ground, a bonus for Amelia as it offers her a sense of security. Amelia has been able to see ghosts from a young age and she recognizes the dangers of being haunted. Amelia soon finds out that part of the cemetery lies beneath the lake and she sees ghosts in the water. Amelia is still not over her relationship with Devlin and she thinks of him often. She is distracted by the handsome Thane Asher but is not willing to commit. Thane is part of the prominent Asher family, after whom the town is named. I liked Thane, but I also found that I missed Devlin too. Asher Falls is full of secrets, some of them surrounding the circumstances of Amelia’s birth. Amelia learns about her background and her destiny…I loved the atmosphere of this book. The author creates an eerie, mysterious world. The book has a gothic feel about it, it is both suspense and a horror story (but it is not gory). The addition of witchcraft hex symbols was a nice touch. I also liked the description of the crows. The author’s writing style is eloquent and visually descriptive, evoking mood and emotion.“The graveyard seemed almost surreal in its stillness. A dreamscape aglow in the moonlight.”There is a lot to like about this series. The characters are well developed and intelligently written. I enjoyed Amelia's character. She is one brave lady. Personally, I would have run away from that town at the first opportunity. Then again, I am not a cemetery restorer in real life. I found it difficult to relate to Thane at first - I saw him as kind of a bad boy. Then I started rooting for him and hoping that Amelia could find happiness with him. I also enjoyed the addition of Angus, the rescued dog. The Graveyard Queen series is highly recommended. Series reading order:1. The Abandoned – Prequel, available for free download2. The Restorer3. The Kingdom – March 27, 20124. The Prophet - April 24, 2012Favorite quote:“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.”Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for a review copy of this book. Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
