Archibald Lox Volume 2: The Kidnapped Prince, was originally three books; the Forgotten Crypt, the Slides of Bon Repell, and the Rubicon Dictate. So, for the sake of simplicity, this review will treat volume 2 as one book. If you’re not that far in the series, check out my review of the first three Archibald Lox books.

Keep an eye out for more on this series!

What The Kidnapped Price Is About

The story begins with Archie struggling to adapt to normal life after his first adventure in The Merge. Of course, he doesn’t stay in the Born long. A lock at Seven Dials in London captivates his attention, and before he knows it, assassins, Orlan and Argate return.

He reconnects with some beloved characters from the first volume as they plan to protect a young prince. Archie is also excited about attending the Tourney, but it’s not all fun and games. He and Inez are betrayed and the young locksmith is kidnapped; except, Archie doesn’t have answers because he doesn’t understand why someone from the Born has his abilities.

What I Thought

I loved the worldbuilding as we learned how people leave the Merge and the get to follow the group. The story gets pretty dark at moments, but it’s balanced out well

I love returning to the Merge. This series felt a little darker than the first few books (but not drastically so). The Grop was fun, and it was nice to see how others essentially live a normal life in the Merge.

Final Thoughts On Archibald Lox And The Kidnapped Prince

You don’t necessarily need to have read the first few books to understand what happens in Volume 2; especially because important points are reiterated. I would recommend reading the previous books first because things will just make more sense and feel more impactful.

If you love fantasy, you’ll enjoy this series. It’s magical and whimsical, but it’s not unnecessarily wordy or difficult to follow. If you liked this book, you might also enjoy Midsummer’s Bottom.