The Heir

Book One in Trilogy by Benet Stoen

4/5 stars

Synopsis - (courtesy of author)

Three rulers.

Two sides.

One plot for revenge.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Lavdia.

In a village all but forgotten by the country’s rulers, Finn leads two lives. One of a simple country doctor, and the other of a smuggler with cargo of a rare variety: Wielders, a nearly extinct race of people born with the ability to control Magic. With their rights being threatened by the very people in power meant to protect them, the Wielders see Finn as their last chance for a better life. But when Finn is abducted and blackmailed into the service of a vengeful royal, his loyalty, and his heart, will be put to the ultimate test.

On a throne miles away, Andromeda, selected at birth to inherit the role of Mother Queen and continue her family’s royal line, has waited years for her chance to exact revenge on those who stole her freedom and tore her family apart. But she can’t do it alone. With the help of a handsome and intriguing young doctor, she will right the wrongs committed against her, and forge a path of a most gloriously scarlet retribution.

With the fate of their kingdom hanging in the balance, these two unlikely allies must navigate an intricate web of political rivalries and long-buried secrets in order to achieve their goals. But as hidden plots unfold and the true rot at the heart of the country is revealed, what starts as a quest for justice spirals into a desperate game of survival.

Review

Plot - I was lured into this novel with the fact it was based loosely on the Hades and Persephonie story from Greek Mythology and then genderbent. I was expecting dark magic, terrible deals, and a sweeping romance. What this book delivers is something a lot more heartfelt and touching. Unfortunately the plot took a backseat to the raw emotions of the characters. Most authors err on the opposite side of this balance and it was interesting to see such amazing characters for once while the plot felt minimal.

In basic storytelling most authors will write a main character and then make a villain to be an obstacle. It’s one against the other, back and forth, and that drama is where a reader finds entertainment. This book has a villain, but they don’t do much during the course of the story. At first glance the plot seems to be about Andromeda and Finn working together to stop the villain, or get revenge on the villain depending on your perspective. This isn’t accurate, the plot is about Andromeda and Finn learning to work together. It’s about the two of them learning to trust, and uncovering each other’s motivations and struggles. It’s touching and pulls on your heart strings in a way not many authors ever manage. These characters will stay with me long after I forget the plot of the book. I’m unsure if this counts as a flaw exactly. I was invested in the book, in the characters, but the plot felt lacking, there wasn’t a lot happening, and that’s why I can’t bring myself to give it a 5/5 rating.

Characters - The best part of this novel hands down. Any character that appeared was unique and interesting. The author didn’t stop there however, she made them interesting on the surface and as we got to know them. Take Andromeda for example, on the surface she’s a badass. It seems like she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Then you realize that she has issues of her own that make her seem a bit fragile, but that doesn’t take away from your certainty that she could plan her way out of anything. She’s not only believable as a three dimensional person, she’s also incredibly interesting. That could be said for almost any character we get a name for.

As the story unravels so do the characters, we form first impressions and while they remain true to a degree, we also go deeper. For example, we’ve all seen the joking character eventually be revealed as using humour to mask their depression. This was done BETTER. Because the ‘masks’ the characters wear aren’t entirely false, they are a part of them just as much as what they’re covering. Andromeda IS a badass, she is ALSO hurting. It isn’t one covering the other, its BOTH at the same time. Truly brilliant!

Style - The writing was a perfect tool for the story, it didn’t stand out as overly poetic or bland. The descriptions were detailed enough to give me a good idea of what everything looked like without distracting me from what was going on. If I had to use one word to describe it I would say ‘smooth’.

Overall I'd say this book is worth reading, the characters are done exceptionally well in a way that is rarely seen. Adjust your expectations and enjoy!

Hope you found this helpful,

JC Scraba

Disclaimer - I got an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.