A thrilling high fantasy -book review The Heir

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hello, my little bookworms! How are you today?

The Heir by Benét Stoen 

Today I bring you a thrilling high fantasy. The first in a new adult high trilogy. A gender-bent Hades & Persephone retelling with a dash of enemies-to-lover. If you like royals, big mysteries, evil villains, and intriguing characters. You have to give this book a try!

So what is it about?

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. (via Goodreads)

This book starts the perfect way. This is such an intriguing story with amazing plot twists that you don’t see coming at all! Even though it’s not a light read, it’s definitely worth it.

The characters are great. I love how Benét introduces them. It feels like we smoothly immerse ourselves in this world and their lives. And how slowly but safely we get to know them and understand them better.

Finn and Andromeda are well-developed with great backgrounds, and it’s easy to connect with them. By the first chapter, I already liked Finn! He’s honest, real, tender-hearted, well-intentioned, and very lovable.

I also liked Andromeda though it was hard in the beginning. It took me a while to like her. I didn’t understand her much. But by the end of the book, she had grown on me. But I liked her mainly because she’s such a complex character and with so many issues. Her story’s quite strong and heavy. It moved me a lot.

As for Angelus, I liked him, and even though we see him a lot, we don’t know much of him. However, I do like the mystery that’s him. I do hope we get to know him more in the coming books.

In case you don’t know, I’m such a sucker for romance in books. I love it when it’s there, and usually when there’s romance, the book it’s a tad more entertaining for me. But in this book, the romance doesn’t have a strong presence. On the contrary, it’s so soft, quiet, simple and tender. It’s like a delicate breeze that mingles between the pages. You don’t even see it until it’s there, and it makes absolute sense. It’s not something I’d usually enjoy, but I liked the way Benét wrote it.

The world is well-developed, but we don’t see much of it. And there are some holes in it, but I hope things will be better in the coming books.

I believe it’s great for being the first book in a series. It’s a great introduction to this world and story. Although there are so many things yet to know and so many mysteries to uncover. I can’t wait to read the following books! This one ended in such a cliff-hanger that made my heart clench!

Also, I think it’s important to know that this book has a very raw, strong and heavy approach to mental health issues.

Triggers in this book:

• rape
• murder
• violence
• suicidal behaviour
• suicide attempt
• domestic abuse
• sexual harassment
• alcoholism

Tell me, would you read this book? What’s a fantasy trilogy you love?

Love, Lin