As the Dragon Heir, seventeen-year-old Kaia inherited the power of flame to protect her homeland from a godlike necromancer’s undead army. But after centuries of peace, the necromancer has faded to myth, and the Dragon Heir is feared by the people. Persecuted and cast out, Kaia struggles to embrace and control her seemingly useless gift while confined to her family’s farm.
But when the necromancer’s undead terrorize the land once again, Kaia runs away to join the battle.
With the help of her childhood rival, the handsome Shadow Heir, and a snarky, cursed cat, Kaia must figure out how to control both her fire and her confidence in time to save Okarria. If she fails, she will sacrifice her family, her new friends, and the enchanting world she has only just begun to see.
And time is running out.
Let me say, this book blew me away. There is so much packed in this book, but yet it did not feel overwhelming. Everything was well balanced, from the struggles of the characters to the magic and world building. The tempo was great, and it always kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is up on my top favorites of this year!
Being the eldest child, Kaia Dashul has a lot resting on her shoulders. Next in line as Dragon Heir, one of three of Odriel’s Heirs, she is an outcast and hated by the people she is supposed to protect. Because of this hate, she takes it amongst herself with her trusted companion hound, Gus, to stop the threat that is happening to her land. During this journey, you can see the struggle, both mentally and physically, Kaia goes through, and with this, the challenges she puts herself through to grow as a character. Kaia is a well-written character. She is stubborn, has a temper, and determination once motivated.
Klaus Thane is the next Shadow Heir and Kaia’s childhood rival, turned travel companion. He is one of those characters I describe as hard exterior and gooey interior, stubborn but sensitive. Klaus wants to help Kaia with her problems and tries to, but he knows they have others depending on them. I feel he is Kaia’s anchor alongside Gus. Even though the two fight, they both need each other. Klaus is a great overall character. His light-hearted teasing, along with his criticism towards Kaia, helps lighten the mood in the story. As a reader, you can see his own struggles, but unlike Kaia, Klaus keeps it together.
The villains of the story were sometimes wishy-washy for me. I enjoyed them, but sometimes, they felt flat, and other times well done. The necromancer was someone you knew was coming and when he showed up; you were not disappointed. Every time the necromancer’s undead came to the page, I actually thought of the orgs from Lord of the Rings. There was some confusion about what was going on, on the evil side, but once figured out, one could follow.
The tales of the old Heirs were a great treat and background story. I wish we had a little more background story with the royals and the heirs, but it was not too much of a bother. Everything was balanced well, and the story was not to boggled down for a fantasy. The richness of the world building made me immediately fall into this world. I love how the magic worked and how it was different for each race.
I enjoyed this book! It was full of everything you can imagine in a fantasy story. The overall development was well done, being on the short side. I defiantly recommend this story to everyone who loves fantasy.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I give this book a 5/5
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