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Book Review
Thank you to Book Sirens for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!
As a dragon heir, Kaia has inherited the power of Dragon Fire. It is her duty to protect her homeland from the necromancer should he rise again. But peace has settled over the land for so long people have turned his threat into nothing but rumors. Instead, they choose to scorn Kaia and her abilities. Chasing her out of the village and belittling her whenever she dares to make an appearance. Yet despite it all when the necromancer dares to rise again, she embraces her responsibilities and charges headlong into the battle against him.
Odriel’s Heirs is a quest based fantasy where Kaia and her fellow heir travel from one destination to the next racing against time to prevent the necromancer from rising again. Readers are swept along as they move from one goal to the next. As soon as they would finish one quest they would immediately need to journey to the next, the clock steadily ticking down as the sun continued to be consumed by the rising necromancer's power. I enjoyed the ever present reminder the heirs were running out of time. And the variety of challenges raised against them allowed readers to see the bigger picture of who and what would be affected by the necromancer.
Hayley Reese Chow isn’t afraid to present the reader and her characters with hard hitting scenes right away. The wave of emotions Kaia experiences as she deals with the trauma of loss and insecurity really hits home. Raised to be a protector of people, she is shunned by many humans. Anger is her close companion as she endures their ridicule and contempt. And when she does what she can to protect them, oftentimes she receives no thanks and must endure scathing words. Not to mention the personal losses she must suffer in order to move one step closer to the necromancer.
I would have loved to see a bit more backstory built into the characters. Hayley Reese Chow is great at capturing them in the moment and showing the reader immediate concerns and feelings. While there are a few flashbacks woven in, the time heir in particular readers could have benefited from learning about more. Backstories are a good way of forming connections between readers and characters. And once the connections are solidified, when anything threatens the characters it will hook the readers into needing to know what happens next.
But even so, Odriel’s Heirs was a fast-paced and exciting adventure. Readers will be immersed in a world of magic, dragons, and high stakes. Along with a young heroine doing all she can for the good of her homeland and trying her best to keep those she loves safe.
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