![Blood of Heirs (The Coraidic Sagas Book 1) by [Wanstall-Burke, Alicia]](https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41VtsK-3trL._SY346_.jpg)
Blood of Heirs was an amazing read. It’s the kind of book you can easily get consumed with and forget to put down. I would know, I finished it within 10 hours and I could probably spend a fair bit of time raving about it. It has some amazing moments: I laughed, I cheered, I cried, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Blood of Heirs follows two main characters: Ran, the son of a Duke who goes from failed commander to hero to outcast in the space of a day because he accidentally acquired some magical powers. Whoops. The other main character, Lidan, is the daughter and heir to a clan chief. As her father has no sons, she’s in a position where she might be the first ever female clan chief and is constantly pushing to be taught how to be a ranger and how to fight.
Both Ran and Lidan face interesting challenges as they upset the mold for how the heirs of their respective societies should be. Ran’s story is mostly a survival quest and we follow him as he tries to escape the noose that his sorcery has brought upon him. Meanwhile, Lidan faces challenges in her clan. Her mother is determined for her to be the heir, she’s the eldest daughter, but that might all change if one of the chief’s other wives births a son. Lidan must prove that she has what it takes to be the first female leader the clan has ever seen. Both characters are really compelling, and you can’t help but cheer them on.
Another great thing in Blood of Heirs is the worldbuilding. Both MCs are in different parts of the world, with different social structures, and different levels of development. Ran’s duchy is quite advanced: it’s medieval era, with swords, siege weapons, and much more. Meanwhile, Lidan’s clan is the only one to have progressed beyond stone weapons, and even then they’ve only just been discovered and are fairly rare. What I really love about this is that the author shows that different areas of the world have different levels of technological advancement, something which I rarely see in my fantasy novels.
Overall, I really loved Blood of Heirs and am excited for all my friends to read it and for the sequels. Would highly recommend it to people who enjoy:
Epic Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Compelling Characters
Worldbuilding
Forbidden magic
Review
“A brilliantly-imagined and vividly-realised novel of peril, persistence and coming-of-age.” - Anna Stephens, author of Godblind and Darksoul
"A remarkably accomplished debut. Fast pacing, dynamic plotting and a convincing world of tribal conflict and dark magic." - Juliet Marillier, author of the Blackthorn & Grim series
“A superbly written, pulse-pounding, and evocative debut.” - Petrik Leo, novelnotions.net
“Dark, stunningly well written, the best debut I've read in years.” - Graham Austin-King, author of Faithless and The Riven Wyrde Saga
“One of the finest debut novels I’ve ever read. A stunning, annihilating, all conquering assault on the grand bastion of epic fantasy.” - John Birmingham, best selling author of He Died with a Felafel in His Hand and Axis of Time trilogy
“I laughed, I cheered, I cried, and I enjoyed every moment of it." - The Fantasy Inn
Product Description
"A Brilliantly imagined and vividly realised novel." - Anna Stephens, Author of Godblind and Darksoul.
"A remarkably accomplished debut. Fast pacing, dynamic plotting and a convincing world of tribal conflict and dark magic." - Juliet Marillier, author of the Blackthorn & Grim series.
“One of the finest debut novels I’ve ever read. A stunning, annihilating, all conquering assault on the grand bastion of epic fantasy.” - John Birmingham, best selling author of He Died with a Felafel in His Hand and Axis of Time trilogy.
Lidan Tolak is the fiercest of her father’s daughters; more than capable of one day leading her clan. But caught between her warring parents, Lidan’s world begins to unravel when another of her father’s wives falls pregnant. Before she has time to consider the threat of a brother, a bloody swathe is cut through the heart of the clan and Lidan must fight, not only to prove her worth, but simply to survive.
Ranoth Olseta wants nothing more than to be a worthy successor to his father’s throne. When his home is threatened by the aggressive Woaden Empire, Ran becomes his city’s saviour, but powers within him are revealed by the enemy and he is condemned to death. Confused and betrayed, Ran is forced to flee his homeland, vowing to reclaim what he has lost, even if it kills him.
Facing an unknown future, and battling forces both familiar and foreign, can Lidan and Ran overcome the odds threatening to drag them into inescapable darkness?