About the book:

Title: Odriel’s Heirs

Author: Hayley Reese Chow

Published: March 1st 2020 by Amazon KDP
Source: Received from the author, in exchange for an honest review

Format: e-copy

Blurb:

The brave, burning with fire, harnessed the Dragon’s Rage….

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.

Check it on: Amazon & Goodreads

Apparently, this is a short book. But it has so much action and so much development I felt like a full 500 pages novel. The world is amazing and the magic is fantastic. I love the legends, the fights, the worries, the everything.

Kaia has longed for the time when she can have the approval of her people. Her powers are scary not only for the others, but also for her. She has trained to become the Dragon Heir and she has trained to fight for the innocent. As a new danger approaches and their world is about to be conquered by a necromancer, Kaia has to find allies in strange places and learn to herness her powers.

There is so much to learn about this world. There are many strange creatures and some complicated names and places. I read the book as an e-copy (kindly provided by the amazing author), but I strongly suggest you have a physical copy. I found myself going back to the map (yes, it has a map!) to visualize where the battles were held or where each territory was located. It was a great experience.

Kaia fights alongside the Shadow Heir Klaus Thane, the person who always provoked her in her childhood, the one who encouraged her rage, the one who always bested her. They complement each other beautifully and their interactions slowly reveal their true feelings. But it happens slowly, and everything develops for that particular point. Nothing is random.

An interesting aspect is how our main characters evolve. Kaia learns to harness her power and have control over her fears, while Klaus easily brings forward his emotions. A Dragon Heir learns to control the fire within, while the Shadow Heir learns not to keep his feeling in the shadows. Interesting, I would say!

Definitely is a series that must be continued. The ending leaves a lot of options open and I cannot wait to read more. It’s indeed a beautiful book, with lots of action and a lot of political facts. There are animal companions loyal to their human counterparts that play a role from time to time, there is fire, necromancers, an army of dead guys and magic! Cool!

Cover review: Fantastic cover! The fire visible on Kaia’s hand and the dark details around Klaus are beautiful, the land devastated by fight is interesting and the determination on these characters’ faces is beautiful as well. I like how they are depicted together, as one. I like it a lot!

Favorite quote: “I am not overwhelmed, Klaus Thane,” Kaia snarled. “We lost over a hundred souls yesterday, I burned a man alive, watched you die, and the people I’m fighting to defend thanked me by throwing stones and hurting my dog.” She turned to him, a challenge glinting in her hard eyes. “I think I am managing just fine.”

About the Author

Hayley Reese Chow has short and flash fiction featured or upcoming in Lite Lit One, The Drabble, Bewildering Stories, Teleport Magazine, and Rogue Blades Entertainment’s omnibus, AS YOU WISH!

Until recently though, she’s mostly done a lot of things that have nothing at all to do with writing. Her hat collection includes mother, wife, engineer, USAF veteran, reservist, four-time All American fencer, 100 mile ultramarathoner, triathlete, world traveler, voracious reader, and super nerd.

Hayley currently lives in Florida with two small wild boys, her long-suffering husband, and her miniature ragehound.

But at night, when the house is still, she writes.

To find Hayley’s other stories and see what she’s working on next, check out hayleyreesechow.com. You can also find her on Twitter or Instagram @HayleyReeseChow.