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tcpallesen's review against another edition
5.0
This books starts of quickly with action, lulls (so I thought) for a chapter or two, and then continues building with a burning intensity to a fiery end (puns most definitely intended)!
For the beginning 3rd of the book, I found Kaia, the Dragon Heir, a little hard to connect with, but it was her interaction with Gus, her hound, that really endeared her to me. He can sort of talk directly into her head (sort of), but it reminds of those adorable dog videos, where their owners give them their own voices - hoomans, food me. This is literally the voice my brain gave to Gus: "This does not smell like a turtle. [Turtle transforms into a brown bear] Not-turtle is big now!" Cue my laugh out loud. These little moments between Kaia and Gus, made me love this book.
That's not to say that those interactions were the only thing that made me give this book 5 stars: The dialogue and back and forth between the Shadow and Dragon heirs was on-point and the descriptions of the action scenes was so well written I could literally see it in my mind. "Her nervous energy caused the flames to billow up in a swirling elmcore-sized tower of searing flame...Kaia brought the blaze down in from of her as if held the tail of a tornado of fire."
Overall, a great read with fantastic dialog, well developed characters with complex fears and emotions and really great puppy thoughts!
I highly recommend this to readers who enjoyed Throne of Glass.
Thank you to Book Sirens for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For the beginning 3rd of the book, I found Kaia, the Dragon Heir, a little hard to connect with, but it was her interaction with Gus, her hound, that really endeared her to me. He can sort of talk directly into her head (sort of), but it reminds of those adorable dog videos, where their owners give them their own voices - hoomans, food me. This is literally the voice my brain gave to Gus: "This does not smell like a turtle. [Turtle transforms into a brown bear] Not-turtle is big now!" Cue my laugh out loud. These little moments between Kaia and Gus, made me love this book.
That's not to say that those interactions were the only thing that made me give this book 5 stars: The dialogue and back and forth between the Shadow and Dragon heirs was on-point and the descriptions of the action scenes was so well written I could literally see it in my mind. "Her nervous energy caused the flames to billow up in a swirling elmcore-sized tower of searing flame...Kaia brought the blaze down in from of her as if held the tail of a tornado of fire."
Overall, a great read with fantastic dialog, well developed characters with complex fears and emotions and really great puppy thoughts!
I highly recommend this to readers who enjoyed Throne of Glass.
Thank you to Book Sirens for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
asiantomato's review against another edition
5.0
Odriel’s Heirs is a fast-paced story about Kaia’s quest to defeat Nifras, a demon necromancer who wants to take over the world. Kaia is the Dragon Heir, one of three of Odriel’s Heirs. Klaus is the Shadow Heir, able to turn invisible when he wants, and Jago is the Time Heir, able to heal anyone. They’ve been told that the only way Nifras can be defeated is if they work together, but when the story begins, we learn that Jago is missing. Throughout the book, Kaia and Klaus have to make do with what they have in order to succeed against Nifras’s undead army.
”Wherever there is light, there is also shadow.”
I give this book a 4.5/5 because it’s a pretty solid read for a debut book! I really liked Kaia’s character development. As the story progresses, we see her transform from a scared, doubtful girl into a confident warrior who was willing to die to the people she loves. I usually don’t like it when romance is included in fantasy novels because they feel insta-lovey, but I like how the romance between Kaia and Klaus developed from their bickering childhood arguments into more soft, caring words. They supported one another no matter what came between them.
My favorite character was Gus, Kaia’s ragehound, whose task was to bring Kaia back to her normal state of mind when she was too consumed by her dragon rage. He was so sweet and was always looking after Kaia, reassuring her when she doubted herself and telling her everything will be okay when she was sad :( I love Gus <3
What really drew me into the book was all the fast-paced fight scenes as well as the world building. Right off the bat, we were thrown into a scene where Kaia had to fight against the undead with her brother, Bram, and from there, the fighting rarely stopped. The details that were included in these scenes had me hooked on.
I received a copy from Amazon KDP via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
”Wherever there is light, there is also shadow.”
I give this book a 4.5/5 because it’s a pretty solid read for a debut book! I really liked Kaia’s character development. As the story progresses, we see her transform from a scared, doubtful girl into a confident warrior who was willing to die to the people she loves. I usually don’t like it when romance is included in fantasy novels because they feel insta-lovey, but I like how the romance between Kaia and Klaus developed from their bickering childhood arguments into more soft, caring words. They supported one another no matter what came between them.
My favorite character was Gus, Kaia’s ragehound, whose task was to bring Kaia back to her normal state of mind when she was too consumed by her dragon rage. He was so sweet and was always looking after Kaia, reassuring her when she doubted herself and telling her everything will be okay when she was sad :( I love Gus <3
What really drew me into the book was all the fast-paced fight scenes as well as the world building. Right off the bat, we were thrown into a scene where Kaia had to fight against the undead with her brother, Bram, and from there, the fighting rarely stopped. The details that were included in these scenes had me hooked on.
I received a copy from Amazon KDP via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Odriels Heir
Author: Hayley Reese Chow
Book Series: Odriels Heirs Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: February 23, 2020
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 197
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, some mature scenes)
Synopsis: 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.
Review: For the most part this is a great fantasy. The story is intriguing, the world building is fantastic, and the writing was well done.
However, the character development lacked a bit for me. The main character wasn't very likable and while that can be done amazingly in some book I felt it lacked in this one.
Verdict: An excellent fantasy read!
Book: Odriels Heir
Author: Hayley Reese Chow
Book Series: Odriels Heirs Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: February 23, 2020
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 197
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, some mature scenes)
Synopsis: 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.
Review: For the most part this is a great fantasy. The story is intriguing, the world building is fantastic, and the writing was well done.
However, the character development lacked a bit for me. The main character wasn't very likable and while that can be done amazingly in some book I felt it lacked in this one.
Verdict: An excellent fantasy read!
honeymilk's review against another edition
4.0
I think the biggest standout of this book was the world building. I loved the fantasy of it all and it was so imaginable. I also really liked the characters. I think that this is a great beginning to a new series. And I am so excited that I don't have to leave these characters just yet.
wanderingwordsmith's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This story is non stop, there was never a slow point or a point where it felt like it lagged. I really enjoyed the fact that it was so fast but also full of detail. Some of the author's descriptions were rich and perfectly painted an image. There were certainly some elements of the story which were similar to other fantasies, but you are going to see that in a lot of stories, especially if they are following a hero's journey.
I loved the little glimmers of personalities and felt that Kaia was a complex character. She definitely had the most depth out of everyone, but I could see other characters growing and becoming more fully fledged in further books.
I do hope that there is a little bit more world building in the next book as I feel like I don't completely understand the world and it may be a little confusing for some at first. Still, it was a fun read and great start to a series.
This story is non stop, there was never a slow point or a point where it felt like it lagged. I really enjoyed the fact that it was so fast but also full of detail. Some of the author's descriptions were rich and perfectly painted an image. There were certainly some elements of the story which were similar to other fantasies, but you are going to see that in a lot of stories, especially if they are following a hero's journey.
I loved the little glimmers of personalities and felt that Kaia was a complex character. She definitely had the most depth out of everyone, but I could see other characters growing and becoming more fully fledged in further books.
I do hope that there is a little bit more world building in the next book as I feel like I don't completely understand the world and it may be a little confusing for some at first. Still, it was a fun read and great start to a series.
bewarethebookwyrm's review against another edition
5.0
Jade's Review:
This is such an awesome book! The characters are strong from the beginning, which I always enjoy. Kaia is very powerful, but also very compassionate. This makes her more relatable. The story was great, well thought out, and very clean. I can’t stress enough how nice it was to read a clean romance! I would definitely be interested in reading more of this author’s work.
I rate this book five stars!
Jade received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely her own.
This is such an awesome book! The characters are strong from the beginning, which I always enjoy. Kaia is very powerful, but also very compassionate. This makes her more relatable. The story was great, well thought out, and very clean. I can’t stress enough how nice it was to read a clean romance! I would definitely be interested in reading more of this author’s work.
I rate this book five stars!
Jade received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely her own.
mysterious_bookshack's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to BookSirens for sending me an electronic published copy of Odriel's Heirs to review!
Honestly, I was drawn into this book because of the cover. The cover looks so interesting that I had to give it a try and I gotta say I was impressed! Despite the fact that it was about a 200-page read, it was filled with character development and action-packed scenes that had me wanting for more!
Kaia, The Dragon Heir, experiences a lot in this short novel and you can see her grow and mature with every passing moment. I loved seeing her struggle with her flaws because it showed that even though she has this great power, she was still human at heart. Throughout the story, Kaia has trouble trusting that she would be able to protect her loved ones. The friends that she made on her journey to defeat the necromancer helped her regain trust and confidence in herself which is always amazing to see.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series and congrats to Hayley Reese Chow for publishing an amazing debut this year!
Honestly, I was drawn into this book because of the cover. The cover looks so interesting that I had to give it a try and I gotta say I was impressed! Despite the fact that it was about a 200-page read, it was filled with character development and action-packed scenes that had me wanting for more!
Kaia, The Dragon Heir, experiences a lot in this short novel and you can see her grow and mature with every passing moment. I loved seeing her struggle with her flaws because it showed that even though she has this great power, she was still human at heart. Throughout the story, Kaia has trouble trusting that she would be able to protect her loved ones. The friends that she made on her journey to defeat the necromancer helped her regain trust and confidence in herself which is always amazing to see.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series and congrats to Hayley Reese Chow for publishing an amazing debut this year!
a_lit_babe's review against another edition
4.0
“To win on the battlefield, you must conquer the fear within” — Odriel’s Heirs, Hayley Reese Chow.
Odriel’s Heirs is such an intriguing book. It has lovely character growth especially when it comes to Kaia, the protagonist of the book. When I started reading, Kaia was a girl timid to use her powers. She was curious but allowed people’s thoughts and actions get to her. Bram, her twin, is a prime example of an idiot who would never let her live down the fact that she came first so therefore she had the powers he didn’t get, even to the point of shaming her as a girl. I. Did. Not. Like. Him. At. All.
The book is divided into three parts and it taught me that courage is the way to go. Kaia, at several occasions doubted her own ability. She was afraid of hurting her own people and she was afraid of letting them die. At the end, she had to be courageous and boy, was she!
This book also taught me that people will always be people even after you have done something good for them, so you would rather do good without expecting them to do the same in return.
At various times, this book reminded me that there are still good people in this world.
One thing I especially loved about Odriel’s Heirs are the beautiful quotes I was able to highlight. Some of them are:
• “If ever you need light, just remember the one that burns within you never goes out.”
• ” Though you may have fallen in battle, your spirits join the wind on our faces, the air in our lungs,and together, we fight as one for eternity.”
• “Wherever there is light, there is shadow.”
• “To keep the dead from our doorstep, I must ride out to meet them.” THIS ONE GAVE ME SERUOUS GAME OF THRONES VIBES. I LOVE IT!
• “Why do the best of us have to die?”
• “There was history before humans, and there will be history after.”
Wow. Wow. Wow.
The covers, too?! Absolute delights.
This book was such an enjoyable read. I love the beautiful infuse of the enemies-to-lovers trope between Kaia and Klaus too. It was a delight to read.
4 shiny stars for me.
I can’t wait to read more from Hayley Reese Chow.
Odriel’s Heirs is such an intriguing book. It has lovely character growth especially when it comes to Kaia, the protagonist of the book. When I started reading, Kaia was a girl timid to use her powers. She was curious but allowed people’s thoughts and actions get to her. Bram, her twin, is a prime example of an idiot who would never let her live down the fact that she came first so therefore she had the powers he didn’t get, even to the point of shaming her as a girl. I. Did. Not. Like. Him. At. All.
The book is divided into three parts and it taught me that courage is the way to go. Kaia, at several occasions doubted her own ability. She was afraid of hurting her own people and she was afraid of letting them die. At the end, she had to be courageous and boy, was she!
This book also taught me that people will always be people even after you have done something good for them, so you would rather do good without expecting them to do the same in return.
At various times, this book reminded me that there are still good people in this world.
One thing I especially loved about Odriel’s Heirs are the beautiful quotes I was able to highlight. Some of them are:
• “If ever you need light, just remember the one that burns within you never goes out.”
• ” Though you may have fallen in battle, your spirits join the wind on our faces, the air in our lungs,and together, we fight as one for eternity.”
• “Wherever there is light, there is shadow.”
• “To keep the dead from our doorstep, I must ride out to meet them.” THIS ONE GAVE ME SERUOUS GAME OF THRONES VIBES. I LOVE IT!
• “Why do the best of us have to die?”
• “There was history before humans, and there will be history after.”
Wow. Wow. Wow.
The covers, too?! Absolute delights.
This book was such an enjoyable read. I love the beautiful infuse of the enemies-to-lovers trope between Kaia and Klaus too. It was a delight to read.
4 shiny stars for me.
I can’t wait to read more from Hayley Reese Chow.
shadowhunter31's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! Fantasy is my favorite genre so this was right in my wheelhouse. The characters are likable and the plot is interesting. So if you love a good fantasy book I would dig into this one. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.