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A review by wasauthor
Odriel's Heirs by Hayley Reese Chow
4.0
I received an advance reader copy of Odriel’s Heirs for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Odriel’s Heirs offers a new fantasy world replete with magic and mythological creatures, a new society, and how these elements all fit together. Not long after I started reading, I was taken by its world. Okarria has been brought to vivid life by the author, a world that feels lived in by its occupants, with an intriguing magic system including necromancy and the zombie-like “Lost,” dragons, unique fantastical creatures, the god Odriel, and Odriel’s titular heirs: the Dragon Heir, the Shadow Heir and the Time Heir. And on top of all that, a talking cat. As the novel continues, the author expands upon the world, deepening it and adding to its vibrancy, without sacrificing the story or its characters.
If there is one star of Odriel’s Heirs, it’s the prose. The writing is arresting, presenting the world, those who inhabit it, and the story in beautiful, picturesque detail. The writing transports the reader into the book, seeing everything through its protagonist’s eyes. Sentences flow together poetically, drawing the reader in and keeping them there. I marvelled at the beauty of how well the words fit together to tell the story. Unfortunately, the occasional typo and some sentences, including excess words, stood out.
The prose's beauty serves as a double-edged sword, given its target audience . This is a YA story; a coming of age tale about seventeen-year-old Kaia. Its language is elaborate, and while adult readers should appreciate it, I can see younger readers struggling with it and the amount of metaphors weaved throughout it. It’s a digestible length, but feels longer, thanks to its complexity.
As a coming of age story, Odriel’s Heirs succeeds beautifully. Kaia serves as the sole POV character: the Dragon Heir with the ability to conjure fire, and feared by others as well as herself. Kaia is a chosen one, and through the story, she grows from a young girl full of self-doubt to one confident in her abilities. Kaia’s burgeoning romance is handled wonderfully, in a rarely natural way. Rather than feeling a “slow burn romance,” it felt like two characters finding each other and their feelings simply growing for each other as the story progresses.
Kaia is an engaging protagonist. She is put through a lot, both physically and emotionally, and she reacts to everything in a natural, human way. Her growth serves not just the story, but Kaia herself, and experiencing this growth is a joy. The major supporting character, Klaus, is a pure joy to read. In many ways the opposite of Kaia, he acts as a great foil, and the interactions between the characters sing. The other characters fill smaller roles within the book, but are all enjoyable to follow.
The book moves at a speedy pace. The plot is full of thoroughly entertaining action sequences that flow well, moving swiftly towards its end, but never rushed. At parts, particularly during the novel’s first half, the story feels a little episodic, but overall, the story flows well.
If you’re wary of starting a series, the book stands on its own and feels like a self-contained story. The epilogue teases what’s to come next, but you won’t be left feeling like you paid for part of a story.
Odriel’s Heirs is beautifully written. While it might be a little difficult for younger readers to parse, adult readers who enjoy YA stories will find much to love, and fantasy fans will discover a wonderful world. While some of the plot feels episodic, largely, the narrative flows together incredibly well.
My full review will be available on my website from 8 February 2023. To read it, my reviews for the other books in the Odriel's Heirs series, and a host of other reviews, click here.
Odriel’s Heirs offers a new fantasy world replete with magic and mythological creatures, a new society, and how these elements all fit together. Not long after I started reading, I was taken by its world. Okarria has been brought to vivid life by the author, a world that feels lived in by its occupants, with an intriguing magic system including necromancy and the zombie-like “Lost,” dragons, unique fantastical creatures, the god Odriel, and Odriel’s titular heirs: the Dragon Heir, the Shadow Heir and the Time Heir. And on top of all that, a talking cat. As the novel continues, the author expands upon the world, deepening it and adding to its vibrancy, without sacrificing the story or its characters.
If there is one star of Odriel’s Heirs, it’s the prose. The writing is arresting, presenting the world, those who inhabit it, and the story in beautiful, picturesque detail. The writing transports the reader into the book, seeing everything through its protagonist’s eyes. Sentences flow together poetically, drawing the reader in and keeping them there. I marvelled at the beauty of how well the words fit together to tell the story. Unfortunately, the occasional typo and some sentences, including excess words, stood out.
The prose's beauty serves as a double-edged sword, given its target audience . This is a YA story; a coming of age tale about seventeen-year-old Kaia. Its language is elaborate, and while adult readers should appreciate it, I can see younger readers struggling with it and the amount of metaphors weaved throughout it. It’s a digestible length, but feels longer, thanks to its complexity.
As a coming of age story, Odriel’s Heirs succeeds beautifully. Kaia serves as the sole POV character: the Dragon Heir with the ability to conjure fire, and feared by others as well as herself. Kaia is a chosen one, and through the story, she grows from a young girl full of self-doubt to one confident in her abilities. Kaia’s burgeoning romance is handled wonderfully, in a rarely natural way. Rather than feeling a “slow burn romance,” it felt like two characters finding each other and their feelings simply growing for each other as the story progresses.
Kaia is an engaging protagonist. She is put through a lot, both physically and emotionally, and she reacts to everything in a natural, human way. Her growth serves not just the story, but Kaia herself, and experiencing this growth is a joy. The major supporting character, Klaus, is a pure joy to read. In many ways the opposite of Kaia, he acts as a great foil, and the interactions between the characters sing. The other characters fill smaller roles within the book, but are all enjoyable to follow.
The book moves at a speedy pace. The plot is full of thoroughly entertaining action sequences that flow well, moving swiftly towards its end, but never rushed. At parts, particularly during the novel’s first half, the story feels a little episodic, but overall, the story flows well.
If you’re wary of starting a series, the book stands on its own and feels like a self-contained story. The epilogue teases what’s to come next, but you won’t be left feeling like you paid for part of a story.
Odriel’s Heirs is beautifully written. While it might be a little difficult for younger readers to parse, adult readers who enjoy YA stories will find much to love, and fantasy fans will discover a wonderful world. While some of the plot feels episodic, largely, the narrative flows together incredibly well.
My full review will be available on my website from 8 February 2023. To read it, my reviews for the other books in the Odriel's Heirs series, and a host of other reviews, click here.