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A review by cavalary
Heiress of Healing by Sonya Lano
4.0
Full disclosure: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. This has in no way influenced the opinions expressed in this review.
I became interested in Heiress of Healing hoping it was the start of an epic fantasy series and began reading it fearing it may in fact be merely paranormal romance disguised under a thin veil of more "proper" fantasy. On both counts, I was right and wrong at the same time, because it is something between the two, featuring a decent enough actual fantasy side and a paranormal romance part that, though I generally have no interest in or experience with the genre, I have to recognize as outstanding.
To get this out of the way, yes, that means there is sex as well. No, it's definitely not used for cheap thrills. Whether we're talking about main or secondary characters, and whether it's making love, merely fucking or something in between, each sex scene has a clear purpose, is relevant for the characters and the story, and is portrayed almost perfectly. At times, when this approach is needed and possible, you'll find rather detailed descriptions, while other times you'll see no more than brief mentions. Perhaps most notably, however, the author recognizes when mere words would prove inadequate in conveying the emotions experienced and the bonds created during such an encounter and allows and trusts the reader to understand the moment's intensity and significance on their own.
In fact, Heiress of Healing is greatly aided every step of the way by good writing and a significant amount of polish. Without this being in any way meant as a criticism against the actual contents, it can be said that the writing style was the main reason why I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it definitely was the reason why my initial concerns were quickly forgotten. Sure, those reading with a critical eye or who simply have a penchant for nitpicking may notice the odd style issue here and there, particularly after the first part, but you do need to search for them in order to do so, the overall quality of the writing exceeding not only what one would be tempted to expect from a new and unsigned author, but that found in many well-known and popular works as well.
If I'm to mention some complaints, I must begin with the frustration caused by the behavior and personality of the lead character. I could probably muster some shred of empathy even for the queen, but definitely not for Iminique, particularly since she's usually not the only one paying the price for her actions or inaction, and at times not the one paying the price at all. True, I can't say I found any characters truly worth cheering for, but she's the main one and supposed to be the champion of good, inasmuch as this story has one, which only makes it worse. At the same time, none of this can exactly be said to be a flaw of the book, the author very accurately portraying personalities that one would reasonably expect to find in those positions, considering the world the action takes place in.
As such, perhaps it would be fairer to complain about how jarring it sometimes is when the story jumps forward in time, especially when this is also associated with changing the location and characters. The first time this happened was actually quite a shock for me and I can't exactly say I ever got used to it, so I'm sure there is a better way to do something like this.
In addition, at least one storyline introduced in such a manner not only doesn't get resolved in any way, but doesn't even appear to have an actual purpose, though that becomes understandable once you remember that Heiress of Healing is the first in a series and therefore parts of it are expected to be little more than introductions for the following books. Yet viewing it this way may make one expect it to include details that are not to be found here, the author at times making use of some shortcuts and simplifications that may give those used to complex stories and detailed worldbuilding some reason to frown. Whenever this happens, however, one would do well to remember the genre Heiress of Healing is meant to fit into.
To conclude, if you're looking solely for the next great epic fantasy series, you won't find it here. If, on the other hand, what you're searching for is a character-driven fantasy story that won't give you headaches while trying to follow all that's going on, or perhaps simply some well-written and, at least for a new and unsigned author, surprisingly polished escapism, you could do a whole lot worse than Heiress of Healing. Most importantly, however, if you aim to find an ambitious mix of romance and fantasy that seeks and, for the most part, manages to go beyond many of the limitations one may consider typical of paranormal romance and, as my case proves, may well be thoroughly enjoyable even for those who'd normally stay well away from the genre, then seriously, do yourself a favor and pick this up!
I became interested in Heiress of Healing hoping it was the start of an epic fantasy series and began reading it fearing it may in fact be merely paranormal romance disguised under a thin veil of more "proper" fantasy. On both counts, I was right and wrong at the same time, because it is something between the two, featuring a decent enough actual fantasy side and a paranormal romance part that, though I generally have no interest in or experience with the genre, I have to recognize as outstanding.
To get this out of the way, yes, that means there is sex as well. No, it's definitely not used for cheap thrills. Whether we're talking about main or secondary characters, and whether it's making love, merely fucking or something in between, each sex scene has a clear purpose, is relevant for the characters and the story, and is portrayed almost perfectly. At times, when this approach is needed and possible, you'll find rather detailed descriptions, while other times you'll see no more than brief mentions. Perhaps most notably, however, the author recognizes when mere words would prove inadequate in conveying the emotions experienced and the bonds created during such an encounter and allows and trusts the reader to understand the moment's intensity and significance on their own.
In fact, Heiress of Healing is greatly aided every step of the way by good writing and a significant amount of polish. Without this being in any way meant as a criticism against the actual contents, it can be said that the writing style was the main reason why I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it definitely was the reason why my initial concerns were quickly forgotten. Sure, those reading with a critical eye or who simply have a penchant for nitpicking may notice the odd style issue here and there, particularly after the first part, but you do need to search for them in order to do so, the overall quality of the writing exceeding not only what one would be tempted to expect from a new and unsigned author, but that found in many well-known and popular works as well.
If I'm to mention some complaints, I must begin with the frustration caused by the behavior and personality of the lead character. I could probably muster some shred of empathy even for the queen, but definitely not for Iminique, particularly since she's usually not the only one paying the price for her actions or inaction, and at times not the one paying the price at all. True, I can't say I found any characters truly worth cheering for, but she's the main one and supposed to be the champion of good, inasmuch as this story has one, which only makes it worse. At the same time, none of this can exactly be said to be a flaw of the book, the author very accurately portraying personalities that one would reasonably expect to find in those positions, considering the world the action takes place in.
As such, perhaps it would be fairer to complain about how jarring it sometimes is when the story jumps forward in time, especially when this is also associated with changing the location and characters. The first time this happened was actually quite a shock for me and I can't exactly say I ever got used to it, so I'm sure there is a better way to do something like this.
In addition, at least one storyline introduced in such a manner not only doesn't get resolved in any way, but doesn't even appear to have an actual purpose, though that becomes understandable once you remember that Heiress of Healing is the first in a series and therefore parts of it are expected to be little more than introductions for the following books. Yet viewing it this way may make one expect it to include details that are not to be found here, the author at times making use of some shortcuts and simplifications that may give those used to complex stories and detailed worldbuilding some reason to frown. Whenever this happens, however, one would do well to remember the genre Heiress of Healing is meant to fit into.
To conclude, if you're looking solely for the next great epic fantasy series, you won't find it here. If, on the other hand, what you're searching for is a character-driven fantasy story that won't give you headaches while trying to follow all that's going on, or perhaps simply some well-written and, at least for a new and unsigned author, surprisingly polished escapism, you could do a whole lot worse than Heiress of Healing. Most importantly, however, if you aim to find an ambitious mix of romance and fantasy that seeks and, for the most part, manages to go beyond many of the limitations one may consider typical of paranormal romance and, as my case proves, may well be thoroughly enjoyable even for those who'd normally stay well away from the genre, then seriously, do yourself a favor and pick this up!