Odriel's Heirs Book 1 Author Hayley Reese Chow
Book Review
3.8 out of 5 stars!
"I'm just going to walk out there like a normal villager." - Kaia
There's nothing "normal" about Kaia Dashul! Having inherited the Dragon Fire, her path is already laid out before her. Only she wants a normal life and to meet a normal boy. Things turn sour when an ancient being's undead army appear in her hometown.
Kaia revels in her fire and it causes her to want to pursue her destiny. No matter where it may lead and who she has to team up with. Venturing forth with her unlikely companions, Kaia's ready to do what must be done. But can a seventeen-year-old girl really accomplish things? Does she have enough control over her flames? And will the Shadow Heir ever stop teasing her!?
"When a body is raised, the darkest part of that person's soul is also raised to inhabit it." - Shad
This is a coming of age story for Kaia. Journeying away from her family and understanding the ways of the world. There are things she did not expect to face while she was pursing her goal. Yet Klaus helps to keep things light and fun when needed. Even if they consist of childish pranks and teasing words.
The cast was fantastic in this book and I loved all the different personalities. Tekoa, Bam, Mickie, and Shad were amongst my favorite characters of the book! I loved how Kaia basically had a familiar in the book and could communicate with him through telepathy.
Kaia's seen as a curse by many. There's depictions of bullying and injustice. This may be a spoiler but I was so happy when Kaia realized not everyone was like the ones who condemned her as a spawn. Coming to learn that her gift isn't one to be feared or hidden away to make others happy.
Now this book is a YA fantasy, but it is a darker one. There are some elements and themes that are heavier. The main character has to face a lot of grief in a short amount of time. Not fully being able to deal with all the emotions and the healing process. I was a little upset with a character when they basically told the other to move on. . .
For me, I didn't like it. Main character's are younger and not fully adults yet. Not saying by any means adults are better with their emotions, I for one am still struggling with things. Just character's are allowed to mourn and grieve. Having moments of weakness. I get where the other character's coming from but still!
The other thing for me, this is just personal opinion. I felt the pacing was off in areas. Some scenes seemed to drag a little where others went by too quickly. This book does end with a cliffhanger and openings for the next one.
You can skip over this paragraph if you would like. But I felt like the ending was a little rushed with the climax of the story. Felt like there was more buildup then anything but when we got to the big part it breezed by. This is just how the book felt to me. You may think otherwise and completely devour this book and rush to get the next one in the series.
I didn't catch any language in the book. But this book does contain violence, some gore, feelings of grief, panic attacks, and bullying. There was some kissing in the book but being YA genre that was it with the romance side of things. Frenemies to lovers trope. I enjoyed all the different magical creatures and epic scenes. The world-building was cool and I loved that the author included a map at the beginning of the book.
Do enjoy the epic, dark, YA fantasy and give the author some stars!
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