Thank you NetGalley, Second Sky, Bookouture Audio and Ben Alderson but providing me with an eARC and Audiobook eARC on Heir to Thorn and Flame 🔥

4.5/5 rounded up.

I absolutely looked this book. I ate it up. I have struggled through some books lately but this one had me engaged and speeding through it! It is also a 'homo-normative' universe, so no coming out struggles or homophobia for our characters.

I love a good chosen one trope and Maximus is a wonderful character for this trope. The start, the evil king, the evil Queen - all the evil everywhere but for our poor suffering Max. Loved it. I just felt for him and the holding of hope pushed me through the so very very hateable Villians

I always mark a fantasy/magic system on how confused I am by it. This one was great - never confused, got the vibe of the magic system and the kingdoms easily. Until we got our mid novel twist - which I was absolutely here for - but the point was a tiny bit lost on me. Also like a magical system that is rooted in the earth element which dragon's and other mystical beasts. Brilliant.

I preferred the book over the audiobook mainly just because of the 'not contemporary' voice acting - which of course reflects the fantasy of the book but is not really my vibe.

TL;DR: Gay high fantasy with plenty of twists.

Well, Ben Alderson has done it again! By again I mean, 1. gotten me to read fantasy books which I normally wouldn't do and 2. captured my attention right from the beginning! I think it only took me a day to read this.

I really liked all the characters, and I thought the writing was well done most of the time. I was pretty conflicted with the love interests throughout this. I really liked what we saw of Maximus' and Camron's relationship when it was happening and would have loved to have seen more, to be honest. I did think the climax happened very quickly and I would have liked to have seen more out of that since the twist was pretty important. I am excited, though, for the next book!

This book right off the hop was fantastic! Great story progression, a lot of mystery and suspense, great characters you relate to right away. A cute romance (but is it? Are you sure?) you’ll be on the edge of your seat as you follow Maximus on his journey, he’s not who they think he is, he’s not even who he thinks he is, the deeper you go the more mystery unravels and the more builds. I can’t wait for the next book!

** I'd like to thank Second Sky for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review **

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.6/5

This book was fun! As a reader of queer fiction where I struggle to find books with unique premises, this book was indeed unique and enjoyable. It was a quick read and perfect for a nice, lazy day.

The main issues I struggled with for this book was character depth and misrepresented marketing.

The characters were fun, but ultimately nothing we haven't seen before. A ruthless, but caring prince, a spy who is just sinfully attractive, and a protagonist placed in numerous dilemmas. Betrayal runs amok and the MC must protect himself. If anything, the world is what's the most interesting. The romance is cute and spiciness is about average for me. There's only so many ways to write smut lol, but Ben does a good job so that it isn't icky!

Now, in terms of marketing, I feel like it's inappropriate to call this something inspired by Merlin (the TV show, BBC). I am an avid fan of that show and to me, if something is inspired by Merlin, it has the dynamics of the characters in the show. The tight brotherhood, verging on homoerotic, relattionship of Arthur and Merlin, the sweet friendship of Gwen and Arthur and Merlin, etc. I wouldn't say something is Merlin inspired if the only thing that correlates is the magic system and the world inspiration. Same goes for the marketing of it being like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Just because a world has dragons in it does not make it correlate to a dragon training survivalist school story. Some people may see the correlation to either one of these stories, but I did not unfortunately.

Also, maybe it's just because I'm American rather than English, but I had a hard time reading the story with the dialogue put into apostrophes rather than quotations. (ex: 'I hope your day has been well, sire,' he said.) This may just be a choice by the author, so I don't have much opinion there.

Overall, this story was good for a casual m/m story that proved fun at times. It was my first Ben Alderson read, but I will be checking out his other books on KU when I get the chance!!

Happy reading!!

i heard dragon and i was in.
with heir to thorn and flame we meet maximus, the lost mage and accompany him in finding out who he is and where he belongs.

there's a evil king 👑
dragons🐉
a love triangle 👀
arranged marriage 💍
so much betrayal
a little gory 😌

this was the perfect introduction to the series. the writing is so freaking good, it feels like you're flying through the pages. the storyline and twists made me obsessed and pulled me in, it makes you think and yeah there's some sexual tension. i already know that this will be one of my new favorites by Ben and I'm so excited to find out what will happen next.

also, did I mention dragons?!

The storyline was a little bit rocky in terms of some of the dark things that are covered. But I for sure really got into it about a quarter of the way through. The character Maximus for sure is a complex character that had to go through a lot in his journey, and it for sure was enthralling one. His love interest Camron for sure had me halfway in love with him. Because the way that he was described was very solid, caring, and supportive man.
I am typically hesitant to read m/m romance, because a lot of them tend to fall into pretty stereotypical territory. This one kind of dips its toe into it, but didn’t fall in. I For Sure would recommend this to my friends and viewers as a solid romance/fantasy/LGBTQIA+ book. It’s for sure an adventure that leaves its mark on the reader. Magic, romance, betrayal, adventure & one hell of a main character.
Overall, I will give it a 4 star rating. Will I continue this series? It’s kind of up in the air. I’m sure I will but not immediately when it comes out.

Thanks NetGalley & Second Sky Publications for a ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I just finished reading Heir to Thorn and Flame by Ben Alderson and what a ride! It’s fantasy romance with MM. Spicy level 1 with some kissing. CSA, death, abduction, torture, and murder are touched on so be aware of those triggers. There are dragons, magic, and kingdoms. Oh and war there’s definitely war. This started as a slow burn and built from there. By page 20 there’s enough action to keep you on your toes. There were definitely no skips in this one and I highly recommend you give it a go.

This was a quick read for me, and I liked it for that reason. The story was easy to follow and the plot moved forward quickly. Where things fell flat for me was in how the story was told, and in the characters. The narration in this book relies heavily on telling, not showing. Very often throughout, there were exposition dumps detailing new plot points instead of letting things unfold naturally throughout the story. While things were easy to follow that way, it did make for boring reading in parts. The characters, on the surface, are interesting, but when the plot unfolds it often felt like the characters lacked nuance. The main character, for example, is set up to be one way, but the plot of the story counteracts that personality and takes some of the agency the author tries to build up for him away. Several of the cast of characters end up being two-faced and betraying the mc in some way, in fact it happens so often it's best to just assume everyone has poor intentions. This got old after a while, and could have greatly benefited from having more variations in character roles. The relationships between characters was not great, we're told some of them, like Beatrice, has a strong relationship with the mc, but it's not often seen in action, and with the threat of betrayal constantly hanging over everyone, it makes it hard for any of the characters to really stand out. Had the characters stood up more, I would have enjoyed this book much more, however, I am still interested in seeing what happens in the sequel.

The premise of the first book in this series really caught my eye, so I was grateful for the opportunity to receive an advanced reader copy. Thank you!
There was a lot to like about this book: magic and dragons, conflicting attraction, best friends with secrets.

I also liked that same sex couples were never even discussed as anything other than completely normal and acceptable. One of my least favorite things is when an author uses homophobia (internal or external) as the only or main plot crisis. Boring… overdone… there is more to us and our relationships than that. This book gets huge bonus points for having same sex couples and it not even being remotely part of the crisis.

The story was strangely slow at points and then progressed rapidly at others but I still found it overall engaging. I was ill-prepared for some of the violence, though. It was a bit over the top and didn’t add much in terms of making the reader feel a certain way (we’d have felt that way without the graphic descriptions).

There were several minor typos that I assume will be caught during final editing but I took notes in case anyone wants my feedback.

Ben has done it once more! Another brilliantly created work by him, this time for a brand-new book series called Court Of Broken Bonds. The story follows Max, who accidentally kills the heir one night and then steps in to be him. The book is a romance with fantasy elements. He is then obliged to be involved in an arranged marriage with Prince Cameron. My first book by the author was Betrayal of Storms, book 1 in his Fae of the Realm series. I would have to say that this is my second book by him, and I was immediately drawn to this one since the cover was so stunning and the description piqued my interest in exploring a new world and characters.

Two characters were introduced at the beginning of the novel, and before the end of the first chapter, I sensed that Ben Alderson was hinting at something. Furthermore, the way the author handled it made me even more excited to see how it turned out in the chapters that followed. The writing throughout the book is decent, although occasionally it may be necessary to go back and read a line or two to fully grasp the meaning of a certain situation. This has happened to me a few times, but after the second reading, I was better able to comprehend the idea the author was trying to portray.

One might also claim that the story's pace has gradually started to pick up. However, during the third quarter, I felt as though a lot was happening, and as a reader, I was amazed and couldn't stop reading since I was curious to find out what would happen in the next chapter. In terms of character development and characterization in the novel, Ben did an outstanding job. I, for one, loved several of the characters at first, but as the narrative went on, my opinion of them shifted. I must admit, some of the characters—like Camron and Beatrice, for instance—had a love-hate relationship with me.

As a fan of Ben's writing, I am eagerly anticipating what will happen to Max and Simion in book 2 of the Court of Broken Bonds Series because the book's conclusion leaves you wanting more. In the end, I am giving this book a rating of 5 out of 5 since the portrayal of Ben's character, the creation of the world, and the narrative had a significant impact on me as I read the book.

Thank you, Netgalley, Ben Alderson, and Second Sky Books, for providing me with an e-ARC of the book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own!

Maximus Oaken has many in his life that would use him for their own gain. Even those he believes to have his best interest at heart tend to leave destruction in their wake. Is there anyone Maximus can truly trust?
This book leads the reader on a journey with Maximus that will break your heart, rebuild it, then bread it again. Author, Ben Alderson has done what he does best, he had created an immersive world that will leave the reader dying for the next installment! The story is ripe with detail and the foreshadowing will take the reader for quite a wild ride! So looking forward to book two!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing an E-ARC of Heir to Thorn and Flame. The following review reflects my honest reading experience!

Set in a world where magical nobles reign supreme, the protagonist, Max, undergoes a dramatic transformation from a servant to a member of the elite ruling class.

Ben Alderson weaves together a complex web of intrigue and deception, which kept me on the edge of my seat (I literally stayed up until 3am to finish the book!!) as Max struggles to protect his true identity and his heart. The tension and slow-burn between Max and Camron is stunning, as their relationship develops against a backdrop of political machinations and power struggles. The dynamics of their arranged marriage and the general sense that nothing is quite what is seems creates a sense of urgency and emotional turmoil that is nail-biting and heart-wrenching.

This story explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths one is willing to go to protect the ones they love. Max's internal struggle is portrayed with remarkable depth and nuance, making him a such a compelling and lovable protagonist.

The rich world-building serves as a vivid backdrop to the enchanting cast of characters and their emotional journey. The plot is fast-paced and filled with unexpected twists and turns and the cliffhanger... I need book two immediately. And please, give me a map!! I truly had so much fun reading this book and can't wait to read more!

I really enjoyed the book! I already knew Ben Alderson and I've already read some of his books by him so I knew more or less what to expect from his new book but still he managed to surprise me all the same.

the characters are well characterized and have their own identity. I really appreciated Maximus above all for his determination in reaching his goals, I liked less his naivety but it is still in line with his character. Beatrice was less present but I really liked her compared to Simion who instead I didn't appreciate very much not for her characterization but simply because I prefer characters with a stronger character like Camron who was my favorite instead.

I really enjoyed the ending and didn't expect it to end that way, but I'm happy and can't wait to read more!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly I found this one was written more YA than adult. It has a coming of age story and elements of fantasy. I admit that the chosen one trope is my least favorite. But the premise seemed interesting enough to look past it. I just wanted something fun to read. But I was rather disappointed with what I got. I didn't love the writing style either. Which made it harder to read.

- 3.5 ☆‘s -

✔ Queer romance - MM
✔ Stolen identity
✔ Arranged marriage
✔Magic
✔ Dragons
✔ Betrayal

“Don’t forget who you are.”

Betrayal, death, and love collide to create an enticing tale.

Maximus, a servant, is forced to take on a princes identity after killing him and displaying his powers as a mage, a power long thought to have died out in the South.

It took me a while to get into the story due to the writing style and the content of the first few chapters, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot had enough twists and betrayal to make me want to know what would happen next, and the side characters were also interesting.

“I would burn them all, for you.”

The relationships between Max and Cameron in this book feels a bit underwhelming and like it comes out of nowhere, for lack of a better description, although maybe this was intentional on the authors part - it just feels like Cameron has this instant interest in Max and would do anything to earn his attention whilst Max doesn’t really care. However, this may also be due to the fact that the characters in the book generally aren’t as fleshed out as they could be, falling rather flat, creating this lack of emotional connection for the reader. In Max’s case, I just feel like his whole character is only centred on finding his parents the whole book, discarding any other chances for character exploration or growth.

The writing style is not for me and I debated dnfing the book due to it - it reads a bit clunky and awkward, and doesn’t pull you in to resonate with the characters or setting. Some aspects are also underwritten, not allowing you to understand the desired feelings or effect of a scene. This was my biggest problem with the book, despite actually enjoying the plot of it, which is a shame as otherwise it would’ve been an an amazing read.

Nonetheless, I’m excited to see where the story leads, especially after that epilogue.

Although this is marketed as an adult romantic fantasy I would say it reads more YA, with the main focus of the book not being the romance at all.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Ben Alderson for giving me an ARC of this book - all opinions are my own💗

It’s gonna be a DNF at 41%. I really wanted to love this book, it really sounded like it was for me when I read the blurb, but unfortunately it wasn’t ☹️

The writing style was the main piece that I didn’t get on with, but I did give it a good go.

Baring in mind I was almost halfway through and the beginning was really fast paced, not much was going on that hadn’t already been described in the blurb. I may come back to this later in the year after it’s release, but at the moment it’s just not doing it for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Ben Alderson for the ARC!

"No more shall anyone hold power over you like a blade, when you are the power. You are the blade."

A quick page turner with a lot of action and a hint of romance to come! Heir to Thorn and Flame reads like a MM ACOTAR, and I have to say I had fun with it!

Pros: I loved how easy it read. It kept me entertained and I never felt like there was a "lull" in the plot. I found the characters cute and charming. I see a lot of character growth in Maximus' future and it'll be fun to see that! I also thought it had quite a few take away quotes I found myself writing down!

"Grief is a heavy burden to carry,' Simion replied. 'It doesn't ease in weight as time goes on, we simply become stronger to carry it."

Cons: While fast paced is great, the book did start out quite fast, and I felt like I was shoved into relationships without knowing the true history. I also felt like the action didn't linger. Action scenes I thought would last a good while were over within a page.

3.75 stars for me! If you're looking for a fun read with some fantasy and romance this one is definitely up your alley! The epilogue definitely struck a chord that makes me eager to read the next installment!

I physically could not put this book down and have been reading for several hours straight and I might be a smidge delirious with this gargantuan crash back to reality!
This hooked me in immediately with its relentless pace and a main character who will root his way into your soul from the get go.
Mind blowing fantasy battles that drew me in and dunked me in the middle of the action. I felt every scream, and heart pounding gasp and cry. So beautifully written! Cool as f*ck dragons, magic, political intrigue, a badass muscley lady friend and two handsome, mysterious love interests. Literally what else do you need in a book.
This is a masterpiece and I now get to suffer exquisitely whilst I wait to find out what happens next.

Going in this book had everything I love in a book: fantasy, queer romance, magic, dragons, secret identities. The twists and turns the book took kept me engaged in the story and I was always wondering what would come next. The world building was sprinkled in through the first two parts of the book and then kind of dumped on the reader in part three. I think that could have definitely been more evenly distributed through the story. And to that, there still wasn’t a lot explained about the primary conflict of the story between the two sides but I don’t think it took away from the story I was engaged with.

One thing I did have trouble with, was this was tagged as romance, but there’s very little romance. There were starts and stops of it, but it definitely takes a back seat to anything else in the story. Hopefully based off of the end of the book, that might change in the next one and I’ll be right there to see if it does.

This book was an entirely other world with LGBTQ+ representation that I've been dying for. Especially as a member of the community. This books sets itself apart from the pack with the characters and the adventures that ensue. As for the world, it's a typical fantasy that one will find comforting to join again. I can't wait to read the second book!