Ben Alderson is always a must read for us and this title was no exception. A great queer novel reimagining of Beauty & the Beast with interesting characters and a strong plot base.

I love this book! I follow the author on social media and absolutly love his content. I also read another book of his retelling stories and loved it. Through that I was hyped for this story and was not dissapointed. It gives you the vibes of the "Merlin" series, just in gay and perfect as it is. And this book has dragons that breath ice instead of fire. Soo cool! I liked the world building and that we learn about it with the mc.
This book is just the start of this series.I can't wait untill the sequel comes out.

Oh boy. I was over the Moon for the e-ARC, I felt so honoured. I love Ben Alderson's books. But this one is a big fat DNF (so far... I... I don't know if I can finish it.)
Firstly:
HEA is my preference, but I loved his Realm of Fey series, which is a big beautiful mess, I can't wait the final book, so what I'm trying to say is, I can live without the HEA if I feel like it's worth it. The Darkmoor series is also lovely, those books are stand alone and each one has a happy ending, so I had high hopes...HIGH hopes. Usually I love his world building.

But this book is too... anxious for me, the motivations are a bit unclear, there are hardly any romance in it and I'm halfway through. I can't be botherd by the poor dragons because I don't get the MC. And... I don't really feel the double love interest also. (Max doesn't come through as a very sexual being, which is okay, but I'm also not convinced that it's by purpose.)
I didn't read the original book before, but I looked into it since, and I realized it's a heavier rerelease, not just with a few changes. I'm sad to say I feel like the style paid the price of it.

Now I love Simion's telepathic ability, and it's a new trope, and I find it fascinating. I'm a bit hopeful for this trope. But I'm very afraid about the ending. I need my emotionally fulfilling moments. So far I hardly got any.

Edit: I finished it!! I gave it another star, bc most of my questions are answered and the picture became more clear. I love Ben Alderson's worldbuilding and storytelling, but this was way too angsty for my taste and too fast paced. I really can't keep up with such a twisty book. Like there's a twist on every five pages.

A very good fantasy romance, obviously it is a MM romance so if that bothers you this book is not for you. But I loved the heat and story between the to main characters!

Ben has this ability to create magic that captures you from the first sentence. The words fall away and a film plays in your head and you get pissy when the real world forces you to pause your movie. Heir to Thorn and Flame has you devouring each chapter, one after the other, and yet scared about what you'll find on the next page. Being the first book in a series, it is heavy on world-building and lore but written in a way that you forget that’s what is being told to you. The cluster of characters are lifelike with ones you hate and ones you fall for. This is my second book by Ben and he has a customer for life! Can’t wait for the next one!

This book was amazing. The plot is interesting and the way it's told keeps you enthralled and waiting to find out what's next. I can't wait to be able to read the future books and find out what happens next!

Dieses Werk ist einfach nur fantastisch. Es ist die rührende Geschichte von Maximus, dem nicht nur seine Eltern, sondern auch seine eigene Identität genommen wird, als er in den Strudel aus Intrigen und Machtkämpfen gerät. Doch immer gerade wenn er einen Hoffnungsschimmer in Händen hält, wird auch dieser ihm entrissen. Neben seinem atemberaubenden Inhalt, ist das Werk zusätzlich auch noch gut und verständlich geschrieben, sodass man sich die Bilder zu den einzelnen Szenen hervorragend vorstellen kann.

It's spicy, it's magical, it's GAY! The perfect trifecta for the best book you're going to add to your shelf this year. Even better, it's only the beginning of this tale. Anderson has lots in store for this upcoming series, and he has started off on the right foot.

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky for this ARC!

- when I saw New Adult as part of the subtitle, I thought there would be some spice and some more cursing than you'd get from a YA book. Nope! Instead, there was really graphic violence.
- I would not recommend reading this unless you're okay with Game of Thrones-style violence throughout the book. There was also a lot of threatened and attempted sexual violence, with more descriptions of flashbacks.
- This book tried so hard to put a twist at every corner, but instead of drawing me into the story I found myself not caring as things escalated.
- The MC is manipulated by villains threatening to hurt loved ones throughout the entire book. Multiple times, the MC is reunited with a loved one, only for them to immediately be graphically killed. This really took away from the shock value, and I can only listen to the MC talk about reacting to this violence so many times before it gets repetitive.
- With so much time put on twists and shock value, there is a lack of character development. The villain's motives are flimsy, and it's hard to get a read on any character.
- The MC is incredibly passive for most of the story. A lot of the first 60% of the book is just things happening to the character, which got repetitive quickly.

Heir to Thorn and Flame is an MM fantasy romance, with some great world building, plenty of magic, dragons, and Gay Romance.

Overall, I'd recommend this book if you're looking for a fantasy with a fairly complicated world building background. The writing style was a bit more YA, and left a bit to be desired - but I was absorbed into the tale regardless. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series and to see more from Alderson in the future!

Many thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow !! I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did! The world building was amazing! It was complex but easy to get into !! The characters were really well done!! I enjoyed Camron a lot as well as Simion. Max though, oh sweet bean! You have been through the ringer and have a ton of things to deal with !! So much trauma!! But that cliff hanger!! I am anxiously awaiting the second book and will be purchasing both of these to have on my bookshelf!!

I received Heir To Thorn & Flame by Ben Alderson for free on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for my advanced copy!

I love Ben Alderson’s books on Kindle Unlimited, I have been obsessed with the Darkmourn series and I was so excited to hear he was going to be traditionally published too! I was immediately interested in this story when I heard the comparisons to Merthur from Merlin and also I can never resist dragons!

As usual, the worldbuilding was fantastic! I love how the author builds these fantastical worlds and how the supernatural feeds into them. Each one is so wonderfully unique and as a reader it’s such a joy to dive in and discover them! Whilst I did enjoy the characters as well, I did find that the main character wasn’t really given much agency throughout the story and I would’ve loved to see him fight for himself a bit more. It would've been nice to see his relationships with his romantic interests developed as bit more as well as it kind of seemed like they were just thrown together for the sake of having a romance. I would definitely class this as more of a fantasy book as there is more focus on the interesting creatures and magic systems which were fun to explore.

The story was well written and I love how Ben Alderson always manages to write in a twist that will completely shock me! I love that I can get that big *gasp* moment and not see it coming. The twists and betrayals will keep you guessing and not knowing who to trust!

Heir to Thorn & Flame is a highly enjoyable fantasy and I would like to continue the series in the future!

I have been a big fan of Ben’s work since I first found him on bookstagram years ago. He’s such a sweet guy and I love his works. This one is no different. It sucks you in right away with the quipped banter and plot never stalls!

Right before I read this ARC (thank you, @secondskybooks), I finished reading two other ARCs, both of which I absolutely enjoyed reading but have decided to not review for reasons.
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When I dove into this world, I expected it to focus on the plot more than the world-building itself—just like the other indie fantasy Achillean books I had read before.
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Chapter after every chapter, this book kept me on my toes, wondering what would happen next. Every single page oozed with a lot of raw & powerful emotions, awe, and magick. Each page gave me something to react to—whether it be gasping out of shock or saying “no!” out loud.
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Yes, it did give me some of my favourite tropes (e.g. arranged marriage, slow-burn romance), but it also gave me more, which was the plot twist near the end of the book.
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I also expected this book to have a lot of spice in it because that’s what I’ve been hearing most of the time when Ben markets his other works, but I did not get any of that in this one. Perhaps because this was one of his first works, and he was still testing the waters when it came to that element, but it was nonetheless an exhilarating and fun read.

Thank you for the chance to ARC read.
Kept me engaged during the whole book, I did not want to put it down once I picked it up (I ended up reading it twice). If you enjoy MM stories, and fantasy... do I have a book for YOU!! Ben's books always are so engaging i have never regretted picking them up!

Ben Alderson did it again! I really enjoyed the storyline but there were times I had to force myself to jump back in.

This is a world of magic and lore, there are a lot of magical creatures around, like dragons and dryads among others. There's barely any political intrigue despite the whole situation with the king and Max taking over his son's place.

The story starts in a absolutely brutal way and it doesn't get better for a while. When it comes to pace, I found it with many highs and lows. It starts off strong, then it calms down for a while, then it picks up again. I would liked that it was a bit most constant instead of going up and down. Even so, the plot is engaging and is developed well. The style of writing is simple and pulled me in, much like Alderson's other books.

When it comes to the characters, I loved Max. Despite the hand he's been dealt, he's determinate to live, to save his parents and the kingdom, but also to break free from the King's iron hold. He's very human, he struggles with what is expected of him, the situation, and dealing with the whole trauma. Even so, he's a reliable protagonist with a lot of fight in him. It was incredible to see his evolution throughout the story.
Camron, the fierce protector who has Max's back at all times. I enjoyed reading their interactions. Simion is a bit of a mystery character. He's quick to anger but he's the one that makes Max feel seen throughout his ordeal in the palace.

Despite the ups and downs in pace, I enjoyed it and want to know what happens next!

Thank you Second Sky for the e-ARC!

It was almost like a story. Max went from being a servant to being the prince overnight. All it cost him was his innocence, his parents, and his freedom. The King calls him Julian, the name of his son — the same son Max killed in self defense, using magic, something that the Southern Kingdoms haven’t seen in generations — and treats him as if he were Julian. Max’s hair is dyed, he wears the clothes of the man who tried to kill him, and the servants who were once his friends are now threats to be used against him. Disobey, they die. Try to run away, they die. Fail … they all die.

King Gathrax, the red king, is a monster. But he’s a monster with a purpose. Now that he has a mage at his command, he sees the chance to finally stand up to the Northern Kingdom, to reclaim the South’s power and stand firm against the dragons and mages who slaughtered every magic user the South had. Julian doesn’t want to go to war. He wants his parents, who are being held by Gathrax. If it takes killing one men or a dozen, an army of dragons or innocent farmers, he will.

Even if it means destroying his soul.

The first book in the Court of Broken Bonds is a fantasy romance that personally I’d put it firmly in the YA category. The writing style, the age and maturity of the characters, and the very straightforward way morality and themes are approached in this book seem geared for a younger audience. However, there are some subjects, such as attempted sexual assault, bullying, the constant threatening of harm to Max’s parents, and so many murders and death to keep an eye on for more sensitive readers.

Max is the Chosen One, a young man who — in defending himself against the threat of physical harm — ends up discovering he has magic in a violent, bloody display of power that leaves Julian impaled on a tree and Max in shock. This shock leaves him vulnerable when King Gathrax discovers the secret and has his mother beaten to ensure Max’s good behavior, among which is taking him to the body of his son and properly burying it in the woods. King Garthrax makes for a good villain; Max is terrified of him, of the power the man holds, and finds himself hating the man even as he has to call the man father in public and play the part of being Prince Julian. This leaves Max with thoughts of violence, revenge, and even despair — exacerbated when the King brings out one of the palace staff as prey for a celebratory hunt and demands Max kill her. Max then has to make the choice: A friend, someone he knows … or his parents. It’s a dark moment, leading to some interesting character development as Max takes a colder, harder approach to life and people afterwards. Under Garthrax, he’s lost his ability to trust; everyone seems to want to use him, and to do so, they use his parents again and again.

Camron, Max’s husband and the prince of a neighboring kingdom, has his parents taken away to his kingdom … only to promise to bring them back. The Northern kingdom, who very much want to get a look at Max, who claim ownership of him because of his magic, kidnap his parents to encourage him to come North. Everyone he’s met, everyone in power, treats the people he loves as things, bait to be waved in front of him, a club to hit him when when he disobeys. Is it any wonder he’s always angry, distrustful, and sullen?

Camron is a radiant warmth to the fire of King Garthrax, using Max’s real name — never once calling him Julian — offering him freedom, protection, and support. When Max wants to leave, he holds open the door. When Max doesn’t want to eat with him (owing to trust issues and wanting to see how far Camron can be pushed), Camron is more than willing to come to Max with food. However, he admits to hiding things from Max, to making decisions without Max’s input. And for Max, with all the lying, all the threats, all the people who have power over him … finds it hard to trust him.

The world building here feels clumsy. There are the ubiquitous peasant farmers tending the castle, but there are also brown paper bags. The Southern kingdoms are fairly egalitarian, with women queens and no difficulties with same-sex relationships. There are dragons and dryads, mentions of giants and more, but there is no specific feel to the kingdoms other than the vague fantasy feel.

The writing is a bit stiff, and the characters have no real set voice other than Max, who is anxious, nervous, and angry by turns. The book was also previously published as The Lost Mage; this updated version is said to have more steam but, to be honest, I didn’t feel any steam. There are two scenes between Max and Camron with some intimacy, but in both Max wants distraction from thoughts of his parents being hurt rather than wanting either an emotional or physical intimacy from Camron. I’d consider this more a slow burn.

In the end, this is a decent YA fantasy with dragons and mages and I wouldn’t mind reading the next one in the series.

I didn't know very much about this book or author, but it was an amazing read. The story is incredible, full of twists and turns that you van't see coming, and the romance was so nice. I cannot wait for the second book in this series. This fantasy romance is way more than just that, it has so much gore and action which is something that I LOVE and the writing was so dynamic. The only thing that bothered me was the lack of character development involving the women in the story.

This is the first book I've read by Ben Alderson and I have mixed opinions about it. The story has everything I'm looking for, slow romance, drama, magic, an arranged marriage and dragons, however it also has something else that doesn't quite convince me: a love triangle.
I'm not exactly a fan of love triangles, but they have to be very well done for you to enjoy them and in this case both love interests left me cold. They are not to my liking, although I did not hate them, compared to the protagonists they seemed very gray to me.
I did like Max, throughout the story he went through a lot of things and I think he is a constant character both in his reactions and in his way of being, but I think we needed secondary characters who were there the pair.
The story is very interesting, I saw that in the recommendations they compare it with those of Sarah j. Mass and it definitely has a vibe.
The book also has very shady scenes, both physical and psychological and sexual violence, as soon as we start we have a long chase, death, an attempted rape, etc., so you have to be careful with the trigger warnings.
The plot twists were a bit predictable, but this is something very personal because he saw that there are people who have left their mouths open while reading.
However, despite the details, it is an interesting book that reads very quickly. I like to see that there are more and more lgbt stories that stray from the typical contemporary romance (ok, I love contemporary romance, but from time to time I like to read other genres) and surely it is also a good option if you are starting to read high fantasy .

I finished this in one day! I love the high fantasy lovers! This was well written, super fast paced, and riveting and intense. I couldn't put this down! Absolutely loved it