3.5 stars

Max just really couldn’t catch a break, could he? So much lying and manipulation. At some point during the book I stopped trusting anything that any of the characters said.

I gotta say, knowing what I know about different types of mythology, the ending was not unexpected. Not sure if I’ll continue with the series, I guess we’ll see whenever the next book comes out.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was a little worried when starting this because the Kindle version looks quite long, but y'all, this did not disappoint.

The story follows Max who is forced to take on the identity of the king's son after (accidentally) attacking him with magic. The king is vicious and uses threats against Max's family to ensure that Max obeys the king's orders. Max is then forced to live a lie and marry. There is a power struggle between the North and the South and Max is caught in the middle. He has few people he can trust and must protect himself and his family at all costs. There's magic, dragons, and a dash of romance.

I really liked the characters. Max's family means everything to him, so I really connected with that. Beatrice, Simion and Camron were all fleshed out well and had depth. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about Simion in the future.

I'm usually not a fan of the whole love triangle thing, but this worked for me. I knew something was up with Camron from the beginning and just wanted to shout "DON'T TRUST HIM!" He seemed too good to be true. Simion was magnificent and perfection. My only wish is that there was MORE romance with them. This ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm sure the second book will bring all the romance.

If you love fantasy-romance, descriptive settings and magic, then you'll definitely enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review for: "Heir to Thorn and Flame" by Ben Alderson
Source: ARC from NetGalley
Score: 4/5 stars

The book "Heir to Thorn and Flame" follows Maximus Oaken as he begins as a humble servant who then becomes a mage set out to save his country.

The book explores romance and finding one's identity.

Plot:
The story follows Max as he begins as a servant. As he finishes cleaning the library he is almost assaulted by heir to the throne. He not only ends up surviving the attack, he kills the prince using his newly discovered magic. Upon trying to escape, the king captures Max and tries to use his magic to gain power over the South. Many things happen between now and then end of the book and that is one of the challenges with the story. Although the overall book is captivating, the main plot of Max becoming a mage and trying to save his people gets lost.

The plot is engaging and there are a lot of neat elements of fantasy embedded. But there are too many subplots throughout the book that sideline the main arc.

Overall, the plot is full loaded with action but we get lost as we navigate many subplots.

Writing:
The book is pretty well-written. The fight scenes are most engrossing - the way that magic is described and used was very well done. The book also does a good job of creating a world of fantasy with a developed lore of how the world came to be.

The only challenge I had with the writing was that it felt very YA for an (new) adult book.

Overall, the book builds a interesting fantasy world that captures the reader's interest.

Characters:
Overall, the characters are well-written. Max is probably the least interesting character in the book. He seems generic and is either very angry or very passive. The rest of the cast is much more interesting. The best thing about the book is that we never know the true intentions of the supporting cast. This is what keeps you wanting to continue reading - trying to figure out who is the true enemy.

Finale:
Overall, the book developed a fantasy world full of magic and great characters.

was super disappointed by this and it seemed such an interesting premise, but it was written amateurishly and struggled to rise above how filmy and shallow that made it

Gay fantasy? Check
Dragons? Check
Magic? Check
Plot Twists? Check

Overall Bens books are brilliant but I just find that something is lacking... Some kind of... Sprinkle of something? Nothing I can pin point, just.... Something that makes a great book phenomenal. Nether the less, a fantastic book that goes beyond the norm of current fantasy.

Make sure you read the triggers for this book. I have a hard time with the MC being forced into anything. I understand that it helps set up the story and the growth of the character. Other then that I thought it was a really fun gay fantasy story.

This book is captivating, I couldn’t put it down!

It’s such a good story and I loved the plot twists so freaking much! The pace is perfect, everything makes sense, it’s queernormative and I love the characters. Max is complex and likeable.

I was rooting for Max and Simion as soon as Simion first appeared because he was very gentle and attentive with Max. It was a bit chaotic when they met again but I could really feel their connection. I wish they had more moments together but it’s the first book of the series, hopefully there’s more romance to come.

I recommend this book if you like fantasy romance, dragons, magic, evil royals and clueless chosen ones. I’m looking forward to reading book 2!

[𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘬𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯]

This was the first book I’ve read entirely as an ebook, so I struggled a bit with getting through it - Hence the time it took to read but WOW!
I’m thankful for the opportunity to read this as my first arc as it was amazing!
3.5 ⭐️ - I loved this and I can’t wait to find out what happens next! I found it a bit slow at times and marginally difficult to get through sometimes but I absolutely flew through the last chunk of the book! I couldn't put it down!

Love a gay retelling. This author will always get a good rating from me. They spin a classic tale in a way that gives it new life.

A rollercoaster of a story , action packed excitement all the way . The story is great the characters are interesting I can’t wait for book two

I love Ben Alderson's retellings, but when it comes to original fantasy, his writing always seems to fall a little short. This book was no exception.

To begin, the story had so many chaotic prices just thrown together, and not all of them really clicked to make a coherent picture. The plot was overly complicated and drawn out in such a way that the story was weighed down by things that didn't really seem to matter in the long run. For example, why spend So. Much, Time. focussing on him becoming the perfect Julian if his cover was blown almost immediately and none of it really mattered for the continuation of the plot? Just to show that the king was an asshole? We got that pretty quickly without the whole "pretend to be Julian." I felt like it would have made more sense to "discover" a previously hidden royal child rather than waste chapters upon chapters creating a fake Julian only for that to completely dissolve and have no bearing on the future of characters.

The story meandered without really going anywhere for far too long. Honestly, the first 50-60% read like a long prologue and really could've been parred down to just the important bits. While there were some significant things that happened in the first half, they are lost amongst the muddle of the seemingly insignificant details. I kept putting the book down and had to force myself to continue. Once the story got past that initial muddled chaos, the book got much better and I felt a little more invested in what was going on.

I also didn't really connect with the main character, or any of the characters for that matter. Max was someone things happened to, not someone who was actively involved in his own story. And dear god was he like a dog with a bone when it came to his parents. I understand that he cared deeply for them and they were clearly being used to manipulate him, but he brought them up CONSTANTLY, even when it was completely unnecessary. Everyone knew he wanted his parents. There was no need for him to bring it up over and over and over. It got old fast and made him seem more whiney than anything. And since I didn't really care about Max, I really couldn't find it in me to care who he ended up with, not that he seemed to have any real chemistry with either of the love interests.

There were also times when I felt like I was reading a YA novel with characters in their mid-teens given the way they were acting, but unless I misread something somewhere, I'm pretty sure they were all at least a decade older than that. And yet, the characters were acting relatively immature the entire time, constantly whining and bickering and acting like they had absolutely no life experience.

All that said, once you remove the extra bits and the detachment to the characters, you're left with a fairly decent plot. There were a few twists I figured out ahead of time and a couple that took me by surprise. The world building was well thought out and I liked the magic system. I'm interested in learning more about the North and how magic really works. This is clearly meant to be the first in a series and it seemed to be setting up a better plot for the future now that the pesky details and secrets are out of the way. The last 10% or so seemed fairly promising and I might be tempted to pick up the next book and see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Heir to Thorn and Flame, a lowly servants life changes all in just one night - from servant to prince, from weak to magical. An altercation proves Max to be a mage, which hasn't been seen in that part of his world in ages. What follows is political intrigue of epic proportions. Max gains much: love, magic, friendship. But he loses in equal measure. This book is exactly as gut-wrenching as we have come to expect from Ben Alderson.

Once again, I have been transported into a completely different world. A world of magic and dragons, of kings and queens, of love and treachery. And, as we know him to, Alderson has broken my heart. Repeatedly. I don't know why I still do this to myself. I suppose I love how it burns.
The world-building was amazing and original, leaning away from the elf-like descriptions present in many works by this author and others, while still feeling familiar. It was a lot of politics and big reveals and the lines between good and evil blur. This element is very present in this book, as it is in Alderson's Series "Realm of Fey", which, combined with similar themes of treachery in the romantic storylines, made the series feel reminiscent of one another. However, the writing and pacing gripped me so much, that I don't think much enjoyment was lost. I read the first 60% of this book in one sitting, so that says more than enough :D

TW: sexual assault, abuse, torture, extortion

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of Heir to Thorn and Flame by Ben Alderson. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for this ARC.

I really enjoyed the first third of this book and the final third story arc. The middle was just OK. There were a lot of well-written characters that were firmly in the grey ethical category. There is something so satisfying when reading fantasy books where the "good guys" are not that different from the "bad guys" I am unsure if I will continue reading the series, but I might be tempted. I give this book a solid 3.5/5 stars.

What a great story!!

I hadn’t finished a book in one day in a very long time.

Fast paced, crammed full of interesting twists, this will keep you on your toes from start to finish. Funny, sad, dramatic, it has everything you want from a book - plus ice-breathing dragons!

Excited to see what happens next.

I love Ben as an author and have really enjoyed all of the books of his that I have read so far. However, this one for me was quite dialogue heavy and that made it more difficult for me to get through. I still love Ben's books - but this one wasn't for me!

DISCLAIMER: I recieved this as an E-ARC.

I love a fun time as much as the next person and this book delivered, for the most part. I have been a long time fan of Ben, reading his Dragori series (His first series) and seeing the difference between the two in Ben’s writing.

I went into this with a different mindset than his more popular series, seeing the plot and story.

I’ll try to keep this short as I like full transpeancy, but I don’t want to write a book report again (ugh) but that’s another gift Graduating school gives: I don’t have to write a book report anymore.

I’ll start off that the book starts off quite quickly and uncomfortably, but it’s thankfully short, I dare say Cut-throat, but the Character is immeditaely challenged with a moral dilemma and it’s satisfying to see, and even better, it does come back to bite him. The rest of Part One involves the consequences, and the solutions that came with it. I don’t think I can spoil in this review, but Hefty chunks of the worldbuilding in this book spiked my interest and there is an ambiguity involving the magic and Max.

Part Two involves the Aftermath of a ritual, involving neigboring kingdoms, the first love interest Camron, and something like an attempted bond. I feel it’s forced and that’s a good thing. I think we’re meant to feel Max and Camron’s relation is forced, and we have another two books so who knows where this path will go.

Now, I’ve not been one for romance plots, I won’t lie, so the beginning captured me. I’d need a romance well written to convince me. So a potential Love Corner with Max backed into it won’t cnvince me to continue but By Golly, wanting to know how Max navigates his new paths is gonna convince me. So… I don’t think I’m in a fit state to comment on the romance, however, it is an inevitable part of the story.

Part Three has Max Travelling to the North, and there is thankfully an subversion to a trope I don’t like, Women in Power as manic/emotional/etc, since the South calls her “the Mad Queen”. We have more heartwarming moments here, with Beatrice a love interest, Simion, that convinces me more than Camron.

However, I think this is where the story starts to dip, focussing on the Romance since there are some tropes I had to roll with the punches with. The climax however, got me and made me feel the brunt of six months of waiting.

IN CONCLUSION
I will be picking up the next book and see where this goes. This is a fun book to read, I will be reading it again, and maybe pick up more details, since I need to wait for the Audiobook (My preferred literary media)

3.5 STARS (Rounded up on the scale)

I wanted to like this more than I did. The premise was wonderful - a queernormative world in which Max, a servant at the castle of a cruel royal family, finds solace in books and fictional men. In escaping his tormenter, the evil eldest prince, he discovers a power he didn’t know he had, unlocking his mage powers in killing the prince during an attack on his life.

He doesn’t escape the notice of the king, who wants mage power for his own and makes him, rather unbelievably, pose as his biological son and forces him into an arranged marriage with a southern prince, Camron. In the love triangle mix is another servant, a northern spy named Simion, and sparks fly in this dark romantic arc as the betrayals build up around naive Max and war brews.

I think my biggest issue was with the author’s writing style. I felt it could have used more editing, as he had an annoying love of comma splices; the writing style was just littered with them. I felt the book as a whole was rather derivative of Game of Thrones. And ultimately I didn’t like the characters. I like evil, unlikable, complex characters but these were just over the top and unrealistic.

Normally, too, I like a well done love triangle, but this used the love triangle in place of building real tension, which I find the mark of writing that needs better editing and stronger character development.

I also found it annoying how throughout the whole book, even when he used his magic, even when he found a man he wanted to be with, Max had no agency in the plot. He just let himself be led from betrayal to betrayal, never changing or growing.

Another book where I liked the concept but the execution just didn’t work for me. I ended up skimming the last 40% because I felt it was so predictable. When you make characters that evil it is easy to guess what they will do next.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Cool idea for a plot! It's dialogue heavy but the characters didn't draw me in. They felt kind of flat. Also, it's pretty dark and there should be trigger warnings at the start.

Max feels like a character I have pity for more than I love. He is thrown around by plot, characters, and love ones. I want him to be happy and flirty like he was in the beginning but by then he is clearly depressed and shattered. As a hopeful duology or trilogy, I’m interested to see how we get him back to his original self or even a stronger version of that opening of the book.

Alderson really has done it again with another LGBTQ+ book that makes the reader feel like reading a MM romance is the normal and not some fetish and subgenre. This book exceeded most expectations I had due to this and the way fantasy especially including romance can come across as boring and glaringly predictable. The slow-burn was immaculate whilst including a love triangle at moments where you had no idea which way the plot would turn. The fantasy and world building only exacerbated a story which focused on Max and what he deals with. I would definitely recommend this book and if enjoyed the backlog is just as riveting.