Ben Alderson is an author who I’ve been wanting to read for a while. When I was sent a copy of Heir to Thorn and Flame I knew it was my time! Heir to Thorn and Flame is an electric story which will keep you on your toes! Keep reading this book review of Heir to Thorn and Flame for my full thoughts.
Summary
A Mad Queen. A host of ancient dragons. A jealous heir.
Maximus Wodlin hated magic. Long before it erupted from him, killing the son of Master Gathrax and altering the course of his life forever.Over 100 years had passed since the War of the Wood, when the northern army swept across land and killed the four ruling mages. Eradicating their ties to magic and leaving their vengeful families to rule.
But now one had returned. With Maximus’s palm branded by a mage mark, there is no escaping the crime he committed or the truth of what he is.Instead of death at the hands of his Master’s grieving family, Maximus’s newfound power is controlled by them. Forced to become the son he killed and live as a false heir, to restore the dwindling legacy of the Gathrax Estate.
As Maximus struggles to discern allies from enemies, the Mad Queen watches from the North. Trusting is impossible when motives are invisible to him… even if they are shrouded within a handsome stranger.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In Heir to Thorn and Flame there are power plays, betrayal around every corner, and sabotage in the shadows. Throughout the whole book, I asked myself whether Maximus was ever in control of his own actions. Heir to Thorn and Flame sees Maximus forced to make choices to protect the ones he loves and not sure what the axe will fall. It’s the ultimate show of having the people we love used as collateral against us. The world seeks to make him cruel in the guise of strength. But can he still hold on to who he was before the magic?
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How can Maximus keep the spark of who he is alive? The world he lives is in cruel. And at times it seems like only the ones who lose their touch are the ones who succeed. What separates murder and justice? Retribution and bloodshed? I am so excited to see how this theme develops within the rest of the series. In Heir to Thorn and Flame there’s a quick reversal of fortune and power. But we realize that even if we might have more power, that doesn’t mean we have more control.
Do we ever really belong to ourselves? Heir to Thorn and Flame explores the heady mix of revenge and power. A late game theme explored is the questioning of the truth, of what we always assumed was the true story. Find Heir to Thorn and Flame on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.