Book Review: Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Synopsis: Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains, and when evil stirs beyond the edges of the map... A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise!

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer…

Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission to kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love…

Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince.

And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, Eleanor Herman, re-imagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known:  Alexander the Great. This is the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Review: If you look through my reviews, it’s very rare that I give a bad review. A book would have to lack world-building, character development and a certain magic in order to get on my bad side . Legacy of the Kings does NOT lack in any of those categories. It’s the good stuff that, um....legends are made of!!

Now this book is loosely based on the teenage life of Alexander the Great and his rise to power so to speak. You don’t have to know about him to enjoy it, and, yes, it is a slow upbuild at first.  BUT FAIR WARNING - most historical-based fantasy fiction novels are slow at first; they must introduce you to each and every character and bring the world to life. If you enjoy this genre you will enjoy how Eleanore Herman navigates the reader through her novel.

Each character assists in the world-building through their own POV, and yes, it does switch around, so be prepared. I do like having the world described to me by the various characters, and even though there are 4 main characters, there are also a few more tossed-in supporting characters that add even more to the intrigue.

If you like the magic and beauty of Sarah J Maas, Victoria Aveyard and indie author B. Lynch (King Callie), you will enjoy the multifaceted YA historical fantasy that Herman has woven together here. I highly recommend this book.  

-GLADYS ATWELL (book review originally reviewed in nerdgirlofficial.com and re-printed and abridged here with permission of author)