The Mortal Heir

Royals of Rodina #3

by Jamie Applegate Hunter, Kara Roberts (Editor)

This series will be taken down in late 2023 and undergo heavy re-writes, including making them interconnected standalones and dissolving book 2, turning it into two separate books with new love interests for each of the main characters of book 2. It will be republished under a new series name (The Compeer series), and new book titles (Winter's Compeer, Autumn's Compeer, Spring's Compeer, and Summer's Compeer). This was my debut series, and it will be improved tremendously.
When a murderer with a vendetta threatens the royal heirs of Rodina, they are sent to Zoris to stay with King Chazriel until the threat is neutralized. But when the king falls for the wrong woman, things get complicated. Chaz discovers he is fated to Ameli, the Autumn Princess, but he knows their magical bond will not form until her coronation day. Deciding not to reveal their fates, he occupies his time with Lyna, a feisty maid from the Autumn Palace. But as his feelings for her grow and their time together runs out, he wonders, what if fate is wrong? When Lyna accompanies the heirs on their journey to Zoris, she never imagined she would find herself in a no-strings-attached relationship with the charismatic Summer King. Once things between the two get serious, she knows leaving will destroy her beyond repair. Ameli is an ambitious perfectionist, and despite not taking the throne for another four hundred years, she spends every waking moment preparing for her reign. After overhearing a conversation naming her as Chaz’s compeer , she knows she must fight for what is hers. But at what cost? Author’s There is NO cheating, and while I do not consider this a love triangle, some may. Please check author's website for content warnings. Not suitable for those under 18.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Spicy, Adult

400 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2022

About the author

I love writing unhinged fantasy romance, but I hate writing bios.

Any books posted on my goodreads shelves are books I loved! I judge a book by the vibes and emotions I felt when I finished.

Reviews

[DonutAssassin · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
This was a 3 star for a hot minute, but I liked the last 20% a lot. Still wasn't the most action packed book, but I guess that wasn't what the goal was with this one.
Epilogue has me curious to see what the "The End (for now)" will be. I don't like a lot of things about this world, but the characters helped see me through.

Seriously, the fact that having a kid(s) is a death sentence is stupid. Someone had to say it. I said it. I don't care if it's 500 years, fight me. So 👏🏻 dumb 👏🏻

[Heather worrall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so fucking good that I stayed up until 3am (which I never do) and read 250 pages after working for 12 hours. This has to be my favorite of the series. The ending ripped my heart out and left me crying like a baby. That pain was worth it though because I loved the characters and story, I wish there were more books.

[Ashley (booknurse) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶🌶🌶/5 Spice
💃💃💃💃/5 Characters

Hands down, this is the best book in the entire series.

Have you ever fallen in love with someone you know isn't fated to be yours forever?

No, well, that's fine because you can read about it in this book lol. The Mortal Heir is about the Summer King, Chazriel (Chaz) and his "compeer" the Autumn Princess, Ameli. A threat is made to the heirs of Rodina and they are left in Chaz's hands to protect them in Zoris (in the Summer Kingdom). One of the maids (Lyna) from the Autumn Palace accompanies them on the trip. Since Ameli has years before they can be married, Chaz is technically a free man. The attraction between Chaz and Lyna is all-consuming and electric. They decide to try a no strings attached relationship, but feelings get involved.

This book had everything you could want - betrayal, twists, loss, secrets, heartbreak and humour. Both main characters are written perfectly and with flaws, making the story more humbling. I enjoyed seeing real emotions and reactions with Chaz, Lyna and Amelia. Jealousy can be a disgusting emotion and bring out the worst in people. It was interesting to see how these characters handled the same feeling differently. I can't get over this story. I loved every moment, and I felt so many things reading it. The Mortal Heir was the perfect conclusion to an already perfect world. It gave me the love of book 1 with a touch of grovelling like book 2.

Jamie Applegate Hunter's writing has improved tremendously, and so has her ability to tell a story. As a result, the novel progressed naturally, and no part of the story felt like it was dragging on. I only wish there was more time to hate the villain. I wanted more of the revenge plot that took a seat to the love story, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. On an opposite note, what we did get more of is smut. Ouuu and it was delicious, just like banana pudding. Jaime never ceases to surprise me with the 🌶 scenes she comes up with. Do you guys remember that ice scene from book 2 👀, okay then.

Overall, I genuinely adore these characters and already miss them. Please give this a read. You won't regret it.

Side note, shout out to Rizo for being a real one since day one. Love you little wolf!

**** I was provided an ARC for an honest review

[Coco.V]

🎁 The complete series is FREE on Amazon today (6/17/2022)! 🎁

[Antonia McCall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book in the series. The ending dedication made me cry and so did some other parts of the book

[Nikole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good series. Although I felt like it was all basically the same story. Each books focus was about finding the Compeer, and everytime the bond was ignored or not recognized, then they fought to prove their love. There was other story to it, like fighting evil kings or looking for rebels - but it wasn't a super big focus of the books.

Either way, it was different. I really like that its something I hadn't read before. But each book needed more I guess.

[RL1991 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as an ARC but wasn’t even asked to review it I was just lucky enough to get one by chance on insta. Firstly let me say I really enjoyed this series and especially this book. book 1 was a whirlwind of a new fantasy world, book 2 broke my heart and book 3 was torture as I saw some of the plot twist coming a mile off but I think that’s the point. Like watching a car crash in slow motion . It was brilliant and I couldn’t put it down and the end had me sobbing. I think there might be more books in this world and I really hope there is because I need more.

[Bean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure in Rodina with some sexy times and some royal drama.

I liked the FMC being a strong independent woman who knows what she likes sexually. She wasn't a blushing virgin, and she also wasn't a warrior. I appreciated both those things about her.
The MMC was struggling between what his mind was telling him and what his body was telling him and it is a romance so you can probably guess at the twist ending from about 30% of the way through, but the journey was fun.
This world is enjoyable and the plot mostly revolves around them fucking and someone trying to murder some of the people in their group. The sexual tension was palpable, with burn marks everywhere, and heated glares abound.

I had my enjoyment lessened a bit by the sexual situations with OW/OM throughout. They were spicy and fun, but seemed contrary to what Compeer led me to believe about the compeer relationships. It was nice to have to keep the slow burn between the leads from leading to spontaneous reader combustion, but also...mild spoiler for book 1, and who the compeer in this book isThe first book in this series seemed to suggest a King/compeer don't feel attraction to anyone else after they link up. This seemed to be true for the MMC, but not FMC. I only skimmed the second book, so maybe I missed something there. I remember Thad couldn't get it up for his bride-to-be, and Winnie didn'tfeel attraction when she kissed someone else in book 1. So this was a mildly confusing twist

The author says there is no cheating and no love triangle. The first is kind of true, but there is definitely a confused love triangle. Bigger spoiler Also. How could you go to another family gathering knowing you fucked your husband's nephew while his personal guard watched and finger fucked you. And you had both of their cum dripping down your thighs during a giant party. Don't get me wrong, I like a good claiming, but it felt weird since these guys were not her HEA/MMC. I enjoyed the scenes but I wished MMC would interrupt and take over and when he didn't I felt disappointed. I'm surprised none of the other reviews mentioned this. Chaz had to think of Lynn to cum when he was with OW, but she just had fun fucking other guys with no thought of him.
Possible issue for some - MMC and FMC both sleep with other people after they meet.

[Caylen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rating

I just don’t really know how to feel about this book.

The writing was great…the story line was great…but, everything that transpired…I’m just not truly okay with it.

Our main heroine is just…everything!!!

I don’t think I could ever be as forgiving as she is with all the lies and plans against her…and then at the end to say it’s OK? I don’t know.

I felt for her and she is just a more forgiving character and person than I could ever be.

Everyone else…minus…a few guardians and an heir just need to be bitch slapped!

So many people hurt and lied and just fucked over our girl from her birth…and I just kind of hate them all. Even her soulmate and her siblings, and her parents! That’s a lot, I know. I guess you’ll have to read it to figure all that shit out.

What our main man said because he thought someone else “might” be his person…just fuck you!!! I don’t know if I could have ever found forgiveness for all that.

And on top of her family lying and conspiring against her…and her finding forgiveness in such a short time? I just couldn’t get on board with the HEA.

And the epilogue just left me confused.

So…the writing is great, the story is intriguing…but, I don’t like many of the people involved and what they did even though they tried and wanted to make it right at the end. I’m still at the point of just fuck all of you because you suck and our main girl deserves better.

[Rafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this ARC as a stand alone took a minute to get into it as I wasn’t familiar with the characters. Once I got into it it was hard to put down. I feel
The Epilogue comes from no where and leaves too many questions if what happened in between.

Was privileged to receive this ARC to see if it could be a stand-alone. The author decided beforehand it could not, but I feel with a detailed enough prologue it could.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ending to the Royals of Rodina series!!….or is it? I seriously can’t say enough good things about the author or this series! The romance, the surprises, the BANANA PUDDING *blushes* I can’t wait to see what else this author releases.

[Jillsbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐💫

“Do not start something you can’t finish, little fire sprite.”

The Mortal Heir is the final novel in the New Adult High Fantasy series, Royals of Rodina. This novel follows 20 years after the climax of the conflict in the second book where the characters learn something was left unfinished all those years ago. In this case our main characters are Chaz and Lyna. Chaz is the new Summer King and believed his Compeer is Ameli, the daughter of the Autumn and Spring Throne (and also friends of his) and when rumblings reveal the heirs of the Autumn and Spring throne are at risk he is tasked to bring them to his court for safety. Lyna, a well loved servant of the court is also brought along when it appears this attacker has no qualms about who they will use. As the monarchs attempt to unravel who is targeting their heirs and stop them, sparks fly between Lyna and Chaz and the question arises how far will a Compeer go to keep their Royal?

As the author stated in their blurb for the book this isn’t so much a love triangle as I initially thought it would be and as someone who hates them, I am very cautious. Chaz is drawn to Lyna in many ways and while he believes Ameli is his Compeer because she was born on the solstice, he recognized he likely wouldn’t be able to see the bond until she becomes Queen, which is in 500 years. He struggles to connect with her while the ease to which he gets along with Lyna is effortless and sweet. I loved the moments they were together as they tease and torment each other in the best of ways. It frustrated me whenever I saw him try to pull back because of Ameli. It was easy to see the one hidden secret behind the curtain and I was just ready to smack everyone who didn’t catch on.

“Do you feel this?...This is me loving you. If you believed the gods chose her for you, then you’re wrong and so are they.”

This novel does have a good amount of spice and I will note the characters do seek others out before finding each other so just keep that in mind.

The overarching story has some traditional elements in the first half of the novel where you see things are going (catty Ameli trying to remove Lyna, betrayal, murmurings of the villain, etc) but the last 30% hits you with twist after twist that I absolutely loved. I appreciated seeing the characters as rest for part of the book (simply living and being) as the relationships for me were really the best part and then to see the build up in such a climatic way was great. The nods to the previous characters in the other books were also enjoyable and I do agree you should read the other books before reading this to get a true appreciation of the novel.

Overall, The Mortal Heir provided a really satisfying end to this trilogy and was the best character driven one of the set for me. Based on the epilogue I hope to see a spin-off of some sort because I find this world quite fascinating!

P.S. Rizo is MVP and I dare anyone to disagree.

[E.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book three of a series and when I signed up it was to see if it could be read as a stand alone but before it was sent out JAH decided it couldn’t and sent a world building set along with it. I have previously read book out of order, though this is the first time I’ve done it on purpose, so I decided to skip the extra information and try reading it completely unaware what the series was about and character backstories etc anyway, just to see.
The story was amazing and though there were sentences that hinted there was more to the story I’d know if I’d read the other two book first it wasn’t hard to follow and I absolutely enjoyed reading it. The characters are well rounded and likable, the story flowed nicely and I just all around liked it. There were a couple spicy bits that surprised me a bit (I’m not really a smut reader) but they weren’t bad and were well written. There weren’t forced into the story line but enhanced it just enough and I definitely liked that
Now having completed reading it I will definitely be going back and reading the first two as well simply because JAH’s world is one I don’t mind getting lost in again.

[Teodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading from the last book, and when I finished the whole series I realised it was the right call. The plot was great (Chaz thinking that the wrong person was his compeer becouse he didn't know everything about the bond), but not for the third book. The reason is that throughout frist and second book we learn about compeers, and becouse of that, by the forteith page )
(of the third book) the reader is certain that Chaz made a mistake and is only waiting for the caracters to catch up.
But becouse I started from the last book it was exciting and emotional.
I was certain that Ameli was the compeer and I was so sad that her "soul mate" was in love with someone else, and you only get one soul mate. Also, I could have not guessed that Lyna was the doughter of Archie and Adira, which was a good plot twist, but to clerify again, I did not guess any of that becouse I started from the last book. If I have read the books in order they would have been far less interesting.
The build up about Talya was great, but she was easily killed and it was over so fast.
Overall, the book was interesting, but it colud have been more thought through.
(English is my second language, so there might be some gramar mistakes).

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite book in this series. God I loved these characters so so much, especially the MFC Lyna. She is seriously such a beautiful, strong, witty, feisty character that I honestly related to so much. In the world of Rodina, a lot of the women are warriors or fighters and Lyna is happy where she is, she loves to bake and she just wants to be herself and I loved that. However, that doesn’t mean she’s weak or can’t handle her own because she can. Chaz, the MMC is sexy, witty, strong, complicated and has a big heart. Their dynamic was unique and at times heart breaking but beautiful all the same. This story has action, romance, steam, friendship and self love and discovery. I love the world Jamie has built throughout this series and all the character details, the camaraderie and friendships. I’m sad it’s over but I can’t recommend this series enough it’s an experience you don’t want to miss! It’s a must read.

[ChristinaReads5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of The Royals of Rosina since I read The Compeer. The Mortal Heir met every expectation I had for the third book about one of my favorite characters.

This was in the POV of 3 different characters which is one of my favorite things because we can see what each character is feeling and thinking.

Chazriel is funny, loyal and duty bound. Ameli is just like her father and Lyna is a ball of fun. The side characters are loveable and very funny. This is the spiciest book in the series! Banana Pudding, Banana Pudding, BANANA PUDDING!!

I laughed, I cried, I was mad at Jamie at the end but she understands. It was a ride and I thought I knew what was gonna happen and I was completely wrong. The ending ties everything up nicely and even leaves a possibility for more books, which is what I am hoping for.

Definitely recommend for anyone who likes fantasy romance!

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

TMH was my favorite in the series. I LOVED both this FMC and MMC the best of them all. The friends to lovers ish love story had me hooked, the banter between characters was on point. JAH is the queen of pet names. I loved all of them in this series. Spice in TMH was kicked up a notch, that was appreciated ;). This story had a hint or 2nd Gen romance. Magic system and world were still interesting. Maintained good pacing as the rest of the series did, I wasn’t bored and wanted to keep reading. TMH HAD ONE PART THAT MADE ME CRY. But that’s ok. Really enjoyed this series. It was such a fun Romantasy experience. Definitely recommend.

[Diane Callison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book is a less than 1 star review

I’ve read and left reviews for the first two books in this series, and this book continued with the issues I had with the first two. No real story, you can figure out the plot and who the mortal heir is within the first few pages so the shock/reveal at the end is disappointing. There are more sex scenes in this one versus the first two but the sex scenes do not add to the story, they are unnecessary at this point. The dialogue again is juvenile and so are the characters at this point. And there are too many characters to keep track of who is who.

0/10 do not recommend this book or series

[Kayla Mauceri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy after sharing my love of The Compeer and The Spring Queen. What a great story and end to the Royals of Rodina series. Although this is the end, it was left open to be continued later. There is mystery, a murderer, falling in love and going through tremendous heartbreak. The plot twists were great, and the ending had me in tears. There’s also a ton of spicy scenes between different people, and they were written so that you could feel the lust/love between the characters. You will never look at banana pudding the same again.

[Nicolette Moe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC and I’m choosing to give my own honest opinion. I absolutely love this series! This is for sure my favorite out of the 3. This book is more romance based then action packed like the other 2, but I love that because at this point we’ve learned all the inner workings of how the powers and everything works. And the enemy is but a single small one….for now. She just bid her time correctly (or so she thought) If you are looking for a fantasy romance book series then you have found it!

[Ashley (ashpattreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was so happy to be back in the Rodina world after missing these characters for a few months. While I wish we had more Winnie and Thad scenes and POVs like we did in Book 2, I still enjoyed this (maybe) final installment.

I loved the FMC Lyna and her feistiness.

Similar to the Spring Queen, I did think the ending with the villain felt rushed or over too quickly.

Also dying because I LOVE banana pudding and literally just had some two days ago. I will never be able to look at it the same 🤣 Not sure if I’m recalling correctly, but this did seem spicer than the first two books as well.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best was definitely saved for last in this spicy and drama filled book. Another look at the characters we know and love with extensions of the plot in all the best ways. The pacing of this novel and intricacies of the details was MUCH better than the two before it. Additionally, there was spice from very early on & it delivered in a lot of ways throughout the book.

The plot thickened with this book and had twists and turns to keep me guessing throughout. Definitely would say the series is worth the read with this great book to cap it off.

[Ida Hammerstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
I got this as an ARC, without having read the other books in the series. I found the book to be funny and easy to read. I very much enjoyed the spicy scenes! I normally prefere books with more indepth worldbuilding, but this was very much an enjoyable read. It is very heavily character driven, not much plot at all, and some scenes felt a little rushed. Overall would recommend for an easy, but spicy read!

[Jannelle Lamascus · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing conclusion to the Royals of Rodina

This book is just as good as The Compeer, however I didn’t find it as enjoyable as Spring Queen. It’s still very much a 5 star read for me, and I look forward to another read through later this year maybe. The only negative I have is the part about Rizo. I felt it was a bit of a heart break that seemed unnecessary, I hope Jamie will do a spin-off with the next line of Royals.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was full of tension and action and I spent the whole time at the edge of my seat (I also might’ve thrown it a few times). The characters were so engaging and loveable even when they were doing dumb stuff. And the ending??? Wrecked me. Just reduced me to tears at work but in the best way. Another amazing book Jamie!!

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I flew through the first two and couldn’t wait to get to the third one. The third one took me a while to finish because I didn’t want it to end. I love the characters. I loved that the author continued to use characters we were semi familiar with but also got to experience new characters. I’m so hoping we are not done with this series and will definitely be reading them again.

[Leeanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to ARC read this book…. And OMG SO WORTH IT!!! I laughed, cried, and absolutely could not put this book down! I have not read the other books to the series, however I did NOT have any issues following along with the characters. And that plot twist…. I did NOT see that coming!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all 3 books in this series, this one had me in an absolute chokehold. As a debut author, you can see JAH coming into her writing style in this book. This will now be my new comfort read! *shows husband banana pudding scene*

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!!!!
When I read the blurb for the story I was excited but I could never have imagined how their story played out. This fmc is also a lot different than the last 2 and I loved her. All 3 books were amazing but this is definitely my favourite in the series