What do you think?
Rate this book
Hollow Fate #1
A Dark Inheritance
It’s a dark path to power.
When Ruben is bound by magic and hauled across the sea to where the God King reigns, he has only one goal: escape.
As he tries to resist his master’s pull, he discovers a secret—the reason he was taken from his family—Ruben is a mage.
On his journey to understand his power, his desire to become stronger takes him to dark places, driving him to do even darker things.
If he can gain his freedom, will he be able to return to the life he once knew, after what he’s become?
When Ruben is bound by magic and hauled across the sea to where the God King reigns, he has only one goal: escape.
As he tries to resist his master’s pull, he discovers a secret—the reason he was taken from his family—Ruben is a mage.
On his journey to understand his power, his desire to become stronger takes him to dark places, driving him to do even darker things.
If he can gain his freedom, will he be able to return to the life he once knew, after what he’s become?
- GenresFantasy
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2020
143 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 6, 2020
What sparked my interest right away about this book is Herzman’s approach to the story itself. This is a sprawling world, with multiple continents, oceans, islands, rulers, and lots of history. But when we start the book, we know nothing about any of that. And it stays like that for some time.
We see the world through three siblings, aged 19, 15, and 12. The story begins, when they’re woken in the middle of the night to find out that their small village has been invaded by raiders and set aflame. What would you do? We dive right into the action, but since we’re seeing the world through the children’s perspectives, we experience the fear and newness of the situation; we don’t know what’s going on, and we have little knowledge of what happens outside our village that we’ve never left. So the story starts small. But as it develops, the world opens up to us through these children and their experiences. There’s no long-winded or forced exposition dumps. It’s a natural education for all three POVs, and it paints the world in believable ways.
Unfortunately, those ways are rough going. One discovers how blood mages gain power through enslavement firsthand. It’s not how you want to spend a Friday night. Another sibling is determined to find what is lost, and chooses the path of wisdom through the powers of nature. The third sibling discovers their power by the sword, the seas, and the soul. The supporting characters all have pasts and motivations and goals of their own, and there’s plenty of big mysteries to reveal.
Herzman’s prose is similar to Brandon Sanderson. He delivers concise and direct sentences that get the job done. Its lean tone makes for a highly digestible read, often leading to numerous one-more-chapter-okay-maybe-two-more late nights. The build-ups towards chapter cliffhangers come early and often, and the rotation between the three POVs are consistent, so if you want to know what happens next, you’ll have to read three more chapters to find out. It’s a sneaky, but reliable dig at the reader to keep them stuck to the pages. It worked.
One issue that stuck out was that a number of reveals were projected pretty far out, or were easily predicted. Some big ones were a nice surprise, but I think some re-wording and less mentions of certain elements earlier in the story might have a more successful impact of certain events when they dropped. It didn’t take away too much enjoyment from the story, but it did linger a bit after it was over. I also hoped the ending played out in a different direction, but I’m glad this was only book one of a series.
A Dark Inheritance is not a story that will subvert any tropes or carve out many new ideas in the genre. However, what it does set out to do, it does it very well. I had a great time reading this story; I was fully engaged with the plot and loved all three characters, each having distinct personalities where it seemed like they actually acted their age. The more I read books with younger POVs, the less common I find this to be, so I commend Herzman for a fine job of pulling me into this new world. I look forward to seeing how the next chapter is going to play out. You should get on board, and find out, too.
We see the world through three siblings, aged 19, 15, and 12. The story begins, when they’re woken in the middle of the night to find out that their small village has been invaded by raiders and set aflame. What would you do? We dive right into the action, but since we’re seeing the world through the children’s perspectives, we experience the fear and newness of the situation; we don’t know what’s going on, and we have little knowledge of what happens outside our village that we’ve never left. So the story starts small. But as it develops, the world opens up to us through these children and their experiences. There’s no long-winded or forced exposition dumps. It’s a natural education for all three POVs, and it paints the world in believable ways.
Unfortunately, those ways are rough going. One discovers how blood mages gain power through enslavement firsthand. It’s not how you want to spend a Friday night. Another sibling is determined to find what is lost, and chooses the path of wisdom through the powers of nature. The third sibling discovers their power by the sword, the seas, and the soul. The supporting characters all have pasts and motivations and goals of their own, and there’s plenty of big mysteries to reveal.
Herzman’s prose is similar to Brandon Sanderson. He delivers concise and direct sentences that get the job done. Its lean tone makes for a highly digestible read, often leading to numerous one-more-chapter-okay-maybe-two-more late nights. The build-ups towards chapter cliffhangers come early and often, and the rotation between the three POVs are consistent, so if you want to know what happens next, you’ll have to read three more chapters to find out. It’s a sneaky, but reliable dig at the reader to keep them stuck to the pages. It worked.
One issue that stuck out was that a number of reveals were projected pretty far out, or were easily predicted. Some big ones were a nice surprise, but I think some re-wording and less mentions of certain elements earlier in the story might have a more successful impact of certain events when they dropped. It didn’t take away too much enjoyment from the story, but it did linger a bit after it was over. I also hoped the ending played out in a different direction, but I’m glad this was only book one of a series.
A Dark Inheritance is not a story that will subvert any tropes or carve out many new ideas in the genre. However, what it does set out to do, it does it very well. I had a great time reading this story; I was fully engaged with the plot and loved all three characters, each having distinct personalities where it seemed like they actually acted their age. The more I read books with younger POVs, the less common I find this to be, so I commend Herzman for a fine job of pulling me into this new world. I look forward to seeing how the next chapter is going to play out. You should get on board, and find out, too.
February 10, 2020
I have read Todd Herzman's earlier work and was very excited to hear he had published his debut novel. I received an advanced reader copy and am honored to provide an unbiased, early review.
This talented author does not disappoint! Book 1 of the Hollow Fate Series is phenomenal and now I will be anxiously awaiting book 2. Todd's character development is fantastic and his story line for this series is engaging and exciting. It kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages learning about these young people who have no idea of their magic and how powerful they are, and the connection to family that they know nothing about. It was a thrill to watch the story unfold and the characters learn and grow. I was cheering by the end!
Herzman is an amazing story teller and is building a world that is familiar in some ways, yet new in others. I loved this book! This author is one to watch. Highly recommend.
This talented author does not disappoint! Book 1 of the Hollow Fate Series is phenomenal and now I will be anxiously awaiting book 2. Todd's character development is fantastic and his story line for this series is engaging and exciting. It kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages learning about these young people who have no idea of their magic and how powerful they are, and the connection to family that they know nothing about. It was a thrill to watch the story unfold and the characters learn and grow. I was cheering by the end!
Herzman is an amazing story teller and is building a world that is familiar in some ways, yet new in others. I loved this book! This author is one to watch. Highly recommend.
May 28, 2020
This is my first Todd Herzman book. I'll be going back through the catalogue for sure!
September 2, 2020
Todd Herzman's debut novel is a great story that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The chapters cycle through each of the three main characters and show you the events unfolding through their eyes. All three characters had interesting stories that eventually converged at the end in a great showdown.
While some fantasies are good escapes that let you shut your brain off for a while, this one actually made me think about what the characters were going through without being didactic or opaque. It was nonetheless a good, easy read, and one that I was compelled to finish more quickly than other books I've read recently. Recommended.
While some fantasies are good escapes that let you shut your brain off for a while, this one actually made me think about what the characters were going through without being didactic or opaque. It was nonetheless a good, easy read, and one that I was compelled to finish more quickly than other books I've read recently. Recommended.
June 7, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot. The character development was great. I like Ruben storyline a lot. He was very conflicted at the end. Part of me wonders if the guy king is really gone. I doubt it. I hope they were also able to find the other blood made. Overall I’m very intrigued to see what happens in the next book. My rating is nine out of 10.
February 23, 2020
Over the past year, I’ve read a number of Todd Herzman’s short stories. Each illustrates his skill at telling a brief yet compelling tale. So when I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of his forthcoming novel, I hopped on the opportunity as quickly as I could.
I wasn’t disappointed.
“A Dark Inheritance,” Herzman’s first foray into the epic fantasy genre with a novel-length story, follows three children: Ruben, Marius, and Ella. Believing their parents dead, they fight to survive in a harsh world. And when blood mages attack their town, their three paths take them on adventures all across the world. They’re forced to face harsh truths about themselves—and their futures.
It’s a sweeping story—and the book isn’t short, at 160,000 words. Yet with three POVs (Ruben, Marius, and Ella), it’s truly three stories in one. And the narratives weave in and out of each other’s story with skill, even as the characters are taken far away from one another. Plenty of twists will take you down a path of emotions you will not expect.
More importantly, however, is a realization that hit my mind when I finished the tale. Herzman has encapsulated the themes and setting of sweeping epic fantasies typically only possible in other media, like a video game. The villains reminded me of enemies in Dragon Age—for any who have played those games, you’ll know what I mean. The best villains have a motive that, at its heart, is slightly compelling in nature. It pulls at you, making you wonder if they’re actually right in their approach to the world.
In “A Dark Inheritance,” Herzman crafted a world with murky definitions of good and evil, especially when it comes to the use of magic. And every town and character breathed with life, indicating the world built beyond just the tale of our three protagonists. It’s the same type of world players in Dragon Age experience—your character is part of a larger narrative, geopolitical in scope, with implications well beyond the scene at hand.
“A Dark Inheritance” will draw you into a new world you won’t ever want to leave. When its story ends, you’ll wonder where the tale will go next—and dread the potential implications.
Writing: 9/10. Herzman’s writing is clear, and I particularly appreciate the consistent length of chapters throughout the story, making for a well-paced read.
Setting: 8/10. A fun setting, particularly given its similarities to Dragon Age and other similar fantasy worlds. I would have wished a better understanding of the politics occurring that allowed for the principle villain to continue existing, however.
Characters: 9/10. Ruben and Ella were riveting. Their narratives drew me in instantly. At times, Marius acted much more like a teenager closer to Ruben’s age than a younger child, as he was supposed to be. However, the final outcome of his story—and the decisions he makes—were incredibly compelling.
Plot: 9/10. Herzman managed a three-character POV narrative with skill, ensuring even when characters were distant from one another, their stories intersected. This is particularly difficult to do. Every event mattered—every character’s choice impacted the final outcome of the story.
Overall: 8.75/10. Five stars, and deservedly so.
I wasn’t disappointed.
“A Dark Inheritance,” Herzman’s first foray into the epic fantasy genre with a novel-length story, follows three children: Ruben, Marius, and Ella. Believing their parents dead, they fight to survive in a harsh world. And when blood mages attack their town, their three paths take them on adventures all across the world. They’re forced to face harsh truths about themselves—and their futures.
It’s a sweeping story—and the book isn’t short, at 160,000 words. Yet with three POVs (Ruben, Marius, and Ella), it’s truly three stories in one. And the narratives weave in and out of each other’s story with skill, even as the characters are taken far away from one another. Plenty of twists will take you down a path of emotions you will not expect.
More importantly, however, is a realization that hit my mind when I finished the tale. Herzman has encapsulated the themes and setting of sweeping epic fantasies typically only possible in other media, like a video game. The villains reminded me of enemies in Dragon Age—for any who have played those games, you’ll know what I mean. The best villains have a motive that, at its heart, is slightly compelling in nature. It pulls at you, making you wonder if they’re actually right in their approach to the world.
In “A Dark Inheritance,” Herzman crafted a world with murky definitions of good and evil, especially when it comes to the use of magic. And every town and character breathed with life, indicating the world built beyond just the tale of our three protagonists. It’s the same type of world players in Dragon Age experience—your character is part of a larger narrative, geopolitical in scope, with implications well beyond the scene at hand.
“A Dark Inheritance” will draw you into a new world you won’t ever want to leave. When its story ends, you’ll wonder where the tale will go next—and dread the potential implications.
Writing: 9/10. Herzman’s writing is clear, and I particularly appreciate the consistent length of chapters throughout the story, making for a well-paced read.
Setting: 8/10. A fun setting, particularly given its similarities to Dragon Age and other similar fantasy worlds. I would have wished a better understanding of the politics occurring that allowed for the principle villain to continue existing, however.
Characters: 9/10. Ruben and Ella were riveting. Their narratives drew me in instantly. At times, Marius acted much more like a teenager closer to Ruben’s age than a younger child, as he was supposed to be. However, the final outcome of his story—and the decisions he makes—were incredibly compelling.
Plot: 9/10. Herzman managed a three-character POV narrative with skill, ensuring even when characters were distant from one another, their stories intersected. This is particularly difficult to do. Every event mattered—every character’s choice impacted the final outcome of the story.
Overall: 8.75/10. Five stars, and deservedly so.
March 16, 2020
I had read a few of Todd Herzman’s short stories and enjoyed his writing style, so I was looking forward to his first novel. And it doesn’t disappoint!
This book follows three siblings who are separated by a raider attack on their village. As they try to find each other and get back home, they discover their magical powers and a greater threat facing their world.
The story and the world will feel familiar to most fans of fantasy, but there are enough unique details to make the story unique and interesting.
One of the strongest points of the story is the characters. Each of the siblings has a strong arc. I was especially drawn to Ruben’s storyline. Not to give too much away, but Ruben ends up making some morally ambiguous choices. This, and other things, give the novel a slightly darker tone, but not so much that puts the novel in grimdark territory. This is nowhere near as dark as something like Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy.
There were some things that I think could be improved. The biggest thing is the pacing. The first half of the book reads a bit on the slow side. Once the three siblings’ storylines start to merge the pace picks up, but I felt it started slow. It’s not bad, but if you’re reading and feel like you don’t see how it’s all going to come together, keep going! Once you get towards the end, things get really good and it reaches the “can’t put this down because I need to know what happens!” phase.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to book 2. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a solid fantasy book with strong characters. If you like strong female leads, Ella’s storyline is pretty good and the author does a good job of writing her without suffering from a lot of pitfalls men have with writing women. In terms of genre, this could be either fantasy or YA fantasy. The book would be rated a pretty safe PG-13, there’s no swearing or sex, though there is violence and somewhat darker periods (as mentioned above).
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows three siblings who are separated by a raider attack on their village. As they try to find each other and get back home, they discover their magical powers and a greater threat facing their world.
The story and the world will feel familiar to most fans of fantasy, but there are enough unique details to make the story unique and interesting.
One of the strongest points of the story is the characters. Each of the siblings has a strong arc. I was especially drawn to Ruben’s storyline. Not to give too much away, but Ruben ends up making some morally ambiguous choices. This, and other things, give the novel a slightly darker tone, but not so much that puts the novel in grimdark territory. This is nowhere near as dark as something like Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy.
There were some things that I think could be improved. The biggest thing is the pacing. The first half of the book reads a bit on the slow side. Once the three siblings’ storylines start to merge the pace picks up, but I felt it started slow. It’s not bad, but if you’re reading and feel like you don’t see how it’s all going to come together, keep going! Once you get towards the end, things get really good and it reaches the “can’t put this down because I need to know what happens!” phase.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to book 2. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a solid fantasy book with strong characters. If you like strong female leads, Ella’s storyline is pretty good and the author does a good job of writing her without suffering from a lot of pitfalls men have with writing women. In terms of genre, this could be either fantasy or YA fantasy. The book would be rated a pretty safe PG-13, there’s no swearing or sex, though there is violence and somewhat darker periods (as mentioned above).
I received an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2020
If I had to somehow identify this book by the way that traditional marketing does, I would say this is a mix of Cradle and Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy. I really really really liked this book. We follow three POVs of siblings Ruben, Ella, and Marius. The first chapter we begin with Ruben as a sudden attack occurs at these siblings' small village and he splits up from his sister and brother. The next chapter is from Ella, who goes on to split from the youngest sibling Marius. And thus we have our 3 main storylines. Ruben is kidnapped by an evil blood mage and taken over the ocean to be held by the God King, Ella is on a quest to rescue her brother and begins to learn how to use her type of magic, and Marius is sort of caught up in a series of events were he is protected by people who seem to have good intentions but they do not tell Marius everything. So with the context set, why do i say this is a mix of Cradle and Mistborn? Well it ranks as high for me in the areas that these series excel at. I do not think there is a single line of filler in Todd Herzman's "A Dark Inheritance". This book is so well-paced and there is not a single moment of boredom. All of the characters' storylines and POVs are interesting and fun to read. The dialogue is concise, the prose isn't Tolkien level's beautiful but is so to the point and accessible that you can easily breeze through 100 pages in an hour. Believe me, I did. Another reason I say it's like the two series I mentioned is that THERE ARE SO MANY TWISTS AND REVEALS that occur seemingly out of nowhere that would completely recontextualize the events and just leave my jaw hanging. I was able to talk with Todd on Reddit for a few messages and he said that he's planning on writing about 4-6 books and there's just SO MUCH that happens in this book that I wonder what the overall series will look like. This is a definite must-read series for any fan of fantasy!
May 30, 2021
Imitation Star Wars
Nice try I guess. It started off pretty good, village attacked, family taken by an evil sorcerer, and a call to adventure. All the points for a standard power fantasy checked on the list. This falters completely after the first 100 pages. You can see the influence of Star Wars all over this story and it is not welcome. The story is told through the perspectives of the 3 kids (I forgot their names, and I'm not sure if they had last names). Not much world building is attempted, and descriptions of people, places, scenery, and actions are limited to the basics, i.e bird, tree, garden, etc. The story centers around one family unit and their mysterious magical powers. We're told early on that magic is inherited and powerful magic comes from powerful families, basically nobility. The mystery, or lack thereof is centered on this inheritance and how it shapes their actions. This plot pony loses steam at about page 100 when we're introduced to emperor palpatine. No joke, the main baddy is an allegory for emperor Palpy from Star Wars. The story loses all novelty by then and it's soon a skim read to find out how it ends. The book tries to be morally ambiguous and give magic weight, but it mainly serves as a plot device to give the person a power that suites the plots needs. Just watch Star Wars, this is a poor imitation.
Nice try I guess. It started off pretty good, village attacked, family taken by an evil sorcerer, and a call to adventure. All the points for a standard power fantasy checked on the list. This falters completely after the first 100 pages. You can see the influence of Star Wars all over this story and it is not welcome. The story is told through the perspectives of the 3 kids (I forgot their names, and I'm not sure if they had last names). Not much world building is attempted, and descriptions of people, places, scenery, and actions are limited to the basics, i.e bird, tree, garden, etc. The story centers around one family unit and their mysterious magical powers. We're told early on that magic is inherited and powerful magic comes from powerful families, basically nobility. The mystery, or lack thereof is centered on this inheritance and how it shapes their actions. This plot pony loses steam at about page 100 when we're introduced to emperor palpatine. No joke, the main baddy is an allegory for emperor Palpy from Star Wars. The story loses all novelty by then and it's soon a skim read to find out how it ends. The book tries to be morally ambiguous and give magic weight, but it mainly serves as a plot device to give the person a power that suites the plots needs. Just watch Star Wars, this is a poor imitation.
October 14, 2020
A Dark Inheritance is a solid opening to a wonderful new Coming of Age series.
The story follows three siblings (19/15/12) as they discover their...dark inheritance. The plot moves quickly, the writing is void of flowery prose, and the characters are well-executed. While the majority of the story is firmly within the YA Fantasy genre (especially given the age of the POV characters), that does not stop the plot from delving into the dark recesses of Herzman's mind (see Vampirism).
The first 3/4 of the story were solid, but the ending was incredibly well-crafted. The climax is not just the climax for the plot itself, but it is the climax for the character development of each of the three main characters, and concludes the story in a brilliant hurrah. Everything wraps up so well that this could easily be a stand-alone novel.
This is perfect for fans of epic, YA fantasy with a glimmer of darkness.
The story follows three siblings (19/15/12) as they discover their...dark inheritance. The plot moves quickly, the writing is void of flowery prose, and the characters are well-executed. While the majority of the story is firmly within the YA Fantasy genre (especially given the age of the POV characters), that does not stop the plot from delving into the dark recesses of Herzman's mind (see Vampirism).
The first 3/4 of the story were solid, but the ending was incredibly well-crafted. The climax is not just the climax for the plot itself, but it is the climax for the character development of each of the three main characters, and concludes the story in a brilliant hurrah. Everything wraps up so well that this could easily be a stand-alone novel.
This is perfect for fans of epic, YA fantasy with a glimmer of darkness.
July 7, 2021
Honestly I am not a trilogy or series reader, I'm a one and done guy. However I'm about to order the second book.
A few reasons why:
1.) This book was really good! I really like how the story was told from multiple characters and it is laid out by chapter with labels to make it easy to keep track of who's story was being told. What I also liked about the multiple characters, instead of them traveling the same path and Todd writing about the same path from three different perspectives, they were given each their own very different adventures that got them all to where they needed to be.
2.) Their magic development though sometimes felt rushed, was actually perfect. Of course as they were learning their skills I find I didn't actually realize how many pages i read through. Not only that Todd didn't get hung up on trying to over saturate the training and practices as those were details that weren't crucial.
3.) The ending was not what I expected, but it was exactly how it should of ended!
4.) Lastly, as a one a done book reader I really liked the fact that if I wanted to I could stop at the first book. Though it left suspicious, I feel I could walk away now and be happy with the story.
A few reasons why:
1.) This book was really good! I really like how the story was told from multiple characters and it is laid out by chapter with labels to make it easy to keep track of who's story was being told. What I also liked about the multiple characters, instead of them traveling the same path and Todd writing about the same path from three different perspectives, they were given each their own very different adventures that got them all to where they needed to be.
2.) Their magic development though sometimes felt rushed, was actually perfect. Of course as they were learning their skills I find I didn't actually realize how many pages i read through. Not only that Todd didn't get hung up on trying to over saturate the training and practices as those were details that weren't crucial.
3.) The ending was not what I expected, but it was exactly how it should of ended!
4.) Lastly, as a one a done book reader I really liked the fact that if I wanted to I could stop at the first book. Though it left suspicious, I feel I could walk away now and be happy with the story.
November 11, 2021
I picked this up on a whim because it was a free prime book and I haven’t read any fantasy lately.
WOW.
This was so much more than I expected. The story and world is interesting, and the way the author writes the parallel stories of each sibling, putting them on similar journeys without making it repetitive, is a nice touch. All the characters, including the side characters, are interesting and compelling, and I’m always left wanting more. The pacing is excellent- things happen and the story moves on but it doesn’t feel rushed. The dialogue is good, although sometimes the middle child (Ella) sounds a bit older than I thought she was, but I might just be misremembering how old she’s supposed to be. Marius is very, very well written and my favorite character- it’s hard to find young children written in a way that makes them mature enough to tell a story while not making them tiny adults and this author nails it.
Definitely going to read the next books in the series, and follow this author’s future works.
WOW.
This was so much more than I expected. The story and world is interesting, and the way the author writes the parallel stories of each sibling, putting them on similar journeys without making it repetitive, is a nice touch. All the characters, including the side characters, are interesting and compelling, and I’m always left wanting more. The pacing is excellent- things happen and the story moves on but it doesn’t feel rushed. The dialogue is good, although sometimes the middle child (Ella) sounds a bit older than I thought she was, but I might just be misremembering how old she’s supposed to be. Marius is very, very well written and my favorite character- it’s hard to find young children written in a way that makes them mature enough to tell a story while not making them tiny adults and this author nails it.
Definitely going to read the next books in the series, and follow this author’s future works.
March 1, 2021
I definitely liked it, but I wanted more of it to make it just hop over that 5 star hump. I would have liked story and character progression from before the conflict that started the book.
It gave me an Emperor's Blades feel in the way it told the story, but it was a bit simpler in many ways from that. It has a classic plot and the "coming of age" tale is split between three siblings. While there is some character development in those, I found it lacking as much as I would have preferred in a story like this.
It gave me an Emperor's Blades feel in the way it told the story, but it was a bit simpler in many ways from that. It has a classic plot and the "coming of age" tale is split between three siblings. While there is some character development in those, I found it lacking as much as I would have preferred in a story like this.
August 31, 2020
A strong story about the love of...
Power. And the love of family, which is why I liked it. The author has strong world building skills which are on full display in this adventure. The magic system was well explained without infodumping. The point of view alternates between three siblings without losing momentum or focus, a rare thing. The bad guy is genuine villain. All in all, well worth reading!
Power. And the love of family, which is why I liked it. The author has strong world building skills which are on full display in this adventure. The magic system was well explained without infodumping. The point of view alternates between three siblings without losing momentum or focus, a rare thing. The bad guy is genuine villain. All in all, well worth reading!
August 20, 2020
I've read some of Todd's short stories and enjoyed them a lot. A Dark Inheritance is a great book with some interesting magic mechanics and wonderful characters. I enjoyed each of their arcs although I was definitely Team Marius :)
It's not only the main characters that are interesting. I'm keen to hear more about the Monks and the Seekers. Bring on book2.
It's not only the main characters that are interesting. I'm keen to hear more about the Monks and the Seekers. Bring on book2.
September 6, 2020
Pretty Good Story
This book was a good fantasy novel, with 3 points of view and an interesting magic system. A few issues, I wish the villain wasn't so one dimensional, and some of the characters had a few issues where they seemed to have uneven personalities, if that makes sense? Otherwise, great story I found via the SBFBO contest .
This book was a good fantasy novel, with 3 points of view and an interesting magic system. A few issues, I wish the villain wasn't so one dimensional, and some of the characters had a few issues where they seemed to have uneven personalities, if that makes sense? Otherwise, great story I found via the SBFBO contest .
May 30, 2021
Definitely worth it's semi final place in SPFBO6
Characters, plot, worldbuilding and magic were excellent - a really great read and I would highly recommend this book. Have purchased the second in series.
Characters, plot, worldbuilding and magic were excellent - a really great read and I would highly recommend this book. Have purchased the second in series.
March 31, 2021
Fun little book, will definetely check the sequel. It starts a little slow but picks up the pace near the end. My biggest gripe was how characters seemed too change their minds too easily.
January 12, 2023
Incredible
An epic tale. Filled with well crafted characters and magic that can feel malevolent is malevolent. Must read more soon!
An epic tale. Filled with well crafted characters and magic that can feel malevolent is malevolent. Must read more soon!
September 5, 2023
Didn't like the beginning. The switching between the 3 POVs slowed the early pacing, making it hard to get hooked. It never recovered and ended up dropping the story
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews