Darkness fell on Bellator the day Lilith Wolfbourne was born.
The Shadow King's army of dark shades slaughtered Bellator's royal family, seeking the ancient Wolfbourne power. But before he could deliver the final blow, an assassin named Laylinn vanished into the night with the newborn heir and the kingdom's last hope.Raised in exile under Laylinn's blade and the watchful eye of Besmir, the immortal wolf guardian bound to her bloodline, Lily has trained for one defeating the Shadow King. While she's mastered her elemental magic, the deeper, volatile Wolfbourne power within her remains wild and untamed - a force she fears as much as she needs.
When the Shadow King tracks them down and takes Laylinn prisoner, he offers Lily a brutal surrender her power and watch her kingdom crumble, or lose the only family she's ever known.
Joined by a brooding vampire haunted by a dark past and twin elemental casters determined to see their kingdom rise, Lily must embrace the legend she was born to become - even if it means unleashing a magic that could save them all or destroy everything.
"Rich and beautiful world-building, a dynamic set of characters that will entertain, tug at your heartstrings and keep you on your toes..." Annabella Lowe - Author of Find Me in the Shadows
Kerry Topping was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She lives with her little grumpy old man dog, Buddy. She is currently working on her debut novel and writes short stories in her free time to keep her motivation flowing. She is an avid fantasy reader, gamer, animal lover and horror enthusiast. If she isn’t writing, you will usually find her working on character art commissions, or curled up with Buddy, a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
I already knew Kerry was talented! But after reading her short story "The Dark Lady" I was convinced she'll be going places and this debut novel just confirmed it for me.
Once again her writing captivated me and the story is so good! It's action packed, has elemental magic, found family and the world building is rich and beautiful but not too complicated.
I love that the MC and the majority of the side characters are badass sassy women! I love how unapologetic Lilly is. She is pretty reckless but it comes from a good place and she would do anything for her friends.
The banter was hilarious and had me chuckling multiple times! And honestly all the side characters are very lovable! Besmir might be all powerfull and ancient but to me he is the cutest pup ever and I could snuggle him all day every day! Oh and did I mention the grumpy hot vampire?
Absolutely loved this book, so refreshing to read something a little different rather than thinking “oh here we go again, same storyline/different names etc! “ This is a brilliant read, love the storyline, love the characters, can’t wait for the next!! Thank you Kerry 🙌
You know it's a good one when the prologue has you feeling all the feels and fighting lumps in your throat. Kerry has an ability to make you instantly connect with the characters and care for them in such a short amount of time....not just the main characters she even had me sobbing over the small characters too.
Lilly and Laylinn were utterly fantastic, I loved their friendship and the witty one liners, back chat and the banter they threw at each other, I had so many laugh out loud moments.
I can't not mention Besmir and Lilly. Their entire dynamic for me screamed Jacob Black and Renessme. So I think any twihard will love this book. it's exactly what I would Imagine if the Volturi won.
I freaking loved the magic in this one, a mix of light, dark and elemental, it was easy to follow and I loved the imagery it brought to my little imagination.
The Males in this book!!! I must say I don't think I have yoyo'd between my favourite male characters so much in one sitting before 🤣 I mean there was sometimes I wasn't sure who I wanted the love interest to be and i would be quite happy for her to pick the other guy...there's something about a dark and mysterious male, and when you add in a pet name like little wolf 🫠 who am I kidding.. . I know exactly who my favourite male in the series is and with that cliff hanger I'm so glad there will be more of him.
I had guesses throughout this entire read about who I thought would save the day, who I could trust, who would betray, the connections.....I didn't get a single one right. The plot twists were perfectly done.
What I liked about this tale was its ability to keep you hooked and interested. The strong world building at the start didn't feel too drawn out, but enough to set the scene in a vivid way. It's certainly a complex world and one I look forward to exploring more of in the next books!
Despite the task set before her to protect her kingdom, what drew me towards the FMC was her optimism and determined mind. She possesses an assuredness to her actions regardless of the station of others and perhaps at times aggressively so, but the additions of a quippy and wilful side cast who were unafraid to question her kept things level.
The subtlety of the character development and their hidden agendas was done really well. At first I thought their relationships possibly a tad stilted, but it turned out to be a sneaky bit of omission in order to add shock to the twists which I really enjoyed! The relationship between the MMC and FMC is certainly tense due to his aloof and mysterious nature which you can't help but be drawn to!
Overall this book is a great debut and after that ending, I look forward to finding out where the story will take us and have little doubt it'll include a surprise or two! Side note... everyone should have a Besmir!
A huge thank you to the author for allowing me to ARC read her book!
Loved, loved, loved! The world building in the book is on point and the ending was not what I was expecting (but in a good way). The pacing is perfect, there’s romance but it doesn’t overtake the book or take away from the story line, I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2.
I was hooked from the prologue, and I really wanted to just turn the next page. Annoyingly, life got in the way, so I had to put it down, but as soon as I could, this book was back in my hands. I giggled at the banter, got choked up - more than once, fell in love with the characters (I did not meet a bad one, they were all brilliant!).
As a baby, Lily is sent away by her parents with the assassin Laylinn to escape a prophesied massacre of the Wolfbourne family. Portalled to the human world, Lily becomes a strong and feisty character under the watchful guidance of Laylinn and Besmir, Lily's shape-shifting guardian - who is just a giant puppy. Hunted by the Shadow King, Lily has to return to her homeland, Bellator, to save now only the kingdom but those she loves. Along the ways, she is joined by a broody vampire, twin elemental casters, and long-lost family - but will she be able to harness her untameable power to defeat the shadows?
High fantasy that is just gold dust. I loved every element. Every detail of the story was so well curated that the world building, the characters, and the narrative were just addictive. I got so wrapped up that every twist was a punch to the gut - surprises I never saw coming!
Kerry Topping's writing is so beautiful, her skill at spinning a tale, and her voice is just unique. She gives enough detail but reveals nothing. The story is just a masterpiece of good story development. __________________ Favourite Quotes:
That’s the thing about loving people and them loving you in return, though. You don’t have to face everything alone.
One moment doesn’t define you, Lily – especially not one where you chose to protect others.
“Our king will end you, witch,” one of them snarls. “You’ll never know,” I reply, raising the sword. “You’ll be in the pits of the underworld.”
“Never put yourself in danger like that again, Lily,” he breathes. “I won’t lose you. I can’t lose you. If I have to tear apart his army limb from limb myself to stop you, I will. But please don’t make me.”
“You have your father’s fire, but you need to use your Wolfbourne magic,” she whispers. “What if I can’t control it?” My hands tremble at the thought of hurting my people. “Trust yourself, Lilith, and trust your magic. you’re more capable than you know.” __________________ 🌶🌶/5
I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I have no idea where the story is going to go or even how things are going to pan out. Heir of the Withered Kingdom left me guessing throughout, and I can almost guarantee I'm going to be in the same position as the series goes on. Honestly, I don't want to wait!
Kerry Topping, thank you so so much for the e-arc. I loved every moment.
An epic fantasy story at its finest! Kerry Topping’s descriptive language provides me a vivid and clear imagery of her character’s appearances, how these characters move/act, and what the world they are in looks like. She uses comprehensive words, but not redundant. They are graspable and very graphic, my imagination is doing a happy dance in my brain most of the time. Also, she’s got a way to keep you hooked! When you think you know, I’m telling you, You don’t! 😅 She’s got a way of dropping a bomb of revelation, and you won’t even see it coming. I just enjoyed reading this so much!
My favorite trope in this book is the Found/Chosen Family theme. It was very evident in the story how the relationship among characters developed from being strangers- to allies- to friends- and in the end, a family. The banters, the teasing, the comforting, and the way they are fighting to protect the people they love, each other, it gives me a warm feeling inside. There were multiple times that I caught myself laughing, “awww”ing, swearing, and even crying.
Then there’s the battle scenes -to be clear, I’m not comparing, but dare I say, the battle scene towards the end brought me back to when I was reading “Kingdom of Ash” by SJMaas. It was the similar hair-raising, skin-crawling, prickling sensation that I was feeling. It was intense and I just can’t take my eyes off the screen. It was so so satisfying!
Just, Thank you for this ARC, Kerry! Thank you, because diving into this story of yours is more than just reading, it was an experience! I highly recommend this book for fantasy-reader like me that loves the Family/Friend theme and doesn’t mind a slooooowwww burn love story! You don’t want to miss this, watch out for its official release next week! 🙌🏼💕
Heir of the Withered Kingdom, is fantasy done right. Kerry’s writing brings everything to life, the characters feel real and relatable. The world of Bellator that she has built is stunning, and so easy to picture. Almost every scene was like a painting in my mind.
I absolutely loved the magic system! The elemental magic gave me Avatar vibes, and the inclusion of conjuration in Lilith’s power was very Skyrim-esque for me as a gamer! The world itself was rich and gave me feelings of ACOTAR meets LOTR, with the factions of elemental magic users and the variety of creatures you see along the way. Some of the best parts of my favourite fantasies rolled into one!
The found family aspect was a ride, but ultimately, watching them go from strength to strength through it all, it’s something to be envious of! The banter, the emotional moments, the “I would do anything for you” … I swore out loud and was nearly in tears at a couple of moments (I don’t cry for books!)
Now I’m just sitting here, impatiently waiting for the next instalment of Lilith’s journey and what’s in store for them all.
Huge thank you Kerry for the ARC, and again for your support and patience while I’ve taken a bit longer than expected!
Heir of the Withered Kingdom was a really enjoyable and captivating read. From the start, I was drawn into the story, especially because of the strong world building and the interesting magic system, which added so much depth to the overall experience.
I loved not only the main characters but the side characters as well. They truly brought the story to life and added real value to the plot. Besmir, Laylinn, and Killian completely stole my heart,especially Killian, the broody, hot vampire. He was everything I hoped he’d be.
The FMC, Lilly, is a strong and fierce character, and I really appreciated her determination and the way she stood her ground. There’s also a hint of slow burn romance, and I was absolutely rooting for it the whole time.
The author’s writing style is fluent, easy to follow, and very well done. The story flows smoothly, making it an effortless and engaging read from beginning to end.
I'm so happy to be able to ARC read this book especially when it's the authors debut 😍 💖
The world building is beautiful and the prolog hooks you in so fast! the plot is pretty fast paced and the characters so lovable 💕. This was a very unique and intriguing story and it kept me riveted and on the edge of my seat for every moment!!
This book has left me without words. Kerry’s brilliant mind shows through in every single page and if I could give it 10 stars I would. The world building, the characters, the plot, I genuinely could not put this book down. I cannot wait for the next one 🖤
A stunning fantasy epic!! Fresh and original! I always take note when rich world building and fast-paced plot is grounded in deeply character-driven storytelling. I can’t wait for book 2!!!!
The world-building in this book is absolutely stunning, and one of my all-time favourites within the fantasy realm. The plot is fast-paced and gripping, the characters lovable and purposeful, and the twists and turns kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. I was constantly second-guessing which characters were good and which were bad, and there were very few plot points that I actually called, which is rare, and I fell in love with the MC :)
This story feels so unique, which made for an incredibly refreshing read. It was full of action, emotion, humour, and the end came together in a breathtaking way that I did not see coming. I cannot wait to get stuck into the next book, which promises even greater things!