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The Inheritants TEASER: Part 1 - The Funeral March

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Many moons ago, the Gods funnelled their gifts into mortals, and the Inheritant Families were born…

London 2018

Meredith Earl is an Inheritant orphan with no one left to trust. Her lover Sloane is dead and his corpse missing – now Meredith must find out who took him, and why.

After the tragic death of her parents she vowed never to use her powers again, but to find Sloane Meredith must enter the shrouded world of the Inheritant Families once more, and rediscover who she really is.

Meredith embarks on a voyage rife with love, loss, sacrifice and despair to face an enemy more cruel and vengeful than she could have ever imagined.

The Inheritant is K. M. Mackmurdie’s literary debut, a thrilling urban fantasy that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Will Meredith find Sloane's body or will the one who took him have plans of their own?
Read Part One, The Funeral March, now!

108 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2018

22 people are currently reading
40 people want to read

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K.M. Mackmurdie

3 books1 follower

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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Jessica.
475 reviews18 followers
July 30, 2018
7/30 Update: Finished the entire trilogy and wrote a review for the whole thing on my blog. The later two parts were loads more fun than the first one. http://bookstocombattherain.blogspot....

7/20 Updated Review:

I was told recently that The Funeral March is only one small part of the Inheritants book. So I decided to read this trilogy like a single book and look at the story as a whole. Well, I'm over half way through Part 2 (The Invisible Man) and K.M. Mackmurdie does give us some likable male characters. We also get a chance to leave Kenny behind a little bit and get a better look at Meredith on her own. So far the second book has been a fun (if not disturbing) ride and I don't want someone to skip it over just because of the first book. I plan on finishing the entire trilogy this weekend and posting an overall review of the whole thing.

7/14 Updated Review:

I had a hard time with this book. Certain parts were great, the writing flowed well, and the world was interesting, but the characters were incredibly hard to like. The Inheritants starts us off with a funeral. Meredith (the main character) is walking behind her boyfriend Sloane's coffin in a wedding dress that she'll never get to use. It's a sad start to an equally sad and frustrating story.

"It was as if there were a magic cord binding her to the casket as she followed, half blind from unshed tears and the splash of fine rain across her cheeks. Still, she refused to rest. She would walk for however long it took."

Sloane is dead, he's not coming back, but when Meredith opens his coffin and finds out that his body is missing, she teams up with her ex-boyfriend/ex-bestfriend to find it. This is where things started to get dicey for me. Meredith's ex-boyfriend Kenny is a misogynistic tool that can barely keep himself from raping Meredith during the entire book. He even did rape her in the past, which is why he's an ex-boyfriend, and the only reason he doesn't now is because she's powerful and he didn't know that before.

"He wanted her, to take her right there in the car, desperately. Someone out there wanting to hurt her made him feel almost powerful. Her vulnerability was addictive to him, but the newfound knowledge of what she was capable of stilled his hand."

Kenny is an important character in the story, a borderline main character that we're supposed to feel sorry for and the only thing I felt was disappointment that he wasn't dead yet. His and Meredith's relationship ended up taking away from a story that I might've loved.

Despite the characters there is a lot to love about this book, the magic system for one was incredibly interesting. Certain bloodlines aren't completely human and end up passing down very specific magic to their children and these people are called Inheritants. In Meredith's case, her family is able to control fire, other families are able to control people's minds and still others have the power of decay. It was a really cool idea that I'm curious to hear more about in the second book

Even though I didn't really enjoy either of the main characters, some of the side characters and villains were intriguing enough to keep me going. Diane, Sloane's ex-wife and the probable thief of his body is a disgusting villian who's easy to hate. Our first introduction to her in the book had me terrified and intrigued as to what the hell is actually going on. My only warning is that Diane is a very, very sexual character in a horrifying, not at all pretty way, so beware of that going in.

If I had to give this book a rating I'd go in the 2.5 - 3 star range, it has potential and I'm curious to see what K.M. Mackmurdie does next, but I would've enjoyed it a lot more if there had been even one like able male character. Meredith tries to be likable and at times, she even succeeds, but every single male character is a POS and the fact that she kept hanging around them drove me crazy. That dude raped you! And didn't care! And every single one of his friends believes that women are the weaker sex that's good for nothing but protecting. MEREDITH CONTROLS FIRE!! Why is she putting up with this?! Sorry... end of rant. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel and if your not bothered by obnoxious male chauvinism, this book is worth giving a try. It's a surprisingly well put together debut novel that has a ton of potential.

(as always if you enjoy my reviews there are more on my blog http://bookstocombattherain.blogspot....)
Profile Image for Rusty.
184 reviews12 followers
April 22, 2019
This is a difficult book for me to review. On one hand I am fairly impressed since this is a debut book by K.M. MckMurdie, and it is clear that she is very creative with some skill in crafting an intriguing story. There is some depth to the characters, especially the main character (Meredith Earl) who is clearly a conflicted woman, and who is forced to deal with some difficult decisions. There is also some very intense action that occurs, and the layers of depravity that some other characters will stoop to in their quest for revenge is quite gruesome at times.

Where this book missed the mark for me, it might easily be a bulls-eye for someone else. My biggest issues were in the use of sex in this book. I don’t mind “romance” in general, and a few more explicit scenes are OK, but I do not enjoy scenes like rape or where sexual deeds are done with non-consenting partners. There is one character in particular has power that is strengthened by this, and, while it adds an element of suspense, darkness and creepiness, for me it is not enjoyable.

I will add that the book did get better as it went. I nearly stopped during the first part of the book. (It is written with three parts.) However, the first part was troubling enough so that I ultimately gave the whole book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

(I was given a copy of this book by the author through the TBRindr program in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Profile Image for Hannah May Book Reviews.
447 reviews20 followers
September 30, 2018
The Inheritants
Author: K.M Mackmurdie
Pages: 267

Synopsis:

Meredith Earl is an inheritant and an orphan. After the death of her parents she refused to continue using her Inheritant powers, along with her soul mate Sloane. When Sloane dies and his corpse goes missing, Meredith's life is turned upside down. Meredith embarks on a mission to find Sloane, but to do this she must return to the world of Inheritants once more- discovering who she is along the way.

Review:

This book drew me in for a few reasons. The front cover is stunning, the genre is a mix of the genre's I love the most, magic, fantasy, horror and suspense! The synopsis was engaging yet gave nothing away. It left me guessing as did the book throughout which the synopsis stated. This was a read I looked forward to getting stuck in to!

The author set the scene with a very descriptive opener which she continued throughout the book and at times parts were quite graphic- which I loved! It is evident that K.M Mackmurdie has a brilliant imagination.

After reading chapter one I generally did not know what to think and feel about The Inheritants. I was quite confused to how the story would develop, yet I found myself hanging on to every word due to my curiosity.

Unfortunately I did find it hard to connect with the characters, especially the female lead, Meredith. Despite her sadness, she was quite a hard faced character and a little too cold for me. I found I didn't cheer her on as much as you usually would a female lead. I found the mundane elements between the characters quite unrealistic at times, for example moving on so quickly with another character after a tragedy. I did like the male lead, Sloane and despite the lack of connection with the characters, this did not spoilt the book for me. I also liked the element of not knowing who to trust!

After feeling a little confused and sceptical at first, by chapter seven things began to fall into place and begin to make sense to me. The jumps between the past and present were easy to follow and didn't affect the flow of the story.

Just as I had got my head round part one the book then threw me back off when it moved on to part two. I was literally up and down through-out Inheritants and found myself gripped through some parts but I would then zone out and lose concentration slightly on others. My level of interest was not consistent.

Without a doubt however Inheritants had plenty of action! I loved the clever little twists and turns. The action I felt was like waves, it would lull but then come back in powerful bursts. The build up and the ending definatley didn't disappoint and I was left hanging and wanting more.
K. M. Mackmurdie- a definite author to watch out for!
Profile Image for Alceste.
378 reviews
July 3, 2022
Kristy Mackmurdie's latest trilogy, The Inheritants, an urban fantasy, is her debut work. The book is divided into three parts namely: The Funeral March, Invisible Man and The Offering. I recently got the chance to read all three parts.

My experience as a reader with urban fantasy is limited and I am glad I could get my hands on The Inheritants Trilogy. The plot revolves around Meredith Earl who is an Inheritant orphan. Her lover is recently found dead and now his corpse is missing. Meredith is recently feeling lonely after his death and gets obsessed to find the dead body. She embarks in the journey of cruelty, backstabbing, loss and a struggle that needs constant sacrifices from herself. Moreover, her is past is explored and many secrets are revealed.

The storyline in this book starts on a slow note. We are introduced to the main set of characters in the first part and a mystery starts to loom. However, the mystery can soon be solved by the reader as the events inside the novel advances and then starts a journey of a chase and run and hide and revenge. This adventure picks up speed and we as a reader get more insight into the lives of different characters, especially the Meredith and her lover Sloane.

The writing style in this trilogy is excellent and is flawless. The narrative voice sometimes did get in my head comfortably and made me realize that it might leave an impact at the end of it. The main characterization is deeply explored and is given proper time for the reader to absorb the information. Another thing I like about this novel and want to point out is that the constant back flashes provide immense details about these characters. There is R rated content and that upon completing the trilogy, I think to define the nature of some characters is important and also fulfills the nature of a modern day fantasy writing style. I could not find any drag elements that are just there to fill up the pages and a common practice in this genre but I do think supporting characters could have been a bit better.

If you are into fantasy reading or its subgenre urban fantasy or have never read one, this can be a great start.

4 out of 5!
Profile Image for Anna Willett.
Author 24 books880 followers
September 6, 2018
Meredith Earl lives in modern day London but she is part of a long line of Inheritant Families. Families that possess great powers. When Meredith’s partner, Sloan dies, she begins the pilgrimage to return his body to the Yorkshire Moors and honour the Inheritant funeral rites. But Sloane’s body is stolen by another Inheritant and it’s up to Meredith to unlock a terrifying mystery, but to do so, she must give up her dream of living a normal human life and embrace who she really is.
Mackmurdie expertly builds a mystical world within the confines of modern day London. This is a beautifully told, action-packed story of magic, love, mystery and evil. The descriptions are rich and vivid, leaving little to the imagination – just the way I like it. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy or just looking for a great read, The Iheritants is for you.
Profile Image for Aman Mittal.
Author 1 book74 followers
July 8, 2018
Kristy Mackmurdie's latest trilogy, The Inheritants, an urban fantasy, is her debut work. The book is divided into three parts namely: The Funeral March, Invisible Man and The Offering. I recently got the chance to read all three parts.

My experience as a reader with urban fantasy is limited and I am glad I could get my hands on The Inheritants Trilogy. The plot revolves around Meredith Earl who is an Inheritant orphan. Her lover is recently found dead and now his corpse is missing. Meredith is recently feeling lonely after his death and gets obsessed to find the dead body. She embarks in the journey of cruelty, backstabbing, loss and a struggle that needs constant sacrifices from herself. Moreover, her is past is explored and many secrets are revealed.

The storyline in this book starts on a slow note. We are introduced to the main set of characters in the first part and a mystery starts to loom. However, the mystery can soon be solved by the reader as the events inside the novel advances and then starts a journey of a chase and run and hide and revenge. This adventure picks up speed and we as a reader get more insight into the lives of different characters, especially the Meredith and her lover Sloane.

The writing style in this trilogy is excellent and is flawless. The narrative voice sometimes did get in my head comfortably and made me realize that it might leave an impact at the end of it. The main characterization is deeply explored and is given proper time for the reader to absorb the information. Another thing I like about this novel and want to point out is that the constant back flashes provide immense details about these characters. There is R rated content and that upon completing the trilogy, I think to define the nature of some characters is important and also fulfills the nature of a modern day fantasy writing style. I could not find any drag elements that are just there to fill up the pages and a common practice in this genre but I do think supporting characters could have been a bit better.

If you are into fantasy reading or its subgenre urban fantasy or have never read one, this can be a great start.

4 out of 5!
Profile Image for J.S..
Author 1 book7 followers
October 1, 2018
Review for the entire book, Part One through Three

Part One: The Funeral March 2/5
We begin this story in a melodramatic way.
A bride that never was, wearing an untailored wedding dress, follows a hearse as the rain pours down on her. Personally, I love the imagery and I wanted more of this in the story but I didn't get it.
I like Meredith as a main character, even if she cries a little too much for my taste, but her final words in The Funeral March make me want to slap her because... Kenny, despite not being a one dimensional character in any way, is definitely one I strongly dislike!
No, no, no! Meredith! What were you thinking?
To sum it up, The Inheritants: The Funeral March: Part One, was a pretty quick read, mildly enjoyable even, but I won't go back to read it again. The final sentence, however, was enough to propel me into Part Two.
Let us see what the rest of this series has in store for me!

Part Two: The Invisible Man 3/5
Where in Part One the author gave us the detestable Kenny, in Part Two she gave us the refreshingly awesome Sloane, the invisible man.
I don't have much to say about this part other than it was much better than Part One and I'm so glad I didn't DNF it.
Meredith also ascended to a new type of awesome, without Kenny to hinder her, which I loved.

Part Three: The Offering 3/5
So Diane, the villain, is absolutely insane. Which is great!
Meredith continues to be a badass and Kenny is out of the picture! Yay!
There was a good Final Battle at the end of the book. Lots of 'Oh, no!' moments. And I'm looking forward to the next, which will be coming out in 2019!
Keep them coming, girl! I'll be here to read and review. ;)
219 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2018
Rose

Interesting subjects and more interesting people make this book truly a pleasure to read. K.M. Macromedia has done a truly inspiring job of putting this story together. I look forward to reading part two.
Profile Image for Christine Ryan.
42 reviews
July 25, 2018
Did not like any character at all in this book. I couldn't care less what happens to them. The twist was also not a twist; it was obvious from chapter one.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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