Imprisoned Heir is a fast-moving New Adult / Paranormal fantasy set in the world inhabited by various kinds of fae, vampires, shifters, and humans living in the kingdom of Cornwall!
The protagonist of the book, Nyx, is a sea-fae. Well. half-sea-fae, as her mother escaped the sea court and ended up living on land. Nyx doesn't really have any magic. What she does have is loyalty to her younger sister who may soon die from a lethal curse unless Nyx finds a cure. Nyx earns her living by petty thievery, but almost everything she manages to get is spent on magic potions and counter spells to make sure Cara lives to see another day. One of these attempts to free Cara from her death curse goes horribly wrong and a long dead sea fae Eos gets access to her body. Their souls become entwines and now Nyx can't liberate herself from her unwanted guest who possesses her body on a regular basis. the worst thing is that Nyx doesn't remember anything that happens while her body is under Eos's control. and this is how she finds herself caught red-handed with two still warm dead bodies of fae sea nobles. Nyx despearately pleads her innocence, but gets promptly sent to the worst prison imaginable that exists in her world, the Atlantis Institute for Dangerous Criminals, which is buried deep in the ocean.Can she survive it and hope for a reduced sentence? Nyx knows every day she spends in the company of these paranormal prison inmates is a day that brings Cara closer to her death. She doesn't know who she can turn to and she definitely has no idea why she is so attracted to the prison guard who caught and arrested her at the crime scene. It defies all her the logic. She knows all he can feel for her is hate and yet, whenever she feels his magic, all her being seems to respond in a way only a life mate would.
What I liked the most about this book is the magic sea fae world created by River Starr. The criminals Nyx is stuck with are all a feisty bunch of creatures and are all endowed with their own distinct personalities and, of course, magic powers. They also have their own agenda which you have to learn step by step as you 'immerse' yourself in this adventure. At first, I was a bit peeved by Nyx describing everyone as good-looking, attractive, hot...you get it, but then again, this is a New Adult book and hot and steamy scenes go with the territory. The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of my favourite ones. You know what is going to happen, and yet, it is the journey that counts.
I also liked the shared body/dual soul theme. once you start getting Eos's chapters, you're hooked on the story and can't wait for her next re-appearance. Nyx and Eos' personalities, life experiences and motivations couldn't be more different, and this contrast makes the story even more gripping.
Add the setting of a supernatural prison, the excitement of of competions /trials that decide the fate of the inmates, and the terrifying figure of the Deep One (even the cruel sea fae guards fear the Deep One)- all these elements make up a fast-moving and imaginative story. The dialogue is probably not the best feature of this book, but I was ready to overlook it in my eagerness to follow the story to the end.
Of course, this is Book 1, so there is a cliffhanger. Luckily, the second book is already out. Can't wait to read it to find out what adventures River Starr has in store for Nyx and the other characters.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours, the author and the publisher for the free digital copy and this opportunity to review the book. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.