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Court of Broken Bonds #1
The Lost Mage
A Mad Queen. A host of ancient dragons. A jealous heir.
Maximus Wodlin hated magic. Long before it erupted from him, killing the son of Master Gathrax and altering the course of his life forever.
Over 100 years had passed since the War of the Wood, when the northern army swept across land and killed the four ruling mages. Eradicating their ties to magic and leaving their vengeful families to rule.
But now one had returned. With Maximus’s palm branded by a mage mark, there is no escaping the crime he committed or the truth of what he is.
Instead of death at the hands of his Master’s grieving family, Maximus’s newfound power is controlled by them. Forced to become the son he killed and live as a false heir, to restore the dwindling legacy of the Gathrax Estate.
As Maximus struggles to discern allies from enemies, the Mad Queen watches from the North. Trusting is impossible when motives are invisible to him… even if they are shrouded within a handsome stranger.
An anticipated M/M fantasy romance from best-selling author Ben Alderson.
Maximus Wodlin hated magic. Long before it erupted from him, killing the son of Master Gathrax and altering the course of his life forever.
Over 100 years had passed since the War of the Wood, when the northern army swept across land and killed the four ruling mages. Eradicating their ties to magic and leaving their vengeful families to rule.
But now one had returned. With Maximus’s palm branded by a mage mark, there is no escaping the crime he committed or the truth of what he is.
Instead of death at the hands of his Master’s grieving family, Maximus’s newfound power is controlled by them. Forced to become the son he killed and live as a false heir, to restore the dwindling legacy of the Gathrax Estate.
As Maximus struggles to discern allies from enemies, the Mad Queen watches from the North. Trusting is impossible when motives are invisible to him… even if they are shrouded within a handsome stranger.
An anticipated M/M fantasy romance from best-selling author Ben Alderson.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2021
880 people are currently reading
7424 people want to read
About the author
Ben Alderson
30 books14.4k followersBen Alderson is a #1 Amazon bestselling author. His stories are set in fantasy worlds filled with magic, adventure and MM romance. Ben lives in Oxfordshire and, when not writing, can be found reading, taking Winston - his Labrador - out for long walks, or obsessing over Marvel’s The Scarlet Witch.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 465 reviews
March 26, 2024
4 Stars
This is my first time reading a Ben Alderson book and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I can confidently say it wasn’t this!
This being a riveting, fast-paced, well-written, high-stakes, high-fantasy romp, a bit dark and a lot brutal, featuring Maximus Oaken, a young servant who discovers his latent mage abilities, and the many, many people who wish to use him for the might his immense powers will bring to their personal plots and schemes for more control over the land of Aldian.
I might be slightly obsessed and therefore a lot bias, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. Although the romance element is in the background—at least for book one—there was so much royal intrigue, heart-pounding excitement, and jaw-dropping twists and turns, I almost forgot I had picked this up because I saw the words “arranged marriage” and “found family.”
Don’t worry, there is a romance here—or the beginnings of one—but for most of the book there’s more than one love interest present, and half the fun was trying to work out who Max was actually going to fall for and who was the potential villain of the piece. Now I’m done, I know what team I’m on and I’m SO EXCITED to see what happens with Max and his potential beau in book two.
I honestly can’t say a damn thing about the larger plot without immediately spoiling something (or everything), but if you love grand world-building, magic and dragons, court intrigue, and juicy secrets and betrayals, this will be the story for you.
It’s pretty heavy—as in, it’s angsty and violent and stressed me the f*ck out several times with the intensity of some of the suspenseful scenes, but I was all the more obsessed because of the darker tone, which I’m not sure I was expecting at all, but am so glad I got here.
Now I must wait (im)patiently for book two, Heir to Frost and Storm: A steamy MM fantasy romance (DO NOT read the synopsis if you don't want book one spoilers!!!), which you can all best be assured I have already pre-ordered and will be reading promptly on release day.
***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*************************************
This will be the book for you, if you enjoyed any of the following high fantasy series:
The Rifter by Ginn Hale
The Empyrean by Recbecca Yarros
A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Dragon & Emperor by Emily Holloway & Amanda Crowe
The Folk of the Air by Holly Black
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
Rowan Blood by Kellan Graves
This is my first time reading a Ben Alderson book and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I can confidently say it wasn’t this!
This being a riveting, fast-paced, well-written, high-stakes, high-fantasy romp, a bit dark and a lot brutal, featuring Maximus Oaken, a young servant who discovers his latent mage abilities, and the many, many people who wish to use him for the might his immense powers will bring to their personal plots and schemes for more control over the land of Aldian.
I might be slightly obsessed and therefore a lot bias, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. Although the romance element is in the background—at least for book one—there was so much royal intrigue, heart-pounding excitement, and jaw-dropping twists and turns, I almost forgot I had picked this up because I saw the words “arranged marriage” and “found family.”
Don’t worry, there is a romance here—or the beginnings of one—but for most of the book there’s more than one love interest present, and half the fun was trying to work out who Max was actually going to fall for and who was the potential villain of the piece. Now I’m done, I know what team I’m on and I’m SO EXCITED to see what happens with Max and his potential beau in book two.
I honestly can’t say a damn thing about the larger plot without immediately spoiling something (or everything), but if you love grand world-building, magic and dragons, court intrigue, and juicy secrets and betrayals, this will be the story for you.
It’s pretty heavy—as in, it’s angsty and violent and stressed me the f*ck out several times with the intensity of some of the suspenseful scenes, but I was all the more obsessed because of the darker tone, which I’m not sure I was expecting at all, but am so glad I got here.
Now I must wait (im)patiently for book two, Heir to Frost and Storm: A steamy MM fantasy romance (DO NOT read the synopsis if you don't want book one spoilers!!!), which you can all best be assured I have already pre-ordered and will be reading promptly on release day.
***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
*************************************
This will be the book for you, if you enjoyed any of the following high fantasy series:
The Rifter by Ginn Hale
The Empyrean by Recbecca Yarros
A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Dragon & Emperor by Emily Holloway & Amanda Crowe
The Folk of the Air by Holly Black
Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat
Rowan Blood by Kellan Graves
July 13, 2023
Unfortunately, Heir to Thorn and Flame is a poorly written mess of a novel that reads like a clunky YA debut instead of the Adult fantasy romance it's marketed as.
The main character Max is essentially the only character of any actual substance (despite his dullness), as every side character is simply a one dimensional cutout there to abuse him either physically or emotionally. The novel begins with an attempted rape upon Max, interjects with a flashback of a previous attempted rape (from a different assailant), continues into a period of captivity with another different abuser, leading into a forced marriage and endlessly traumatizing violent murders. The author seems to constantly have Max suffering purely for the sake of it.
Intertwined with the horrors of Max's life are the promised romance plotlines, although they too are of course filled with angst. Will he choose between his handsome and mysterious arranged husband Camron, or his equally handsome and mysterious rescuer Simion? Ultimately it just doesn't matter - they're both lacking any real chemistry and also repeatedly mistreat Max as well. There's minimal connection between any of the characters, so sadly the novel can't even deliver on its most basic premise.
In addition, the novel is awkwardly paced with frequent predictable plot twists and the most basic barebones world building. It seemed as though the author couldn't decide between trying to write a high fantasy epic or a modern day drama, as the characters often shift back and forth in their manner of speech and usage of slang. There's a war looming, but nothing is fleshed out beyond the blandly named North and South regions fighting for power. Ruling monarchs are color coded in their red castles or wearing their blue dresses, with no other depth to their countries. It's just boring.
Truly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. It's a shame it was such a letdown.
The main character Max is essentially the only character of any actual substance (despite his dullness), as every side character is simply a one dimensional cutout there to abuse him either physically or emotionally. The novel begins with an attempted rape upon Max, interjects with a flashback of a previous attempted rape (from a different assailant), continues into a period of captivity with another different abuser, leading into a forced marriage and endlessly traumatizing violent murders. The author seems to constantly have Max suffering purely for the sake of it.
Intertwined with the horrors of Max's life are the promised romance plotlines, although they too are of course filled with angst. Will he choose between his handsome and mysterious arranged husband Camron, or his equally handsome and mysterious rescuer Simion? Ultimately it just doesn't matter - they're both lacking any real chemistry and also repeatedly mistreat Max as well. There's minimal connection between any of the characters, so sadly the novel can't even deliver on its most basic premise.
In addition, the novel is awkwardly paced with frequent predictable plot twists and the most basic barebones world building. It seemed as though the author couldn't decide between trying to write a high fantasy epic or a modern day drama, as the characters often shift back and forth in their manner of speech and usage of slang. There's a war looming, but nothing is fleshed out beyond the blandly named North and South regions fighting for power. Ruling monarchs are color coded in their red castles or wearing their blue dresses, with no other depth to their countries. It's just boring.
Truly, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. It's a shame it was such a letdown.
December 4, 2024
Max was just an ordinary servant, but when a life or death situation causes his magic to manifest he's thrust into the world of scheming royals that puts him in just as much danger.
Forced to take on the mantle of being the King's son, acting as a good omen for the royal family; that one of their own has brought magic back to their kingdom.
Max is kept in line by threats to his real family. But there's more going on that Max isn't aware of, and if he's going to survive he'll have to be a quick study.
__
This is the second book I've read that's been narrated by Ewan Goddard, and he did an amazing job both times. He really enhanced the experience while immersion reading Heir to Thorn and Flame. I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for other books he's narrated.
Forced to take on the mantle of being the King's son, acting as a good omen for the royal family; that one of their own has brought magic back to their kingdom.
Max is kept in line by threats to his real family. But there's more going on that Max isn't aware of, and if he's going to survive he'll have to be a quick study.
__
This is the second book I've read that's been narrated by Ewan Goddard, and he did an amazing job both times. He really enhanced the experience while immersion reading Heir to Thorn and Flame. I'm gonna have to keep an eye out for other books he's narrated.
February 6, 2021
Y’all. Y’ALL.
It has been years since I have finished a book in one day. That is, until today. I opened this up this morning and just now finished. It took me longer since I took breaks in between, but I was determined to finish it. And I did.
Wow. Just..... my word, this was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it.
I can’t say much about it, but if you’re reading this, I implore you to preorder a copy of this right now. You will not be disappointed, I promise you that.
Mages. Family. Betrayal. Rich and unique setting. Luscious writing. What more do I need to say?
Ben reached out to me and asked if I would like an early copy of The Lost Mage and for that, I thank him very much. I appreciate him dearly and to get to explore this world was such a treat, and one that I will happily support for a long time to come.
The Lost Mage is set to come out May 2021.
It has been years since I have finished a book in one day. That is, until today. I opened this up this morning and just now finished. It took me longer since I took breaks in between, but I was determined to finish it. And I did.
Wow. Just..... my word, this was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it.
I can’t say much about it, but if you’re reading this, I implore you to preorder a copy of this right now. You will not be disappointed, I promise you that.
Mages. Family. Betrayal. Rich and unique setting. Luscious writing. What more do I need to say?
Ben reached out to me and asked if I would like an early copy of The Lost Mage and for that, I thank him very much. I appreciate him dearly and to get to explore this world was such a treat, and one that I will happily support for a long time to come.
The Lost Mage is set to come out May 2021.
March 24, 2024
TW// attempted rape, mentions of rape (implied), murder (including of fathers, mothers, brothers), mentions of animal murder/death, brief mention of sexism, brief mention of misogyny
“It felt fitting to hold a weapon when under his gaze, because he made me feel as though I needed to protect myself — not from him, but from the way his gaze threatened to tear down all my shields and expose me.”
It’s killing me that I have to give a Ben Alderson book such a low star rating since I love all of his other works that I’ve read, but unfortunately Heir to Thorn and Flame didn’t work for me.
My biggest issue with this book is how incredibly slow it is. It crawled along at a snail’s pace and even when an action scene was occuring, I still found myself bored from how slow the writing felt. Ben’s writing normally feels very fast paced and engaging to me, so I’m hoping that this book is just an exception to his usual pacing and writing style.
I found the Camron romance parts of the story to be unbelievable. He immediately comes off as gross and manipulative. There’s some series where changing the love interest in the middle of the series works really well, but I didn’t find that it works with this series since the way Camron was written made it clear that Maximus wouldn’t truly be in love with Camron for very long due to Camron’s behavior.
Almost every plot twist in this book was really predictable. There was way too much foreshadowing, which made it so that none of the ‘shocking’ moments were actually shocking to me.
I also never found that I connected to Maximus. He’s not a bad character, but something about him felt bland and it made it so that I couldn’t get emotionally invested in him.
Even though I had a lot of issues with Heir to Thorn and Flame, there were some things that I still enjoyed about the book.
I liked Simion. He had a great personality, which made him a great love interest. I enjoyed seeing both his soft side and his fierce protective side.
Beatrice was a really fun character to read about. I lowkey thought I might be getting a crush on her at multiple parts in this book. She’s such a complex character and she has some really fun scenes. I’m a little worried about her fate in the rest of the series, but fingers crossed that Ben doesn’t destroy my heart with the sequels to this book.
I also loved the worldbuilding in this book. The amplifiers and the way that they recorded murders on them was really fascinating. The marriage customs in the South in this book were interesting as well and I love how the marks came into play with the romance.
The premise for Heir to Thorn and Flame was really promising, but ultimately this book fell short in its execution. I still love Ben Alderon’s works though and I’m hoping his other books will be a better fit for me.
“It felt fitting to hold a weapon when under his gaze, because he made me feel as though I needed to protect myself — not from him, but from the way his gaze threatened to tear down all my shields and expose me.”
It’s killing me that I have to give a Ben Alderson book such a low star rating since I love all of his other works that I’ve read, but unfortunately Heir to Thorn and Flame didn’t work for me.
My biggest issue with this book is how incredibly slow it is. It crawled along at a snail’s pace and even when an action scene was occuring, I still found myself bored from how slow the writing felt. Ben’s writing normally feels very fast paced and engaging to me, so I’m hoping that this book is just an exception to his usual pacing and writing style.
I found the Camron romance parts of the story to be unbelievable. He immediately comes off as gross and manipulative. There’s some series where changing the love interest in the middle of the series works really well, but I didn’t find that it works with this series since the way Camron was written made it clear that Maximus wouldn’t truly be in love with Camron for very long due to Camron’s behavior.
Almost every plot twist in this book was really predictable. There was way too much foreshadowing, which made it so that none of the ‘shocking’ moments were actually shocking to me.
I also never found that I connected to Maximus. He’s not a bad character, but something about him felt bland and it made it so that I couldn’t get emotionally invested in him.
Even though I had a lot of issues with Heir to Thorn and Flame, there were some things that I still enjoyed about the book.
I liked Simion. He had a great personality, which made him a great love interest. I enjoyed seeing both his soft side and his fierce protective side.
Beatrice was a really fun character to read about. I lowkey thought I might be getting a crush on her at multiple parts in this book. She’s such a complex character and she has some really fun scenes. I’m a little worried about her fate in the rest of the series, but fingers crossed that Ben doesn’t destroy my heart with the sequels to this book.
I also loved the worldbuilding in this book. The amplifiers and the way that they recorded murders on them was really fascinating. The marriage customs in the South in this book were interesting as well and I love how the marks came into play with the romance.
The premise for Heir to Thorn and Flame was really promising, but ultimately this book fell short in its execution. I still love Ben Alderon’s works though and I’m hoping his other books will be a better fit for me.
August 5, 2023
I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a LONG time. So many twists and turns, always on the edge of my seat. As always with Ben’s books, a refreshing perspective on LGBT+, where your sexuality is accepted with no question. I can’t recommend this more
July 2, 2023
free camron my boy he ain't do nothing wrong
August 23, 2023
3.5
I only found this books thanks to Meag's review and it was like she wrote: it's fast-paced and riveting and I couldn't put it down. A M/M fantasy with dryads and dragons, conniving kings and mad queens, with trauma and angst and splotches of dark … how was I supposed to resist? It didn't fulfill all of my expectations and there were those parts where the author tried a little too hard to distract the characters to ask the obvious questions, just to leave the reader a bit longer in the dark but nevertheless it was the right book at the right time.
However, I hope Max is going to grow and mature in the next book. There was no character development for him in this book. All those terrible things he had to endure didn't break him but he also didn't grow. His sudden power doesn't corrupt him but he also doesn't seem to know what to do with it. On some level he's still the little boy, kind and naive only wreaking havoc when pushed, playing adult without taking responsibilities. Maybe that's also why the romance part doesn't really work, quite often it seems to be only a necessary distraction from the turmoil or his hunger to be able to trust again, than a genuine emotion.
I also have to admit as much as I enjoyed the world-building while reading, that now looking back there are some open questions about that world that hopefully will be answered in the next book.
I only found this books thanks to Meag's review and it was like she wrote: it's fast-paced and riveting and I couldn't put it down. A M/M fantasy with dryads and dragons, conniving kings and mad queens, with trauma and angst and splotches of dark … how was I supposed to resist? It didn't fulfill all of my expectations and there were those parts where the author tried a little too hard to distract the characters to ask the obvious questions, just to leave the reader a bit longer in the dark but nevertheless it was the right book at the right time.
However, I hope Max is going to grow and mature in the next book. There was no character development for him in this book. All those terrible things he had to endure didn't break him but he also didn't grow. His sudden power doesn't corrupt him but he also doesn't seem to know what to do with it. On some level he's still the little boy, kind and naive only wreaking havoc when pushed, playing adult without taking responsibilities. Maybe that's also why the romance part doesn't really work, quite often it seems to be only a necessary distraction from the turmoil or his hunger to be able to trust again, than a genuine emotion.
I also have to admit as much as I enjoyed the world-building while reading, that now looking back there are some open questions about that world that hopefully will be answered in the next book.
June 27, 2023
Marketed as Adult Fantasy, this reads like Young Adult with coming of age and classic fantasy elements.
Based on description, this book has everything I love M/M fantasy romance with magic, dragons, battles, and a chosen one trope. I didn’t go into this expecting an epic fantasy, but I was looking for a fun time. I was disappointed.
This book starts out in a library of sorts and quickly moves to the death of the prince (in the description). What it doesn’t say is that this was a result of the prince’s brutal actions that live somewhere between attempted rape and violent homicidal intent. I don’t have triggers, but this book should disclose them for those that do. This was painful to read more so because of the writing than the actual events.
The writing style didn’t resonate with me at all. It was clunky and forced with drama that missed the mark. The plot was written like it wanted to be an epic fantasy and a fun time but couldn’t achieve both so it ended up being neither. The scenes that were supposed to be dramatic came off as cheesy and predictable, and the author seemed like he just wanted to throw in every fantasy element he could just because he could. Additionally, for a book marketed as romance…. there could have been more romance. What romance there was… it was meh.
I wanted to love this book, and I truly thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this, but unfortunately this didn’t work for me. I finished this in order to do a proper review but otherwise would have put this in my DNF pile.
Based on description, this book has everything I love M/M fantasy romance with magic, dragons, battles, and a chosen one trope. I didn’t go into this expecting an epic fantasy, but I was looking for a fun time. I was disappointed.
This book starts out in a library of sorts and quickly moves to the death of the prince (in the description). What it doesn’t say is that this was a result of the prince’s brutal actions that live somewhere between attempted rape and violent homicidal intent. I don’t have triggers, but this book should disclose them for those that do. This was painful to read more so because of the writing than the actual events.
The writing style didn’t resonate with me at all. It was clunky and forced with drama that missed the mark. The plot was written like it wanted to be an epic fantasy and a fun time but couldn’t achieve both so it ended up being neither. The scenes that were supposed to be dramatic came off as cheesy and predictable, and the author seemed like he just wanted to throw in every fantasy element he could just because he could. Additionally, for a book marketed as romance…. there could have been more romance. What romance there was… it was meh.
I wanted to love this book, and I truly thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this, but unfortunately this didn’t work for me. I finished this in order to do a proper review but otherwise would have put this in my DNF pile.
March 19, 2024
I will be the first to admit that this was cheesy as hell and that the writing wasn't the best, BUT! I had a good time while reading it and that's all that matters.
Though, you need to be ready for constant character suffering when you pick this up, because Max CANNOT catch a break. If something goes right, two things will go wrong, and our boy will just keep whining while being unable to do anything about it.
As a result, the book is very dramatic and full of twists, some of them you can definitely predict. That didn't stop me from enjoying it though. Sometimes predictable can still be fun.
I wish we got more romance, between either of the two love interests, I don't really have a favourite. I know Simion is the right choice, and probably endgame, but something about him bugs me a tiny bit.
Like Camron has his issues (a lot of them), but somehow it still came across as him wanting for Max to be free to make his own choices, own his powers etc, while Simion was more driven by what he wanted.
Oh, while we're at the two of them, can we just talk about the names really quick? I don't mind Max (Maximus) at all, Beatrice, Julian and so on. But Simion is just Simon, and Camron is Cameron to me I'm sorry. They're too close to real names for me to not see them that way.
Anyway, I'll be jumping into book two immediately and some things I'd like to see are better worldbuilding, more romance, more character development (we didn't get much here), expansion on the magic system as Max learns more about what he can do, and maybe slightly better writing.
I do think that we improve with each book we write so hopefully the sequel will pull through, but honestly the story is entertaining enough for the writing not to be such a huge bother.
Two final things, 1. If you were expecting this to be steamy, it's not. Maybe the next books will be, it's up to you if you want to get through this first to get to that or not, and 2. There are no TWs at the start, but the book deals with some darker themes like SA throughout and there is an attempted SA scene and a flashback SA scene so be aware of that going in.
Though, you need to be ready for constant character suffering when you pick this up, because Max CANNOT catch a break. If something goes right, two things will go wrong, and our boy will just keep whining while being unable to do anything about it.
As a result, the book is very dramatic and full of twists, some of them you can definitely predict. That didn't stop me from enjoying it though. Sometimes predictable can still be fun.
I wish we got more romance, between either of the two love interests, I don't really have a favourite. I know Simion is the right choice, and probably endgame, but something about him bugs me a tiny bit.
Like Camron has his issues (a lot of them), but somehow it still came across as him wanting for Max to be free to make his own choices, own his powers etc, while Simion was more driven by what he wanted.
Oh, while we're at the two of them, can we just talk about the names really quick? I don't mind Max (Maximus) at all, Beatrice, Julian and so on. But Simion is just Simon, and Camron is Cameron to me I'm sorry. They're too close to real names for me to not see them that way.
Anyway, I'll be jumping into book two immediately and some things I'd like to see are better worldbuilding, more romance, more character development (we didn't get much here), expansion on the magic system as Max learns more about what he can do, and maybe slightly better writing.
I do think that we improve with each book we write so hopefully the sequel will pull through, but honestly the story is entertaining enough for the writing not to be such a huge bother.
Two final things, 1. If you were expecting this to be steamy, it's not. Maybe the next books will be, it's up to you if you want to get through this first to get to that or not, and 2. There are no TWs at the start, but the book deals with some darker themes like SA throughout and there is an attempted SA scene and a flashback SA scene so be aware of that going in.
June 6, 2021
I love fantasy and I love gay romance, so when I saw this book released, I one-clicked it without hesitation. This book has a lot of potentials, but few are realized. I think it has an engaging plot, with some surprising twists along the way. The world building is not very original, but some inventive elements, such as the war between the phoenixes and dryads/mages, the bird plague, and the giant oak as the source of power, are quite interesting.
Two things that let me down big time. One, the writing, which is uneven and feels at times immature, even for a YA book. I especially detest the banter between the MC Maximus and other characters, such as Camron. Quite painful to read, not funny in the slightest. The second complaint is the characters. I don't have the connection with any of them. In fact, I found Maximus so irritating I wanted to slap him every time he opened his mouth to speak in the book's first half. In the end I didn't care what happened to him, and will not want to find out in the next installments of the series.
Two things that let me down big time. One, the writing, which is uneven and feels at times immature, even for a YA book. I especially detest the banter between the MC Maximus and other characters, such as Camron. Quite painful to read, not funny in the slightest. The second complaint is the characters. I don't have the connection with any of them. In fact, I found Maximus so irritating I wanted to slap him every time he opened his mouth to speak in the book's first half. In the end I didn't care what happened to him, and will not want to find out in the next installments of the series.
September 9, 2023
This writing style just isn’t for me. I’m sorry to say but this came across as immature and clunky with one-dimensional characters, very basic worldbuilding and predictable, painful plots. If this was a debut I’d be much more understanding but the author has over 15 Fantasy books to their name.
This is referred to as high fantasy but randomly switches between medieval language and modern slang. It reads very young adult but then everyone wants to abuse or rape the MC so I wouldn’t recommend it to YA readers. There is not much here in terms of romance.
This sounded promising but was a real disappointment.
This is referred to as high fantasy but randomly switches between medieval language and modern slang. It reads very young adult but then everyone wants to abuse or rape the MC so I wouldn’t recommend it to YA readers. There is not much here in terms of romance.
This sounded promising but was a real disappointment.
July 31, 2023
✰3.5 stars✰ rounded up
✓ Magic
✓ Stolen Identity
✓ Arranged Marriage
✓ Dragons
✓ Secrets
✓ Betrayal
This book is giving all of the House of Dragon and Merlin vibes right from the start! Tons of secrets, tons of magic, and tons of gore all weaved in.
However, despite being marked as adult fantasy, this very much reads like young adult if you take out the gruesome depictions of events that occur. In a similar vein, it’s marked as romance but really there is not a whole lot of that within this book. My likely guess is that the romance will build in subsequent novels since this is set to be a trilogy.
Here we are given a love triangle between Maximus (the Mage), Camron (the Prince), and Simion (the Dragon Rider). Camron and Maximus are bonded into an arranged marriage and we don’t get to see much development here before events ensue that put physical distance between them. Within this time, Maximus is reunited with Simion but not much chemistry building is done here yet either. It’ll be interesting to see where the next novel takes us in terms of romance after the cliff hanger at the end of this one!
While enjoyable, the characters have a long way to go with their character development. The world felt three dimensional while our characters as a while felt a little more one dimensional. I’d love to see more dimensions to them and how they progress going forward.
There is a lot of world building within this novel that is complicated and intricately thought out. The story is split into three parts and a small smattering of fantasy world building is within the first two, but most is dumped within the third. It’s very confusing and disorienting at first, but I believe this is exactly why the author did this. The reader is put in the same position Max is, he didn’t really have any of this world building information and all of us a sudden he’s learning new information rapidly and it’s confusing to him. So we feel how he feels, whether intentional or not.
Ben Alderson is an amazing author and creative in their fantasy building in a way that leaves you frustrated and wanting more(mostly in a good way, since, as I’ve said repeatedly, we have more novels in this series to get that).
Moral of the story and this extremely rambling review, the first novel left me wanting. Wanting more of characters, more info, and more romance.
It lead me to feeling more neutral about this story than I have over the authors other works I have read and devoured. But I will certainly be returning to read the next installment in the trilogy when it is out to see where we get taken!
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
✓ Magic
✓ Stolen Identity
✓ Arranged Marriage
✓ Dragons
✓ Secrets
✓ Betrayal
"In that single moment of overwhelming emotion, I learned the most valuable lesson about the strange power inside of me. It had a knowing of its own, a diluted sense of what to do. It worked on instinct, not command. It owned me."
This book is giving all of the House of Dragon and Merlin vibes right from the start! Tons of secrets, tons of magic, and tons of gore all weaved in.
However, despite being marked as adult fantasy, this very much reads like young adult if you take out the gruesome depictions of events that occur. In a similar vein, it’s marked as romance but really there is not a whole lot of that within this book. My likely guess is that the romance will build in subsequent novels since this is set to be a trilogy.
Here we are given a love triangle between Maximus (the Mage), Camron (the Prince), and Simion (the Dragon Rider). Camron and Maximus are bonded into an arranged marriage and we don’t get to see much development here before events ensue that put physical distance between them. Within this time, Maximus is reunited with Simion but not much chemistry building is done here yet either. It’ll be interesting to see where the next novel takes us in terms of romance after the cliff hanger at the end of this one!
While enjoyable, the characters have a long way to go with their character development. The world felt three dimensional while our characters as a while felt a little more one dimensional. I’d love to see more dimensions to them and how they progress going forward.
"They wished to see the mage—I would show them."
There is a lot of world building within this novel that is complicated and intricately thought out. The story is split into three parts and a small smattering of fantasy world building is within the first two, but most is dumped within the third. It’s very confusing and disorienting at first, but I believe this is exactly why the author did this. The reader is put in the same position Max is, he didn’t really have any of this world building information and all of us a sudden he’s learning new information rapidly and it’s confusing to him. So we feel how he feels, whether intentional or not.
Ben Alderson is an amazing author and creative in their fantasy building in a way that leaves you frustrated and wanting more(mostly in a good way, since, as I’ve said repeatedly, we have more novels in this series to get that).
Moral of the story and this extremely rambling review, the first novel left me wanting. Wanting more of characters, more info, and more romance.
It lead me to feeling more neutral about this story than I have over the authors other works I have read and devoured. But I will certainly be returning to read the next installment in the trilogy when it is out to see where we get taken!
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 23, 2023
I haven’t given a book a 1 star rating in so long because I’m too busy to read books as much as I used to so I try to only read books I know for a fact I’ll enjoy. I thought that would be the case with this but I was wrong. Max was annoying and beyond gullible. He believed everything everyone told him. They said the north was bad, he believed it. They said the south was bad, he believed it. He hated Simion then he liked Simion then he hated Simion again. He hated Camron then he liked him and repeat. It felt like he didn’t have a mind of his own and the only reason why I kept reading was because I was rooting for him and Camron. How wrong I was once again.
When I’ve selected my otp I expect them to end up together. I also didn’t like Simion after he blamed Max for his parent’s death when Max didn’t do a f*cking thing so Camron turning out to be the “bad” guy after Max cheated on him by kissing Simion was the final nail in the coffin for me giving this 1 star. Simion knew his parents weren’t in the north and instead of telling him he made Max go allllll the way there expecting to see them. I also don’t like how Camron was the one to give Max his freedom back, his wand back while Simion was busy hating him and riding around on his dragon yet he’s the 1 Max ends up with. Camron and Max had more chemistry than Simion and Max. The latter felt like a forced enemies to lovers storyline and while I usually enjoy enemies to lovers this was not done well and by the end of the book I hated both Max and Simion. This needs a YA tag and not adult because compared to actual good adult mm fantasies I’ve read, this was lacking. Anyway this will be the first and last book I read by this author.
When I’ve selected my otp I expect them to end up together. I also didn’t like Simion after he blamed Max for his parent’s death when Max didn’t do a f*cking thing so Camron turning out to be the “bad” guy after Max cheated on him by kissing Simion was the final nail in the coffin for me giving this 1 star. Simion knew his parents weren’t in the north and instead of telling him he made Max go allllll the way there expecting to see them. I also don’t like how Camron was the one to give Max his freedom back, his wand back while Simion was busy hating him and riding around on his dragon yet he’s the 1 Max ends up with. Camron and Max had more chemistry than Simion and Max. The latter felt like a forced enemies to lovers storyline and while I usually enjoy enemies to lovers this was not done well and by the end of the book I hated both Max and Simion. This needs a YA tag and not adult because compared to actual good adult mm fantasies I’ve read, this was lacking. Anyway this will be the first and last book I read by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2023
*I received an audio copy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
I enjoyed this, despite some pacing issues.
This was a bit slow at first, but it started to pick up about halfway through and captured my attention more. Then it got a bit slow again, but then it picked up again near the end.
I liked the characters! Max was determined. To live, to save his parents, to stop the bad people, but save the good. I can't blame him for struggling at times, for not being perfect, for wanting distractions, what with all the trauma he was going through. Camron (the husband) was fierce and immediately protective of Max, in the sense that he wanted him to be freed from his figurative chains. Simion (the spy) made Max feel seen and not alone when no one else did, but he was also quick-tempered and a bit of a mystery. Beatrice (the best friend) was supportive but secretive.
There were some pretty fast "I'd do anything for you" kinda feelings, but there was also definitely chemistry. And this was only the start of the romance, since this is a series.
The world had magic, dryads, dragons, and other fantastical creatures. Some lore. Not too much politics though, despite the whole thing about replacing a prince.
The audiobook narration by Ewan Goddard was great! He sounded natural, he suited the main character well, and every character sounded different enough to tell them apart.
This is a hard book to review because I feel like I'll spoil things if I say too much. So I think I'll leave it there and say, overall, despite some slowness, I enjoyed this, and I'd like to know what will happen next!
*Rating: 3.5 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Audiobook*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes high fantasy, magic, dragons, and m/m romance.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
I enjoyed this, despite some pacing issues.
This was a bit slow at first, but it started to pick up about halfway through and captured my attention more. Then it got a bit slow again, but then it picked up again near the end.
I liked the characters! Max was determined. To live, to save his parents, to stop the bad people, but save the good. I can't blame him for struggling at times, for not being perfect, for wanting distractions, what with all the trauma he was going through. Camron (the husband) was fierce and immediately protective of Max, in the sense that he wanted him to be freed from his figurative chains. Simion (the spy) made Max feel seen and not alone when no one else did, but he was also quick-tempered and a bit of a mystery. Beatrice (the best friend) was supportive but secretive.
There were some pretty fast "I'd do anything for you" kinda feelings, but there was also definitely chemistry. And this was only the start of the romance, since this is a series.
The world had magic, dryads, dragons, and other fantastical creatures. Some lore. Not too much politics though, despite the whole thing about replacing a prince.
The audiobook narration by Ewan Goddard was great! He sounded natural, he suited the main character well, and every character sounded different enough to tell them apart.
This is a hard book to review because I feel like I'll spoil things if I say too much. So I think I'll leave it there and say, overall, despite some slowness, I enjoyed this, and I'd like to know what will happen next!
*Rating: 3.5 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Audiobook*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes high fantasy, magic, dragons, and m/m romance.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
May 8, 2023
First and foremost, this book needs a THOROUGH round of editing.
Grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, formatting errors, verb conjugation mistakes (who the hell screws up VERB CONJUGATION??), capitalization issues… The list goes on and on.
Not to mention the extreme switching from archaic language and writing style (“It was but a jest, Maximus.”) to a more modern version of that (“Is he OK?”).
In the beginning it seemed more modern and I was like “okay, this is what we’re doing.” We start out with abundant use of colloquial abbreviations like I’m, etc, and a modern way of speaking. Then, like 70 pages later on through the rest of the book we’re like “I grow tired of these games, I wish to rest…” blah blah blah blah.
For fantasy, you need to pick one. Literally no fantasy author ever has been able to balance it (the best of the bests like Tolkien included) without being criticized for it. The Lost Mage is a great example of that being done TERRIBLY.
Literally how do you justify saying “OK” in a fantasy book?? OK is an abbreviation of “oll korrect” which is a slangy way of saying “all correct.” It first started being used in the late 1830s as historical satire.
Unless you have some incredibly complex lore that explains the origins of OK in your fantasy world, (which isn’t likely since Ben Alderson has the most lazy world building I’ve ever read) THEN THERE’S NO JUSTIFICATION FOR HAVING IT IN YOUR SUPPOSEDLY ARCHAIC FANTASY NOVEL!!!!
Yeah, I mentioned lazy world building, this is it. And I haven’t even talked about the plot yet. Or anything else about the book itself for that matter.
The characters were meh, the plot was meh, the ending the beginning… Trash fanfic quality. Minimal romance too. The ONLY THING that Ben Alderson can write well is barely a focus.
I was bored for half the book, and all the (tiny) alluring qualities that were in the half that I WASN’T bored were washed away by the fact that the protagonist is the most cringy mf ever. Like sure, read this book if you want, but the amount of “oh my god, what am I reading” moments I had with this…
Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s written in first person?? Probably should’ve started with that. Tell me you’re an amateur writer without telling me you’re an amateur writer.
And speaking of which, that writing style. *Barf* ISTG IF I HAVE TO READ “the cold kiss of metal” or “the soft kiss of blood” or “the kiss of clothes against my skin” or “the kiss of my sanity leaving my brain because oh my GOD what am I reading” I WILL IMPLODE.
The plot twist was a cheap pick-me-up for a failing book. The plot itself was driven solely by the need for the mc to find his parents just for him to show literally no signs of grief whatsoever when what happens to them at the end happens? WHAT??
I wouldn’t even have read this book if it weren’t for the promise I made to my close friend who’s absolutely obsessed with it. Emma, I really hope it was worth because this book fried all my brain cells.
Overall, underwhelming. One star.
There’s a reason this book is self-published. Ben, I really think you’d have done better on Wattpad since that’s about as high as the quality of your books is.
Grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, formatting errors, verb conjugation mistakes (who the hell screws up VERB CONJUGATION??), capitalization issues… The list goes on and on.
Not to mention the extreme switching from archaic language and writing style (“It was but a jest, Maximus.”) to a more modern version of that (“Is he OK?”).
In the beginning it seemed more modern and I was like “okay, this is what we’re doing.” We start out with abundant use of colloquial abbreviations like I’m, etc, and a modern way of speaking. Then, like 70 pages later on through the rest of the book we’re like “I grow tired of these games, I wish to rest…” blah blah blah blah.
For fantasy, you need to pick one. Literally no fantasy author ever has been able to balance it (the best of the bests like Tolkien included) without being criticized for it. The Lost Mage is a great example of that being done TERRIBLY.
Literally how do you justify saying “OK” in a fantasy book?? OK is an abbreviation of “oll korrect” which is a slangy way of saying “all correct.” It first started being used in the late 1830s as historical satire.
Unless you have some incredibly complex lore that explains the origins of OK in your fantasy world, (which isn’t likely since Ben Alderson has the most lazy world building I’ve ever read) THEN THERE’S NO JUSTIFICATION FOR HAVING IT IN YOUR SUPPOSEDLY ARCHAIC FANTASY NOVEL!!!!
Yeah, I mentioned lazy world building, this is it. And I haven’t even talked about the plot yet. Or anything else about the book itself for that matter.
The characters were meh, the plot was meh, the ending the beginning… Trash fanfic quality. Minimal romance too. The ONLY THING that Ben Alderson can write well is barely a focus.
I was bored for half the book, and all the (tiny) alluring qualities that were in the half that I WASN’T bored were washed away by the fact that the protagonist is the most cringy mf ever. Like sure, read this book if you want, but the amount of “oh my god, what am I reading” moments I had with this…
Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s written in first person?? Probably should’ve started with that. Tell me you’re an amateur writer without telling me you’re an amateur writer.
And speaking of which, that writing style. *Barf* ISTG IF I HAVE TO READ “the cold kiss of metal” or “the soft kiss of blood” or “the kiss of clothes against my skin” or “the kiss of my sanity leaving my brain because oh my GOD what am I reading” I WILL IMPLODE.
The plot twist was a cheap pick-me-up for a failing book. The plot itself was driven solely by the need for the mc to find his parents just for him to show literally no signs of grief whatsoever when what happens to them at the end happens? WHAT??
I wouldn’t even have read this book if it weren’t for the promise I made to my close friend who’s absolutely obsessed with it. Emma, I really hope it was worth because this book fried all my brain cells.
Overall, underwhelming. One star.
There’s a reason this book is self-published. Ben, I really think you’d have done better on Wattpad since that’s about as high as the quality of your books is.
February 15, 2021
I absolutely loved this book!!! The story is attention grabbing. The world is beautifully put together without over powering and taking the attention from the storyline. The main character is gay and its a refreshing to have in fantasy where the bulk is heterosexual. It has interesting beasts and plot twists at every turn. Villains that you really cant wait to see dead. the end is the best kind of cliffhanger. I cant wait till the next book comes out.
I alpha read this for ben and will be rereading when it released. I loved it that much. Available to pre-order now!
I alpha read this for ben and will be rereading when it released. I loved it that much. Available to pre-order now!
September 3, 2023
If I have to read another instance of someone ‘drinking something in’ (i.e. looking at something) I think I’ll go insane!
If you enjoy endlessly repeated metaphors, plots that make barely any sense, and deranged one-dimensional characters then this book is for you.
If you enjoy endlessly repeated metaphors, plots that make barely any sense, and deranged one-dimensional characters then this book is for you.
February 10, 2021
The Lost Mage is the first installment in the War of the Wood and what a way to kick it off. I was hooked from the first page and was on a magical journey until the end. The writing style, characters and setting of the story were absolutely perfect.
The story is full of action, betrayal and of course crazy relationships. Mages, dragons, mundanes and so many other creatures are included in this amazing book.
Maximus Wodlin hates magic and doesn’t want any part of it. Killing the son of Master Garthax and getting the mage mark has lead him to difficult decisions that has changed his life forever. He is forced to take the life of the deceased and carry the legacy of the Garthax Estate legacy.
The North and South will never be the same again.
He is not really sure whom he can trust.
I received an early copy from Ben and it was worth every minute. I want to thank Ben Alderson for the opportunity for being a Beta Reader for this incredible story.
I would recommend the Lost Mage to all the M/M Fantasy Romance readers.
Definitely a MUST READ.
Expected release date: 29 May 2021 (PreOrder Now)
The story is full of action, betrayal and of course crazy relationships. Mages, dragons, mundanes and so many other creatures are included in this amazing book.
Maximus Wodlin hates magic and doesn’t want any part of it. Killing the son of Master Garthax and getting the mage mark has lead him to difficult decisions that has changed his life forever. He is forced to take the life of the deceased and carry the legacy of the Garthax Estate legacy.
The North and South will never be the same again.
He is not really sure whom he can trust.
I received an early copy from Ben and it was worth every minute. I want to thank Ben Alderson for the opportunity for being a Beta Reader for this incredible story.
I would recommend the Lost Mage to all the M/M Fantasy Romance readers.
Definitely a MUST READ.
Expected release date: 29 May 2021 (PreOrder Now)
July 15, 2023
Someone took the most generic, overwritten, under-developed YA nonsense, slapped some fucks in it, and called it "adult."
Spend your time elsewhere.
Spend your time elsewhere.
January 4, 2022
I honestly have no clue how I was able to finish this book. It was well written but seemed like the type of book that I could have read at 10.
July 31, 2023
Bookstagram | BookTok | Twitter
Disclaimer: Ben Alderson seems like a really lovely person, I think his TikTok content is really great and I do love that he is writing queer fantasy romance! As such, it pains me to say, I had very mixed feelings about this book.
The book follows Max, who discovers he has magical powers when the Heir to the Gathrax throne, Julian, tries to kill him. Forced to take the Heir's place, Max becomes a puppet to the king and is put into an arranged marriage with the handsome and charismatic prince Camron.
Right at the beginning, there was a problem with the plot I didn't get. As I mentioned, Max is forced to take the royal heir's place after he kills him with magic. Consequently, he has to hold up a charade that he is in fact Julian Gathrax, because the king needs him for his magic powers. None of that made any sense to me, since all the common folk and royal families have seen Julian before, so they know what he looks like? The entire ruse seemed incredibly easy to see through. Why not just say that Max is the Royal Mage or whatever? Or, if he needs to be part of the royal family, say he is a bastard son and legitimize him. But to make him out to be a completely different person was honestly very stupid. It's as if you pick a random ginger from the street and put him on TV and say that's Prince Harry.
Apart from the glaring plot hole, the beginning of the book read like straight-up misery p*rn. We find out early Max is a victim of abuse from Julian and multiple other people. There was some very graphic attempted sexual assault and violence, which made my stomach turn. Even after Julian is dead, every man in Max's vicinity creeps on him and threatens to abuse him further. All of this seemed unnecessarily dark to me, in my opinion, Julian being an abuser would have been more than enough for Max to go through. Thus, Julian's murder is held over Max's head by the king and he is forced to act as the king's puppet. The villains seemed very cartoonish here, which did get rectified in the end, however.
Through all of this, Max never develops a backbone. Even when his parents' lives are threatened, he is incredibly passive and just wallows in self-pity and makes no attempt to free himself or his parents, despite the fact that he has literal magic at his fingertips. Despite empathizing with him, his passivity made him hard to root for. He didn't have an ounce, not even a miligram, of fight in him. In the end, his rescue needs to be handed to him by his friend Beatrice and Camron. Overall, I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more, as we saw more of the worldbuilding and finally had some character development. My enjoyment of the first and second half of the story were so vastly different, I almost felt as though I was reading two different books.
Talking of Camron, he was a walking red flag from the beginning and I couldn't understand why Max found him attractive in the first place. Camron literally says he can't accept no for an answer and at one point breaks into Max's room. Not hot. Max's and Camron's relationship felt extremely rushed and to be honest, Max was painfully naive. I did appreciate how the book addressed the importance of consent and free will.
Although I had my issues with Max, the book had a great cast of side characters. I absolutely loved Max's friend Beatrice and her brother, Simion. Both of them were incredibly complex and so badass! Honestly, I would have loved to read an entire book about Beatrice. Like, a spy from a rival kingdom sent to find and protect the last Mage? Awesome! The blossoming romance with Simion and Max was very heartfelt and the complete opposite of what happened with Camron, thank God.
Overall, I really liked the worldbuilding, although we were a bit all over the place. There are medieval dragons, dryads from Greek mythology, and mentions of Pagan holidays such as Yule. Despite that, I had fun learning about the rival kingdoms (the North and the South, respectively) and their customs. The world was one of the big highlights for me as well as the magic system. The descriptions of the magical Oak tree and the plant magic were really evocative and probably where Alderson's prose was at it's best. I will say, though, that there was a magical Oak tree and the MC with magical powers is named Maximus Oaken... It's not quite Lily Blossom Bloom, The Florist level, but it's up there.
With the writing style, there were a few instances of telling instead of showing and the dialogue was a bit awkward, at times. I could tell the author took a page out of Sarah J. Maas' and maybe Jennifer L. Armentrout's book, with how the worldbuilding was presented and some of the plot points. Neither of those are authors I typically vibe with, which probably explains some of my problems with the book. However, the second half of the book improved so much, I bumped my rating from two stars to three. I recommend Heir to Thorn and Flame to fans of fantasy romance books like From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Thanks to Second Sky and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: Ben Alderson seems like a really lovely person, I think his TikTok content is really great and I do love that he is writing queer fantasy romance! As such, it pains me to say, I had very mixed feelings about this book.
The book follows Max, who discovers he has magical powers when the Heir to the Gathrax throne, Julian, tries to kill him. Forced to take the Heir's place, Max becomes a puppet to the king and is put into an arranged marriage with the handsome and charismatic prince Camron.
Right at the beginning, there was a problem with the plot I didn't get. As I mentioned, Max is forced to take the royal heir's place after he kills him with magic. Consequently, he has to hold up a charade that he is in fact Julian Gathrax, because the king needs him for his magic powers. None of that made any sense to me, since all the common folk and royal families have seen Julian before, so they know what he looks like? The entire ruse seemed incredibly easy to see through. Why not just say that Max is the Royal Mage or whatever? Or, if he needs to be part of the royal family, say he is a bastard son and legitimize him. But to make him out to be a completely different person was honestly very stupid. It's as if you pick a random ginger from the street and put him on TV and say that's Prince Harry.
Apart from the glaring plot hole, the beginning of the book read like straight-up misery p*rn. We find out early Max is a victim of abuse from Julian and multiple other people. There was some very graphic attempted sexual assault and violence, which made my stomach turn. Even after Julian is dead, every man in Max's vicinity creeps on him and threatens to abuse him further. All of this seemed unnecessarily dark to me, in my opinion, Julian being an abuser would have been more than enough for Max to go through. Thus, Julian's murder is held over Max's head by the king and he is forced to act as the king's puppet. The villains seemed very cartoonish here, which did get rectified in the end, however.
Through all of this, Max never develops a backbone. Even when his parents' lives are threatened, he is incredibly passive and just wallows in self-pity and makes no attempt to free himself or his parents, despite the fact that he has literal magic at his fingertips. Despite empathizing with him, his passivity made him hard to root for. He didn't have an ounce, not even a miligram, of fight in him. In the end, his rescue needs to be handed to him by his friend Beatrice and Camron. Overall, I enjoyed the second half of the book a lot more, as we saw more of the worldbuilding and finally had some character development. My enjoyment of the first and second half of the story were so vastly different, I almost felt as though I was reading two different books.
Talking of Camron, he was a walking red flag from the beginning and I couldn't understand why Max found him attractive in the first place. Camron literally says he can't accept no for an answer and at one point breaks into Max's room. Not hot. Max's and Camron's relationship felt extremely rushed and to be honest, Max was painfully naive. I did appreciate how the book addressed the importance of consent and free will.
Although I had my issues with Max, the book had a great cast of side characters. I absolutely loved Max's friend Beatrice and her brother, Simion. Both of them were incredibly complex and so badass! Honestly, I would have loved to read an entire book about Beatrice. Like, a spy from a rival kingdom sent to find and protect the last Mage? Awesome! The blossoming romance with Simion and Max was very heartfelt and the complete opposite of what happened with Camron, thank God.
Overall, I really liked the worldbuilding, although we were a bit all over the place. There are medieval dragons, dryads from Greek mythology, and mentions of Pagan holidays such as Yule. Despite that, I had fun learning about the rival kingdoms (the North and the South, respectively) and their customs. The world was one of the big highlights for me as well as the magic system. The descriptions of the magical Oak tree and the plant magic were really evocative and probably where Alderson's prose was at it's best. I will say, though, that there was a magical Oak tree and the MC with magical powers is named Maximus Oaken... It's not quite Lily Blossom Bloom, The Florist level, but it's up there.
With the writing style, there were a few instances of telling instead of showing and the dialogue was a bit awkward, at times. I could tell the author took a page out of Sarah J. Maas' and maybe Jennifer L. Armentrout's book, with how the worldbuilding was presented and some of the plot points. Neither of those are authors I typically vibe with, which probably explains some of my problems with the book. However, the second half of the book improved so much, I bumped my rating from two stars to three. I recommend Heir to Thorn and Flame to fans of fantasy romance books like From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Thanks to Second Sky and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2023
I have really mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it was a fun adventure and I love love love a good fantasy read with magic and princes and drama. On the other hand, there is a lot I can pick apart.
First things first: think of this as YA fantasy, not adult romantasy. Let me explain why:
It’s presented as an adult romance, but as the author himself said on tiktok, this book has no spice (he says the next 2 books will be spicy). There are potential love interests and some kisses, but very little chemistry or romance. Additionally, the characters themselves do not read as adult. Max feels very much like a teenager, not a 25 year old. Much of that is just… how he behaves. He has no backbone. He doesn’t think for himself. He allows everyone around him to tell him what to do and manipulate him without any independent thinking or scheming.
And if you’ve read the book, you might be thinking, “compliance is key” right? Except… that only makes sense when you know where your parents are and whose swords are at their backs. Even the Gathrax king waited until *after* his trials for Max to show him that his parents—well, only his father actually—were truly alive, safe, and in his care. Why did Max just trust that blindly?
But it’s not just that. He trusts Beatrice rather blindly too. We’re told they’re lifelong besties, but I never really felt that between them? His suspicion for Simion is only slightly there. When Beatrice first says “run to the north”, Max doesn’t question it. Dame is the only one with some actual common sense there—why did Max’s mother give up everything to get away from the north? Why would he run right back there? Getting away from Gathrax made sense, but Max just didn’t think beyond one step ahead.
One more gripe from me is the somewhat lackluster love interests. This is described by some as a love triangle, but honestly it’s Max and two potential love interests that go nowhere in this book. I still don’t know who the endgame is. There’s not much chemistry between him and Simion; in fact, Simion is kind of a dick to Max for a while. When Simion starts being nice to Max, he is practically indistinguishable from Camron, personality-wise. Both made similar jokes and promises. They did not at all feel like individual, fleshed out characters. I wish we just had one love interest and maybe that Beatrice was more fleshed out instead? Max had more chemistry with Camron for sure, but as we know from the ending, we can’t be sure what amount of that, if any, was really Camron and what was the phoenix possessing him. Or if there’s anything left there to recover.
I’ll be honest. I don’t know if I’ll keep reading this series if it ends up being Max/Simion. Just don’t really care for them? I want to see Camron redemption; I think that besides the fact that he seemed to care a lot for Max, they had more chemistry, and it would be far more interesting to have a really hard-earned HEA between them. Maybe I’m alone in that thinking.
Lastly, there’s some plot points that have no explanation. I still want to know where Max’s wand came from. I don’t really understand why everyone in the north calls him a traitor, or why Beatrice was so pissed at him at first. (Maybe because she thought he knew?) I don’t understand why they’re called amplifiers if they don’t amplify the magic, they channel it (as their magic is apparently unusable without one). I want to know who actually sent the dude on the dragon. What does a “bonding” like Max and Camron underwent during their hand fasting actually entail? We just watched this magic thing happen with no real explanation. What does it do, what does it mean? Who was Max’s actual father, or was there no father at all because he was born of the Queen’s “seed”? I didn’t really get that so I hope we get more explanations from Max’s mother. Why do mages in the north have mage marks in different places, when they’re formed by magic? Also, look maybe I missed this, but… why is there a second heart oak at all?
Okay also, random heads up if you’re an American reader: this book uses apostrophes as quotation marks in dialogue as the English do. But if that bothers you, the audiobook performance is fantastic with only one complaint: the narrator makes Max seem very young and whiny at times. Or maybe just more young and whiny than he’d come across in the book if I only read it and hadn’t listened? His voices for Simion and Camron are deeper and more adult-like, not so… bratty? I mean I get that Max was impersonating the brattiest of brats for a while, but still.
Okay one more gripe? The pacing is a bit off in the beginning. It starts out strong, then slows down a lot before Camron is introduced. I went into this expecting an arranged marriage so when it took so long to come up, I was surprised. It’s much more consistent after that but you spend a good chunk of the early part of the book waiting for something to happen, and that’s a prime spot to DNF, so I think that’s where I’d have focused on some editing changes if it were me.
So while this sounds like a lot of criticism, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I only take time to think critically and review books I enjoy. If I really disliked it, I’d just ignore it and move on, not devote any thought to it.
First things first: think of this as YA fantasy, not adult romantasy. Let me explain why:
It’s presented as an adult romance, but as the author himself said on tiktok, this book has no spice (he says the next 2 books will be spicy). There are potential love interests and some kisses, but very little chemistry or romance. Additionally, the characters themselves do not read as adult. Max feels very much like a teenager, not a 25 year old. Much of that is just… how he behaves. He has no backbone. He doesn’t think for himself. He allows everyone around him to tell him what to do and manipulate him without any independent thinking or scheming.
And if you’ve read the book, you might be thinking, “compliance is key” right? Except… that only makes sense when you know where your parents are and whose swords are at their backs. Even the Gathrax king waited until *after* his trials for Max to show him that his parents—well, only his father actually—were truly alive, safe, and in his care. Why did Max just trust that blindly?
But it’s not just that. He trusts Beatrice rather blindly too. We’re told they’re lifelong besties, but I never really felt that between them? His suspicion for Simion is only slightly there. When Beatrice first says “run to the north”, Max doesn’t question it. Dame is the only one with some actual common sense there—why did Max’s mother give up everything to get away from the north? Why would he run right back there? Getting away from Gathrax made sense, but Max just didn’t think beyond one step ahead.
One more gripe from me is the somewhat lackluster love interests. This is described by some as a love triangle, but honestly it’s Max and two potential love interests that go nowhere in this book. I still don’t know who the endgame is. There’s not much chemistry between him and Simion; in fact, Simion is kind of a dick to Max for a while. When Simion starts being nice to Max, he is practically indistinguishable from Camron, personality-wise. Both made similar jokes and promises. They did not at all feel like individual, fleshed out characters. I wish we just had one love interest and maybe that Beatrice was more fleshed out instead? Max had more chemistry with Camron for sure, but as we know from the ending, we can’t be sure what amount of that, if any, was really Camron and what was the phoenix possessing him. Or if there’s anything left there to recover.
I’ll be honest. I don’t know if I’ll keep reading this series if it ends up being Max/Simion. Just don’t really care for them? I want to see Camron redemption; I think that besides the fact that he seemed to care a lot for Max, they had more chemistry, and it would be far more interesting to have a really hard-earned HEA between them. Maybe I’m alone in that thinking.
Lastly, there’s some plot points that have no explanation. I still want to know where Max’s wand came from. I don’t really understand why everyone in the north calls him a traitor, or why Beatrice was so pissed at him at first. (Maybe because she thought he knew?) I don’t understand why they’re called amplifiers if they don’t amplify the magic, they channel it (as their magic is apparently unusable without one). I want to know who actually sent the dude on the dragon. What does a “bonding” like Max and Camron underwent during their hand fasting actually entail? We just watched this magic thing happen with no real explanation. What does it do, what does it mean? Who was Max’s actual father, or was there no father at all because he was born of the Queen’s “seed”? I didn’t really get that so I hope we get more explanations from Max’s mother. Why do mages in the north have mage marks in different places, when they’re formed by magic? Also, look maybe I missed this, but… why is there a second heart oak at all?
Okay also, random heads up if you’re an American reader: this book uses apostrophes as quotation marks in dialogue as the English do. But if that bothers you, the audiobook performance is fantastic with only one complaint: the narrator makes Max seem very young and whiny at times. Or maybe just more young and whiny than he’d come across in the book if I only read it and hadn’t listened? His voices for Simion and Camron are deeper and more adult-like, not so… bratty? I mean I get that Max was impersonating the brattiest of brats for a while, but still.
Okay one more gripe? The pacing is a bit off in the beginning. It starts out strong, then slows down a lot before Camron is introduced. I went into this expecting an arranged marriage so when it took so long to come up, I was surprised. It’s much more consistent after that but you spend a good chunk of the early part of the book waiting for something to happen, and that’s a prime spot to DNF, so I think that’s where I’d have focused on some editing changes if it were me.
So while this sounds like a lot of criticism, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I only take time to think critically and review books I enjoy. If I really disliked it, I’d just ignore it and move on, not devote any thought to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2023
CW: pedophilia, murder, gore, attempted rape, attempted murder
I DNF’d this at 40%. The description advertises that if you like Captive Prince, you’d like this. Not true. The only thing they have in common is kingdoms and royalty.
The main issue with this book is the writing… it’s all over the place. It has some good world building in the background, like the Heart Oak and how mages get their powers, but every character feels like a caricature. The Gathrax family is ~so evil~ and ~so predatory.~ Cue lustful looks, dripping lips, and trite threats. The fact that everyone in the first half of this book is slithering all over Maximus is just so repetitive and boring. I couldn’t keep my eyes from rolling every chapter.
Maximus is worst of all. He is whiny one moment and reckless and mouthy the next. He can’t seem to decide if he’s a sniveling mess or the plucky youth. I can’t count the number of times Maximus’s internal dialogue is “I must obey to save myself” and then the next second he’s spitting in his captor’s face. Dude. Make up your mind. He suffers from some serious characterization and writing issues. He barely even tries to pretend to be Julian, even when he’s told himself he’s going to play along. Reading his POV is exhausting and tiresome. He cries about reuniting with his parents so often they begin to feel like a MacGuffin, like they’re just this fake lure that never pays off.
Also, Maximus needs to get his priorities straight. He lusts after Simion and Camron when he’s supposed to be scared for his life (or his parents’). It just doesn’t feel real.
After this, I really feel like rereading Captive Prince and enjoying myself.
I DNF’d this at 40%. The description advertises that if you like Captive Prince, you’d like this. Not true. The only thing they have in common is kingdoms and royalty.
The main issue with this book is the writing… it’s all over the place. It has some good world building in the background, like the Heart Oak and how mages get their powers, but every character feels like a caricature. The Gathrax family is ~so evil~ and ~so predatory.~ Cue lustful looks, dripping lips, and trite threats. The fact that everyone in the first half of this book is slithering all over Maximus is just so repetitive and boring. I couldn’t keep my eyes from rolling every chapter.
Maximus is worst of all. He is whiny one moment and reckless and mouthy the next. He can’t seem to decide if he’s a sniveling mess or the plucky youth. I can’t count the number of times Maximus’s internal dialogue is “I must obey to save myself” and then the next second he’s spitting in his captor’s face. Dude. Make up your mind. He suffers from some serious characterization and writing issues. He barely even tries to pretend to be Julian, even when he’s told himself he’s going to play along. Reading his POV is exhausting and tiresome. He cries about reuniting with his parents so often they begin to feel like a MacGuffin, like they’re just this fake lure that never pays off.
Also, Maximus needs to get his priorities straight. He lusts after Simion and Camron when he’s supposed to be scared for his life (or his parents’). It just doesn’t feel real.
After this, I really feel like rereading Captive Prince and enjoying myself.
July 28, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me access to this eARC!
I really wanted to love this due to it being a M/M fantasy novel but unfortunately it was a big letdown.
This novel started off really strong with an intriguing premise and I loved how fast paced it was near the beginning but then around halfway through my interest began to dwindle.
The plot was very predictable and definitely not a brand new concept. Some descriptions of the creatures and magic elements were interesting but others felt a little confusing and there were some action scenes that left me wondering what had actually just happened.
The characters were unoriginal and there wasn’t good enough character development. I didn’t feel an attachment to a single character.
Max, the MC felt very one dimensional and his relationships with other characters weren’t explored enough and were all rushed. There wasn’t any chemistry between Max and his love interests.
I don’t believe this should be marketed as an adult fantasy romance. It was very YA with little to no romance at all, and the romance that was included was boring.
Overall, I feel there was a big build up with promise of romance and an exciting revealed mystery, and it ended up having an extremely underwhelming climax.
I really wanted to love this due to it being a M/M fantasy novel but unfortunately it was a big letdown.
This novel started off really strong with an intriguing premise and I loved how fast paced it was near the beginning but then around halfway through my interest began to dwindle.
The plot was very predictable and definitely not a brand new concept. Some descriptions of the creatures and magic elements were interesting but others felt a little confusing and there were some action scenes that left me wondering what had actually just happened.
The characters were unoriginal and there wasn’t good enough character development. I didn’t feel an attachment to a single character.
Max, the MC felt very one dimensional and his relationships with other characters weren’t explored enough and were all rushed. There wasn’t any chemistry between Max and his love interests.
I don’t believe this should be marketed as an adult fantasy romance. It was very YA with little to no romance at all, and the romance that was included was boring.
Overall, I feel there was a big build up with promise of romance and an exciting revealed mystery, and it ended up having an extremely underwhelming climax.
July 26, 2023
This book is captivating, I couldn’t put it down!
It’s such a good story and I loved the plot twists so freaking much! The pace is perfect, everything makes sense, it’s queernormative and I love the characters. Maximus is complex and likeable.
I was rooting for Max and Simion as soon as Simion first appeared because he was very gentle and attentive with Max. It was a bit chaotic when they met again but I could really feel their connection. I wish they had more moments together but it’s the first book of the series, hopefully there’s more romance to come.
I recommend this book if you like fantasy romance, dragons, magic, evil royals and clueless chosen ones. I’m looking forward to reading book 2!
[𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘬𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯]
It’s such a good story and I loved the plot twists so freaking much! The pace is perfect, everything makes sense, it’s queernormative and I love the characters. Maximus is complex and likeable.
I was rooting for Max and Simion as soon as Simion first appeared because he was very gentle and attentive with Max. It was a bit chaotic when they met again but I could really feel their connection. I wish they had more moments together but it’s the first book of the series, hopefully there’s more romance to come.
I recommend this book if you like fantasy romance, dragons, magic, evil royals and clueless chosen ones. I’m looking forward to reading book 2!
[𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘬𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯]
January 10, 2024
This book made itself hard to like. Max, the protagonist, is repeatedly victimised and abused and just stumbles from one terrible situation to the next without any agency being given to him. The promised romance is also barely present with nothing more than a kiss or two with the two love interests and I don't really like either of them so I wasn't exactly thrilled when those happened either. I'll give the next one a go to see if it improves but I was disappointed in this one.
April 26, 2024
Sooooo slooooowwwwwww
I was nearly halfway through the book before getting to anything not covered on the dust jacket. The plot was okay, but the writing was stilted and disorganized. I couldn’t ever decide whether I liked any of the characters, even at the end of the book. The slow burn was almost nonexistent, a true disappointment in a book with “flame” in the title.
I was nearly halfway through the book before getting to anything not covered on the dust jacket. The plot was okay, but the writing was stilted and disorganized. I couldn’t ever decide whether I liked any of the characters, even at the end of the book. The slow burn was almost nonexistent, a true disappointment in a book with “flame” in the title.
February 3, 2021
This book kept me on my toes in the best way possible. Alpha reading it gave me the biggest thrill. I was so enthralled by the characters and the world building, Ben has truly out done himself and made me sob time and time again, as I'm sure he'll discover once he wakes up and reads my messages 😂
August 30, 2023
Goodreads deleted my review and I'm not rewriting the whole thing thing but this story... is messy. 3 stars purely for Ben Alderson's special ability to get me to not be able to stop reading! I would've given it 2 otherwise.
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