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Heritor's Helm #0.5
Portrait of a King
When Lyara, an artist with a fickle muse, falls for a royal soldier, she’s inspired to make her dreams of social change a reality.
Avaron’s poor border towns live under constant threat from monsters her fellow socialites know only from text books. The reigning king refuses to defend his people, so she devises a scheme that might see her gallant soldier wear the crown. Failure means more senseless death—or an even more dastardly man taking the throne.
Lyara’s optimistic. After all, it takes an artist’s touch to paint the portrait of a king.
Avaron’s poor border towns live under constant threat from monsters her fellow socialites know only from text books. The reigning king refuses to defend his people, so she devises a scheme that might see her gallant soldier wear the crown. Failure means more senseless death—or an even more dastardly man taking the throne.
Lyara’s optimistic. After all, it takes an artist’s touch to paint the portrait of a king.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2021
8 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 17, 2025
First Read: April 2023, Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Second Read: June 2025, Rating: 4.5/5 stars
This is a novella preceding the Heritor's Helm series.
An artist and a soldier fall in love. Their union ends in more than just marriage and children, however, but sparks a change that reverberates around the entire kingdom and alters the face that sits upon the throne.
Despite measuring in at just over 100 pages, this prequel novella packed so much into it! The romance was the primary focus but it soon moved onto action-packed battle scenes and tense political manoeuvrings. I got a true feel for who each of the central characters were but, also, the geographical and political terrains that were being traversed across. I have very high expectations for the full-length series instalments that are to follow this!
Second Read: June 2025, Rating: 4.5/5 stars
This is a novella preceding the Heritor's Helm series.
An artist and a soldier fall in love. Their union ends in more than just marriage and children, however, but sparks a change that reverberates around the entire kingdom and alters the face that sits upon the throne.
Despite measuring in at just over 100 pages, this prequel novella packed so much into it! The romance was the primary focus but it soon moved onto action-packed battle scenes and tense political manoeuvrings. I got a true feel for who each of the central characters were but, also, the geographical and political terrains that were being traversed across. I have very high expectations for the full-length series instalments that are to follow this!
December 31, 2022
I really loved Fire of the Forebears and was saddened to hear that the author passed away after writing it, meaning there won’t be any further stories in this series.
This novella is set a bit before the novel, giving you some backstory and expanding on some of those things that are hinted at in the novel. I felt that it was a nice addition, but yet it didn’t really add much that was new as it had a different cast, rather than featuring the characters I had grown attached to from reading Fire of the Forebears.
It’s still nice to get that little expansion of the world, even if it’s only a short read and is more focussed on the characters than the worldbuilding itself.
This novella is set a bit before the novel, giving you some backstory and expanding on some of those things that are hinted at in the novel. I felt that it was a nice addition, but yet it didn’t really add much that was new as it had a different cast, rather than featuring the characters I had grown attached to from reading Fire of the Forebears.
It’s still nice to get that little expansion of the world, even if it’s only a short read and is more focussed on the characters than the worldbuilding itself.
April 8, 2022
3.5 stars
I love that this story is written from the perspective of an artist, it's a POV that we don't see a lot, but such a person can, as the author proves, have an interesting and significant role in a fantasy story.
The author also writes with a beautiful prose that would suit an experienced writer, and made the the novella a delight to read.
The biggest problem I had was that the story wasn't as compelling. Despite wanting to see the events play out, I often put down the book after only one or two chapters (which are very short). As a result it took me far longer to finish that with most stories of such a size.
The epilogue, although a bit long compared to most chapters in the book, did leave me interested to see more of this world, and I'll put "Fire of the Forebears" on my TBR-list!
I love that this story is written from the perspective of an artist, it's a POV that we don't see a lot, but such a person can, as the author proves, have an interesting and significant role in a fantasy story.
The author also writes with a beautiful prose that would suit an experienced writer, and made the the novella a delight to read.
The biggest problem I had was that the story wasn't as compelling. Despite wanting to see the events play out, I often put down the book after only one or two chapters (which are very short). As a result it took me far longer to finish that with most stories of such a size.
The epilogue, although a bit long compared to most chapters in the book, did leave me interested to see more of this world, and I'll put "Fire of the Forebears" on my TBR-list!
September 19, 2022
The cover is really beautiful.
I think it was on Twitter I saw someone recommending Fire of the Forebears.
Portrait of a King is the .5 book of the series, and it was free. Figured this was the best place to start.
I love epic fantasy, especially grimdark and military. This book was a bit heavy on the romance genre for me. I'm sure if I would have picked it up 5 years ago I would have loved it, but my taste have changed since my PNR days.
Don't let my lack of enthusiasm deter you from this book. If you like a romantic fantasy, this may be just for you.
I think it was on Twitter I saw someone recommending Fire of the Forebears.
Portrait of a King is the .5 book of the series, and it was free. Figured this was the best place to start.
I love epic fantasy, especially grimdark and military. This book was a bit heavy on the romance genre for me. I'm sure if I would have picked it up 5 years ago I would have loved it, but my taste have changed since my PNR days.
Don't let my lack of enthusiasm deter you from this book. If you like a romantic fantasy, this may be just for you.
November 17, 2022
Solid introduction to this world that leaves me hungering for more. I like how much world building and character development L.A. Buck was able to accomplish in this short novella.
Also, this is exactly the type of read where you go: "Okay, just one more chapter", and then it's suddenly over.
Great story, great characters, great themes, great writing and great world. I am very excited to dive into the main novel now!
Also, this is exactly the type of read where you go: "Okay, just one more chapter", and then it's suddenly over.
Great story, great characters, great themes, great writing and great world. I am very excited to dive into the main novel now!
May 5, 2024
Unique
I enjoyed this little story very much and it's pretty unique for a fantasy book! I liked the characters. The romance is lovely and the action and battle scenes are fantastic. It's pretty packed to the brim with content for a novella. Plus that cover is amazing 😍
I enjoyed this little story very much and it's pretty unique for a fantasy book! I liked the characters. The romance is lovely and the action and battle scenes are fantastic. It's pretty packed to the brim with content for a novella. Plus that cover is amazing 😍
March 30, 2022
I received this from voracious readers only in exchange for an honest review. At times I forgot I was reading a novella as there was so much detail and world building , then I realized the pacing was much quicker . The characters are well fleshed out - the romance went a bit quick but given the length of the novella understandable. I kind of was hoping for some dialogue with the centaurs but a girl can only wish 😂 all in all a good read .
December 4, 2021
What starts out as a romance between a struggling artist and a soldier turns into a fantastic tale of struggling to save a kingdom slowly being destroyed by its king. The descriptions are detailed, as one would expect as the main character is an artist, and you can see things exactly as the author imagines. The romance is delightful, with a strong, somewhat sassy heroine and a hero who isn't afraid to let his wife be the smart one in the relationship. The world-building is excellent as well, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series when it comes out!
December 17, 2021
A tale of love, war and politics in a magical land, this has all the trappings of a novella set in an epic fantasy universe. While it's not big on bombastic set pieces, a complex world, twisty characters and visceral battles make for an unpredictable, slow-boil of a read with big potential. It's a self-contained prequel that'll give you a taste of the Heritor's Helm world without you needing to know anything going into it, but it'll likely leave you wanting more when you're done.
The story follows Lyara, a daughter of a well-off merchant whose past-times include oil painting and orchestrating a tiny little bit of sedition against her land's inefficient and uncaring king. She prays for the day a true leader comes to aid the people across a kingdom beset by hostile centaur tribes. When she meets the lowly but honorable soldier Dradge she believes even he, without all the city book-learning so prized by the nobility, would make a better leader. He is strong and capable and cares for those he's tasked to protect. She falls for his rough charm, he ascends the ranks, and suddenly it doesn't seem so far-fetched that a good man could become the leader the kingdom needs. All that's needed is a little help to get the people behind him - even if it may cost her faith.
This was one unusual tale, and while I wasn't sure to begin with I gradually got into the story (it's a novella so the pacing and narrative can hop about a bit.) The world confused me at first before solidifying into something a bit patchwork of fantasy ideas: there's magic and magical creatures, Medieval kings and knights in armor, but also printing presses and marble kitchens that made me think Victoriana... Or maybe a more serious Ankh Morpork. I loved the way the world was build up later on, with the religious aspect being very different from the usual gods; deities are more like saints - once living men and women with great power, their magic-wielding descendants still venerated by some like Lyara. The useless king, the beastly centaurs, the rumblings of discontent amongst the people... Everything gelled beautifully and nary an info-dump in sight. And that's before we get on to all the history and soft magic system hinted at that'll leave you curious without feeling unfulfilled.
Throw in a main female character who's not a romantic damsel, a butt-kicking Amazon, or even a scheming Lady Macbeth but an idealistic, realistic painter who finds inspiration in unusual places and you've got yourself one compelling self-contained short story that sets up a world beautifully for more to come.
Nitpicks for me are minor things that likely won't bother most. Characters and their relationships could feel a little unclear at times , and modern language popping up along with archaic terms was a bit strange (he "courted" her, but they went on "dates", that sort of thing) though this phased out as the story went along. The one thing it could do with? A glossary! The fantasy terms are all woven in well, but at times I wished I could get a clear refresher on a fonfyr or Fidelis, Láefe or saja.
TL;DR: Come for the cover, stay for the originality, and wait around for the epic that's surely to grow from this small seed of a story.
-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-
The story follows Lyara, a daughter of a well-off merchant whose past-times include oil painting and orchestrating a tiny little bit of sedition against her land's inefficient and uncaring king. She prays for the day a true leader comes to aid the people across a kingdom beset by hostile centaur tribes. When she meets the lowly but honorable soldier Dradge she believes even he, without all the city book-learning so prized by the nobility, would make a better leader. He is strong and capable and cares for those he's tasked to protect. She falls for his rough charm, he ascends the ranks, and suddenly it doesn't seem so far-fetched that a good man could become the leader the kingdom needs. All that's needed is a little help to get the people behind him - even if it may cost her faith.
This was one unusual tale, and while I wasn't sure to begin with I gradually got into the story (it's a novella so the pacing and narrative can hop about a bit.) The world confused me at first before solidifying into something a bit patchwork of fantasy ideas: there's magic and magical creatures, Medieval kings and knights in armor, but also printing presses and marble kitchens that made me think Victoriana... Or maybe a more serious Ankh Morpork. I loved the way the world was build up later on, with the religious aspect being very different from the usual gods; deities are more like saints - once living men and women with great power, their magic-wielding descendants still venerated by some like Lyara. The useless king, the beastly centaurs, the rumblings of discontent amongst the people... Everything gelled beautifully and nary an info-dump in sight. And that's before we get on to all the history and soft magic system hinted at that'll leave you curious without feeling unfulfilled.
Throw in a main female character who's not a romantic damsel, a butt-kicking Amazon, or even a scheming Lady Macbeth but an idealistic, realistic painter who finds inspiration in unusual places and you've got yourself one compelling self-contained short story that sets up a world beautifully for more to come.
Nitpicks for me are minor things that likely won't bother most. Characters and their relationships could feel a little unclear at times , and modern language popping up along with archaic terms was a bit strange (he "courted" her, but they went on "dates", that sort of thing) though this phased out as the story went along. The one thing it could do with? A glossary! The fantasy terms are all woven in well, but at times I wished I could get a clear refresher on a fonfyr or Fidelis, Láefe or saja.
TL;DR: Come for the cover, stay for the originality, and wait around for the epic that's surely to grow from this small seed of a story.
-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-
January 14, 2022
GREAT worldbuilding in this one. Right off the bat, we're given the most important information to understand this world and how it works (a neverending struggle with second-world fantasies like this one!), and the rest of the development is thoughtful, letting the reader grow with the story. Five stars for worldbuilding!
Really enjoyed Lyara as a protagonist. She's smart, funny, and believable. Her dialogue is especially strong. I also liked seeing a main character who is a dedicated visual artist--I think that's pretty rare in fantasy, and it was a cool lens with which to explore this world. Dradge wasn't quite as well-developed, but that didn't detract too much from the overall story for me.
The writing is gorgeous. We get some really lyrical, lovely phrases, while the main story is told clearly and we never get lost in the prose. Minimal errors, no more than in any published book.
I'm waiting eagerly for the rest of the series!
Really enjoyed Lyara as a protagonist. She's smart, funny, and believable. Her dialogue is especially strong. I also liked seeing a main character who is a dedicated visual artist--I think that's pretty rare in fantasy, and it was a cool lens with which to explore this world. Dradge wasn't quite as well-developed, but that didn't detract too much from the overall story for me.
The writing is gorgeous. We get some really lyrical, lovely phrases, while the main story is told clearly and we never get lost in the prose. Minimal errors, no more than in any published book.
I'm waiting eagerly for the rest of the series!
May 10, 2022
Brilliant! A wonderful introduction to a new world. An excellent episodic story awaits you here with some compelling characters, a fascinating world and some wonderful world building are on show here. I have been thoroughly impressed with this novella and look forward to returning to the world with the next book soon!
Also a full review will be on the blog as well.
Also a full review will be on the blog as well.
July 2, 2023
its absolutely insane that i picked this up on a whim on stuff your kindle day
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews