The Spare Who Became the Heir and Other Stories

The Head, the Heart, and the Heir

by Alice Hanov

The Spare Who Became the Heir and Other Stories: The Early Adventures of The Head, the Heart, and the Heir is an enchanting introduction to a world where a young sorcerer and princess inherits her powers too young and her childhood crush becomes the young man she will need–all leading up to what will come to pass in The Head, the Heart, and the Heir being released June 14, 2022.

In these stories, the fantasy kingdoms of Warren and Datten come to life and the children who will grow up to rule them begin to find themselves and define their fates. After falling through a frozen river and nearly drowning, nine-year-old exiled princess Alex gains command of the wind and other unsettling powers. The young Prince of Datten, Aaron, has his eyes set on revenge against the king of Warren for murdering his godfather’s wife and causing their daughter, the princess who would unite their kindgoms, to be lost in exile, so he begins to train to become the fighter who can bring down the king of Warren. Teenaged Alex has her first kiss and her guardian reprimands her, but she’s not the type to stand by and be told who she can kiss. In “The Spare Who Became the Heir,” Aaron travels to Warren under the pretense of training for a tournament–in reality, he is fleeing his father’s wrath after a fight. And, finally, just months before the start of The Head, the Heart, and the Heir Prince Aaron is sent to search for the missing princess of Warren, a girl he will no longer recognize, a girl who calls herself Alex.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 14, 2022

About the author

Alice Hanov is a writer who graduated with a degree in Rhetoric and Professional Writing from the University of Waterloo. She’s been writing and dreaming up stories since she was seven and only now decided to get them on paper after enthralling her children with them.

She's working on the final book in her debut series The Head, The Heart and The Heir, and starting two new series including Torian Tales, a series of stand alone stories or duologies set in the fantasy world of Torian, from her main series. The first story, Heart of the Siren, will be releasing in November, 2025.

When she isn’t writing Alice is raising her three kids with her husband, helping run their software company Hanov Solutions or can be found reading, painting, knitting and chasing after their three super busy, artistic children who aspire to be artists or you tubers themselves.

Reviews

[Mikayla Tague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not needed to understand The Head, The Heart, and The Heir but it gives such a great background and better understanding of the characters and the reason for why they think the way they do. I also read it super fast which is always a bonus for me.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spare Who Became The Heir offers the interesting backstories of two young royals. Which the next book in the series will build upon their journeys.

Overall, this was an amazing read! I love the amount of detail put into the writing. I also really loved the pacing.

My favorite part of reading this prequel was getting to know Alex/Elizabeth's and Aaron's personalities. I found them both to be very likeable. This really held up the whole book for me I think.

After reading this I am super excited to read The Head, The Heart, and The Heir. I fully recommend reading the prequel.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Not required reading to understand The Head, The Heart and the Heir**

A lovely addition to the stories of the characters we meet in THTHTH, I enjoyed the history and seeing the lives Aaron and Alex experienced before the first book.

I read this to recap my knowledge of the world ready for my ARC of Broken Sons and I’m so glad I chose to do this as I know I’ll be going into it more refreshed and ready to enjoy the continuation of the story!

[Michelle L M Devlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I’m not a big fantasy reader. My reads tend to the romance side of reading but I do like fantasy, murder, mystery and mayhem. I have to say that this book covers it all.

The author gives you extra information like how to pronounce character names, details about the places your reading about and other tidbits.

I would definitely read this before reading The Head, The Heart and The Heir, just so you have all the back story going in. However, if you don’t find this until after you read Book 1 then that’s okay too.

I can’t wait for you to fall in love with Alex, Aaron and all the other characters like I did. Welcome to a world of magic, romance, mystery, mayhem and adventure!

[Kritika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this after I finished The head, the heart and the heir. This is a prequel to that book and it is just written to quench the thirst of wanting more from the Torian world when we are craving for the story to continue at the end of that book.

It answers so many questions but I wish it also mentioned about the first kiss and also another page in the where it connects both the stories - like Aaron’s emotions and his pov when they met. Thus the 4 starts.

Overall - Loved it.

[Mays’ Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg!

This is what a novella should look like, giving you background and letting you eager for more.

It was so helpful to have read this one before jumping into the first book, but trust me and believe you’ll never be fully prepare for the first book.

Here we got introduced to Alex, Daniel and Aaron, next generation of royals for the kingdoms of Datten and Warren.
We get to know the sons and daughters of the generals of both kingdoms, as well as the sorceress of each court; but most important we get to learn about the tragedy that lead to Alex escaping her kingdom and becoming one of the leaders of an orphan gang as well as the awakening of her powers.

There is little I can tell without spoilers, but this is book is a fun, quick ride that will get you hooked into the whole serie.

[Laura Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royal Medieval Europe Meets Mythology with Sorcerers. It’s a lot to take in, but, WOW- what an adventure!!

Things I enjoyed about the prequel: getting to know the younger versions of our main characters Alex (AKA Crown Princess Elizabeth-forced-into-exile-for-her-own-protection) and Prince Aaron. Both are relatable in their own ways. Alex is feisty and gives her pseudo brothers Michael and Stefan a run for their money more than once, while Aaron struggles to win his father’s approval and overcome the grief associated with his older sibling’s tragic death.

Readers also get introduced to the land of Torian and the author’s masterful worldbuilding. Super excited to start Book One- The Head, the Heart, and the Heir - and see where this story goes!

[Bekah Berge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic prequel! I really enjoyed how it set up the atmosphere for book one and gives the reader some backstory for the characters. This is where I began to fall in love with Stefan. Sigh. He’s the best. There’s a lot of depth and heartiness to the main plot in the books that I think the prequel sets up so well. Definitely worth a read before beginning book one.

[Andrea Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel is exactly what you need in a prequel! This book sets the stage for The Head The Heart and The Heir by introducing the main characters, and showing us some fun insights to their lives before the first book starts. It introduces the characters, and sprinkles in a lot of fun tidbits that you recognize in the first book later. I definitely recommend reading this book if you plan to read the HHH series!

[Rachel Guess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just start by saying I’m so thankful for this book!! Anytime I start a new series and all the characters are being thrown my way sometimes it’s hard to keep them all straight. The author Alice Hanov took the extra time to break down the family trees and who was who along with a pronunciation page which I love in books. Now to the actual good part the actual story. This was the prequel to the author’s debut novel The Head, The Heart, and the Heir. This story follows main characters Aaron and Alex from a young age to current time showing each of their struggles in life. I don’t want to put to many spoilers but this book helped me form connections to both characters which definitely had me picking favorites in the debut novel. You don’t have to read this prequel to understand what is going on in the novel but I highly suggest it if you are like me and love a good background story!!

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book as an ARC. This is the second book I have read by this lovely author. I am enjoying this series so far and look forward to more. This book is a prequel to her recent book. Filled with short stories that help make the adventure upcoming for the magical world more fulfilled. I enjoyed seeing the other side that was not completely laid out in the previous book. Very interesting to see how the characters continue to grow in the upcoming books. I am hooked on this witchy books. Or should I say spellbound?

[Micki_1989 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book can't wait to see what else the author does.

[Sandra G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book immediately drew me into the vivid world of Torian and the lives of the characters. Alex is incredibly independent and relatable and her brothers are both encouraging of her growth and protective. Aaron is both soft and strong and so easy to love and root for! This is the perfect prequel that leaves the reader longing for the main book!!

[Saga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin? The Spare has so much good, I adored the world, the characters, the story… Alice Hanov is skilled at bringing me inside the heads of her characters, their internal struggles and personalities. The world was wonderfully layered through the multi-pov approach. The story has a good balance of pace, from more exciting action to giving plenty of breathing space to the characters thoughts and emotions.


There is magic, plots and schemes, knights, tight friendships, complex characters, and a world full of life. I was so enchanted, I had to go order physical copies of both The Spare and the next part in series, The Head, the Heart, and the Heir after finishing this prequel ebook. I need these on my shelf! Now to just patiently wait for part 1 to arrive in the mail…

[Elke Trudgen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my daughter’s debut novel. She worked crazy hard on it, and I couldn’t be prouder. If you like fantasy you’ll love it.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a background story that tells us more about the royals of The Head, The Heart, and The Heir. I love getting a glimpse of the characters that I love from their childhood. This is not necessary to understand the next book but let’s you understand them better. Cannot wait for the next novel in the series!!!

[Stefanie Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Alice did a great job creating a fantasy world that I was able to get lost in for a bit. Her descriptive writing allowed me to fall into the world alongside the characters. This prequel gave great background info for the start of the series!

[romanticcurrated · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this entire thing in a day. Alice did it again. She has me completely hooked on her books. Now to impatiently wait for another book to release :,(

[Sarah | Retro Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Spare Who Became the Heir and Other Stories” by Alice Hanov is a delightful collection of short stories that introduces the reader to the kingdom of Torian and its history.

I felt like this collection of short stories caught my attention from the very beginning, and I really want to know more about this world and these characters that Alice Hanov has created.

All in all, I would say that I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories. I’m really excited to start the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!

[thelostbookmark.20 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Spare Who Became The Heir” by Alice Hanov is the prequel to her debut novel “The Head, The Heart, and The Heir”. This prequel definitely gives a great background to the lives of Princess Alex and Prince Aaron. This was a super quick read and helped me understand the characters so much better! If you loved “The Head, The Heart, and The Heir,” I would greatly recommend continuing on and reading the prequel before the second book comes out.

[Stephanie Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing! Talk about twists and turns! Kingdoms, kings, betrayal, sorcery, all my favorites! Highly recommend

[Ecce Libri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It's full of short stories that give some great perspective of what was happening before the events of The Head, the Heart, and the Heir. I recommend reading this one AFTER you've read Head, Heart, Heir just to avoid some potential spoilers for that book. That's the way I read it, and I'm glad I did. The stories really shed a light on past events, and explained some of how things came to be at the start of the first book. More than anything, I loved having a chance to read more in this world, and with these characters. Definitley a must read after the first book! I can't wait to read more books in this world!

[Brianne Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great intro to the characters from The Head The Heart And The Heir. You meet younger versions of Alex and Aaron and get to see the events that lead up to the start of Book 1!! A fantastic read to get you started in Alice Hanovs brilliantly built world!!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is the perfect companion to The Head, the Heart, and the Heir. I loved all the details we get from the little anecdotes that in The Head, the Heart, and the Heir. I wondered about Alex' life when she was younger and the key moments that shaped her into the person we know. I wondered about Aaron and what it was like for him living in Daniel's shadow, why he reacts and responds to situations and people as he does.

It's a short book, less than half the length of the first book in the series. But the stories are told in order from Alex and Aaron's perspectives much like they were in the first book. While reading this one isn't a necessity for the continuation of the series, it definitely adds to the layers of the story. Highly recommend checking it out if you loved The Head, the Heart, and the Heir.

[Shana Borgersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pretty short but I found myself taking a very long time to read it. I feel it did add a whole lot to the story so in my opinion I would skip it.

[Nikki B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun prequel. This is a collection of stories that happen before the start of The Head, the Heart, and the Heir that gives us a bit more insight into the characters. Expect to laugh at their antics, be on the edge of your seat through their adventures, and fall in love with them all over again. It's not necessary to read this as part of the series, but it's definitely worth the time. Very enjoyable.

[FaceBehindABook · Rating 4 out of 5]

~Thank you Alice for this ARC in exchange for an honest review~

This is a prequel of short stories that help sort those little details of how things got to where they are in The Heat, The Heart and The Heir. Even though Alice writes enough history in The Head the Heart and the Heir, this book fills in all those little fun details.

The only reason I gave it four stars is because it was too short, lol. But that is my opinion not to be taken as a rule.

[RaeAnne Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved this book as an arc for my honest review.

I really enjoyed having some backstory to the people we meet in the head, the heart, and the heir! We kind of see how they became who they are, and the reason for some of their actions when we see them later on. You do not need to read this before reading that book honestly BUT I'd suggest reading it anyways as I loved this!

[Lizzie CP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a funny, entertaining and amazing set of short stories from our beloved characters from The head, The heart and The heir!
It gives us background on what happened before the first book in the series letting us get to know them a little better✨
I loved it !!!!

[Alexa Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

💙Let's meet the characters...💙

🌊 "The Spare who became the Heir, and other stories" is a novella style prequel to Alice Hanov's debut novel "The Head, the Heart and the Heir" being released on 14 June 2022.

🍃 In the Prequel we are introduced to the Land of Torian. A fabulous map of the country is included at the front of the book so you can follow the adventures across the land.

🔥 Here we are introduced to the Kingdoms of Darren and Warren, and a delightful cast of characters, and some not delightful… In this prequel we learn much of the main characters habits and struggles growing into the people we will greet at the beginning of the author's novel.

💙 We begin with a small girl masquerading as a boy to hide herself from the dark forces of evil that wish for her demise, only to discover she is the lost Princess Elizabeth. She, or should I say he, is called Alex. Her brother Stefan, really a son of her godfather's trusted general, stands as her protector keeping her hidden away in the forest.

🔥 We also discover Aaron, the spare who upon the death of his elder brother finds himself the Heir. He volunteers for the task of locating the hidden princess, after displeasing his father, the King of Datten, who thinks he is departing on a fool's errand.

🍃 I have loved every minute of reading this book. My children, young teens, are waiting as excited as I am for the release of the Novel to continue our adventures.

🌊 What are you waiting for?

💕 Happy reading! 💕

💙💙The ebook is available as a Free download as a thank you for signing up to Alice's newsletter.💙💙