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Hidden Heir
A book for smart female witches in the tradition of Harry Potter but for adults, Hidden Heir is the treasure you'll be delighted to uncover.
Keeping a family secret can kill you if it's a magical one, literally.
In a world where Magic has been a part of everyday life since WW2, Ingrid "Inga" Bergman is a girl who wants to go to college and live a normal-magical life, like any other girl. She's your girl-next-door type with the above-average look but average magical abilities. She didn't go looking for trouble.
But trouble found her.
It starts with her study sessions with a handsome, magically gifted young man her mother warns her about. Girls are going missing, which is a dangerous place for a girl just starting. But Inga's troubles come from somewhere far closer to home… maybe even herself?
A magical freak seizure is nearly fatal to her and makes her uncover an important secret from her childhood—and now she is the prey of the millennia-old dark Mage hunting her kin.
Which way shall a young witch go?
This contemporary fantasy will enchant you for hours on end.
Keeping a family secret can kill you if it's a magical one, literally.
In a world where Magic has been a part of everyday life since WW2, Ingrid "Inga" Bergman is a girl who wants to go to college and live a normal-magical life, like any other girl. She's your girl-next-door type with the above-average look but average magical abilities. She didn't go looking for trouble.
But trouble found her.
It starts with her study sessions with a handsome, magically gifted young man her mother warns her about. Girls are going missing, which is a dangerous place for a girl just starting. But Inga's troubles come from somewhere far closer to home… maybe even herself?
A magical freak seizure is nearly fatal to her and makes her uncover an important secret from her childhood—and now she is the prey of the millennia-old dark Mage hunting her kin.
Which way shall a young witch go?
This contemporary fantasy will enchant you for hours on end.
400 pages, Paperback
Published March 14, 2023
5 people are currently reading
1209 people want to read
About the author
Rose D. Patruno
7 books10 followersFrom her youth spent in Puglia, a wild region in the south of Italy, Rose has retained a love for the culinary preparation of beautiful natural products. And when still a teen, she decided to become a writer without knowing anything about this world; Rose never imagined for a moment what her path would be. At the age of twenty she defied the path laid out by her patriarchal family and escaped, leaving her family and this region behind, to follow her own passion - that of art and literature to discover Paris. There she took art classes, immersing her creativity between anatomy morphology and the art of watercolor along with Theater, which sharpened her sense of observation and her art of human portraiture - two skills she offers in her writing. Later, she developed her knowledge of pre-Christian myths, a passion she shares with her husband. Her life as a writer comes from a well of decisions and encounters: “A novel may begin life as an anecdote, but sharing is where it is truly born. It is not something that we premeditate. But the desire to have amusement and excitement can only stem from our original creations for which the inspiration flows from our own memories - the surprises of life".
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 6, 2023
Very imaginative book and I enjoyed it immensely. Good characterisation and novel premise - it's great to be taken into unfamiliar worlds and I think the author has succeeded creating something new and novel. Flows well and is an easy read, and it works well across all age ranges. Clearly, there will be a sequel as the book ends with the promise of more. Looking forward to it!
February 3, 2023
Magic, family secrets, and choosing your fate; I was hooked from reading the summary.
I love a good New Adult Fantasy book; I believe more books need to be in the middle ground "new adult" section. And for this debut author to hit it out of the park like this. I love reading an author's first book, it's typically a book they pour their heart and soul into, and you can tell this author has put a lot of thought and effort into how they wrote this story.
A rundown of the story (without spoilers), Igna is a witch who wants to hone her gift even if she isn't the most powerful within her family. Her mum, however, thinks she should ignore her gift and work and that women have no place in a magic school. I know it made me a little mad as well. But when she meets an instructor, he pulls her into the magical life and offers her private lessons. Who is she to turn down that?
I wanted to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author, Roasanna Patruno, for allowing me to read this book before it was released. I cannot wait for the future books this author will release
I love a good New Adult Fantasy book; I believe more books need to be in the middle ground "new adult" section. And for this debut author to hit it out of the park like this. I love reading an author's first book, it's typically a book they pour their heart and soul into, and you can tell this author has put a lot of thought and effort into how they wrote this story.
A rundown of the story (without spoilers), Igna is a witch who wants to hone her gift even if she isn't the most powerful within her family. Her mum, however, thinks she should ignore her gift and work and that women have no place in a magic school. I know it made me a little mad as well. But when she meets an instructor, he pulls her into the magical life and offers her private lessons. Who is she to turn down that?
I wanted to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author, Roasanna Patruno, for allowing me to read this book before it was released. I cannot wait for the future books this author will release
April 15, 2023
Hidden Heir is so much fun! I had a great time reading this one.
This is a NA contemporary fantasy/paranormal book with magic, secrets, and romance. In this society, some of the population is able to wield magic. Our FMC Ingrid is a “weaker” magic wielder, and is attending a school where she’s a bit of an outcast. She asks her pen pal buddy Biagio to help tutor her, and their relationship begins to grow. Inga starts having weird magical medical problems that hint that there’s more going on behind the scenes. The drama unfolds from there!
The romantic dynamic here was unique- the love interest Biagio was mysterious and secretive and sometimes I wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, but I can’t wait to see where this pair goes next. That ending was a bombshell!
The story takes place in England so some of the language/lingo takes some time to adjust to (as an American) but after a while it felt natural.
Overall, an enjoyable read!
This is a NA contemporary fantasy/paranormal book with magic, secrets, and romance. In this society, some of the population is able to wield magic. Our FMC Ingrid is a “weaker” magic wielder, and is attending a school where she’s a bit of an outcast. She asks her pen pal buddy Biagio to help tutor her, and their relationship begins to grow. Inga starts having weird magical medical problems that hint that there’s more going on behind the scenes. The drama unfolds from there!
The romantic dynamic here was unique- the love interest Biagio was mysterious and secretive and sometimes I wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, but I can’t wait to see where this pair goes next. That ending was a bombshell!
The story takes place in England so some of the language/lingo takes some time to adjust to (as an American) but after a while it felt natural.
Overall, an enjoyable read!
April 12, 2023
I wanna thank netgalley for this ARC in exhange of an honest review:
This book had me hooked, not gonna lie and I liked it. But at the same time I had some issues. Inga didn't believe in Biagio's love for her and it was getting old a little too fast. I understand insecurity and suspicion but that was just too much. The boy said he loved her 3 or 4 times and she didn't say it once. And I understand her being with doubts, because he could be influenced by the spell or whatever but he showed so many times that his feelings were genuine and she doesn't trust him. And now the book ends in a cliffhanger and I'm curious to know what happens next. I NEED IT. Overall, I liked the world built, other characters too (I hated her mother) and the scenarios, it was all fantastic
This book had me hooked, not gonna lie and I liked it. But at the same time I had some issues. Inga didn't believe in Biagio's love for her and it was getting old a little too fast. I understand insecurity and suspicion but that was just too much. The boy said he loved her 3 or 4 times and she didn't say it once. And I understand her being with doubts, because he could be influenced by the spell or whatever but he showed so many times that his feelings were genuine and she doesn't trust him. And now the book ends in a cliffhanger and I'm curious to know what happens next. I NEED IT. Overall, I liked the world built, other characters too (I hated her mother) and the scenarios, it was all fantastic
November 26, 2023
First, I would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was attracted to this book because of the cover and the premise. I read the synopsis, and I was curious to know more about the plot and the characters. I love when fantasy books have a powerful MC who must train and gain control over her/his powers, and I really liked it in this one.
It was addictive since the beginning, and I wanted to read more to know about all the secrets in this world.
Furthermore, it was an easy and fluid read, I love when books are like that because it leaves me more hooked.
So, I can say I really want to read more from this author, and I recommend this one if you like fantasy a lot of magic and secrets.
I was attracted to this book because of the cover and the premise. I read the synopsis, and I was curious to know more about the plot and the characters. I love when fantasy books have a powerful MC who must train and gain control over her/his powers, and I really liked it in this one.
It was addictive since the beginning, and I wanted to read more to know about all the secrets in this world.
Furthermore, it was an easy and fluid read, I love when books are like that because it leaves me more hooked.
So, I can say I really want to read more from this author, and I recommend this one if you like fantasy a lot of magic and secrets.
April 10, 2023
I enjoyed this book very much. While being written in a fluent, even fast-paced style, the author managed to create an entire and coherent universe, unveiled bit by bit, which conveys the exhilarating feeling of a familiar-yet-exotic world. Mrs Patruno knows what she writes, and write it accurately and with elegance, even panache sometimes. I also liked the care with which she describes the smells, tastes and sounds, all senses often neglected in literature, and I reckon that contributes to immerse the reader further and deeper into this original universe.
From my point of view the only little drawback is that it contains slightly too much romance for my taste, but I am fully aware that : 1) it’s only my taste, and 2) it is intrinsically part of this genre so readers more familiar than me with this kind of books will be fully satisfied.
Looking forward to reading part 2 !
From my point of view the only little drawback is that it contains slightly too much romance for my taste, but I am fully aware that : 1) it’s only my taste, and 2) it is intrinsically part of this genre so readers more familiar than me with this kind of books will be fully satisfied.
Looking forward to reading part 2 !
March 6, 2023
Just read this book and I loved the story
I began to read it and could not put il down
The word was extremely interesting and the characters were developed nicely
I began to read it and could not put il down
The word was extremely interesting and the characters were developed nicely
February 26, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!
The thing that initially drew me in about this book was the cover—it's gorgeous! When I saw that this was a New Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy story, I was immediately hooked. Those are all of my favorite things and right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed the more I read (leading to me DNF'ing this book around 25%).
Almost immediately, it felt like I was reading something middle grade or very young young-adult and very much not what I expected. I don't often read that type of book anymore and had it been advertised as that, I wouldn't have picked it up. The characters were not very likable and the dialogue did not feel natural to me at all. I wasn't rooting for anyone. Overall, I would not recommend, this book to people looking for a New Adult Fantasy.
The thing that initially drew me in about this book was the cover—it's gorgeous! When I saw that this was a New Adult Sci-Fi and Fantasy story, I was immediately hooked. Those are all of my favorite things and right up my alley. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed the more I read (leading to me DNF'ing this book around 25%).
Almost immediately, it felt like I was reading something middle grade or very young young-adult and very much not what I expected. I don't often read that type of book anymore and had it been advertised as that, I wouldn't have picked it up. The characters were not very likable and the dialogue did not feel natural to me at all. I wasn't rooting for anyone. Overall, I would not recommend, this book to people looking for a New Adult Fantasy.
January 10, 2023
This book is right up my alley -- I LOVE stories about magical students and schools, with a touch of romance. I loved the characters in this story and felt an immediate connection to the main character Inga. I can't wait to read more from this debut author!
November 26, 2023
First, I would like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was attracted to this book because of the cover and the premise. I read the synopsis, and I was curious to know more about the plot and the characters. I love when fantasy books have a powerful MC who must train and gain control over her/his powers, and I really liked it in this one.
It was addictive since the beginning, and I wanted to read more to know about all the secrets in this world.
Furthermore, it was an easy and fluid read, I love when books are like that because it leaves me more hooked.
So, I can say I really want to read more from this author, and I recommend this one if you like fantasy a lot of magic and secrets.
I was attracted to this book because of the cover and the premise. I read the synopsis, and I was curious to know more about the plot and the characters. I love when fantasy books have a powerful MC who must train and gain control over her/his powers, and I really liked it in this one.
It was addictive since the beginning, and I wanted to read more to know about all the secrets in this world.
Furthermore, it was an easy and fluid read, I love when books are like that because it leaves me more hooked.
So, I can say I really want to read more from this author, and I recommend this one if you like fantasy a lot of magic and secrets.
May 20, 2023
It’s not a bad book but unless you know the terminology for different types of witches & creatures it’s hard to keep up with the characters & story line.
I tried two different times to read and finish the book but I just can’t do it!!
I tried two different times to read and finish the book but I just can’t do it!!
September 18, 2023
I couldn't get into this book.
Quit after 50 pages.
Thanks to Goodreads for the kindle copy.
Quit after 50 pages.
Thanks to Goodreads for the kindle copy.
January 28, 2024
I was drawn to this book because of the description but I was disappointed, it could have been so much better.
November 3, 2023
First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is set in a world where supernatural beings live among humans: vampires, werewolves, and witches (known as Podestaria) are the norm. Even if humans ostracize them and more often than not fear them, they are out and about in the world, albeit being supervised by the Department of Supernatural Affairs (aka DeSNA).
Inga, our FMC, is an 18-year-old lower-class Podestarius who possesses the ability to sense other supernaturals’ unique magical scents.
Being torn between her wish to pursue mathematical sciences and her mother’s desire for her to give up her studies seems to be the worst of her problems.
However, when a bunch of Podestaria starts disappearing and the police seem to be covering it up, Inga’s world is turned upside down and she’s questioning everything she thought she knew about herself, her family, and her powers.
With the aid of the handsome, mysterious Biagio, Inga starts to unveil a long-kept secret and her life is altered irreversibly.
This book has everything to be great.
The whole concept it revolves around is very intriguing and innovative. The way it mixes magic in its most traditional form with technology and science is well-achieved. The mysteries and secrets surrounding our main characters kept me glued to the pages, hoping I’d finally figure out what was going on. And while some of them were unveiled, we still have to wait for the next book for our curiosity to be completely sated.
That being said, I also believe that some issues have hindered this book from its full potential.
The major issue for me was the writing (and maybe that has to do with this being an ARC).
I'm not a native English speaker (in fact I’m European) but I noticed several grammatical mistakes and some of the sentences were built in an unusual way. It didn’t affect the global comprehension of the story, but a few details/conversations were slightly unclear. I hope that the finished copy went through extensive proofreading since the book greatly benefits from that (if it did ignore this whole paragraph).
Also, in my opinion, the beginning was slightly confusing for two reasons. The first one was because several characters were being introduced in a short span.
Even if that is to be expected in every book’s first chapters, the downpour of characters’ names and their relationships was, at times, slightly unclear, hard to keep up with, and even made me jumble some of them together initially.
(maybe I was a bit sleep deprived, but that wasn’t the only reason why I felt like that. Some details were left for the reader to deduce and weren’t outright explained and I believe that made some things a bit unclear for me).
The second reason is in regard to the world-building, but this is more of a preference of mine. I wish the explanation of Podestaria, how they are identified as such and divided by classes, was made earlier in the story. The author does execute this nicely further in, with well-thought-out scientific reasoning, but I like to have a fully-formed image of the world and how it is organized before I delve deeper into the plot itself.
Speaking about the plot, all through the story there were a few adversities/setbacks for our main characters. However, I didn’t feel like there was this major event/conflict where the characters’ willpower and survival are challenged by the villain of the story. It felt somewhat anticlimactic and I was expecting something more. Despite that, I also understand that this is the first book in a series, meaning it is meant to lay the ground for the others, and I believe that in the future there will be more action and heart-wrenching events.
About the romance: this is advertised as a NA Fantasy. However, I consider this to be leaning more toward YA Fantasy.
The relationship between Biagio and Inga was sweet and frustrating to the same extent (there were times I wished I could scream at them to stop being so stubborn). I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops (especially after that ending) and finding out what exactly is in store for Inga just for being Biagio’s partner.
Overall, this is a good debut novel, with great potential to be something even better. I’m glad I pushed through and finished this.
2.75 stars
This book is set in a world where supernatural beings live among humans: vampires, werewolves, and witches (known as Podestaria) are the norm. Even if humans ostracize them and more often than not fear them, they are out and about in the world, albeit being supervised by the Department of Supernatural Affairs (aka DeSNA).
Inga, our FMC, is an 18-year-old lower-class Podestarius who possesses the ability to sense other supernaturals’ unique magical scents.
Being torn between her wish to pursue mathematical sciences and her mother’s desire for her to give up her studies seems to be the worst of her problems.
However, when a bunch of Podestaria starts disappearing and the police seem to be covering it up, Inga’s world is turned upside down and she’s questioning everything she thought she knew about herself, her family, and her powers.
With the aid of the handsome, mysterious Biagio, Inga starts to unveil a long-kept secret and her life is altered irreversibly.
This book has everything to be great.
The whole concept it revolves around is very intriguing and innovative. The way it mixes magic in its most traditional form with technology and science is well-achieved. The mysteries and secrets surrounding our main characters kept me glued to the pages, hoping I’d finally figure out what was going on. And while some of them were unveiled, we still have to wait for the next book for our curiosity to be completely sated.
That being said, I also believe that some issues have hindered this book from its full potential.
The major issue for me was the writing (and maybe that has to do with this being an ARC).
I'm not a native English speaker (in fact I’m European) but I noticed several grammatical mistakes and some of the sentences were built in an unusual way. It didn’t affect the global comprehension of the story, but a few details/conversations were slightly unclear. I hope that the finished copy went through extensive proofreading since the book greatly benefits from that (if it did ignore this whole paragraph).
Also, in my opinion, the beginning was slightly confusing for two reasons. The first one was because several characters were being introduced in a short span.
Even if that is to be expected in every book’s first chapters, the downpour of characters’ names and their relationships was, at times, slightly unclear, hard to keep up with, and even made me jumble some of them together initially.
(maybe I was a bit sleep deprived, but that wasn’t the only reason why I felt like that. Some details were left for the reader to deduce and weren’t outright explained and I believe that made some things a bit unclear for me).
The second reason is in regard to the world-building, but this is more of a preference of mine. I wish the explanation of Podestaria, how they are identified as such and divided by classes, was made earlier in the story. The author does execute this nicely further in, with well-thought-out scientific reasoning, but I like to have a fully-formed image of the world and how it is organized before I delve deeper into the plot itself.
Speaking about the plot, all through the story there were a few adversities/setbacks for our main characters. However, I didn’t feel like there was this major event/conflict where the characters’ willpower and survival are challenged by the villain of the story. It felt somewhat anticlimactic and I was expecting something more. Despite that, I also understand that this is the first book in a series, meaning it is meant to lay the ground for the others, and I believe that in the future there will be more action and heart-wrenching events.
About the romance: this is advertised as a NA Fantasy. However, I consider this to be leaning more toward YA Fantasy.
The relationship between Biagio and Inga was sweet and frustrating to the same extent (there were times I wished I could scream at them to stop being so stubborn). I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops (especially after that ending) and finding out what exactly is in store for Inga just for being Biagio’s partner.
Overall, this is a good debut novel, with great potential to be something even better. I’m glad I pushed through and finished this.
2.75 stars
April 4, 2023
This book has two fascinating dark male leads in Biaggio the romantic hero and the sinister villain. That Inga stood out so strongly as a feisty, independent, and still vulnerable heroine is quite the achievement. I couldn’t put the book down or let it out of my sight, in case somebody else borrowed it!
May 21, 2023
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It isn' very often that I don't have much to say about where a book didn't meet standards, but it happened here with this one! My issues were that it felt a bit long when reading in some points and that at times, the story was just all over the place. I also believe that it could use another edit as there were some stunted sentences, missing words, and contradictory thoughts right after other thoughts.
Full review here: https://whatimreading6.wordpress.com/...
It isn' very often that I don't have much to say about where a book didn't meet standards, but it happened here with this one! My issues were that it felt a bit long when reading in some points and that at times, the story was just all over the place. I also believe that it could use another edit as there were some stunted sentences, missing words, and contradictory thoughts right after other thoughts.
Full review here: https://whatimreading6.wordpress.com/...
March 5, 2023
I was given an opportunity to read the post-ARC version of Hidden Heir by Rose D Patruno, the author.
I enjoyed the narrative set up and how the central characters were portrayed. There are many fresh ideas and devices that you don't often see within this genre, so for that, it was engaging and made it stand out for me. A great debut from this obviously talented author.
I enjoyed the narrative set up and how the central characters were portrayed. There are many fresh ideas and devices that you don't often see within this genre, so for that, it was engaging and made it stand out for me. A great debut from this obviously talented author.
March 6, 2023
genial 👍
March 6, 2023
Well written, a must read book for those who like suspenseful stories
January 27, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm not quite sure I enjoyed this book. The story line would catch me at times and then it would let me go. I can see how younger readers (13+) would like this book. It was full of magic and young love. The romance was a little too slow for even a slow burn.
A large portion of the time I was struggling through the writing because it was so European I couldn't equate it to American culture. There were a lot of terms which were used that had a distinct European flair to them and didn't have a clear explanation. It was as if it was expected the readers would automatically understand. I think that may turn off some American young readers.
It was also a very long book. This doesn't turn me off, in fact I love long books. However, there wasn't enough story line to grab me long enough to keep me reading.
A large portion of the time I was struggling through the writing because it was so European I couldn't equate it to American culture. There were a lot of terms which were used that had a distinct European flair to them and didn't have a clear explanation. It was as if it was expected the readers would automatically understand. I think that may turn off some American young readers.
It was also a very long book. This doesn't turn me off, in fact I love long books. However, there wasn't enough story line to grab me long enough to keep me reading.
January 24, 2023
I respect that this is the authors debut novel. I can see a lot of thought was put into this book. This book had a mix of magic and Young love. I can see a lot of young readers enjoying this book. This book was a relatively easy read. With that being said, I felt that this book was a little too long. And it could’ve been shortened, and it kind of was all over the place. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book a little more if it wasn’t as long. But this is definitely geared towards younger readers and people who enjoy magic and relationships.
February 15, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn't influence my review. I was entranced by the synopsis and was looking forward to this book, especially seeing the cover. Unfortunately, it did not seem all that good to me. First of all, it was very long, which wouldn't have been a problem if the plot wasn't very dry and confusing. The world-building was so good, they gave an in-depth experience of the FMC listening to the lectures from the professor. I really wanted to DNF. It took too much for me to read this.
December 22, 2022
Patruno amazed me with her debut novel! I was captivated by Inga and Biago's connection from the very start and I loved reading about their romance. The added magical elements were also really interesting! I hope I can read more about Inga soon!!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews