Book Review: Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Posted October 20, 2015 by Melissa in Uncategorized / 4 Comments

Title: Legacy of Kings
Series: Blood of Gods and Royals #1

Author: Eleanor Herman

Genre: YA High Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Published:  August 18th, 2015
Page Count:  384 pages
Format:  eBook
Source: From Paper Lantern Lit

Summary:
Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer…

Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love…

Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince.

And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known, Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series. 

*The Reader’s Review*
My rating: 5/5 stars

Wow! Legacy of Kings is a FANTASTIC read. It hooked me right after page one and it made it SO HARD to put down every single time I had to go back to reality. I just wanted to read and be consumed by the story!
I’ve stated countless of times before how important characters are for me, how they are usually what make or break a story. And it’s a bit worrying at first considering how Legacy of Kings has this whole array of characters and POVs. I sometimes dislike books like this because I usually end up disliking one of the POVs or getting bored every single time it’s a character’s turn to move the story forward. But not with Legacy of Kings. The characters ARE the story. Each and every single one of them–Katerina, Jacob, Alexander, Hephaestion, Zofia, Cynane, Olympias (so many, I know!)–were so intriguing. I loved how they acted and changed throughout the story, how they surprised and did the expected and unexpected. For me, at least, it was hard to guess what they were planning on doing so this is what made it all the more exciting.
 If I had to pick a favorite character, I think I’d go for Katerina. I know it’s an obvious choice since she’s like one of the most important characters, but it had more to do with how she moves forward in the story. She’s driven by the purpose to exact vengeance upon the person who killed her mother, and it’s interesting how she slowly pieces together the truth. I wasn’t totally on the dark for this secret, I had my hunch right from the start, but it was still amazing how it all develops.
Another one I loved was of course, Alexander. It is HIS story after all. I wasn’t particularly familiar before with Alexander the Great, but now I can surely say I’m intrigued by his character. Okay, I’m not sure how much historically accurate he is in this book, but I loved how in here, he’s loyal and has a sincere sense of duty towards his people. He strives to be the ruler everyone needs him to be. But I felt for his pain of not being entirely healthy and his embarrassment of being seen as weak because of his bad leg. It must have been extremely hard to keep his head up high. 
I know a lot of readers may be a bit hesitant to pick up this book. Legacy of Kings DOES have a lot of POVs and it is a bit slow, but I wouldn’t have had any other way because it’s necessary for the story. It’s the kind of story that cannot be rushed. When you hit the second half mark, it certainly picks up more and from then on, it’s a whirlwind of action and exciting revelations!
All in all, Legacy of Kings IS a book that delivers. It’s perfect for fantasy lovers. Perfect for historical readers. Perfect if you love action, dark magic, and romance. It’s freakin’ EPIC.

4 responses to “Book Review: Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

    • It has a lot of mixed reviews, but it all depends on the reader. If you like multiple POVs and care about learning each character, then yes, this book will be for you. The second half has lots more action so it's worth the wait from the slowish first half. 🙂