AUTHOR: J.D.Ruffin
PUBLISHED BY: J.D.Ruffin
Heir of Magic is the first experience of an exciting new fantasy series, The Kingdom War. Ruffin weaves an entertaining and exceptional world of magic with fantasy, mystery, adventure and a touch of romance in this make-believe inspired story; there's definitely something for everyone.
Empress Irina has been dead a
thousand years. She is a powerful Mage who tried to crush the nations under her
iron fist, only to be thwarted by the selfless sacrifice of magic’s guardian.
Ten centuries later, her cult of fanatics plot to bring her back.
When prominent residents vanish,
Guardsman Keelan Rea is given the task of bringing the victims back home. His
ability of Truthreading makes him the nation’s chief investigator but his
search will test him to the hilt as the hunt gets personal when the woman he
cares for is taken captive.
A thousand miles away, the Crown
Princess Jess struggles between duty and love. When her mother arranges an
unwanted marriage, the Princess flees with her secret beau, only to be chased after
by masked men who threaten more than just her liberty.
Rea must save the magicians and
stop a war; Jess must save herself.
I love a world full of people
with unique magical powers interwoven with a dangerous mystery to be solved;
Heir of Magic had me hooked from the start. I couldn’t wait to find out more about the characters from their first appearances
into the storyline as I found them relatable and fascinating. I loved the individual personalities of
Keelan and Declan and their brotherly dynamic. Additionally, I found The Royal
Family, with their disagreements and that fine line between duty and love gave added
believable density to the story. Although there were numerous characters in the
story, they all held my attention and added depth to this captivating and
sometimes disturbing imaginary world.
The pacing of the story is
spot-on and the author brings readers into a fantasy world in a manner which
seems natural and doesn’t overwhelm. The story is fast-paced; reveals are made
known in short sections nearer to the end of the book rather than all at once
and there were definitely some reveals I didn’t see coming.
The book was difficult for me to
put down and I am having trouble deciding the most appealing part about it; I
loved the true-to-life characters; each main character is likable, almost
lovable, I was quickly drawn into his/her life.
Each character has his/her own type of magic and I think readers will
appreciate the touches that made them seem so real, for instance the princess
wrestles with sexism, orphan brothers struggle to fit in and young love just
happens. I loved the carefully crafted Kingdom which I could easily imagine
being part of, a
magical world where some people have gifts and some don’t and I loved the
dynamic between the people with magic and the people without plus the tension that
keeps readers wondering what will happen next culminating with a cliff-hanger
ending; all in all a treat for readers who love fantasy. Moreover, I particularly liked the two different storylines and slowly watching as
everything started to come together.
Multiple
points of view are told throughout the story. Almost every chapter has a
different point of view and each character is at a different point in the
story. On the minus side the same timelines aren’t followed and this made
keeping track of the story a little more difficult, but on the plus side, readers
are able to learn about dissimilar characters that each bring something
different to the story.
This
story is a multi-point-of-view rollercoaster coursing through a world filled
with magic and political intrigue. Although it is set in a fantasy land, it has
vibes of a murder mystery with clues and red herrings. Readers follow royalty,
commoners, those who can use magic and those captured by magic. The story
doesn't shy away from ghastly events, but it also has many moments of laugh-out-loud
wit. The scenes and characters are rich and the plot truly kept me on the edge
of my seat.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable
read; Ruffin is a wonderful wordsmith and has created a brilliant, unique world
in a truly engaging story.
There are so many exciting unanswered
questions readers are left with and I’m looking forward to uncovering the
answers in a sequel.
Reviewer - Anne Pritchard
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