BLUF- An excellent debut fantasy novel by Alicia Wanstall-Burke. Read it.

Well readers, it’s not every year that I spend the day before Thanksgiving reading like a madman in a fantasy novel, and staying up late into the wee hours penning a review. Blood of Heirs was worth it. What an excellent novel. Really.

Ok, let me throw out a few facts. First, fantasy isn’t really a big thing of mine, but I read the premise to this novel along with a sample and I was hooked. Second, I am very glad I bought this book and read it, and it’s a pleasure to review.

Ms. Wanstall-Burke did an amazing job with her world-building, and there are no flies on her characters, either. Both the world and the people in it were realistic, identifiable, and sympathetic. These were not cardboard-cutouts. No, the world and personalities in it came alive in my mind as I feverishly burned through the pages.

The plot was excellent, the book was a great page turner. I liked how the two chief protagonists, Lidan and Ran, would switch off, this helped expand Alicia’s world, and kept me constantly engaged.

Also, I enjoyed the interplay of the supernatural with the “earthly” action- I thought this was very well crafted, and displayed real storytelling mastery on the part of the author.

For a debut novel, this one smoked it out of the park.

If you are a fantasy fan, this is a must-read. Hell, if you’re a fiction fan of any genre, the same.

Go out and get a copy, I think you’ll be well-satisfied. I know I was.