A spymaster forced to train with Adristan’s most secretive order. A war commander disgusted by death. A lord damned to repeat history if he cannot master it.
Asriel Veservus is not ready to inherit power. Though he is heir to the noble house dedicated to documenting history, his High Lord father has left him to his own devices. Regarded as a fool, he stumbles through congresses, coasting on his charm as he attempts to find allies in a very fragile political landscape. Rather than attempt to offer wisdom, his father chooses instead to build up Asriel’s half-sister into a weapon.
Rhaella cannot inherit power. As her father’s bastard, she is relegated to relative obscurity, though she has more potential. Her keen senses combined with her low societal status allows her to go unnoticed as the spymaster. The nobles condescend to her, even as they fear the secrets she keeps. While she is content to keep to the shadows, it is those talents that catch the attention of her house’s ally, the justice-keeping House Midar.
Virgil Midar does not want power. He abhors the necessity of violence as their nation sinks deeper into a bloody conflict. Charged with fighting toward peace, he grasps for humanity amongst ambitious and scheming nobles. When his father’s chief advisor begins pushing for Virgil to marry, his focus narrows on ending the war so he can levy the victory against it. His feelings begin to shift when House Veservus’s spymaster comes to his aid with strategy.
With the threat of battle ever-looming on the horizon, they band together to uncover just how deep traitorous blood runs in their houses. Traitors wish to see a tyrannical monarchy put back into power at the expense of the noble houses. Around them, their peers are just as ill-prepared and vulnerable to the corrosive nature of power. The collective future of the nation lies on an uncertain foundation, and it may only take one whispered secret to dismantle the entire thing.
Heirs of Destruction is the first book in The Crownkiller Saga, a new high-fantasy series by award-winning indie author T.N. Vitus.
first of all, i would like to thank t.n. vitus for giving me the opportunity to read this masterpiece before its release and while i did get an arc from the author, my thoughts weren’t influenced by that. so my love for this book is exactly that – mine.
“heirs of destruction” is a high-fantasy in the vein of game of thrones, with a dash of castlevania added. it’s got a large cast of characters, an insanely well-crafted world and a plot that’s paced just right. while i do think the story itself is insanely gripping, i think the characters’ are the book’s shining star – each of them were carefully created and they each had their own personality and voice.
the writing was absolutely beautiful – it’s lyrical without being too pretentious. i think i highlighted a third of the book because i loved the quotes. the dialogue between the characters never felt forced or pointless and i think both the description of places and the action sequences were crafted magnificently. there weren’t any inconsistencies throughout the story – the pace was constant, and the tone and style of each character remained the same. i also have to point out that, even if it’s a fantasy story, it’s a very easy book to read because it simply flows.
even before i started reading, i knew rhaella would be my favourite because i always gravitate towards strong female characters that are also insanely smart and hold their own. granted, virgil was a close second, but i still think rhaella’s the star of the show. i loved watching her evolve throughout the book – it’s fascinating to see her mind work, since she’s such an intelligent character. virgil and asriel were both solid protagonists and the trio’s dynamic made for an entertaining read.
i was rooting for virgil and rhaella since the start of the book since i think they fit together well. their relationship was well developed and i absolutely adored the scenes in which they interact. the yearning and the love they share was so obvious – the writing is just that good. the other relationships in the book were also explored enough. i cannot wait to see more scenes with two certain characters in the next book, hopefully.
i didn’t expect the book to go in the direction it went and i’m glad the author wasn’t afraid to take risks because i was completely surprised. i think the ending was perfect for this first novel, as “heirs of destruction” is a good set-up book for the rest of the series. there’s just enough world-building that we can grasp what’s going on without dumping everything on the reader from the start.
overall, i’m really happy i read this book, as it had absolutely everything i’m looking for in a fantasy novel. it’s a wonderful story, with a great cast of characters that you simply cannot help but root for. so, do yourself a favour and give “heirs of destruction” a chance to blow your mind. 🙂
ohnobooks 