Review: Legacy of Kings

LEGACY OF KINGS BY ELEANOR HERMAN

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 newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author 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. 

AMAZON/GOODREADS/BARNES AND NOBLE 

Despite a rocky start, I really ended up enjoying this book! SO many POVs could have been a disaster, but I looked forward to each character's chapters. I am excited for the next book!

Honestly, my favorite characters were Zo and Alexander. Although the evil, darker characters such as Olympias were fascinating to read about as well because they were given backstories that didn't excuse their actions, but led me to understand their motives better. Also, I loved the friendship dynamic between Alex and Heph... I questioned how they could continue to be true friends with so many barriers and misunderstandings, but I am a sucker for bromances!

Also, even though I kind of guessed the twist, the surprise ending has me anxious for the second novel. On an unrelated note, the aristotle quotes before each section, the descriptions, and the history bits really showed the author did her research and made the book feel very 340 BC. I haven't read any books about Alexander the Great or this time period in Greece so I was drawn in by the newness of the story.

Sadly, I had a hard time getting sucked into the novel initially. My second complaint was that I wasn't quite feeling the Jacob/Katerina love drama. Still, it barely detracted from the novel. And, I loved that Kat focused on other things than Jacob, as she never quite sorted out her true feelings for him! She was a strong character all on her own.

I read this book at the perfect time, as we are learning about Ancient Greece in History. Also, I flew through the last half. I highly recommend this to lovers of stories with magic, mythology, royalty, and epic settings!

4/5 Stars

*Received through a giveaway. This did not affect my opinion in any way*