Published by Harlequin Teen, expected Aug 25, 2015. Hardcover, 384 pgs.
SUMMARY:
When I went to Book Expo America this year, I encountered a woman near the restrooms decked out in full Queen regalia. Intrigued, I later realized said lady was Eleanor Herman, signing Advanced Review Copies of Legacy of Kings in the Harlequin teen booth. Unfortunately, I was scheduled to be in lines on both days she was doing signings, so was pleased as punch to receive a Net Galley approval for this title.
Also, I just read a book called The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton and it was fabulous, so reading two Eleanor's in a row seemed auspicious.
First in a new series called Blood of Gods and Royals, this Historical Fiction/Fantasy Young Adult novel is a retelling of Alexander the Great. Herman focuses on several sets of characters in different Kingdoms to highlight how Alexander first showed signs of greatness in battle, how his relationships affected his leadership and perceptions, and his coming of age to be one of the most spectacular Conqueror's and Tacticians the world has ever seen.
Goodreads Description
CHARACTERS: The first scene worried me- Kat and Jacob, friends since birth in the small village of Erissa, get gushy immediately. There were "shivers" and "body tingles" in the first few pages. There also seemed to be a good deal of Gale and Katniss throwback from The Hunger Games. Most obviously in Kat's name, the mimicking of "he's not just my dorky childhood friend anymore" sentiments, and finally that both duos are heading to bloody tournaments! Luckily Kat and Jacob get separated for most of the story, so this annoyance went away quickly (but could possibly resume later).
Also, there is a Tyrrhian dwarf named Timaeus. This could have been a strange coincidence, but Game of Thrones is so popular for Tyrion Lannister (also a dwarf!) that I was surprised the author went with this name choice. Call me nitpicky, but similar character traits, as well as extremely similar name association from very current popular shows and books, seems to detract in my humble opinion. Perhaps she was paying homage, or maybe it was unintentional? Not sure.
I liked the strong female characters in Alexander's sister Cynane, Kat with her animal magic, the Persian Zofia, and even the evil but fascinating Olympias. Herman was wonderful in her portrayal of women in this time....the majority having no value besides being sexual playthings or child-bearers for the kingdom. As stated in one section, they often "Lead lives of frustration, boredom, and resentment."
Herman is ambitious with her characters, and this will be conducive to fleshing out the series in the future.
WRITING: The writing is not highly literary, but it suits the story and is incredibly atmospheric- which is a huge requirement for this type of book. My favorite expositions were on the elements of magic and the battle between Gods and Monsters. I was happy she gave reasons and explanations for the magic. When this element is left intentionally vague in other books, like a "you're supposed to reach your own conclusion" situation, it mostly feels (fairly or unfairly) like the author had trouble articulating the magic in the first place. Kudos Herman!!
WORLD BUILDING: I was totally engrossed in this Empire. The historical tidbits felt real, especially the smell of incense in the markets, the descriptions of places in the palace like the Royal Laundry, and the evocative rituals and ancient magics. Very hypnotic!
PACING: The book excels in pacing, particularly the battle scenes. The action moves along appropriately and doesn't feel rushed or overly lengthy. I always felt like I knew who was fighting who, the location and progress of battle, and who was winning. I appreciated the ease of reading these sections. There was good handling of what can often be tedious, violent scenes. War is by nature violent (I know reader, I'm laying down shocking, brand new info here!) but Herman managed well and didn't linger excessively on gruesome details.
PLOT: Political intrigue and battles are not new topics, but my forays into this category are usually the World War II time period variety, so I quite enjoyed my jaunt to 340 B.C. Herman is a Historian and this is evident in the mixture of real facts with the sprinkling of fiction. There was lots of information she had to sift through and I thought it was a job well done in picking and choosing what was relevant to her narrative.
FINAL RATING: 4 STARS. These days I seem to go into Young Adult with trepidation. I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised with this story, especially the strength of the last half in setting up for future books. Herman paced her story better than a lot of my recent fantasy reads, the characters were well-crafted, and I liked the period detail and magic.
In Herman's acknowledgements, she makes mention of how "The most cunningly crafted novels are an easy read, which can lead to the mistaken belief that very little skill is required." While this might seem a touch self-indulgent, I found this to be utterly true in her work. The book felt easy and pleasurable to read, but not because of being simple or watered down- just a capable author handling an epic story. Keep a lookout for this one, I predict it will be popular in the fall. The second installment is already slated for September 2016. I look forward to seeing the buzz and reviews, and will likely continue the series.
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