Review of The Stolen Heir
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Claire Twy
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Review of The Stolen Heir
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Stolen Heir" by Tayma Tameem.]
The Stolen Heir by Tayma Tameem delves deep into the world of Krasoria, a world split into four kingdoms and watched over by the spirits. A fragile peace straddles the lands, particularly between the ruling kingdoms of Thumeria and Paleria, governed by royals with magic in their blood. A peace that cannot last forever, broken when an heir of the two kingdoms is stolen. Those who stole him believe he is a child of prophecy, a bearer of magic never witnessed before, but in order to reach his full potential, he must live a life of suffering among the commoners, away from the sheltered lifestyle he was born into. However, their attempts to fulfil the prophecy result in a war erupting between the lands, one which lasts throughout the boy's life. He must survive until his 18th birthday, thwarting assassins sent after him by his own uncle, grappling with powers he has yet to control, all the while not knowing his true birthright and plotting vengeance against his royal family.
Although this was said to be professionally edited, I noticed a disappointing number of typos such as a 0 substituted for o and grammatical errors as well as inappropriate language. The adjectives used did not seem to accord with the characters actions, for example, one of the characters yelled in frustration when they were meant to be hiding from armed guards. The character's actions did not accord with their own personalities as well, which proved to be quite disorienting as often a character would suddenly react out of line with what I had come to expect of them. Repeated adjectives were often used, such as howling or burst out, which seemed inappropriate considering the setting at times. Additionally, the inconsistent use of contractions disrupted the flow of the story and the writer sometimes focused only on a certain person or number of people in a scene, disregarding the others and leaving the reader clueless as to what happened to them.
Having said this, these errors were only more noticeable at the beginning of the book. Once the story got into its swing, the pace began to pick up, amping up the tension and causing the reader to be fully concentrated on the story. The world is well fleshed-out, with apt descriptions and perspectives from all round, allowing a view of the world as a whole. I really like the complexity of the characters and how there is no truly good or evil character. The main villain, Caligon, has truly despicable goals and means of achieving them, yet we can understand and sympathise with him at times. Even people who appear good and pure at the beginning such as Jumen and Leorin have their flaws and moments of weakness. Making these characters multi-layered and multi-dimensional humanises them, allowing the reader to relate on a deeper level and care more about their futures.
After much deliberation, I have decided to give this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to the next one, the misuse of adjectives and gaps were off-putting and interrupted the flow. Despite being able to ignore them after reaching the meat of the story, there were times when the momentum was halted due to general confusion from lack of information. However, overall, it was an interesting plot and as a fan of fantasy genre, I really appreciate the creativity put into the creation of this mythical world.
I would caution against recommending this book for children as there is a fair amount of bloodshed, although not described in detail. For lovers of the fantasy genre though, this book is certainly enjoyable. Fairly simple to understand, it is a relaxing read that allows you to forget your own worries as you float into the gripping world of Krasoria and all its problems.
******
The Stolen Heir
View: on Bookshelves
The Stolen Heir by Tayma Tameem delves deep into the world of Krasoria, a world split into four kingdoms and watched over by the spirits. A fragile peace straddles the lands, particularly between the ruling kingdoms of Thumeria and Paleria, governed by royals with magic in their blood. A peace that cannot last forever, broken when an heir of the two kingdoms is stolen. Those who stole him believe he is a child of prophecy, a bearer of magic never witnessed before, but in order to reach his full potential, he must live a life of suffering among the commoners, away from the sheltered lifestyle he was born into. However, their attempts to fulfil the prophecy result in a war erupting between the lands, one which lasts throughout the boy's life. He must survive until his 18th birthday, thwarting assassins sent after him by his own uncle, grappling with powers he has yet to control, all the while not knowing his true birthright and plotting vengeance against his royal family.
Although this was said to be professionally edited, I noticed a disappointing number of typos such as a 0 substituted for o and grammatical errors as well as inappropriate language. The adjectives used did not seem to accord with the characters actions, for example, one of the characters yelled in frustration when they were meant to be hiding from armed guards. The character's actions did not accord with their own personalities as well, which proved to be quite disorienting as often a character would suddenly react out of line with what I had come to expect of them. Repeated adjectives were often used, such as howling or burst out, which seemed inappropriate considering the setting at times. Additionally, the inconsistent use of contractions disrupted the flow of the story and the writer sometimes focused only on a certain person or number of people in a scene, disregarding the others and leaving the reader clueless as to what happened to them.
Having said this, these errors were only more noticeable at the beginning of the book. Once the story got into its swing, the pace began to pick up, amping up the tension and causing the reader to be fully concentrated on the story. The world is well fleshed-out, with apt descriptions and perspectives from all round, allowing a view of the world as a whole. I really like the complexity of the characters and how there is no truly good or evil character. The main villain, Caligon, has truly despicable goals and means of achieving them, yet we can understand and sympathise with him at times. Even people who appear good and pure at the beginning such as Jumen and Leorin have their flaws and moments of weakness. Making these characters multi-layered and multi-dimensional humanises them, allowing the reader to relate on a deeper level and care more about their futures.
After much deliberation, I have decided to give this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although I did enjoy the book and am looking forward to the next one, the misuse of adjectives and gaps were off-putting and interrupted the flow. Despite being able to ignore them after reaching the meat of the story, there were times when the momentum was halted due to general confusion from lack of information. However, overall, it was an interesting plot and as a fan of fantasy genre, I really appreciate the creativity put into the creation of this mythical world.
I would caution against recommending this book for children as there is a fair amount of bloodshed, although not described in detail. For lovers of the fantasy genre though, this book is certainly enjoyable. Fairly simple to understand, it is a relaxing read that allows you to forget your own worries as you float into the gripping world of Krasoria and all its problems.
******
The Stolen Heir
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
