Heather Ashle’s An Heir of Realms is the first book of the Realm Rider Series. The novel is a multi-world, multi-POV, epic fantasy of soldiers who ride dragons, protecting a world.
A brief summary. In the main world of D’Erenelle, Rhoswen and Thane are niece and nephew to the king. They are on their way to Aethelburh to train to become Realm Riders. Realm Riders ride dragons and destroy shadow creatures called Narxon. Narxon destroy the landscape and create rifts in the sky. Realm Riders also seal the rifts with their fire.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Emmelyn is recruited, against her wishes, to a job in a nexus area known as the Exchange. The Exchange is a place that allows portal travelers to slightly modify other worlds like D’Erenelle. Portal travelers influence worlds to keep them from harm. Emmelyn learns of D’Erenelle and all the intrigue surrounding the efforts to save it. As time passes, she’s not sure the people of the Exchange are trying to save it?
This book is an epic fantasy, following the tradition of a lengthy, world-building narrative that uses magic to contemplate broad ideas. As indicated by the subtitle, An Heir of Realms is the first in a series and ends abruptly. But before it does, the reader is treated to dragon training, a dance club outside of all worlds, an evil king with a plan to save his world, and compasses that do more than give directions. The worlds are richly described, and the characters are engaging. Changing point-of-view is always a risk, but author Ashle pulls it off, allowing the reader to get into the minds of Rhoswen, Emmelyn, and a few other characters. The switches are done on chapter boundaries to orient the reader.
One element that stands out is the writing. The writing is superior to most books on the market, especially for the size. Its language, metaphors, and details are captured elegantly. The style draws the reader in an easy-going narrative that fantasy fans are bound to enjoy. If it has a fault, it provides too much technical detail at times for a magic novel. That said, the handling of creatures, in particular the dragons, feels authentic. The winged creatures have a personality all their own.
Is it a portal fantasy? Yes, but a unique one because the Earth characters don’t go to D’Erenelle but influence it from afar. Is it an epic fantasy? Yes, though there are few epic battles, instead opting to set the stage for future entries. An Heir of Realms is best as an intrigue novel wherein different factions are jostling for control. The novel shines at describing the machinations of evil and the countermeasures of good.
An Heir of Realms is a fantasy with more on its mind than simple sword fights and spells. The novel has world-ending stakes, plucky heroes in over their heads, and a set of dragons with unique personalities. What a start to the series!