Heir to the Darkmage

I wasn’t sure as the story began? It seemed to drag a little. But, as the story went along, I was hooked. I enjoyed how Lisa tied the two stories together. By the end of final chapter, I knew it is going to be another of the stories I will enjoy reading.

Enthralling , exciting and well written series

A fun story about the granddaughter of a Dark Lord who grew up on the streets after her mother's death as well as a horrid orphanage experience. I really liked this book and its story of Lira's adventures. She's a character who is a lot more cynical than your typical Young Adult mage school heroine and I feel that elevated the material. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

This is a difficult book to talk about without spoilers so I'm going to focus on things that aren't the plot. I adore Lira and I love the supporting cast too. Honestly, I adored everything about this book except for the pacing of the middle 30%. That's probably a me problem. I was probably just having an off day and projecting my frustration at the book, but I had some trouble with a series of scenes that felt like the same scene over and over again. However, it was well worth enduring for the delight of Lira's story unfolding. I can't say more than that without giving things away. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I love Lisa's books, have read them all and can't wait for the next one.

There is nothing better than wondering what happens to the characters of a story at the end of a wonderful series like Heartfire than to realize a new book has been released that follows up on said character's heirs. Waiting in anticipation for the next book!

I just finished this about an hour ago, and I wish the next book was out already! I have yet to be disappointed with any of Lisa Cassidy's work. She's seriously become one of my favorite writers and deserves much more recognition! This is one of her most complex main characters yet, I think. The ostracism and hatred Lira receives has impacted her heavily and she's very hardened because of it. I found her extremely relatable and understand why she was battling her internal feelings throughout the book. The dual timelines reminded me a lot of Name of the Wind, where you see Kvothe struggling to get by on the streets, which was one of my favorite parts of that book. Just seeing a character push themselves beyond their means to fight for their survival is really appealing to me. One thing I wondered about was everyone calls Lira 'Spider', as a cruel nickname. She seems hurt by it at times, and other times doesn't care. Some characters call her Lira, then revert to Spider. I just wonder why she doesn't tell them not to call her that, or why character who seem friendly with her at first, revert to Spider later. But if I've learned anything in Cassidy's books, if I have a question about something, it's usually addressed within the next few books. Also the tension with Lira and a certain other character is really good! I love how twisted and complicated I ALSO am feeling about their connection and I can't wait to see the motivation for that other character. This is a sequel series that definitely benefits from knowing the history and worldbuilding of the first series, but I think it could also stand alone to get you intrigued to go back to the first books if you read in the wrong order.

I just finished this about an hour ago, and I wish the next book was out already! I have yet to be disappointed with any of Lisa Cassidy's work. She's seriously become one of my favorite writers and deserves much more recognition! This is one of her most complex main characters yet, I think. The ostracism and hatred Lira receives has impacted her heavily and she's very hardened because of it. I found her extremely relatable and understand why she was battling her internal feelings throughout the book. The dual timelines reminded me a lot of Name of the Wind, where you see Kvothe struggling to get by on the streets, which was one of my favorite parts of that book. Just seeing a character push themselves beyond their means to fight for their survival is really appealing to me. One thing I wondered about was everyone calls Lira 'Spider', as a cruel nickname. She seems hurt by it at times, and other times doesn't care. Some characters call her Lira, then revert to Spider. I just wonder why she doesn't tell them not to call her that, or why character who seem friendly with her at first, revert to Spider later. But if I've learned anything in Cassidy's books, if I have a question about something, it's usually addressed within the next few books. Also the tension with Lira and a certain other character is really good! I love how twisted and complicated I ALSO am feeling about their connection and I can't wait to see the motivation for that other character. This is a sequel series that definitely benefits from knowing the history and worldbuilding of the first series, but I think it could also stand alone to get you intrigued to go back to the first books if you read in the wrong order.

Everything she writes is gold. If you haven’t read the other books in this series, go do that now. You won’t be disappointed. Go... go go go. And then go read her other books as well. I have been so excited waiting for this book and I couldn’t put it down. Now to wait for the next.

Really enjoyable novel with a main character I actually liked! Lira is complex, smart and unapologetic without being obnoxious. Can’t wait for the follow up!

This book has so much adventure in it and just when you think you know what’s going to happen next you get surprised. Could not put this book down!

This is my first step into Lisa Cassidy’s novels, and I have to say that I was not disappointed! This is a follow-up to The Mage Chronicles but if you’re like me and jump in feet first with this book you won’t miss too much from not reading the first series. There are some things surrounding Lira’s past that I do think would’ve solidified my understanding of her ancestry, but Cassidy still does an excellent job of keeping her readers in the know. The world building is crafted with a dark and dangerous atmosphere. The setup of the street kid ‘gangs” and the Underground aspect were a great touch and I found myself constantly questioning who was truly good. I like that. I like surprises in my reads. Let me also take a moment and say my favorite part… monsters. Throw monsters into a novel and I am like a kid in a candy store ready to get my hyper on. The action was perfectly paced and though some areas did feel a bit repetitive in scenario and circumstance I still found myself flipping pages to know the ending. Dual timelines that jump between Lira’s past and present really helped form that reader/character connection that I always hope to have. She is a complex, rough edged and street-smart MC who proves how strong a woman in her situation can truly be. Her backstory is heartbreaking, and Cassidy does an exquisite job of creating strength from the turmoil the MC encounters. However, I do think that present day Lira lacked something that the younger Lira had in the narration. I am not sure exactly what it was but between the two timelines I fell more in step with Lira’s past self than the present self. I feel this may stem from the reader in me realizing the need to start with The Mage Chronicles. Or it could simply be the depth put into creating the past-self chapters, it really grips you in the blood pumper. I loved being a part of Cassidy’s team and having the opportunity to read and review this gifted ARC. I have her other series on my kindle and have officially made it part of my 2021 TBR. If you’re into fantasy and books with morally grey and complex female leads than you know I would totally point you towards this novel for your TBR. Now to patiently await book two.

This is my first step into Lisa Cassidy’s novels, and I have to say that I was not disappointed! This is a follow-up to The Mage Chronicles but if you’re like me and jump in feet first with this book you won’t miss too much from not reading the first series. There are some things surrounding Lira’s past that I do think would’ve solidified my understanding of her ancestry, but Cassidy still does an excellent job of keeping her readers in the know. The world building is crafted with a dark and dangerous atmosphere. The setup of the street kid ‘gangs” and the Underground aspect were a great touch and I found myself constantly questioning who was truly good. I like that. I like surprises in my reads. Let me also take a moment and say my favorite part… monsters. Throw monsters into a novel and I am like a kid in a candy store ready to get my hyper on. The action was perfectly paced and though some areas did feel a bit repetitive in scenario and circumstance I still found myself flipping pages to know the ending. Dual timelines that jump between Lira’s past and present really helped form that reader/character connection that I always hope to have. She is a complex, rough edged and street-smart MC who proves how strong a woman in her situation can truly be. Her backstory is heartbreaking, and Cassidy does an exquisite job of creating strength from the turmoil the MC encounters. However, I do think that present day Lira lacked something that the younger Lira had in the narration. I am not sure exactly what it was but between the two timelines I fell more in step with Lira’s past self than the present self. I feel this may stem from the reader in me realizing the need to start with The Mage Chronicles. Or it could simply be the depth put into creating the past-self chapters, it really grips you in the blood pumper. I loved being a part of Cassidy’s team and having the opportunity to read and review this gifted ARC. I have her other series on my kindle and have officially made it part of my 2021 TBR. If you’re into fantasy and books with morally grey and complex female leads than you know I would totally point you towards this novel for your TBR. Now to patiently await book two.

Heir to the Darkmage by Lisa Cassidy is an awesome book! It is a follow up to another series, but it is perfectly great if you read this first. All the info needed to understand is here! I absolutely love the world building in this novel. It was so easy for me to imagine I was in this story. I love the dual timelines. We get one that involves Lira’s backstory, that is gut-wrenching. We also get a timeline with current events as she lives as an apprentice at the Mage Academy. The pacing is excellent. I was obsessed from page one. I read this in one sitting because as soon as I opened this book, there was no setting it down. Highly recommended!! *I received a free copy of this book from Rachel’s Random Resources to review honestly on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*