Heir to Thorn and Flame: Court of Broken Bonds, Book 1

I enjoyed the storytelling and twists and turns that this story took. I was expecting more spice, but I would venture to guess that that will come in subsequent books. Great development of characters and storyline, that made you want to continue to read. I am interested to see what happens next.

Recommended and rated this book: stars4Well, this is a story to read if you do not mind the violence. The author has a strong sense of language, and it is beautiful to read, but I frankly am not a fan of continuous violence to move a story along. I have read three other books in between reading this story. I think it is a very good book, but not one that makes me want to read the next installment. Perhaps the author can convince otherwise.Reasons I enjoyed this book: Action-packed/Great world/building/Haunting/Original/Romantic/Scary/Tragic/Unpredictable/Wonderful characters

I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. I really liked the slow build up and the tension. The story follows Max, but you really feel all the other characters and their background and motivations. The world is interesting as well as the magic. If you like tension, fantasy, M/M (I would categorize this as more soft PG romance, but nonetheless still enticing). Currently reading the 2nd book….

I do not love this book. I do not hate this book. It is well written. But I have extreme anxiety problems and I don't read to be kept at the edge of my seat. And that is what this book does. If you're looking for a high impact story with twists and turns, this is it. It really is good. But not so good for an after work read. PS - The Audio Narrator is....worth the 2 stars I gave the audio. The main character's voice changes from scene to scene and is grating.

In my pursuit of captivating queer literature, I have yet to encounter an author whose prowess matches that of Ben Alderson. His Court of Broken Bonds series transcends mere storytelling; it embodies a level of depth, sincerity, and meticulous detail that is unparalleled in contemporary fantasy. While paying homage to the greats of his genre, Alderson establishes himself as a titan in his own right, destined to be enshrined alongside literary luminaries in the pantheon of fantasy. Alderson's protagonists navigate destinies fraught with twists and turns reminiscent of Shakespearean drama, interwoven with a poetic sensibility rarely encountered since the works of Anne Rice. As my favorite queer author, Alderson infuses his soul into every word and the world he creates, paying homage to my inner queer youth by seamlessly integrating themes of heroism, love, and queer identity as intrinsic facets of his narrative tapestry. The impact of Alderson's storytelling reverberates beyond the confines of his novels; it holds the potential to shape the lived experiences of future generations of queer authors. His unapologetic portrayal of queer identity as an accepted reality within his fictional realm not only validates but celebrates the diversity of human experience. With bated breath, I await the arrival of his third installment, "Heir to Dreams and Darkness," pondering whether it will conclude the saga or unveil new adventures for the captivating couple at its heart.

This book has promise. There are moments of genuinely excellent writing and character development, just as there are parts that are sloppy, rushed or poorly done. Not sure how I feel about the darker secret the main character held onto the whole book, and how it related to the end of the story. I would tread lightly of you know you have triggers to sexual assault, sexual abuse, or graphic violence. All in all, I would have it a 4/5 stars.

For starters I am always intensely drawn to evil characters and villains, for the most part they are usually misunderstood and have a valid point for doing “evil” and all that. I HATED how so much time was spent describing Cameron, and his scars and insecurity. Building him up to be this strong and cunning brave warrior, but having him be self conscious about his scars and trying to hide them. Loved that, strength, vulnerability, attractive features. He was leagues different compared to the nobles he had to deal with, and how twisted they were and greedy. Cameron ended up being the savior, scared and tired. Then he becomes this overpowered end boss, and almost completely changes character wise at the end, why did he have to become the villain and get killed? Max and Simian could’ve just developed as close friends, or becoming like brothers. But instead, Cameron had to die. The phoenix took over like a parasite, I really regret that he wasn’t saved and redeemed, I liked Cameron!The magic was pretty boring, some interesting concepts with the magical cords, it reminded me of strumming strings on an instrument. I simply loathe how all of a sudden mages are exhausted after 3 spells, and at other times they’re doing huge magical upheavals and are mostly fine. This happened a few times, and always irked me. The earth magic was boring, more rocks, more dirt, some vines. What about metal ore from the earth, formed into a sword or spear. I’m all about lighting and storm magic, so I did like the lightning magic. Although that to was hardly used, and how did Bea deflect it? Can she also use lightning magic like Max?

Between the dragons, mad queen, north and south… this is a bad Game of Thrones ripoff. I have read and enjoyed so many of this authors books but this was not one of them. There is barely any romance and none of the steaminess of his past books. The characters are pretty boring/annoying/unlikable. The story is very slow and filled with long boring monologues. The magic elements are interesting but they are teased for so long that by the time you get an explanation, you don’t care. And after all that, it ends without closure. Will not be reading the sequel.

Good reading!!

So amazing! Full of twists I wasn't expecting and an amazing world with awesome characters! So excited to start book 2! 😁

An emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end. Believable characters, relatable characters, villains you can freely hate. And secrets, so many secrets!I loved this book and story and am excited to see what fate has in store next for Maximus.

You know when you pick up a book just to read a few chapters and the entire world disappears, noises forgotten, absorbed to the point that when you look away the room is dark and you're 3 hours past bedtime!? That's this book. Finished in one sitting and I have that empty, void feeling of not quite knowing what to do with myself with a million reflections hitting me ever since.I absolutely love, love this book. I so rarely leave a review but it would be an injustice not to. I was truly transported into another world which is all I long for when I read. Did not touch my phone once, walk away, stretch my legs or pause for a rest - couldn't do it. I *had* to know what happened next. Absolutely fascinating, my heart breaking and mending and breaking. Feeling every emotion for the MC, pleading for the poor guy to catch a break. There are real beautiful, romantic moments which I live for but with a story that carries itself - a perfect balance of world building, action and romance. I gasped and reeled back in shock at so many moments. Ah, the twists. I laughed and definitely nearly cried. Loved and then hated and loved characters again. Or just hated. I just have so much love and time for a book that really makes me feel genuine emotion towards the characters. I'm completely invested and now have the bittersweet knowledge that there is more to come...'but'...November. I hate to wish my life away...I could write about this forever but will end here. If you're seeing this, thinking about reading and wanting something to make you forget the mundane reality of adult life, schedule in a good seven or eight hours for your 'just a quick read'. You do not want a pesky shift at work to interrupt this one 😉

This is my first time reading a Ben Alderson book and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I can confidently say it wasn’t this!This being a riveting, fast-paced, well-written, high-stakes, high-fantasy romp, a bit dark and a lot brutal, featuring Maximus Oaken, a young servant who discovers his latent mage abilities, and the many, many people who wish to use him for the might his immense powers will bring to their personal plots and schemes for more control over the land of Aldian.I might be slightly obsessed and therefore a lot bias, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. Although the romance element is in the background—at least for book one—there was so much royal intrigue, heart-pounding excitement, and jaw-dropping twists and turns, I almost forgot I had picked this up because I saw the words “arranged marriage” and “found family.”Don’t worry, there is a romance here—or the beginnings of one—but for most of the book there’s more than one love interest present, and half the fun was trying to work out who Max was actually going to fall for and who was the potential villain of the piece. Now I’m done, I know what team I’m on and I’m SO EXCITED to see what happens with Max and his potential beau in book two.I honestly can’t say a thing about the larger plot without immediately spoiling something (or everything), but if you love grand world-building, magic and dragons, court intrigue, and juicy secrets and betrayals, this will be the story for you.It’s pretty heavy—as in, it’s angsty and violent and stressed me out several times with the intensity of some of the suspenseful scenes, but I was all the more obsessed because of the darker tone, which I’m not sure I was expecting at all, but am so glad I got here.Now I must wait (im)patiently for book two, Heir to Frost and Storm (DO NOT read the synopsis if you don't want book one spoilers!!!), which you can all best be assured I have already pre-ordered and will be reading promptly on release day.