Heir to the Firstborn, Book 3
New Adult, College, Futuristic Fantasy Romance
Independently Published
May 26, 2020
338
Shattered by betrayal, Aria’s Companions have separated. Aven and Del have retreated to the safety of the Water tribe, leaving Owyn and Treesi behind on land to stand with Aria and help their wounded Heir heal. Despite their best efforts, Aria retreats, rejecting them both.
Owyn knows that he and Treesi can’t do this alone. He starts riding out to the coastal villages surrounding Terraces, sending messages out to the deep, begging Aven to come back, telling him that the Heart can reach the Heir. Then he returns from one such trip to find Aria and Treesi have left Terraces, leaving him behind.
Abandoned, Owyn leaves Terraces. Instead of following Aria, he goes north, trying to find a way to contact the Water tribes. Trying to find a way to save everything before it’s too late.
To do that, he must face his deepest fear, risk losing his heart, and accept help from the most unlikely of allies.
Available at Amazon.
Reviewed by Sherry Perkins
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
“Alanar cuddled closer and grew heavier in Owyn’s arms as he relaxed into sleep. Owyn lay awake late into the night, staring at the dark ceiling and asking questions that had no answers.”—Bones of Earth
It’s unclear to me whether Schechter intended this to be a trilogy or a series. I’m going to go with series since the Heir to the Firstborn Books 1 – 3 best lend themselves to serialization. Regular installments of Heir to the Firstborn suits better than a three-books-and-done deal.
“Written in Water, Book 1,” introduced us to a new world, its people and ideals – the ideals being shattered with a political assassination, and a disparate group of adults left to return order to their world. In “Forged in Fire, Book 2,” Aria, the true Heir to the Firstborn, and her Companions (one member of each of the elemental clans) form deep, lasting bonds on the run and while confronting unexpected enemies.
By the time we get to the pages of “Bones of Earth,” things are quite rough. Aria has been badly injured but she’s not the only one with scars. Schechter explores the healing process each of the Companions and Aria face in relation to the coming confrontation to reclaim the Heir to the Firstborn’s birthright.
There are some surprises along the way. It’s possible not everyone who seems to be an enemy, is. Someone you thought was gone, returns. Healers are being killed in a wicked attempt to keep Aria from realizing her potential as Heir. And Aria has a secret of her own.
The pace in “Bones of Earth,” was a little slower than I would have preferred. In many places it read like a “to do list” of expected character growth and plot development. I was okay with that, taking the series as a whole. This book felt more like a passageway to get to the next book, and I’d really like to know what comes next.
Suffice it to say, my favorite part of the book is a spoiler. So, believe me when I say that the mind goes a long way to heal a broken body and there is a truly satisfying symmetry to smoke dancing, healing and what part love plays in that.
“A 3.5 star read in a series of books about the restorative power of love, duty and the restoration of the rightful heir to her people.”