Eleanor Herman’s Legacy of Kings is the first book in the Blood of Gods and Royals series. Legacy of Kings takes place in 340 B.C., at the tail end of the Age of Greek gods. Most believe that the gods and magic is dead, yet there are some who still possess magic. This book is narrated by multiple characters, all of which are beginning their respective journeys throughout the entirety of the book. Alexander is Macedon’s heir, Jacob and Katrina grew up together as peasants, Zofia is a Persian princess, Cynane is the warrior princess of Macedon, and Hephaestion is a close friend of Alexander. Each character begins their own adventure which is independent of, yet intertwined with one another.
There is an extremely large cast of characters and each has his/her own goals and personalities. Alexander, who is often referred to as Alex, is close friends with Hephaestion (Heph). His goal shifts from questing for the fountain of Youth to preserving his castle and future kingdom. As the book progresses, he begins to show signs of a powerful, caring and successful king.
Jacob is a peasant who grew up in Erissa. He is in love with his foster sister Katrina and will do anything to prove his worth and win her heart. Over the course of the story, his path to prove himself to Katrina leads him away from her.
Katrina is a powerful and curious girl. She has always had a strange connection with animals and watched her mother killed before her eyes. While in the city of Pella, she is invited into the castle, giving her the perfect opportunity to complete her mission. She must find out why her mother Helen was killed and kill her murderer. During the story, she does find out about Helen, but she also begins a new journey soon afterward.
Zofia is a Persian princess who is betrothed to Alex. She wants to escape her destiny and live with her love Cosmos. She runs away from her palace and encounters lots of obstacles that both prevent her, and guide her to her goal.
Cynane is the sister of Alex and is a warrior, trained in the arts of killing. She is desperate to gain power and get her hands on the Smoke Blood magic and is willing to manipulate anyone to achieve this.
Heph is a close friend of Alex. He was born as a peasant and owes his education, abilities and status to Alex. Because of this, he is very self-conscious and has a desire to prove himself. He also hot-headed and has a tendency to let his pride and rage get the best of him.
Legacy of Kings is a decent read. Like many fantasy books, it is very hard to get into the story. This difficulty is amplified by the fact that the story takes place in a different time period. It exists in a time period when the gods are dying which is a time period that is rarely encountered in books. The book moves very slow and builds up interest slowly. The massive amount of lead characters and the unfamiliar names can confuse the reader despite the fact that the story is told in third person. If one powers through the majority of the book, they are left with an enthralling, magical and action-packed climax. Many of the plots that were gaining weight throughout the story exploded in the last 100- 150 pages and leave room to develop in further installments. Despite all my complaints, the world is beautifully created. Eleanor Herman does a great job of puting you into the characters' world. It is a book that promises a good sequel. I give this 411 page book 4 stars.
Blood of Gods and Royals
The Blood of Gods and Royals series takes place in 340 BC. While the Greek gods influence the story, the plot takes place during the end of the Age of Gods. Most believe that magic disappeared with the gods, yet their are few who posses magic.