Blood Heir

(Aurelia Ryder #1)

by Ilona Andrews

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Dystopian Future

Stand alone or series? Book one of a trilogy.

Romantic Subplot? File that under "It’s complicated."

Steam? There was some sexual tension between the main character and her love interest. This is not a kissing book.

Violence? Gory battle violence typical of the urban fantasy genre.

Plot: Julie Lennart has returned to Atlanta as Aurelia Ryder. She’s on a mission to investigate the brutal murder of a holy man, but must keep her presence in Atlanta a secret from her parents.

What I liked about it: I loved all ten books in the Kate Daniels series and this book stuck close to all the things I adored about those books: solid world building, excellent plot, memorable characters, vivid action scenes, and witty dialogue.

What I didn’t like about it: I am always hesitant to give negative feedback, especially with a fan base as large and devoted as Ilona Andrews’ has, but it would be remiss to not give my honest opinion.

While I loved the story overall, I found myself reading through a lot of exposition regarding the Kate Daniels series and the eight years between fictional events. It seemed like they wanted to catch us up on ten books worth of world building and backstory that made the first half of the book drag. I feel there could have been a short story (did I miss it?) about Julie’s transformation rather than being told about it.

In some parts, it felt like I was reading Kate in a blond wig and green contacts. I hope Aurelia keeps her mom’s values but shows her own personality more.

That said, now that the backstory has been told and Aurelia’s predicament established, I’m looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy.