Time's Orphan (Odriel's Heirs # 3) by Hayley Reese Chow - Book Review

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

 

Black and blue with silver book cover for Time's Orphan by Hayley Reese Chow featuring the quote "For a moment, she thought of her mother's words.   You must survive. At all costs.   But that had been wrong. She was here to live, not just survive."

Speak of pain, and I’ll tell you of the Time who stole it away…


Besieged by war, ravaged by monsters, and crawling with the undead, the land of Okarria is dying. Seventeen-year-old Emara survives by using her modest healing gift to save as many as she can while eluding the invaders who thirst for her enchanted blood.


So when a cursed cat saves her life and reveals Emara is the legendary Time Heir the necromancer king’s been searching for, she agrees to act as bait in a plot to destroy him. But when the plan goes horrifically awry, Emara must discover how deep her powers go, what she can change…


And what she cannot.


Unfortunately, Time Heirs have a history of getting killed, and with Okarria’s future on the line, Emara may have no choice but to follow in her ancestors’ footsteps. -Goodreads


 *I received an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.


Time's Orphan is book three of the Odriel's Heirs trilogy. I have not read the other books in the series...yet. The book was described to me as a standalone, but I had every intention of reading the whole series and then reviewing each one before the release of Time's Orphan. However, life happens, and as a mood reader, that means that I went from wanting to completely disappear into a world of fantasy to one of scifi adventure. So this review got delayed, and the other books are still on my TBR. They won't be there for long, though. This book was an absolute joy to read, and I can't wait to experience the rest of the trilogy.


It reminded me of why I love to read—how the written word can transport you to different worlds and allow you to become immersed in a story. Hayley Reece Chow's writing leaves you feeling like you are not actually reading. You are part of the story right there with Emara, Jai, and Chipo. The elements of romance feel natural and are not forced. The characters grow in ways that you would expect given their circumstances. Then, of course, you have a cursed cat. If you have read any other review of mine about anything that has a cat, you know how I feel. I'm a sucker for a good feline companion.


Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5


Should you read it?

Absolutely. This is perfect for those looking for a fantasy series that doesn't require you to read the books in order. 


Book & Author Information: Goodreads


Published: February 8, 2023


Author: Goodreads, Twitter, Official