The world-building here was interesting, and clearly ended with a sequel in mind. I just didn't care for the FMC. I get that the author was going for "morally grey" with Princess Teia, but she read more Daenerys Targaryen than anything else. I'm not sure she's redeemable or if it's even the author's intent for her to be.
The book left me with more questions than answers... but not caring enough to find them out.

Inferno's Heir is the first book in a YA political fantasy series by Tiffany Wang. Released 15th Oct 2024, it's 400 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a chaotic, action driven fantasy with an ensemble cast of disaffected teenagers, each with their own motivations and goals. Black sheep princess and antiheroine Teia is on a mission to depose her cruel/ruthless/amoral brother Jura. Lots of fights (very well choreographed), heists, more fights, evil threats and posturing, morally grey actions (on Teia's part), and *lots* of surprises.

This was a book whose resolution was impossible to anticipate; well played on the part of the author. It's definitely written for a YA audience, there's a fair bit of sarcastic and unrealistic banter, along with lots of morally gray skullduggery. It's a debut work, and there are some relatively minor pacing issues. The climax, resolution and denouement are impressively well done and impossible to suss out ahead of time.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours 48 minutes and is capably read by Natalie Naudus. She has a slightly gravelly alto voice and does the requisite "generic British YA fantasy" voice narration well, though her natural born accent is American. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Book 2 is due out in mid 4th-quarter 2025. It would be a good choice for a buddy read, or for fans of strong-female-led YA p0litical-fantasies.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Inferno’s Heir is a fast-paced, character-driven fantasy that blends elemental magic with rebellion, betrayal, and complex choices. Teia, a fire-and-water-wielding outcast princess, is forced to infiltrate a rebel group—only to start questioning everything she thought she knew. Tiffany Wang delivers morally gray characters, political tension, and emotional depth in a debut that feels fresh and gripping. A must-read for fans of An Ember in the Ashes or Six of Crows.

Tiffany Wang’s INFERNO’S HEIR is an ode to rebellions and redemption, set in a royal court where an entire people’s only hope is an outcast princess. Compulsively readable and addictively fun, I dare you not to get lost in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
I absolutely loved everything about this novel, from beginning to end. Boasting a cast of characters you really end up caring about, and extremely cool world building, I’m excited to see where the next book takes us. Teia was a fantastic lead character, and I’m here to support her rights and wrongs!

This is just my kind of book. I really loved it! Its amazing!! The setting was great and it sucked me right into the story. Do recommend!!

I can appreciate what the author was doing here and I enjoyed the story, especially the second half of the book where the flow became more natural and the action became more interesting. My critique of the book is I found it challenging to get into initially - There was even one point when I wasn't sure if this was a dual timeline book (answer: it is not). I think the author was trying to world build heavily up front so the story could flow more seamlessly later, but it wasn't the most successful effort. I think the side characters were very interesting - their dynamics with Teia were fun to explore. I would like to see that continue in the next book.

The book, overall, is good. I am intrigued to continue to the story in the second book, which is the marks of a generally successful story. I want to see some of the relationships to be more flushed out, but overall 3.75 stars!

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

An interesting YA fantasy story.
A well written story that kept me wanting more and I still want to know how it continues, looking forward to the next book.

I struggled to get into this book and did not finish it. The first 100 pages were a slog personally. I kept thinking maybe it was my mood when I picked it up and have tried since then a couple times to get back into it and just have never been able to find an interest in it.

4.5
Wow! This was a great book! This really reminded me of The Prison Healer and Six of Crows. The writing was very easy to follow, and the characters were easy to love. I love how Teia is a morally grey protagonist. She's different from many other protagonists. I also NEED the second book ASAP! Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this if you liked the Prison Healer, and it's a good fantasy.

I honestly can’t believe this is a debut — Inferno’s Heir reads like the work of a seasoned fantasy author, and I was hooked from page one. Tiffany Wang delivers a gripping, high-stakes political fantasy with heart, fire, and a heroine I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Teia Carthan is the kind of morally grey, razor-sharp protagonist I live for. She’s an outcast princess, caught in a brutal game of survival, and she doesn’t flinch from hard choices. Watching her navigate the rebellion, political sabotage, and her viper of a half-brother (Jura — oh, I hate him and love that I hate him) was completely addicting. Teia is cunning, fierce, and painfully human — you want her to win, even when you're not sure what "winning" even looks like anymore.

The world of Erisia is lush and complicated, with a rich political backdrop that never feels like info-dumping. If you love fantasy that really dives into the scheming and strategy behind power, you’ll eat this up. And even though it leans political, it’s also funny in the best, dry-wit kind of way — the dialogue had me smirking more than once.

There’s romance, there’s betrayal, there’s fire — both literal and emotional — and it all builds to a conclusion that left me desperate for book two.

If you’re into high fantasy with rebellious princesses, court intrigue, and the kind of storytelling that keeps your heart racing, Inferno’s Heir is a must-read. Tiffany Wang is absolutely an author to watch.

4 Stars

Great debut novel! it started out a little slow but really picked up about a third in. I enjoyed reading this and look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 ⭐️

Love the world building, the characters and the ending left me in shock. I need book 2 by yesterday!!
Thank you Bindery Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC.

I don't typically read fantasy or science fiction. Inferno's Heir seemed like something I could enjoy but I this wasn't for me.

It was an interesting read. I couldn't get into the story. Teia's character was well written but the plot seemed all over the place. The end seemed to come out of no where. Normally, when someone's motives are questionable, it is in more than one scene. You question them in multiple spots.

Inferno's Heir had potential but just wasn't for me. I could see a lot of readers loving this one.

Teia is an outcast princess at the mercy of her sadistic half brother, who is soon to take the throne. Teia hatches a plan to join a rebellion uprising in hopes to take back control of her future and kingdom. She doesn’t consider how the people who make up this rebellion will effect her and the kind of person she’ll have to become to betray them.

Inferno’s Heir is absolutely packed with political scheming and I really loved that. The major elements of this book are all pretty simple (monarchy, elemental magic) but I did enjoy the writing so I’m not upset about that, i just wouldn’t go into it expecting to have your mind blown in that regard. The writing style was really the only thing that carried me to the end of this book so I’m HOPING book 2 will be a bit more developed in the plot department. I think a lot of the characters feel a bit slapped together and kind of relies on the reader’s imagination a little too much (I couldn’t tell you what most characters even look like/how old they are), but I did enjoy Teia in the morally grey MC position. I enjoyed her backstory and *most* of her decisions were logical and just.

The biggest downfall of this book is the plot armour - literally EVERYWHERE. So many times it felt like the author came up with a great conflict/obstacle but put zero thought into how to resolve/overcome it in a sane way. It was almost comical in a couple of instances. I understand this is YA and pretty short for a fantasy but that’s no excuse for skipping logic. The other things I was a little iffy about were the pacing (I can’t tell you how long this book took place over), almost everyone being 17 years old, and the lack of depth and exploration to issues of race and colonisation. The groundwork was laid with the monarchy and resulting class system, as well Teia’s own mixed parentage, but it went nowhere? I would’ve really enjoyed a bit of critical discussion in this area.

Despite the flaws I don’t think this is a bad book and I do think the author has a lot of talent. I’m looking forward to hopefully seeing some more development in book 2.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for the ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book. It was a little bit of a slow start for me, but I liked that the FMC wasn’t necessarily a good person. A lot of it is due to her circumstances but seeing her grow as a person was great.

The ending was a little heartbreaking for me, I was hoping she would make different choices, but I think it’s more realistic that she made the ones she did.

I’m very interested to see where the story goes in book 2.

Tiffany Wang’s Inferno’s Heir is nothing short of mesmerizing. From the very first page, I was completely enthralled by Teia, a protagonist who is as complex as she is compelling. Morally grey, powerful, and fiercely independent, Teia is the kind of character that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished reading.

Wang masterfully weaves a story filled with high-stakes intrigue and unforgettable characters. Jura, the cunning and ruthless half-brother, is a scene-stealer, keeping readers on edge with his manipulative charm. The Dawnbreakers, determined to shatter Teia’s family legacy, add even more tension to an already explosive narrative. Every character is fighting for their own truth, and the shifting allegiances and betrayals make for an exhilarating ride. The pacing is razor-sharp, making Inferno’s Heir impossible to put down. Every twist left me gasping, every revelation pulling me deeper into this richly crafted world. And just when I thought I had caught my breath, the ending left me desperate for more.

This book is everything I love about YA fantasy—gripping, emotional, and utterly addictive. If you’re a fan of fierce heroines, political intrigue, and stories that keep you up all night, Inferno’s Heir is an absolute must-read! I can’t wait to see where Teia’s journey takes her next.

It didn't catch me, I had to leave it because it was creating a block for me, a somewhat complex story but I would like to try to resume it.

This gave some heavy Six of Crow vibes with the ragtag band of misbegotten teenagers taking on the world, but it worked well for the plot line. It's engaging, interesting, and a great read.

This book is an enticing fantasy debut. I found myself drawn in by the political machinations woven into the story. The world building and magical system were not terribly complex, making this book a good choice for people newer to the genre, but also detailed enough for the reader to be able to imagine themselves in this world. The story is steeped in conspiracy, corruption, rebellion, with found family and enough potential for betrayal that’ll keep you guessing. For the adventurous, there are even a couple of heists.
This is listed as a standalone, but there is room for more. I look forward to diving back into this world when the time comes. The story telling was intriguing and the characters are diverse and memorable.
Many thanks to Bindery Books and NetGalley for a digital archive of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.