I loved the premise of this book! The traitorous princess, the heartless prince, the gang of rebels all had such great potential. It was very well written and I have no complaints about character voice or delivery. All that said, something just didn't click for me with this one. When I should have grown lost in the rising political intrigue, I instead found myself zoning out and hoping the next scene would grab me again. Though the book was never boring, I feel like the stakes were never quite engaging enough and the characters felt a little trapped behind simplicity and palatability. I don't know, I really expected to love this one! Even though this didn't hit the mark for me personally, I know this will garner avid fans and I hope to see more from Wang in the future.

3.5 stars - A fun and heisty debut to a promising YA-fantasy-series

Inferno's Heir by Tiffany Wang is a fast-paced YA fantasy that is the start to a series. The plot in this first part is quite heisty but I am not sure if this is going to be similar in the following parts as this one ends on events that really change things.

Our protagonist is Teia, sister to the king Jura and without many allies or even friends in the palace. She has to constantly be on the lookout for poisoners, assassins and whatnot and is forced to fight back by gathering incriminating knowledge about people and blackmail them into supporting or protecting her. Also, the magic system is such that Jura can command fire (and is well trained to do so) and Teia can command water (but not very skillfully as her training never got very far).

The plot really gets going when Teia gets into contact with rebels who want to abolish the monarchy altogether and decides to use them to fight her brother on the throne. However Lehm, the leader of those rebels first asks her to steal a precious gem and here the heist shenanigans really get rolling and take up quite a bit of the book. And later on ancient monster creatures also make an appearance. How things unfold eventually is for the reader to find out but I found the ending to be quite satisfying!

This is a fast-paced, fun read with a morally grey heroine who has learned to do what needs to be done in order to survive. However, in some aspects I feel like this one is also a bit rough around the edges and it shows that it is a debut. Some aspects of the plot feel a bit exaggerated like for instance Jura, Teia's brother, who is such a psychopathic villain - it's really almost comically over the top. Then the heists: the gem Teia has to steal is soooo well protected that it should be absolutely impossible to steal it (but maybe I have no idea and that is a common trope for heist storylines?) and also demanding Teia to get it feels like a very arbitrary choice by Lehm. We are never really presented with a good reason why he would want to endanger Teia and quite a few other rebels just for some object without any apparent use. Oh, and we have some insta-love but the pros do that all the time as well...

All in all I did not really mind the imperfections though! The writing was good, easy to read and I always wanted to know what is going to happen next. This is an easy recommendation for anyone who likes YA fantasy and I'm going to keep an eye out for the next part.

I love a good heist story and boy did Inferno's Heir deliver that and more. The world building was expertly done without giving too much information or pages upon pages of lore drops. The female main character Teia was really well written and for sure was as morally grey as promised. I found myself actually liking her character more as the story progressed. I also think the side characters were well done as they were relevant and detailed enough to make me care about them and the role they played in the story. With Wang's writing style and the pace of the plot this book was an incredibly fast read for me and I powered through in a matter of hours. I absolutely loved the political themes, alliances, betrayals, and all the expected parts that come along with a story based in politics. I really appreciated how rich the world, the characters, and the plot felt and would recommend this book to people who really enjoy fantasy that lands on the side of magical realism.

Soft DNF at 31%
I don't hate this I'm just having a hard time connecting. Maybe I'll come back later.

Inferno's Heir is a solid fantasy, it is easy to read and I got through it fairly quickly. Teia, the FMC, is a tad controversial. She can be unlikable but you can't deny that she is a force to reckoned with. While you may not have been rooting for her, you were intrigued enough to keep following the story. The beginning is slow due to world building but overall a good, engaging story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This has an intriguing premise—a morally complex princess caught between survival and rebellion—but the execution left me wanting. While there were flashes of potential, I struggled to fully connect with the story or its characters.

The world-building, though promising, felt really underexplored. The magic system, especially Teia’s dual-element control, raised so many questions. For a character with such rare and powerful abilities, her choices often didn’t align with the stakes of the story. It left me wondering why she didn’t take more decisive actions, particularly given her advantage over her brother or his toadies. Why is she afraid of anyone when she can just drown them? She's been blackmailing people since she was 8, but hasn't thought to get anyone on her side against her brother?

The characters, including Teia, also had potential for depth, but I found it difficult to understand their motivations or connect with their journeys. Teia’s internal conflict, while superficial was intriguing, yet the story kept her at a distance, which made it harder to empathize with her. The relationships, particularly the romantic subplot, felt rushed and lacked the development needed to make them feel believable or earned.

Pacing was another challenge. The story alternated between slow sections where not much happened and moments that felt rushed, especially during action scenes. The rebellion—a critical aspect of the plot—often seemed underwhelming, which reduced the tension and urgency that the story needed. They also looked down on Teia for her moral choices but also (accidentally?) killed people in the beginning of the book? These people are all over the place.

While Inferno’s Heir wasn’t the right fit for me, I can see its appeal to other readers. I hope that future installments will further develop the world and characters, as there’s definitely a foundation here for an exciting series.

Thanks so much to Bindery Books and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

The world-building is top-notch, creating a vibrant setting that pulled me right in. The female main character is an absolute badass—her strength and resilience make her unforgettable and really drive the story. I loved every moment of her fierce journey and the action-packed scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat. Sure, there were a few predictable twists, but the overall ride was so much fun that I couldn’t put it down. It’s a 4-star read that’s perfect for anyone who loves a strong, kick-ass heroine and a thrilling fantasy adventure!

What a fantastic debut!

This book had the political intrigue and court drama of The Cruel Prince mixed with the action, adventure, and found family vibes of Six of Crows.

The beginning was a little slow, but once it found its rhythm, I flew through it.

Teia is as morally gray as they come, and I loved that about her. She’s not overly self-sacrificing or unrealistically optimistic. She’s jaded and critical but never completely heartless, which made her such an interesting and layered character to follow.

There’s a romantic subplot that’s just starting to unfold, and I’m really hoping we get more of that in the next book.

The main plot was a little predictable at times, but it still managed to throw in a few surprises toward the end. And yes, there’s a bit of a cliffhanger—not too wild, but definitely enough to leave me eager for the sequel. 👀

I’m genuinely excited to see where this story goes next.

Inferno's Heir caught my attention as one of the first young adult fantasy novels coming out of a bindery imprint and goodness did it ever deliver on my expectations.

- Excellent pacing
-snappy dialogue
-good character development with easy to follow motivations
-enjoyable magic

Inferno's Heir will be great for fans of modern romantasy trends and tropes that want a fairly low spice experience with their fantasy intrigue.

I was hooked by this book from the first page to the very last, it felt new and fresh. The plot, the romance, the characters... I loved it all.
It's amazing that this well written and well developed story is the author's debut! Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a YA rebellion plot but this book felt irresistible! A must buy for your YA collection.

A fresh political fantasy with a heist, truly morally grey main character, plot twists and a hint of romantic tension.

I liked having a morally grey main character, who will do what it takes for her own ends and needs. The supporting characters were great though not that deep but enough deep at the same time. The romance didn't feel forced and didn't interfere with the plot that much.
The way it is written surprises the reader and keeps you engaged.

I reccomend you read this if you like fantasy, politics, heists, morally grey characters, romance.

Thank you to the publisher and Net galley for the ARC!

I think as an intro to YA fantasy this is a great place for readers to start. If you’ve been reading YA and/or fantasy for some time now this might read a bit familiar and (not in a negative way necessarily) inexperienced. The characters are lovely, the writing is well done, and there are interesting plot lines and politics, but in fantasy it can sometimes be hard to stand out and I think this was the case here.

That being said, if you want to start dipping your toe into fantasy because you’re unsure, I think Inferno’s Heir would be a great place to start!

As I began to explore the pages of this book, I prepared myself for yet another story about a girl dealing with the clichéd theme of an evil half-sibling. While the narrative did touch on that familiar concept, it unfolded in an unexpected way. What truly captivated me was the element of found family woven throughout the story. The bonds that formed between the characters provided a rich and heartwarming contrast to the darker themes of rivalry and betrayal, making the journey both moving and enjoyable.

This novel kept me on my toes and i could not imagine where this was going.

I was immediately taken by this story.

Thank you so much for allowing me to review this title!
I was so excited to get a copy of this book and I loved every second of it!
It was right up my alley!
Thanks once again!

4.5/5.0 Stars!

Brief Take: A fresh political fantasy with a heist, truly morally grey main character, plot twists and a hint of romantic tension.

Plot: While this has some classic elements of political fantasies I enjoyed this world and the author's twists and turns. The way it is written surprises the reader and keeps you engaged. There were a few points which felt unrealistic or illogical but my enjoyment allowed me to look past the small nitpicks and enjoy the overall story.

Characters: I liked having a truly morally grey main character, who is self-interested and will do what it takes for her own ends. The supporting characters were great though not super deep but it was enough for me to feel them on the page. The romance didn't feel forced (it was just a hint) and didn't interfere with the plot.

Worldbuilding: It was simple but effective. I am curious to know more about the magic system and the book is open ended enough to where I want a sequel!

Overall I had a good time with this fresh take on political fantasy!

This was a very solid debut from Tiffany Wang. I really liked her writing style and she did an awesome job at world building. I will definitely be recommending this for anyone looking for a YA fantasy book.

Thanks to Bindery Books / Violetear Books for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

DNF'd at 8! Unfortunately, this was not for me. The writing style was fine, but I couldn't care about the world or the main character. I struggled to pick up my e-reader due to low intrigue. This would be a fine book for readers new to YA fantasy, but I have read too many books like this in both YA and adult fantasy to bother continuing.

This work had some promising elements, as well as some overly familiar ones. The author did a great job with the plotting of the work, and the writing overall was strong. The worldbuilding was just okay, but the author did a good job setting scenes and creating a decent atmosphere.

The characters were somewhat generic. The misfit princess, a band of misfit teens who run a heist, rebellions, etc. The work also starts off quite slowly, taking some time to really become interesting for me. I think this was partially because I just couldn’t connect with the protagonist – she was unlikeable (but not in a compelling way), and felt like there were some conflicting aspects to her that I didn’t like. We’re also told quite often how characters feel but never really felt it, and most of the characters were lacking any real depth.

This is a decent YA fantasy and a start to a series, but I don’t think I’ll continue the series. I do love that book cover, though. My thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Solid 3.5 ⭐️ fantasy YA debut book.

I enjoyed the book overall, at times I found it quite formulaic but I liked the twist (I’m not sure if you can call it that, as it was pretty obvious from the start) and I liked the way Teia developed as a character but didn’t seem to lose herself or what made her her (I hate when this happens).

I liked that romance wasn’t really a strong plot point as sometimes I find with YA fantasy this can sometimes take away from the plot as these books tend to be a bit shorter so we don’t always spend a lot of time understanding the world or the plot - this book didn’t suffer with this which I liked.

The writing was okay. It was easy to read and enjoyable but I’m not sure whether it was anything new which is by no means a bad thing. It did everything well, I just wasn’t kind of wowed by it?

Overall, I’d still recommend this book as it was enjoyable to read but I’m just not sure how invested I was in the story or the characters to pursue the other books (which I presume there will be).