Heir of Illaria

ThaThank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book! I am giving an honest review of this book.
I read the description of the book and thought this sounds so interesting. I had no idea who Dyan Chick was, but now that I do I will be awaiting her next book. Heir of Illaria is a surprise in the sense that you get so many different things in this book. It starts out with a young woman learning that she is a princess in hiding. Wilona is a peasant girl living in a small village with her Grandmother. After an encounter with the Necromancer King’s guards, Wilona learns that she is in immediate danger. Before she knows it, a group called the Raven’s, has swept her up and revealed that she is princess Etta of the Aqualine linage. Etta is now finding out about her family’s history with the current King. Heir of Illaria has a little something for everyone. Wilona is torn between being herself or being the princess’ her people need. Can she be more than just what the Raven rebellion wants? Can she take on a King who destroyed her family? Heir of Illaria is full of twists and surprises that you don’t expect. The most interesting part of Wilona/Etta is that she herself finds that magic lives on from her family and it is up to her to defend not only her people, but her life. I love that Dyan Chick gives her characters realist internal conflict. It is never easy to do the right things and we sometimes must experience life before those decisions are understood. Wilona/Etta has to learn how to think like a princess before she can act like one. I can’t wait to read the next book. I hope that it continues with strong characters and a realistic main character.

I absolutely loved this book! It was everything you can ask for in a fantasy young adult novel! It's medieval times with sorcerers and a girl who never knew she was royalty but was thrown into it. There's romance, battles and suspense. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series!

Wilona is 17 years old living in a small village. She has been raised by her grandmother and never really had any friends. She's been sheltered her whole life. She helped her grandmother with her job as a seamstress but was also taught to read, write and the Gallic language.

The only thing she had from her parents was a pendant she wore hidden under her dress around her neck. It wasn't until the day her grandmother was murdered did she find out what it actually meant.

Now she find out her true name and is drawn into a world of sorcery, all the while wishing she could go back to the cottage she shared with her grandmother. That can never happen.

An evil sorcerer is the king of Illaria but he isn't meant to sit on that throne. Wilona is only at the beginning of her journey and self-discovery.

This book was given to me by NetGalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.