Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Rights of Inheritance
Author: Sandra Bard
Series: Asserting Rights #1
Heroes: Gareth & Keiran
Genre: M/M Historical Fantasy
Length: 84,000 words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: March 12, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads & Booklikes
Blurb: When Junior Scribe Gareth is given the unenviable task of tracking down Keiran to inform him that he and his street performers are not to make themselves known during an important trade visit, he expects the task to be unpleasant. He does not expect to be intrigued by the mysterious, elusive man that is rumored to be a bastard prince, and whom many say would make a better king.
Neither does he expect that one frustrating meeting in the city slums would send him and Keiran stumbling into the path of a murder—and a conspiracy to kill the king.
Review:
Junior Scribe Gareth has his hands full when he’s tasked with finding Keiran, the King of the Street Performers, at the request of the King. Little did he know that being in the Lower District would lead to an attempt on his life and the realization that some very dangerous individuals are within the city with one goal in mind: killing the King and all those who have the potential to rule. With the help of Keiran, Gareth might just uncover more than who these assassins are… he might just find a little love, too.
This story was so captivating. From the start you’re thrust into a city where something dangerous lurks that will kill anyone in their way. It’s a brutal story in some places and has some deception, betrayal and manipulation. On top of that, some characters die, some get injured… some even come close to dying. It’s suspenseful at times and sweet at others. I must warn readers, though, that this isn’t a story revolving around a romance. In fact, while the connection between Keiran and Gareth is there from the beginning, when they finally take that step to a more intimate level, it’s… well, rough and not very romantic. There’s some guilt and there’s passion but, in the end, the story is purely fantasy and actually has multiple POVs outside of just Keiran and Gareth.
As for the characters, I loved the differences between Gareth and Keiran. Where Gareth is just a scribe, he’s still appalled at how Keiran lives and the people he surrounds himself with. Whereas Keiran finds amusement and frustration in pretty much everything Gareth does. But the two can’t seem to stop what they’re feeling, even with their vast differences, even though they don’t want to feel any attraction towards one another. It’s sweet in a way, although I know some won’t think so but I loved that about them. A majority of the story is about them arguing over opposing opinions… until about the end.
As I said, the story has multiple POVs and with a few side stories to tell. Such as Caluth and Tajeel, the King and his loneliness, Princess Ilma and her magic, and even Keiran’s sister, Tissca, and her discovering of unmonitored thefts. With all these characters, there’s a lot of depth to the story but also a lot of shocking moments. It’s a gripping tale that had me fascinated from beginning to end.
While I loved the story, I had a few issues with it. Mostly, I felt like there were some scenes that were unnecessary to the overall story, as well as, some lengthy passages that didn’t add to the plot. Also, I found the transition between present time and flashbacks to be confusing. For most of them, there was no indication that led the reader to believe they were flashbacks. Instead, it was regular narratives explaining how Keiran met a character then all of a sudden it would turn into a flashback. It was a little disorienting. Beyond that, this one did have a lot of typos, missing commas, grammar errors, etc.
In the end, I really did love the story to the point that it kept me up late each night reading. Although, I did wish there were more scenes featuring Gareth and Keiran and their tentative relationship but I liked the progression of the story. There was a lot of speculation at the end of who the mastermind behind it all was and what might happen next but as this is the first of a series, I’m not surprised we are left hanging but I can’t wait to see it all unfold!
Overall Impression: I really liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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