Adrian Holmes’s magical fantasy HEIR TO CHAOS follows protagonist Deven Fortem’s transformation from a pub lout into a warrior-magician who must vanquish his father’s nemesis. For years, the young man resisted the tutors who tried to groom him to take over his father’s role of watcher and guardian of his hometown Kalverif, located in the land of Taldera. Then, one night in a pub brawl, Deven discovers by accident that he has inherited his father’s gift of Palm Sorcery: a powerful magic.
The last of the Great Spectators, his father Byram is a powerful magician who fought in the Forever War and is now the king’s right hand. The father hires his son a new tutor, Baelor, who teaches Deven how to use his new-found powers.
The novel kicks off with a suspenseful prologue where one of the Fortem house servants is murdered by an evil mage. The murderer turns out to be Kallas, an Arkenian and one of Taldera’s sworn enemies. Kallas was such a sadist in the Forever War that Byram bled him of all feelings, leaving him a husk of his former self. Ten years later, Kallas has returned intent on revenge. He and his crew attack the Fortem Manor. Many are killed, but Deven escapes while his father is taken prisoner. Shattered by a painful personal betrayal, Deven sets off on a hero’s journey through a medieval world of magic and sorcery to rescue his father.
In this well-crafted novel, Holmes’s strength is his skill with descriptive detail. He uses it to create a believable land in Taldera (similar to feudal Britain) and forge a cast of well-rounded, convincing characters. The book is well-paced, and plot points are logical. Holmes employs action well and does not fall into the trap of excess gore during the book’s many fast-paced fight scenes. The author’s engaging prose sparkles and employs literary devices to good effect, as in these descriptive similes: “Every raspy word poked the ears like daggers,” or “the cool night air wrapped around Deven’s face like a cold, wet cloth.”
The book is well edited; it has few grammatical errors, no typos, and a beautiful cover image. It does have some problems, though. The author’s use of modern-day British and American profanity and slang (“bloody” and “bollocks,” for example) seems out of place in the medieval setting. And while the ending pops and resolves most of the plot threads, it’s followed by a dragged-out, 22-page chapter obviously written to simply set up a sequel. A map of the land of Taldera, as well as a genealogy list or cast of characters, might also be helpful to readers.
A flair for detail, strong characters, and a dynamic plot make Adrian Holmes’s fantasy fiction debut HEIR TO CHAOS an engaging read.
~Robin L Harvey for IndieReader