Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm

Thank you to Joel C. Flannagan-Grannemann for providing me with a copy of this book! I voluntarily leave this review!

Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm has a large cast of characters. Not only do readers have a chance to experience the story through Talia’s eyes, but her nine ladies and their soldiers also journey with her. Readers can witness the relationships between all the characters, and how they collectively work together towards common goals. This does slow down the pace, but readers who enjoy side characters having their moments to shine will enjoy this style.

With a larger cast of characters, there is also the opportunity to explore many harder hitting themes without requiring the main character to experience it all. Talia and her companions face many challenges as they move from one goal to the next—grief, loss, recovery from traumatic experiences, etc. There is so much packed into this novel. Not to mention the political maneuvering and undercurrent of family rivalry.

Joel C. Flannagan did a wonderful job showing the difference between Talia’s mother as a queen and as a mother figure. There are times the queen struggles with her decisions because as a mother she would not force Talia into certain situations. However, as the queen she must do what is best for the kingdom and carry out certain political maneuvers. And the readers can see how devastating it is to her as Talia’s mother. But the bond between mother and daughter is strong, and while they will voice anger and sorrow, ultimately they love each other and understand what must be done.

Talia: Heir to the Fairy Realm is a novel for those who want an in depth quest based novel. While it is slower paced, it has an intricate way of showing Talia develop her knowledge and world understanding by physically experiencing the troubles of others in her realm.