Eleanor HermanCríticas

I got tired of the same thing, different mistress, locale, etc., but it was repetitive.

Legacy of Kings and Voice of Gods: Review I really enjoyed this book. i think that this was such a cool way to use real history and add some magic to this story. This book follows two several characters but mostly focuses on a young alexander the great and Kat. There lives wind up intertwine and connection i unique ways. This book was so so fast past and with both court life and war as a backdrop i was really engrossed in the novel and did not want to put it down. The book focused on three stories and since this was a first book only two of the stories Kat and Alex really intertwined during this novel. The story following Zo did not interconnect quite yet but I hope that in the future her story really connects with the other stories in this novel. I was not super surprised the Alex and Kat were actually twin but i am so ready for the next book in this series. 
 
 
Check out my non-spolier review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETEK5wmxYxQ
 

This is so good. I can't wait to read the first book in this series. I loved the complex world this created and am so excited to see the consequences of the parents actions on these kids lives. YOU NEED to read this novella!

This is so good. I can't wait to read the first book in this series. I loved the complex world this created and am so excited to see the consequences of the parents actions on these kids lives. YOU NEED to read this novella!

Legacy of Kings and Voice of Gods: Review I really enjoyed this book. i think that this was such a cool way to use real history and add some magic to this story. This book follows two several characters but mostly focuses on a young alexander the great and Kat. There lives wind up intertwine and connection i unique ways. This book was so so fast past and with both court life and war as a backdrop i was really engrossed in the novel and did not want to put it down. The book focused on three stories and since this was a first book only two of the stories Kat and Alex really intertwined during this novel. The story following Zo did not interconnect quite yet but I hope that in the future her story really connects with the other stories in this novel. I was not super surprised the Alex and Kat were actually twin but i am so ready for the next book in this series. 
 
 
Check out my non-spolier review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETEK5wmxYxQ
 

Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing. I will return when I can be less acerbic.

Interesting, I liked Sex With the Queen better.

I started off being completely on Olimpia's side: fuck the patriarchy! And then, because she was a real person with all the complexities and contradictions that entails, it got complicated. So my feelings about her as a person are layered, but my feelings about this book are simple: fantastic read!

Absolutely incredible and entertaining the entire way through. Makes great points and isn't just tabloid smuck.

Absolutely incredible and entertaining the entire way through. Makes great points and isn't just tabloid smuck.

Legacy of Kings is a combination of historical fiction and mythology and fantasy, all bundled together to equal one amazing book. The story is based around a young Alexander the Great, with the addition of a few other major characters, and some interesting secondary ones as well. This was a long book, 428 pages, but well worth the time it takes to read it. I enjoyed it very much and as it is part of a series, Blood of Gods and Royals, I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see where the story goes.

5/5 stars.

In Eleanor Herman’s Legacy of Kings, the tales of seven characters —some factual and some fictional— intertwine to create an epic story! If you love history and you love fantasy, you will fall in love with this book!!!! It's a Historical Fiction about a young Alexander the Great. Its full of adventure, friendship, deceit, magic and greek mythology. There are so many complex story lines and complicated relationships... I found the mutiple POVs to be a bit daunting at first, but by the end, I felt like I had a special relationship with each if the characters. Fans of Game of Thrones and An Ember in the Ashes will love this book!! Highly recommend.

This is a very interesting book that's very entertaining to read. The chronology of possible cases of poisoning helped to keep things in perspective, especially in those chapters in which royal family members were included in one chapter after another. I learned a lot about poisoning from this book. It was also interesting for chapters to be dedicated to people thought to have been poisoned, only to later find that they died of natural causes. The only downside to this book is that citations were not offered. There were several times when something was mentioned that I would have liked to have gone back to an original source for more reading. Without citations, it is not possible to do that.

The material covered in this book isn't new or groundbreaking and those acquainted with feminist history will find the themes familiar. I do question a few of the author's sources (I have thoughts about a certain biography of Anne Boleyn which was cited), but overall, the evidence presented advances the themes and offers a strong critique of contemporary culture. I especially appreciated the examples from the UK and Australia, as I was less familiar with female politicians in those countries. And, of course, I liked that this was a quick, fun read.

I admit that I didn't love Legacy of Kings, so I was a bit reluctant to start Voice of Gods, the prequel novel. However, I’m glad I gave it a try because I really enjoyed it! I actually liked it more than Legacy of Kings itself.

Voice of Gods is about the story of Helen, the latest oracle. Escaping from the Aeserian Lords, who are after her magic, she runs into Ada of Caria. Ada takes her in, but after her older siblings discover Helen’s prophesizing ability, she is no longer safe from their greed and evilness. Ada ensures her safety from her siblings and the Aeserian Lords by sending her off to the city of Epirus.
At Epirus, Helen befriends the Princess, Myrtale. Myrtale sought the oracle for advice on her future marriage because she is currently in love with a mysterious man named Riel. However, there is more to Riel than appears, for he used to belong to a godly realm. Riel uses Helen's ability in attempt to reunite with the gods.
Myrtale eventually agrees to marry Philip and brings Helen along with her to Macedon. Her marriage with Philip eventually turns her cold-hearted and power hungry. Soon enough, the friendship between Myrtale and Helen fades to jealousy and bitterness. Now called Olympias, Myrtale discovers that she is pregnant with a boy, who will become Prince Alexander. However, Helen’s latest prophecy shows that Alexander and an unknown girl will either throw the world into an age of monsters or an age of men. With this knowledge, Helen flees back to Ada, the only person she trusts with her secrets.

Voice of Gods was honestly an outstanding novella that led up perfectly to Legacy of Kings. Voice of Gods describes the backstory of these three main characters, showing how their events shaped them into the person we meet in Legacy of Kings. I highly recommend reading the prequel beforehand because of the wonderful insight given to the characters of Helen, Ada, and Olympias. Voice of Gods is definitely a fast-paced, intriguing read. And even better, it’s currently free!

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

I wouldn't say that I had high expectations going into this book, but I was definitely excited to read it. I love all things fantasy and the fact that it was historical and based off of Alexander the Great made me more intrigued. I actually did a quick Google search about Alexander the Great before I started reading, because I honestly remembered little too nothing about him, oops. I guess I should have paid more attention in my World History class!
Anyway, Legacy of Kings is one heck of a novel. So many things were happening at once, it was almost disjointing. I will say that the beginning was a bit slow and hard to read, but it definitely picked up around halfway through.

Plot: There are a lot of character point of views in Legacy of Kings. And I'm not kidding when I say a lot. There's a total of seven. Trust me, I kept count. Before you get scared off, let me say it honestly wasn't bad. I'm not a huge fan of duel POV, much less multiple POVs, but it somehow worked in this book. I don't like reading books in 3rd person either because I find it more difficult to connect to the characters, but just imagine the chaos if Legacy of Kings was written in 1st person. So I'm actually glad it was in 3rd. I think the way the characters' stories were all woven together and connected (even if it was only in a slightest sense) prevented me from being overwhelmed by all the different perspectives as well. While the plot isn't exactly complicated, it certainly is intricate with keeping track of all the characters and their motives.
Things definitely came together at the end of the novel surrounding Kat's new found knowledge about herself and family. The paths of Cyn and Olympias story also made me curious for more.

Characters: The first character we meet is Kat. She lives in one of the outer villages and holds a strange connection to animals. She's childhood friends with Jacob, another main character. Every year the contestant from each island, city, and village are called to Macedon to participate in the Blood Tournament. It's supposedly considered an honor because only the strongest from each place is chosen. But the winner is usually the last person standing, and this year, Jacob was chosen to represent Erissa.

Then there's Alexander, son of King Philip and Queen Olympias, who lives in Macedon. Alex has his own agenda of finding the fabled Fountain of Youth to heal his scarred leg, so he'll no longer be viewed as a weak, unwanted prince. Hephaestion is Alex's best friend and together, they plan on finding the fountain.

Cynane, Alex's half-sister, and Olympias have similar agendas. Both desire more power by obtaining an ancient Blood magic. Cyn wants to prove that being a girl doesn't mean she's valueless, while Olympias is simply power hunger.

Zofia is the last character. She lives in the Persia, and must marry Alexander as part of an agreement between Macedon and the Persian Empire. Zo only has a few chapters, and I honestly don't understand how her story fits in with the rest besides her proposed marriage to Alex.

One part that I especially enjoyed in Legacy of Kings was the magic. I loved the idea of the blood magic and other fantasy elements such as the Hellions. I also really liked all the Greek mythology references, being a historical fiction book set in Greece and all that.

Romance: The romance definitely takes a back seat in story, and I thought that worked well with the overall plot. Jacob loves Kat, but Kat may or may not reciprocate those feelings in the same way. Then there's Zofia and her arranged marriage. This wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't already in love with a guard in the Persian Army. The romance does happen to be a driving force in her story.

While the Legacy of Kings did begin slowly, it picked up about halfway through. The multiple POVs were a bit overwhelming, but not as hindering as I expected. Overall, the Legacy of Kings provides an interesting and intriguing read filled with fantasy and historical elements. I definitely recommend it to fans of Girl of Fire and Thorns, Defy, and other similar fantasy books!

An enjoyable and interesting read. Depressing how terribly some of the Presidents treated the women. And that has not improved in modern times.

This is a compilation of sex scandals and extramarital affairs of royal historical figures. Reading this felt like falling into a Wikipedia rabbit hole, each chapter making me want to pull my phone out to Google for more details. Like after reading Marguerite Louise d’Orleans sick burn to her husband:

“No hour of the day passes when I do not desire your death and wish that you were hanged…”

and,

“What aggravates me most of all is that we should both go to the devil and then I shall have the torment of seeing you there…”

There’s just enough here to give you the highlights of these women’s more intimate moments but with a caveat: the author, Eleanor Herman, is weirdly unkind to her subject matter. Take this passage, for example, on Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard:

“But silly Catherine was a poor candidate for queen. Like a good-natured dog she thought only of present enjoyment or pain. Thinking of past errors or future repercussion seemed to be beyond her limited intellectual capacity. She enjoyed each moment to the utmost until the master’s voice bellowed out loud and threatening. Then she feared and, like a dog, did not understand the words but only that she would undergo imminent punishment.”

Ok, damn, Herman. Why so salty? “Sex with the Queen” is fun and fast. But, there’s a thread of unnecessary judgement and wild speculation by the author that’s sometimes hard to ignore.

The topic of this book was very interesting and because of that I couldn’t stop reading. However, I was often frustrated with the voice of the author and towards the end I began to very much disagree with her opinions that made their way into the writing.

I'm still looking for a good historical fiction book on Alexander the Great. The Legacy of Kings is definitely not a historical fiction book. Actually it is a good book.

I pulled this book off the new book section at the library, so I didn't know it was a YA book. When reading the book, I kept thinking the writing felt like a YA even though the subject matter was more mature ... well, maybe not. I mean there's that whole Hunger Games series .... And now that I've read the reviews, this is a lot like Hunger Games with the tournament.

So I'm thinking this is a 3.5 star book and I'm going to bump it up to 4 because I plan to continue to its sequel.

Interesting and rather well organized look at royal mistresses (note: only women -- I found it interesting that Isabella II and Catherine II weren't included). In some spots, it did seem a bit repetitive, and in other spots, trying to keep track of players that have multiple names could become confusing. It also, as a practical matter, tends to boil down to Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Henri IV, with cameos by Edward VII, Edward VIII, Ludwig I and Franz-Joseph I. On the other hand, what is there is quite entertaining, and makes for a good read.

Based on an advanced copy from NetGalley

Legacy of Kings is fully-loaded teen fantasy that happens to have an historical personage in it but nobody (and I mean Nobody) in thier right mind would call this historical fiction. And given that it was billed as historical fiction, I find this Unforgivable which is a shame because as a YA romance/fantasy, this was a very entertaining read.

I recieved a free copy of this book from Harlequin Teen through GoodReads.

I've heard a few of these stories but never fully in detail like she does in this book. It's seriously amazing and I think everyone would enjoy this book, not just political junkies like myself.