Heroes of the Empire started so strong for me. I loved the multiple POVs, the direction the plot was going, the politics, and the unique magic system. I thought Israh Azizi did a fantastic job at weaving a story of conflicting MCs that both are in unfortunate situations based on the circumstances they were born into.

But while I loved the main premise and world-building of the book, the writing style and characters fell flat for me. The characters felt very one-dimensional and stereotypical based on the fantasy genre. Their actions also were inconsistent based on what we knew of the world they lived in. The writing was also very choppy and I struggled to remain interested in the story after a while.

I think this book will appeal to a lot of fantasy lovers, but to me it was not my favorite. I needed more from the characters and the writing could have been more intense.

A page turning debut! Loved the conflicted lives and struggles of the main protagonists. Absorbing storyline with enjoyable character interactions and gripping action/combat.. An addictive and re-readable YA Fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book for an honest review.

Awesome dive into the first book of Heroes of the Empire young adult series. Devoured the conflicted protagonists' journeys in this coming of age story. Which one is the hero and which one is the enemy? Loved to hate some characters and hated that I loved some characters because now I have to wait for the next book. Fast paced read that kept me hooked until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely in love with this whirlwind ride through the Empire. Couldn’t put it down and actually want to read it again now. Really enjoyed ALL the characters and their journeys. Nice job. Looking forward to book 2.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher PageTurnerPressllc who allowed me to read this ARC for a review. It was a pleasure!

The Cavalier is original and riveting story that kept me enthralled. It has great plot, strong and brave characters and a lot of heart-pounding action. A must read!