I loved this! It's definitely a slow burner, and at times it could be quite hard to track as there were various different pieces to try to follow and put together. I did love the plot and the relationships that developed between characters.

I also struggled to picture things, as it could be quite confusing with the descriptions, and I feel like the world building could be executed better, but overall it was a good read.

DNF 40%, this book is just not for me but it definitely is for other people. It’s very high stakes with a lot going on and I can tell from how much I read there’s a lot of setting pieces down, that will soon come all together.

one my smallest problems that frustrates me as i read is that i cant picture the setting at all. is it asian inspired? what time period? or is it western? like old london?

I am unfortunately DNF-ing this at 21%. The book had potential, but the pace was too slow for my liking. The beginning was quite confusing, and I struggled to stay engaged. I often felt lost and unsure about the plot, which made me want to put it down more than pick it up. I haven’t had the desire to continue reading it for four days, and I honestly don’t see myself picking it up again. While the idea was interesting, it didn’t feel unique or new in any way. The writing was fine, but the story just didn’t capture my interest, and I couldn’t force myself to keep reading.

Inferno's Heir follows 17 year old Teia, princess to the kingdom of Erisia as she struggles to find her power in a world where she feels she has none. Teia is the second child from a second marriage of the late king. While the royal line of Erisia possesses the ability to wield fire, since her mother was from the royal line of a different nation she can also control water. Her older brother Jura is about to take the thrown and has made it his life's mission to get rid of her one way or another before he becomes king. Now that his coronation is but days away, Teia must resort to more extreme methods than her usual petty blackmail to find a way out of marriage to a murderous courtier setup by her brother Jura and decides to infiltrate the Dawnbreakers, a rebel group that has been gaining notoriety, so she can use that information as leverage with Jura and get out from under his thumb. However, as she gets to know the members of the Dawnbreakers, Teia starts to wonder if maybe power can come from sources other than secrets or fire.

Starting with the good: Tiffany Wang constructs beautiful sentences and has great prose. The construction of this was very good. I also really liked the lore. The multiple kingdoms and elemental powers gifted from the goddess was well set up and very interesting. I also thought the heist elements of this were pretty well done.

That said, I really struggled with this book. I found Teia an exceptionally confusing character. I did not understand her motivation one bit and cannot tell you for the life of me if that's because she's supposed to be a flighty 17 year old, or if she is just spoiled and more like her brother than she wants to believe. I feel like the author was so worried about over explaining character points that she left too much out. I liked all of the characters and what we got of their stories, but I never felt like I had enough information to really be bought in to who they were, let alone their relationships with each other.

Minor spoilers below:

The continuity of world and systems and respective abilities was very confusing to me. For example Teia establishes early she can't work a lot of water, then floods a whole room in minutes, no one cares about the fire power, but apparently people are sort of scared about the water power, but only for the first chapter. Then trains exist I guess?

End spoilers.

There were so many setups that I could see how they could be built to mean something or flesh out a character, then they would just never be mentioned again and an exceptionally convenient thing would happen instead to keep things moving forward.

I think if you really like edgy heist YA this would be worth picking up, and I am interested in seeing where this author goes, but this book was just not for me.

this book was promising from the beginning but it moved too slow for me.

i’m starting to think the new fantasyish novels are just not for me.

Okay, first things first: WOW.

I had honestly no expectations when I started reading this book but it has simply blown my mind.
This was absolutely fantastic, I was hooked from the start, I LOVED all the characters and the plot (this is a heist story about a princess joining a group of rebels to take down her half brother!!!! what is there not to love?!).
So, do yourself a favour and READ IT!!!!

thank you netgalley for the eARC!

I found the start very slow and confusing and barely understood what was going on. However, it progressed to make more sense but the world-building was still poor. Nevertheless I loved the characters and found them very unique and likeable!

I really enjoyed this story and liked the main character's personality. I did find that there was a little too much pure chatting to my liking, i.e. the sort where characters sit around having fun banter as a way of relationship development, instead of merging that sort of talking with more interesting action. I glazed over these parts but other than that the rest of the book was filled with exciting action and I'm looking forward to the next part!

A princess joining a rebellion to betray her own family. That’s certainly enough to pique any fantasy reader’s interest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Two heists in one story—exciting! I loved the whole cast; Enna was most especially my favorite. I love the little found family thing they had going on. My main issue was that it was repeatedly stated that Teia’s morals have gone out the window, but I wasn’t convinced of it until the last few chapters. That twist had me in a chokehold because I didn’t see the story go in that direction. Still, on the flip side, I wasn’t sold on Teia & Tobias’s relationship, and I feel like the magic system and worldbuilding could be explained/explored more.

Despite this, I will be looking forward to Inferno Heir’s sequel. I can’t wait to see more of Teia and the other characters as they deal with such consequences of the book’s events.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC! :>

In “Inferno’s Heir,” Teia navigates a path to survival from her half-brother. She decides to join the rebellion to, ultimately, betray them and gain freedom from her brother. However, she finds herself doubting her intentions. Now, she must choose between betrayal or loyalty to her newfound allies. “Inferno’s Heir” is a YA fantasy on politics, rebellion, and revenge.

It is an easy read for a fantasy book (fantasy books can get confusing!!). I had so much reading this! I was fully immersed in the world and its characters. My favorite aspect of the book is the characters, especially the protagonist. All of them are multidimensional and nuanced– each of them has their reasons for their actions/beliefs. They are far from perfect which I love!! I always say this, but I love it when characters are humanized. While enjoyable, the story suffered from a lack of depth in its magic system and uneven pacing. The narrative started slowly, only to pick up speed abruptly in some parts and the end.

I can't say too much without spoiling it, but this book is a must-read! I am excited to read more from Tiffany Wang. Thanks to Bindery Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Review posted on Goodreads and Instagram.

This was such a good book! The writing style was very well done and it felt like an easy read. I really enjoyed the story, the plot, and the characters. The pacing could have been more cohesive, because some parts of the book felt like there were different pacing aspects to it. But overall, it is a very good YA standalone book!

This is a solid debut that showcases the author’s potential. I look forward to seeing what she writes next.

“Inferno’s Heir” is a YA political high fantasy in the vein of “The Cruel Prince,” but with the heists of “Six of Crows” and the moral grayness of “Violent Made of Thorns.” It’s well-written, though it is much like other books from the genre.

Fair warning, there is little to be found in the way of romance here, if that’s something you’re seeking.

This book is a masterful tale of political intrigue, rebellion, and personal growth, with a strong and complex female protagonist at its core. Teia's journey is a wild ride, full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The book made me go feral (specially the last chapter....)

The author's world-building is exceptional, creating a rich and immersive fantasy realm. The characters are multidimensional and nuanced, with motivations that are both understandable and relatable, from the desire of revenge to the greed for absolute power.

Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of fantasy, rebellion, and strong female protagonists. It's a thrilling and emotionally charged page-turner that will leave you breathless and eager for more.

wow. A completely fascinating,multilayered book with fantasy, rebellion, thrill and political intrigue. This novel hooked me from the start and I hope there's a book2 because i definitely need it.

Wow!

Completely unexpected a first 5 star read for me this year. This kept me on the edge of my seat and I cannot believe I have to wait for the second book.

First, I have to say how much I loved the writing. The author has a lovely writing voice that I greatly enjoyed. It's not too flowery but descriptive nonetheless and emotion inducing. The descriptions of places, the seasons and the mood greatly helped to transfer me to the story itself.

Secondly, booy did I love Teia and Tobias! Hello my new power couple! "Every day of my life" - ooooh, be still my little heart. I loved the progression of their relationship even subdued as it is in this. And the rest of our characters - they all endeared themselves to me throughout the book (Not Jura) and while I admit I still didn't quite warm up to Kyra for some reason, I absolutely loved Enna.

Thoroughly enjoyed Teia and all her schemes - you can keep track of everything she does but ultimately there will be a thing you will forget and it will surprise you later on in the story. It's clever without being annoying and in your face and the author knows how to keep things from you without making it frustrating.

I just... really loved this. And I seriously need book two ASAP!

First of all thank you NetGalley and Bindery books for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

OH MY GOD? I was not expecting this to be so good?

Tiffany Wang created a mesmerizing debut with heart-wrenching characters that will stay with you after turning the last page.

The only reason why it's a 4.5 and not 5 was because the background felt too ambitious, the magic not really explored and slightly lacking, another point there being the guns along with the train felt a bit too farfetched as I mostly felt this book a medieval high fantasy type more of a modern one, but the sass and banter inside this book made it up for basically all of it.

I need book two, there has to be a book two. I need it- I crave it. I need Tobias and Teia to get together and Alara and Kyra to finally both get their things together and become a couple.

The only reason why it's a 4.5 and not 5 was because the background felt too ambitious, the magic not really explored and slightly lacking, another point there being the guns along with the train felt a bit too farfetched as I mostly felt this book a medieval high fantasy type more of a modern one, but the sass and banter inside this book made it up for basically all of it. Even If there it did feel lacking. And for everyone asking, no. This is not a romantasy but a political fantasy!

Tiffany Wang has crafted a layered world complete with histories, lore, politics, and magic, which I became completely immersed in!
It felt like a slow-to-well paced journey through most of the book, but a bit faster towards the end and seemed to wrap up quickly (though this could have just been me getting through the last half quicker than the first).
I will note that there was a fair bit of graphic violence throughout (some descriptions/events might be too much for sensitive readers)

I’m not usually one to pick up or enjoy a political intrigue type book. However I did really enjoy this one! Lots of significance on the government both past and present. I like that we learn the twists as our fmc does. The heists are also fun!

This book was weird but in a good way. It was a novel that I read on a plane so it was a quicker read for me.

I decided to request this book after seeing an amazing review about it, and I have to say... wow. It was extremely refreshing to see that the protagonist was not the typical "hero." Instead, we have a secondary character, Kyra, who fits the more traditional hero archetype. The continuous contrast between Kyra and Teia, was interesting.
Teia is far from perfect, but that's what makes her so relatable. I appreciated how she cares for others, even risking everything for her friends. However, she also prioritizes her own future, which added depth to her character.

It's challenging to add something more to explain how much I loved the overall vibe and characters of this book. I mean, I was already sold when I read there would be a heist, and it only got better from there.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.