If you're a fan of Dragon Age, you must read A DARK INHERITANCE!
Over the past year, I’ve read a number of Todd Herzman’s short stories. Each illustrates his skill at telling a brief yet compelling tale. So when I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of his forthcoming novel, I hopped on the opportunity as quickly as I could.
I wasn’t disappointed.
“A Dark Inheritance,” Herzman’s first foray into the epic fantasy genre with a novel-length story, follows three children: Ruben, Marius, and Ella. Believing their parents dead, they fight to survive in a harsh world. And when blood mages attack their town, their three paths take them on adventures all across the world. They’re forced to face harsh truths about themselves—and their futures.
It’s a sweeping story—and the book isn’t short, at 160,000 words. Yet with three POVs (Ruben, Marius, and Ella), it’s truly three stories in one. And the narratives weave in and out of each other’s story with skill, even as the characters are taken far away from one another. Plenty of twists will take you down a path of emotions you will not expect.
More importantly, however, is a realization that hit my mind when I finished the tale. Herzman has encapsulated the themes and setting of sweeping epic fantasies typically only possible in other media, like a video game. The villains reminded me of enemies in Dragon Age—for any who have played those games, you’ll know what I mean. The best villains have a motive that, at its heart, is slightly compelling in nature. It pulls at you, making you wonder if they’re actually right in their approach to the world.
In “A Dark Inheritance,” Herzman crafted a world with murky definitions of good and evil, especially when it comes to the use of magic. And every town and character breathed with life, indicating the world built beyond just the tale of our three protagonists. It’s the same type of world players in Dragon Age experience—your character is part of a larger narrative, geopolitical in scope, with implications well beyond the scene at hand.
“A Dark Inheritance” will draw you into a new world you won’t ever want to leave. When its story ends, you’ll wonder where the tale will go next—and dread the potential implications.
Writing: 9/10. Herzman’s writing is clear, and I particularly appreciate the consistent length of chapters throughout the story, making for a well-paced read.
Setting: 8/10. A fun setting, particularly given its similarities to Dragon Age and other similar fantasy worlds. I would have wished a better understanding of the politics occurring that allowed for the principle villain to continue existing, however.
Characters: 9/10. Ruben and Ella were riveting. Their narratives drew me in instantly. At times, Marius acted much more like a teenager closer to Ruben’s age than a younger child, as he was supposed to be. However, the final outcome of his story—and the decisions he makes—were incredibly compelling.
Plot: 9/10. Herzman managed a three-character POV narrative with skill, ensuring even when characters were distant from one another, their stories intersected. This is particularly difficult to do. Every event mattered—every character’s choice impacted the final outcome of the story.
Overall: 8.75/10. Five stars, and deservedly so.