Book Review: Time’s Orphan by Hayley Reese Chow

About the Book:

Title: Time’s Orphan

Author: Hayley Reese Chow

Series: Odriel’s Heirs #3

Publication Date: Feb. 8, 2023

Synopsis: Speak of pain, and I’ll tell you of the Time who stole it away…

Besieged by war, ravaged by monsters, and crawling with the undead, the land of Okarria is dying. Seventeen-year-old Emara survives by using her modest healing gift to save as many as she can while eluding the invaders who thirst for her enchanted blood.

So when a cursed cat saves her life and reveals Emara is the legendary Time Heir the necromancer king’s been searching for, she agrees to act as bait in a plot to destroy him. But when the plan goes horrifically awry, Emara must discover how deep her powers go, what she can change…

And what she cannot.

Unfortunately, Time Heirs have a history of getting killed, and with Okarria’s future on the line, Emara may have no choice but to follow in her ancestors’ footsteps.

LINKS:   Goodreads   |    Amazon

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My Review:

Wow! What a fantastic ending to an epic series! I actually finished Time’s Orphan a few days ago, but I needed time to get my thoughts in order. I read this immediately after reading Night of Ash (which is fantastic by the way! OMG super exciting and suspenseful and action packed! And the love story. Ahhh – THE BEST!), and my heart was not prepared for how much I would love Emara’s story.

The story takes place about ten years after the conclusion of Night of Ash and follows a new Heir. I think it’s interesting to have a trilogy with different protagonists and time periods in each book. We read about three different generations of characters over the course of the series, which offers a unique perspective on the characters, plot, and world and makes the series more epic in breadth and scope.

Emara is different from the other Heirs in that she’s been told to hide her gift, and she doesn’t know that she’s an Heir. I love her! She’s so brave and selfless, and from the start even when she didn’t have faith in herself, she was willing to sacrifice everything to save others. I was curious about the Time Heir since they were mentioned in the first book. Emara has incomparable power, and her growth as she learns more about it and herself is fantastic. Uncertainty, fear, and lack of training turn into surety, strength, and confidence as Emara faces the most dangerous threats yet.

Characters in the previous books also have roles in this story, and it was great to see how their lives have changed and progressed. Night of Ash ends at such a climactic and intense level, and I was hoping Aza, Makeo, and others would have roles in Emara’s story. And Shadmandur! Shadmandur has been a snarky, wise, and guarded feline favorite from the first book, and I’m thrilled we get to see so much more of him in this book. His backstory is as captivating as the main plot, and the way all of the characters’ stories twine together, both in the present and in the past, is clever and intricately woven.

Of course, I have to comment on the romance since I live for a swoon-worthy love story. I don’t want to give too much away, but I adored it. They have such fantastic banter, and there are so many moments where I caught myself chuckling at their actions and conversations. It’s not the focus of the story, but it’s a lovely addition.

I feel like I could go on and on talking about the well-paced, intense plot, the unexpected twists and turns, the amazing found family, the villainous and murderous antagonists, the rich writing, and the skillful use of dialogue and imagery. Oh, my gosh, and the epilogue. So satisfying and wonderful. As sad as I am that the series is over, the conclusion was everything I hoped for and more.

Special thanks to Haylee Reese Chow for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The suspense and intrigue.

• The full circle elements.

• The romance.

Favorite Lines:

The path’s are many, but we can never know where any of them lead. Once chosen, we can only go forward. No use carrying the weight of past mistakes when you still have so many to make in the future.

Secrets weigh lighter when spoken aloud.

What is hate but the razor shards of shattered love?

Recommendations:

Time’s Orphan is a great story for readers who enjoy:

• YA fantasy
• found family
• epic world-building
• chosen one