read Azizi's Heroes of the Empire, you will not regret it!īy simply reading the blurb I grasped a hint of what to expect. If there is one book you read that I recommend this year. I think this is going to be one of my favorite fantasy series and I'm so happy that I got to read it as an arc. I felt as if I could see the entire world and characters laid out in front of me perfectly. I think a lot of authors struggle when writing their first book because well it's their first book but it doesn't seem that Azizi struggled at all. I was completely enthralled with the unique magic system and enjoyed learning about the shadows man's and their abilities. I loved that the characters had so much depth. I loved that the villains of this story weren't cliche and had their own unique backstory which was so refreshing. I also applaud Azizi because when I signed up for this arc I thought I was getting a regular if not cliche Hero and damsel in distress type of story but it ended up being so much more. I don't think I could have wanted or asked for a better, well thought out and executed book. Azizi didn't spare any expense when it came to the details and mechanics of this wonderful world of Kings, Queens, war and magic. This debut book was a five star read, hands down!!! I can't begin to say enough amazing things about how well written this book was. Velamir must find the courage to face his past and Natassa must find the strength to face herself before the war consumes them both. When she learns of her father’s intention to marry her to a man she loathes, Natassa crafts a risky plan of her own-one dangerous enough to get her killed. But she’s a shackled prisoner, and somewhere under the mask is a spark of rebellion.

The one who looks away from the torture her father, the emperor, inflicts on the Empire’s inhabitants. Natassa knows her role well: The silent and obedient girl. Burdened with the deaths of the unavenged and the chance of losing his own life, Velamir must decide if revenge is worth the cost. Calamity befalls the group as they trek through enemy territory, and Velamir learns a part of his past that makes the mission far more personal.

When he’s sent on a mission with three fellow academy cadets, Velamir returns to the Empire, the land of his birth. As a student in the Chishman academy, he cannot escape the brutal war.

The Cavalier by Israh Azizi