Book Review: Time's Orphan by Hayley Chow

Title: Time's Orphan
Series: Odriel's Heirs #3
Author: Hayley Reese Chow
Genre: Fantasy; Young Adult
Publication Date: February 2, 2023

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.

Rating:

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Hello Fellow Readers,

Despite the fact that this was the third book in a trilogy you could read this as a standalone which is what I did. I do wish that I had read the other two first though so I could have known more about some of the characters that were featured. I'm thinking of getting the first two books as I would love to continue Chow's world and her writing has a way of immersing her readers so you feel like you're experiencing everything alongside her characters. 

Speaking of characters, Emara just felt real, she was such a fighter and given the world she lives in such a survivor. She had her vulnerable moments but her resourcefulness really shined through that you couldn't help but root for her. Chipo and Jai were amazing as well, they didn't outshine Emara but held their own in terms of characterization. I actually really liked the romance too! Most YA fantasy romances leave me shaking my head half the time, usually because of insta-love or lack of chemistry (also, this didn't have the dreaded love triangle), in Time's Orphan Chow allowed the romance to progress naturally, nothing felt forced or out of place. 

The one gripe I did have was I felt like I was missing some things about Okarria that I felt I would have gotten had I read the first two books. So I do suggest reading all three in order. 

Overall, an amazing fantasy read.