Heir of Sun and Moon

The Five Realms, Book 1

By: Jenessa Ren

Narrated by: Sara Brodt

Forced into isolation by the ruler of the Mortal Kingdom, Princess Rhea Maxwell spends her days in the company of her pet fox, Bella, dreaming of an existence outside the confinement of her tower. As the rightful queen, she knows that there must be more to life than the endless monotony she's been forced to live. Harboring a deadly secret from her past, her desolation grows until one fateful night brings an unlikely ally into her life. Though wary to trust this stranger, Rhea suddenly finds herself with something she's never had before: a choice. With a future she never thought possible hanging in the balance, the princess must decide if following her heart is worth risking everything she's ever known.

In the neighboring Mage Kingdom, Princess Bahira Daxel is the first of her kind to be born without magic. Fixated on finding a way to unlock the power she believes to be hidden within, Bahira knows there is no price too great to achieve her goals. As tensions rise and her kingdom prepares for a threat they can not defend against, her desperation comes to a head. Ultimatums push Bahria to rethink who she truly is and the future that she had pictured for herself.

In a post-war world where kingdoms are divided by a powerful spell, can Rhea and Bahira each break free from the shackles of the lives expected of them to forge their own paths? Or will lies and obsession threaten to destroy everything.

©2023 Jenessa Ren (P)2024 Jenessa Ren

You should listen to this.

I just have to say this is the rare occurrence where I don’t mind the narrators voice at 1x speed.

Great story and fantastic narration. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings. Please be mindful of the trigger warnings, because the domestic abuse was a bit much for me.

The story is enjoyable and I’ll be starting the second book (not on audio yet though!)

So GOOD - I can’t wait for more!!!

This book was such a good series opener. I loved the dual LOVs and how the author did such a fantastic job pulling all the different puzzle pieces of the plot together. Such a fun new take of Tangled!!! Can’t wait for more!!

Perfection!

Sara made me feel like I was the the characters voiced, because of how well done it was! Please narrate more books! 😁

A captivating series starter with exceptional narration

Heir of Sun and Moon delivers a gripping dual POV story full of emotion and tension. The narrator's range is outstanding. Each character feels distinct and alive, making the world even more immersive. A wonderful first book that sets up the series perfectly and leaves you eager for the nest installment.

Beautiful and deeply emotional

I loved this book the first time around but I loved it even more the second. This book is full of little details that foreshadow things to come or that parallel moments that happen later in the story. Forget wishing to read a book for the first time again because I live for books that feel like a new experience the second time around, once you know things about the story and the characters. Jenessa absolutely nailed it in that regard.

This book was also more emotional for me on the second time around. Knowing what comes later made these already deeply moving experiences all the more heartbreaking. This story is a journey full of rich, powerful emotional moments.

I am always struck by the absolute beauty in Jenessa’s writing. I can vividly picture all the magical and whimsical places in the world of Olymazi and sometimes I am just struck by the exquisite prose as I’m reading. It was so hard to narrow down and choose favorite quotes from this one because I loved so many passages.

I could go on and on about this book but I’ll sum it up by saying this is a gorgeously written book with wonderfully complex characters on deeply moving and emotional journeys. In between the heavy moments there is a lovely mix of funny banter and whimsical, magical settings to keep you hooked page after page.

Also, I did this on audio this time around and Sara Brodt did a phenomenal job, as usual!