“Prince Allard may have been born a girl, but he has known all his life that he is actually a boy and rightful heir to the kingdom as his father’s eldest son. However, his father, King Cederic, has chosen Allard’s brother to sit on the throne instead. With the help of his wizard mentor, Dwennon, Allard is able to convince his father to allow him to go on a quest to slay the dragon that killed Allard’s mother, Queen Belinda, when Allard was just a child. Should he succeed, the king would recognize Allard as his true son and heir. And so Allard must embark on a journey to slay the dreaded dragon Balsinew of the Glittering Eye. He must face down bandits, the beautiful but dangerous Prism Valley, and the Tunnel of Interminable Suffering in order to finally face the dragon and prove to his father that he is fit to be king.“

I finally had the chance to sit down and read Eldest Son of an Eldest Son by Fallon Walker, and I was absolutely glued the entire time.

The story is very much a hero’s journey, which is already something I love. But I was absolutely intrigued by Allard’s story when I read the story description. Allard makes this unique, interesting, and got me emotionally invested early on. The rejection he faces being born into a female body, even though he was blessed the day he was born just as all the other sons had been. The strength and courage to be himself despite how ostracized it made him. His bravery and loyalty to his kingdom. All of these things make you love Allard, and truly cheer him on during this harrowing journey.

But then as we meet more characters, we fall more in love with the entire story, and not just Allard. The kindness of the strangers he meets. The guidance of his mentor, Dwennon. The love that sparks and friendships made. It’s all a beautiful story.

I highly recommend this to fans of the hero’s journey and sword and sorcery books. You’ll be absolutely sucked into the story and, like me, get through it in a single sitting.

You can order a paperback copy here.

Or get the Kindle version here.

-Angel