For fifty years, King Leander Eldana has ruled Ashland without naming an heir to the crown. After sending away his grandchildren to be raised out of the public eye, it’s finally time to secure his nation’s future by appointing one definitive heir. The best way to appraise his successor? In the halls of Almus Terra Academy, a boarding school infamous for breeding the world’s next generation of leaders—and liars.
Titus Eldana has always known he’d inherit Ashland’s future. Now he must prove he has what it takes. Alaric Eldana was not raised with a silver spoon. His secondhand clothes might not be fit for a king, but he knows how to rule: with his fist. Emmeline Eldana only wants to please her neglectful parents. If that means securing the crown, she won’t hesitate to destroy anyone in her way. Sadie Aurelia has no idea why she’s been given a chance to bring new blood to the throne. With nothing left to lose back home, she’s ready to take it.
Filled with competition, secret alliances, enemies-to-lovers romance, and cunning revenge, Royal Heirs Academy is a breathless, entertaining read set in modern-day.
This is one of those reviews that's really hard to write. I loved the idea, the story, and the writing here. Because I loved them, the bits that sit wrongly with me feel much bigger - I'm probably even making more of them than they deserve, but I really did love the book so much as a whole!
The king of Ashland - which seems to be in Africa from what I can make out - has ruled for fifty years without naming an heir, after taking power during a civil war. Ashland's laws allow him to name anyone, not restricted to his family, as his heir. His three grandchildren have been raised away from Ashland, unaware of their background, and when they all enter the world's most exclusive boarding school, he sends a commoner along and tells them they're now all in competition for the throne. Blackmail, backstabbing and manoeuvring begin as each of the four need to decide what they're willing to fight for, and what they're willing to give up for it.
Overall the story is amazing - the settings are beautifully described, the characters are distinct and well planned, the exposition is given at the right pace. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes. However, this wouldn't be an honest review if I didn't also point out the things that bothered me - and as I said, in a book that wasn't so good, they might not have bothered me so much!
For one thing; one character is diagnosed with an auto immune disease. The character's been having symptoms for nine months or so, and 'several' specialists haven't been able to figure it out - but the school doctor looks at his notes and is able to bring in the right specialist to diagnose him. Now it is a disease that's less common in younger people, but it still seems an odd progression!
Another character was raised in Dublin. This character talks about doing odd jobs 'sometimes for quid and sometimes for stew'. Irish people did use quid for the punt, and older people might use it for the euro; but it would never be used the way it's used there, and teens are highly unlikely to use it as they've never known pounds, they've grown up with euros! Likewise, the character occasionally uses 'cailín' to address girls. Irish people are very unlikely to use that unless they're in a Gaeltacht, an Irish speaking area. It feels like an attempt to make the character feel Irish without making sure the details fit right. (I'm not even touching 'geebag'.)
Finally; the whole plot hangs on no one, including the heirs themselves, knowing who they are. Setting aside that they all seem to be the same age, the king managed to get the three youngest members of his family - his direct descendants - out of the country and kept under guard in other countries, explicitly changing the guardians every so often, without anyone in the media or anywhere else seeming to realise? No one ever looked for them? Even the Ashland native doesn't seem to know there are heirs before they're revealed!
In a book that was otherwise so good, these stood out to me - but other readers may not be worried by them at all, and they didn't sour the book for me. I still highly recommend it and I'm really looking forward to the next volume to see what happens next!
Recommendations:
Book recommendation: For a story that echoes the mix of personal drama and countrywide politics, try Red, White & Royal Blue. You'll enjoy the journey Alex and Henry go on, trying to balance their personal lives with their political responsibilities.
Movie recommendation: You can't go wrong with The Princess Diaries, the classic story of a girl finding out she's a princess and what it entails. Mia's journey mirrors the Royal Heirs in many ways.
Royal Heirs Academy publishes on the 7th of January, 2025 in the US, and the 6th of February, 2025 in the UK. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.
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