“Book Review: Sisters of the Perilous Heart”

Reviewed by Joe Walters

The first magical thrill-ride of an exciting new YA fantasy series.

Sisters of the Perilous Heart is something special. It’s not every day that readers can stumble into a plot as intricately woven and as action-packed as this one. Author Sandra L. Vasher drops readers into a distant land populated by mortal and immortal humans fighting for their lives with all the complications you expect from a wide cast of intermingling characters. Drop yourself into this first book in the Mortal Inheritance series; you’ll want to be around for where it takes you.

This novel mostly focuses on two points of view. The first is that of Queen Vivian, a woman who inherits the throne about two minutes before an arrow (dipped in the Immortal Virus) is shot into her chest. With just enough magical power to survive, she and her two brothers must escape the ambush and search for more magic to eradicate the virus. As much as Vivian’s story is about survival, it’s also about the relationship between her two protective brothers and her are-we-sure-we-can-trust-her? mother.

Carina is our second protagonist, a young woman who has to learn how to control her high-powered magic. Years ago, the immortals came searching for the young woman with the indomitable powers, even killing her parents on their way, but she has been lying low with a group of sisters in a rural estate ever since. That is, until she accidentally reveals her magical abilities beyond the estate lines and the immortals come after her once again.

Vivian’s in search of more power, and Carina has it. Can they team up to protect their world from the dangerous wrath of the Red Eyed Ones? 

There’s so much to love in Sisters of the Perilous Heart. You can tell from the first few chapters that this is going to be a well-developed, high-stakes plotline geared to keep you on your toes. But perhaps the strongest aspect of the book is just how human all of the stories are.

I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Vivian and her brothers. One brother is the golden child, and the other is an outcast who can’t seem to do anything right. But it’s the outcast whose pure heart draws me closer, constantly rooting for him to succeed. Throw in the fact that their mother seems to be a bit more complicated than she should in this life-or-death situation, and we’ve got ourselves a family dynamic that we just can’t look away from.

In addition to the human elements of the plotline, this novel also does a fantastic job of making us look over our shoulders constantly. Whenever a seemingly harmless character makes their way into the storyline, you better believe a lingering feeling will creep up your spine, curious if they’re here to backstab our characters or to help them achieve their goals. Because of that, we’re cued into the small actions, the tiny moments, waiting for everyone to reveal their true colors.

Here, we have a fully developed plotline, clean and efficient prose, and characters with enough layers to make them feel completely real. Both protagonists and antagonists are established with a fine distinction, helping me recognize who I should be rooting for and who I should be afraid of from the very beginning. It’s a clean and accessible read for those looking to establish themselves in a new world.

If you or the young adult in your life needs a fantasy series with all the tropes you love along with all the action you need, you’ve met your match with Sisters of the Perilous Heart.

ISBN: 978-1950989010

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