Heir of Autumn by Nazri Noor

Narrated by Greg Boudreaux

Note: This is a same-couple series with an overarching plot that means a) it’s a good idea to have read/listened to what has gone before and b) there are spoilers in this review.

In Heir of Autumn, book three in Nazri Noor’s Wild Hearts m/m fantasy series, we find our heroes – summoner Lochlann Wilde, his eidolon (and fae prince lover), Sylvain, and his pixie familiar, Satchel, preparing to enter the Oriel of Water in order to bring back some of the Tears of the Ocean. These valuable gemstones, rich with elemental essence, are to be used to enhance the power of the water of the Wispwell, which, they have discovered, can be used to counteract the effects of the Withering. Now all that remains for them to do is to find a spell that will enable them all to breathe under water.

Which is easier said than done.

Directed to the curmudgeonly librarian of the Wispwell Academy, Locke is pleased to discover that there is actually a spell for underwater breathing, and that it’s contained within a book housed on one of the shelves. Finally, it seems something is going right – until Locke is beaten to the book by his nemesis, Evander Skink (the evil twink) who, much to Locke’s annoyance, refuses to hand it over. (I have to admit that while Evander IS annoying, maybe Locke could try being a little bit nicer to him? He’s all “I demand you give me the book you arsehole!” so maybe it’s not surprising that Evander is so unhelpful. Just sayin’.) While Locke, Sylvain and Satchel are pondering their next move, they’re completely sidetracked when a magical portal opens, right there in the library, a portal that leads them to a beautiful sunlit glade full of flowers and foliage and – wonder of wonders, three unicorns. As it turns out, they have a job for Locke; their sister is missing and they believe her to be lost in the Oriel of Water, so they want him to find her. Of course, there’s no way that Locke, Sylvain and Satchel aren’t going to come to the aid of the most legendary of legendary creatures.

But the problem of how to actually survive in the Oriel of Water remains. With no other option than to try to get Evander to be reasonable and let them have the spell book, Locke goes to his house to ask him nicely. Well, as nicely as Locke can bring himself to be (you just know it’s going to be through gritted teeth!) To Locke’s surprise, Evander is willing to compromise, and he agrees to let Locke have the spellbook as long as he lets Evander accompany them to the Oriel of Water – because he desperately wants to see a unicorn. Locke barely manages to keep a lid on his temper, but with no other alternative, the bargain is struck.

Unfortunately, being forced to make nice with Evander Skink isn’t the only nightmare Locke is going to have to confront in this story. After more dire warnings from the goddess Aphrodite and an attack from the monstrous guardians of the Oriel of Water, Locke is going to accompany Sylvain to the Verdance for the very first time – where he will meet the Autumn Queen, Sylvain’s mother. Locke has mixed feelings about this; eager to meet the people who are important to the man he loves, but apprehensive, too – very aware that his being a commoner and way below Sylvain in the social pecking order may not go down too well at the Autumn Court. As this takes place in the second half of the book I don’t want to give anything away, save that things don’t go at all to plan, and while the professors at the Wispwood are making significant progress in strengthening the power of the Wispwell, it’s not enough to prevent the Withering wreaking havoc in the Verdance. By the end of the book, the stakes have been raised considerably and there is possibly a new lead in the search for the source of the frightening, desiccating plague.

Heir of Autumn deepens the mystery around the Withering and continues to drop little hints that maybe there’s a lot more to Locke than even he knows about and that Sylvain is far from the himbo he tries to present himself as. As in the previous books, the story is well-paced, the worldbuilding is excellent and Nazri Noor expertly balances a combination of action, humour and mystery with lots of ongoing character development and interactions between Locke and his found family. Locke’s romance with Sylvain is well-established now and I enjoy their affectionate teasing and banter and the way they care for and support one another. I like that neither of them is perfect (although Sylvain would almost certainly protest otherwise!) and that Locke is able to see past the spoiled, posturing prince to the warm and affectionate (and vulnerable) man/fae beneath.

It sounds as though Greg Boudreaux is having a lot of fun with these stories, and his performance here is every bit as accomplished and polished as I’ve come to expect from him. The pacing is right, his coming timing is spot on, and his interpretation of each character perfectly matches their personality. (Listening to him camp it up as Evander Skink is priceless!) The deep, sexy drawl he adopts for Sylvain is perfect, and while it conveys a sense of superiority and entitlement, there’s a degree of vulnerability there as well, one that is appearing more often in the quieter moments with Locke. Locke’s more upbeat, snarkiness is perfectly captured, too, and I like the way the portrayal reflects the character’s growing confidence. The deep affection between Locke and Sylvain comes through strongly, and while there’s a fairly large cast of secondary characters – unicorns, merfolk, fae and crotchety librarians – there’s never any confusion as to who is speaking because they’re all clearly and distinctly rendered, as are the various recurring characters, who are portrayed consistently from book to book.

Heir of Autumn is another fun and entertaining instalment in the Wild Hearts series that marks a turning point in the overarching plot and points towards some exciting developments to come. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to joining Locke and Sylvain on their next adventure.

Caz

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