DRC Review: The Heart of the King by J. J. Fischer

Release date: 15 August 2025

Rating: 5/5, of course

Synopsis:  The worst monsters live within us.

The warring island kingdoms of Calidore and Jardia are thrown into chaos when Calidore’s once prized, but now quite possibly half-mad, seer announces that young gravedigger Rigan North will one day capture the heart of the crown prince of Jardia—and lead Jardia to victory against Calidore. Together, Rigan and the prince will rid the Twin Kingdoms of the Shro Khan: deadly, mind-controlling monsters that terrorize the people on sand and at sea.

Desperate to maintain his stranglehold on power and prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled, the king of Calidore sends a troop of soldiers led by the legendary Aureus Corcoran to kidnap Rigan. Corcoran, who is rumored to be able to communicate with the Khan, wonders how this unremarkable, frustrating girl could ever ensnare the attentions of a would-be king even as he admires her clever attempts to escape him. But when her fiery ways and unexpected kindnesses begin to claim Corcoran’s heart, prompting him to second-guess his orders, he wonders how the prophecy could ever come true—until he learns that not only is he far more than he believed himself to be, but she may be too.

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Review

I keep reading Fischer books, not necessarily waiting for one of them to disappoint, but maybe wondering how all of them are so completely awesome to me. I've devoured nearly every Fischer book, though I own them all; and I keep putting off reading at least a couple of them just in case of a future Fischer dry spell or something.  The Heart of the King turned out just as lovely as each of Fischer's other novels. I love all of the characters, the slow-burn swoon hits just right, and the plot comes with peril but does not leave the reader bereft of hope. Ultimately, I know a Fischer book will deliver, and this one lives up to the established pattern of awesomeness.

Readers familiar with Fischer books won't be surprised that the characters are little thieving heart thieves. Rigan and Aureus start out appropriately bristly toward one another, and by the end the enemies-to-lovers lives up to the trope. I particularly love that Aureus is not an enemy lacking in morals, but simply an enemy by association. I always love watching characters at odds with one another reconcile their preconceived notions with logic and the gradual lessening of animosity that eventually becomes googly eyes and then something…more. Fischer also excels at creating a feminine strength to her lady leads that doesn't equal just a female version of a male character. Rigan's tough physically just by way of her profession—she digs for a living, which makes anyone physically fine-tuned, but she also possesses inner strengths that shine even when she's put in positions where she has no physical advantage. 

Readers will be treated to healthy doses of rival kingdoms, crazy despots, and haywire magic, make no mistake.  The Heart of the King may focus on a couple of twitterpated fools, but the overarching story rivets the eyes right to the page, too. Worldbuilding has never suffered in a Fischer book for me, either. Details would spoil some stuff, so I'll be mum on those and just let the synopsis guide any interest. 

My sincerest thanks to the author for the DRC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion. 

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