Series: Genre: Publication.Date: September 2, 2014 Pages: 562 (hardcover) Published By: Bloomsbury USA Childrens Website: Sarah J. Maas Heir of Fire on Goodreads My review copy:
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Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.
The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight.
(Goodreads)
She blinked, focusing on her breathing, until she was no longer in that beautiful, jewel box-like room, until the scent of the pine and snow on the northern wind had vanished and she could see the morning mist weaving through the canopy of leaves above her. The cold, damp moss seeped through her clothes; the brine of the nearby sea hung thick in the air. She lifted her hand to examine the long scar carved on her palm.
There would be more time to tell him of what happened next - of the Wyrdkeys and Elena and Nehemiah and how she had become to broken and useless. She yawned, and Rowan rubbed his yes, his other hand still in hers. But he didn't let go. And when she awoke before dawn, warm and safe and rested, Rowan was still holding her hand, clasped to his chest.Something molten rushed through her, pouring over every crack and fracture still left gaping and open. Not to hurt or mar - but weld.
She didn't have have the space left in her for doubt of fear. As they walked, she played with the ring tucked into her pocket turning it over and over as she reminded herself of her plan and of what she need to accomplish before she left this city. She was as much as queen as Maeve. She was the sovereign of a strong people and a mighty kingdom.
She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.
After Crown of Midnight's rather intense ending, I was stoked to finally receive my signed copy of Heir of Fire! There's just something about signed copies that make reading the book more fun, but maybe that's just me :)
Anyway, Heir of Fire starts off a few days after Crown of Midnight ends. Celaena has a rather "whatever" attitude to life and has been spending her days stealing bread, drinking wine, and hanging out of roof tops. She is watching the guards and learning their schedules, but doesn't care much to do anything about it.
While roaming an alleyway one day, she encounters Rowan, one of Maeve's warriors who has come to take her to meet Maeve herself. Celaena hopes that Maeve will tell her how to destroy the Wyrdkeys and where they are, but of course nothing in Celaena's life is easy and she must prove herself and train until Rowan says she is worthy to get any sort of answers.
My heart hurts for Celaena. If we thought she was in a bad place after Endoiver and couldn't be worse, we were so wrong. With the death of Nehemia and subsequent events, Celaena is broken (not that I can blame her - Crown of Midnight was rough!). Broken, but determined. She is still our Celaena though; tough, sarcastic, and hell bent to keep her promise to Nehemia no matter the cost. As her training with Rowan continues we see a larger character development from her than in the two previous novels combined. Obviously I'm not going to tell you what happens, but those last few pages . . . the King of Adarlan is in so much trouble!
At the same time Celaena is going through her transformation (for lack of better words), Dorian and Chaol are having their own issues back in Adarlan and we're introduced to two new players: Aedion Ashryver, Celaena's cousin, and Sorscha, a healer within the castle. Both of these characters play major roles within Heir of Fire, but I have to say that I am loving Aedion. He's quick, witty, and beyond determined to see his cousin on the throne of Terrasen.
As well as Celaena, Dorian shows true growth within Heir of Fire. Thanks to Celaena's actions, he is no longer the playboy prince we first met, but someone who not only sees the flaws of his father's rule but also someone who is going to do something about it. Chaol, well. I know he's had a few knowledge truth bombs dropped on him and is coping with have to leave Adarlan and go back to Anielle but come on man! He does have a few moments of kick assery and is trying to help Celaena from a distance, but I had a lot of trouble liking him this time around. He's just . . . broody! That's what it is. Too broody for my tastes (and I'm Team Angel, so that should tell you something).
On top of these three narratives (Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol), Sarah also introduces us to Manon Blackbeak, an Ironteeth witch and heir of the Blackbeak coven. I found Manon's storyline to be interesting, not as interesting as the other three, but I know she's going to play a much more important role in the upcoming novels so these bits are important and integral to the storyline. Plus, after meeting Baba Yellowlegs in Crown of Midnight it was fun to see and learn more about the Ironteeth witches.
Each new Throne of Glass book throws readers through a loop, reveals deeper secrets, and ends in the most sublime cliff hangers. They're not the "so-and-so is dead" cliff hangers (ugh, those are rough), but the kind where you are salivating for the next book. Where you are so glad to have read this latest installment and ended the torture left over from the previous book, only to enter a new / similar form of torture and curse the heavens because the next book doesn't come out for months.
If you haven't started this series yet, I suggest you run (don't walk) to your local book store and purchase every single one and binge your little heart out. Queen of Shadows comes out on September 1 and you are not going to what to be in the dark when that comes out!
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