Heir of Fire - Sarah J. Maas

[Please note that this is the third novel in the Throne of Glass series. so there may be spoilers for the previous books in the series. You can alternatively check out my review of the prequel novellas, book one Throne of Glass or book two Crown of Midnight.]

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #3
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Source/Format: Borrowed from Adam (Thanks!) || ARC

[I received this book for review from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love? (from Goodreads)

[I have tried and failed many times to write down my thoughts on Heir of Fire. So, this is my official disclaimer to warn you that this blog post will not be completely coherent, but it will be fangirly, wordy and feelsy.]

Just to try to main some level of professionalism, here’s my official Goodreads review, which I shared months before now right when I had finished reading the ARC of Heir of Fire that my friend Adam so generously lent me:

And for those of you interested in such things, I’ve shared my status updates while reading Heir of Fire (with permission from my friend Brittany, who does this for her reviews):

Now, here’s an accurate (photographic) portrayal of my feelings as I read Heir of Fire:

Heir of Fire is a seriously impressive addition to the Throne of Glass series. It continues where Crown of Midnight leaves off, seamlessly transitioning from the ending that left my emotions jumbled into a new part of Celaena’s story. As I predicted, Sarah fully embraced the opportunity to explore the world, sneak in new revelations and insights into familiar characters, introduce new players in this tale and still tell a compelling, immersive story. Sarah’s ability to tell this story in the way that only she is capable of is, in fact, remarkable and continues to get better and better with each of her books.

In Heir of Fire, there are four separate story threads that follow specific characters: Celaena, Chaol, Dorian and Manon (a new character!). While fantasy veterans will have no trouble following each person’s specific plot, fantasy newbies need not fear – it’s fairly simple to keep up! Each one of them has different things at stake, different experiences to face, and they have such different personalities that each of their specific chapters leaves a strong impression. It was clever, and very addicting, to tell the story this way, as I was constantly torn between satisfaction with a character’s chapter and an appetite for the next one of theirs. I won’t go into what these characters are up to specifically, but suffice it to say that it seems like something larger is brewing – and it’s all connected.

In terms of characters, it’s a pleasant treat that we are reunited with familiar faces in Heir of Fire in the form of Celaena, Chaol & Dorian. All three of them are reeling from the things they’ve learned about themselves and each other, and figuring out what they should be doing about it. It is a bit refreshing that they’re given the opportunity to understand themselves (without the others to cloud their judgment) a little better. All three become stronger and better in many ways, and watching them slowly learn to flourish and accept things was pretty great. I love these three so much, so I’m clearly biased, but each one’s story arc in Heir of Fire was so damn good.

Heir of Fire also introduces us to new characters, most memorably Manon (and her wyvern), Rowan and Aedion. Manon is, quite simply, badass. She’s a ruthless adversary, capable of acts that would horrify ordinary people. But her ability to connect to her wyvern, and the hints of humanity she sometimes displays make her a curious one indeed. Then there’s Aedion, cousin to Celaena, who has been fighting on behalf of the king of Adarlan. I found him a complicated, curious guy, but he mostly reminded me of an older brother figure (which I’ve always loved the idea of). And finally, there’s Rowan, beloved Rowan, a warrior bound to Queen Maeve, who bears powerful abilities. Right away, there’s something very appealing about this guy, and I won’t say more than that so you can find out for yourself when you read this!

Honestly, the bottom line is: I love the Throne of Glass series. Heir of Fire, in all its glory, just further cements my devotion to it. Sarah’s storytelling is truly incredible, and just grows more powerful with every successive novel in her series. I loved Heir of Fire, and certainly look forward to seeing where Sarah takes us next.