Celaena is forced to confront her past head on in the third book of the Throne of Glass series, Heir of Fire. Sent away from Rifthold by her friends, Celaena must find the answers to destroy the dark magic which insures the King of Adarlan’s constant and oppressive rule. Riddled with guilt for her choices and apathy for her life, she knows she must keep the promise she made to Nehemia: to ensure freedom for the people of Eyllwe. To do so, she must face the Fae heritage that she has kept dormant for so many years and gain access to Doranelle, a faerie city forbidden to outsiders who have not proved their magical, Fae capabilities. While dodging the secret agenda of Adarlan, Celaena is begrudgingly coached by Rowan, an ancient, Fae warrior, to hone her magical skill enough to gain entrance to Doranelle. But as Celaena grows in skill, she becomes aware of a dark presence in the woods near her temporary home. One that seeks to destroy her and all she has come to care about. Celaena must fight or surrender to the darkness that threatens to take over her world.
This addition to the Throne of Glass series takes a turn with our sassy heroine. Given the tragedy Celaena has witnessed, the protagonist’s personality is muted to account for the responsibility she feels to those who lost their lives. For those who found her character annoying for her arrogance and selfishness in the earlier novels, this more subdued Celaena may be a pleasant change for readers who found her character irritating but still wish to finish the series. However, without Celaena’s sass to get her into trouble, this reader found the plot of Heir of Fire slow and plodding with the exception of the exciting ending of the novel. Mass sets up her conclusion perfectly to shock her readers and propel them to read the next in the series, Queen of Shadows. It is a shame that the same thrill of the earlier novels in the Throne of Glass series is missing in Heir of Fire.
Maas continues to add in more characters to the plot of this novel to enhance the richness of the world she has created. This may get confusing for some readers who are unsure of why Manon and her Thirteen, a coven of witches, have so many chapters from their perspective in Heir of Fire. Maas does not directly connect these two story lines although minor characters that Celaena has interacted with from the first two books do show up in the chapters with Manon and her crew. Readers can be rest assured that these characters are not flat: each shows incredible growth and have an important purpose in the series, even if that purpose is not immediately visible in Heir of Fire. Though the majority of Heir of Fire is unexciting, it Is recommended to readers for the ending and to continue to the thrilling following novels in the series.
Does it have a Young Adult label?: No, but there is some strong language and violence.
Recommended if you like: Everything from the previous 2 books in the Throne of Glass series, Shocking endings, Ancient Fae Warriors, Witches, Dragons, Fire Magic, New Friendships
Favorite Quote: “She was the heir of ash and fire and she would bow to no one.”
Rating:
This addition to the Throne of Glass series takes a turn with our sassy heroine. Given the tragedy Celaena has witnessed, the protagonist’s personality is muted to account for the responsibility she feels to those who lost their lives. For those who found her character annoying for her arrogance and selfishness in the earlier novels, this more subdued Celaena may be a pleasant change for readers who found her character irritating but still wish to finish the series. However, without Celaena’s sass to get her into trouble, this reader found the plot of Heir of Fire slow and plodding with the exception of the exciting ending of the novel. Mass sets up her conclusion perfectly to shock her readers and propel them to read the next in the series, Queen of Shadows. It is a shame that the same thrill of the earlier novels in the Throne of Glass series is missing in Heir of Fire.
Maas continues to add in more characters to the plot of this novel to enhance the richness of the world she has created. This may get confusing for some readers who are unsure of why Manon and her Thirteen, a coven of witches, have so many chapters from their perspective in Heir of Fire. Maas does not directly connect these two story lines although minor characters that Celaena has interacted with from the first two books do show up in the chapters with Manon and her crew. Readers can be rest assured that these characters are not flat: each shows incredible growth and have an important purpose in the series, even if that purpose is not immediately visible in Heir of Fire. Though the majority of Heir of Fire is unexciting, it Is recommended to readers for the ending and to continue to the thrilling following novels in the series.
Does it have a Young Adult label?: No, but there is some strong language and violence.
Recommended if you like: Everything from the previous 2 books in the Throne of Glass series, Shocking endings, Ancient Fae Warriors, Witches, Dragons, Fire Magic, New Friendships
Favorite Quote: “She was the heir of ash and fire and she would bow to no one.”
Rating: