Publisher:
Bloomsbury
Release
Date: 11th
September 2014
Edition:
NetGalley
proof, review copy
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 he did. And 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 the same place. If she can overcome them, she will be
Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While
Celaena leanrs of her true identity, 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?
This
third novel in the Throne
of Glass sequence, from New York Times
bestselling author Sarah J Maas, is
packed with more heart-stopping action, devastating drama and swoonsome
romance, and introduces some fierce new heroines to love and hate.
I feel like this review is a
rambly mess, but...onwards...
Heir
of Fire I had
a lot to live up to with the pure awesome of Throne of Glass and Crown of
Midnight and the huge cliffhanger we left Celaena on.
This was easily the most
emotional book in the series so far. Celaena’s departure from Adarlan happened
in grief and turmoil and that was a state of mind that she continued with for a
long time. She was a walking disaster. The emotional arc of Celaena over the
course of the novel was astounding and underpinned the entire novel. She had to
reconcile herself to Nehemia’s death, the end of her life in the Rifthold
palace, come to terms with her secret and mourn the end of her relationship
with Chaol – the girl had a lot going on.
The growth in her power and the
development of her magic was astounding. I loved seeing how she learned to
wield her power and use it, as well as how it changed Celaena and helped to
heal her. She is an exceptional heroine and I love her. She sank to the bottom
of despair and clawed her way back up to strength and surety, but it took time
and effort and a new friend.
Rowan was a great addition to
the cast of characters. I could tell he would be good for Celaena from the
get-go – he didn’t take any of her crap and pushed her on and up. I was
refreshing to have a hot, interesting and mysterious male character in the hot
seat that wasn’t there to provide a romantic entanglement. The development of
their friendship felt genuine and reliable and I hope we see more of it as the
series continues. Their connection didn’t lessen what Chaol and Celaena had in
any way and it was so clear that they still loved each other, even thousands of
miles apart and knowing that they weren’t quite in the right emotional place to
be together at that moment. Another refreshing element from Sarah J Maas!
One of the most unexpected
elements of the novel were the chapters focusing on Manon Blackbeak. I usually want
to skim the chapters that take me away from the central action but I loved the
change of scene, pace and the general distance from what was happening in
Wendlyn and Rifthold. The dirty tactics the witches employed to one up each
other in the contests to rule the covens, the surprising attachments that they
formed and the stirrings in Manon’s twisted, blackened and shrivelled heart. I
think those witches are going to be very important very soon.
In Heir of Fire, Celaena went from an assassin to a queen, Dorian
evolved from a prince into a king and Chaol went from a warrior to a man. An amazing
third instalment of an incredible series – Sarah J Maas is a genius with characters
and emotions.
Thanks to Bloomsbury and
NetGalley for the review copy.
Sophie
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