Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas Series: Throne of Glass #3
Published by Bloomsbury Australia on September 2, 2014
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
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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?
Jeann’s Thoughts
After Crown of Midnight, we had no idea where Heir of Fire was going to take the plot from there, as Celeana takes off to a new land while Dorian and Chaol stay in Adarlan. Heir of Fire takes a while to get off the ground, fleshing out the land of Wendlyn and adding some new characters to the mix. While the previous books were set in Adarlan, Heir of Fire truly explores its potential as an epic fantasy by showing us multiple plotlines in different kingdoms, cities and characters.
“When they would let me out, so much of my mind had shut down in the darkness that the only thing I could remember was that my name was Celaena. Celaena Sardothien, arrogant and brave and skilled, Celaena who did not know fear or despair, Celaena who was a weapon honed by Death.” – Celaena.
In Heir of Fire, Celaena is at a crossroads as she deals with her grief and learns to harness her powers. She undergoes some immense character development and shows us that Celaena spark and charm that we all know as she eats her food heartily, eyes off dresses she likes and banters with new trainer Rowan, who doesn’t take no for an answer. I really loved Rowan, as the no-nonsense Fae prince who is indebted to his aunt in service. He’s a warrior who commands legions and can relate to Celaena in her pain and grappling with grief.
Sarah J. Maas builds so many powerful, strong males that we could all ship for Celaena. Unlike Dorian or Chaol though, Rowan is all business as he treats her as a soldier and doesn’t treat her with kid gloves or as a dainty young maiden. He isn’t enthralled with her beauty or charm and because of this, they develop a powerful friendship over the course of the novel.
She supposed it was nice, having someone, even an overbearing, snarling Fae warrior, bothering to care whether she lived or died.
I also really liked Aedion, Celaena’s childhood friend who has been looking for his long lost friend, and there are some interesting, tense developments between all of the characters. I still ship my favourite Chaol and Celaena though – and I wish there were more moments between them during the course of the book.
There are a lot more point of views in Heir of Fire as compared to the previous books, which I found overwhelming at times. Between Chaol, Dorian, Celaena, and new characters Aedion, Manon, Sorscha and Rowan, I counted at least seven point of views in the book. There is a lot happening between all of these characters, but it was an interesting way to delve into the mind of different characters and their motivations. Despite it flipping around, I really enjoyed these new characters: Aedion, the King’s puppet who has his own hidden motivations, Sorcha, the healer who has always had a thing for Dorian, and Manon, the Blackbeak witch with a wyvern who is battling other witch clans to take control. In classic Sarah J. Maas fashion, there was plenty of twists and secret reveals throughout the book to keep things interesting.
He’d been a fool once, swearing he would tear the world apart for Celaena. A boy in love with a wildfire – or believing he was in love with one. – Dorian
Heir of Fire takes a different turn from its predecessors, and those who aren’t familiar with high fantasy books may struggle along with all of the new characters, places and the outer world building outside of just Adarlan. I found like there was too much going on at times – I just wanted the romance between Chaol and Celaena from the first few books. Throughout the book I was screaming NOOOO as certain developments will happen based on their time apart. Heir of Fire isn’t a quick read by any means, it takes the time to build up and develop these new characters. But it builds up momentum towards the end of the book as we are thrust into a dark world of demons, magic, war and fae which will take your breath away.
An excellent installment in this amazing fantasy series with the introduction of some amazing characters and some twists and turns with the ones that we love. This series is gearing up to become absolutely amazing and I have the feeling it’s going to completely blow our mind!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Wow, you have got a beautiful site here!
I am currently reading Heir of Fire and im halfway through it right now so I avoided reading you entire review… but I agree with the parts I read 😛
My recent post Review : Kings or Pawns
How many chapters are in Heir of Fire?
There are 68 chapters, it's a big one!
Oh I definitely agree, I'm really glad how Celaena was still preoccupied about her and she underwent some great development after she lost her best friend. The new viewpoints were different interesting, and I especially loved Rowan and Aedion. Yeah, I wasn't the biggest fan of Sorcha's story as well and we could have done without it, but it was a bit different I guess.
I thought this was a big improvement over her other books. The romance in this one was push to the back, which pleases me since I hated the love triangle in the first two books. I was also very glad we get to see how Nehemia's death affected and continue to affect Celaena. In the last book, her death seem to be push aside all too quickly. Celaena recovered, forgave Chaol, murdered those involved and then that's it. She's off to another kingdom now. I'm glad to see Heir of Fire remedy that. All new viewpoint characters are compelling and entertaining to watch. I especially like how Rowan won't take any shit from Celaena. But in the end they still manage to be friends. Aedion and Manon were favorites as well. I wasn't quite a fan of Sorscha given that her storyline is just falling in love with Dorian. I had hoped for more political intrigue from Dorian's plotline. Still this is a nice book, I've grown to be quite the fan of Maas.
Oh what's not to like Rachel, Sarah J. Maas can do no wrong in my eyes. Definitely some povs were necessary and others weren't. I CANT WAIT FOR BOOK 4!
I am THRILLED that you liked this one, Jeann!! This book was quite a change of pace. I loved the world-building and the character development too. The POVs were a bit overwhelming. I felt that sometimes they were necessary, other times they weren't. I loved the new characters and all the twists as well! Lovely review as always hon <3 Where is BOOK #4????
Rachel @ A Perfectio recently posted…Stacking the Shelves (8)
Yay I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it Braine – and kudos to the author for always surprising us with her books and making each one as amazing as the next. She always seems to step it up, that's whats so awesome about this series!
That's a good realisation, with the character development there was definitely a lot of angst between Celaena, Dorian and Chaol. Definitely was required in this one, and there were SO many developments here. I can't wait for the next book! Thanks Lily.
I know, this one seemed to be quite a steep learning curve from the first one didn't it? Can't wait to hear your thoughts Cyn!
Ha, yes!
I finally finished it and posted my review (if you're interested!
So I totally loved Aedion! Chaol and Aedion would be an awesome BROTP. haha. And yes! Rowan! I love that he doesn't coddle Celaena. I like them together, but I really would prefer an awesome platonic friendship 😉
Cyn @ Book Munchies recently posted…Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Thank you, it was just such a long book and so many povs and characters and new concepts and worlds, almost overkill but I still enjoyed it. I did miss their relationship here too and it looks like it will be a while before they get reunited!
Glad to hear you loved it Christy, a few people had criticisms for that one. I can't wait for you to read Crown of Midnight, it was totally epic and the FEELS!
Thank you so much Michelle! I can't wait for you to read this so we can discuss <3
Thanks Tricia, I hope you enjoy it when you pick it up!
Thank you lovely, it was really nice to see her actually have a best friend that was a guy who wasn't romantically interested in her, and it was believable because of what they've both gone through. I can see what you mean about being bored, I skimmed a lot of Manon's stuff because I just wanted to get to read Celaena & Chaol's pov. Thanks for letting me know about the publisher, I've corrected it XD
Glad to hear Laura, I can't wait for you to read these two books. Once you start Crown of Midnight you will not want to stop – it is freaking amazing.
Yay, I am so glad you love this series as well Sunny! Yeah, I kind of feel like this one got off to a slow start, but it got more and more awesome towards the end. It's the kind of book you can't rush, will have to slow down and read. Thank you lovely!
Glad to hear you liked it though, but yeah I think Sorscha and Manon's pov were a bit of an overkill on top of everyone. I was annoyed at her pov at the start but ended up liking it in the end. That is an interesting observation!
I've said this before and i'll say this again! I had a few minor issues with Heir of Fire and I kind of wish this could have happened or this but in the end I respect and love the book. Sarah J Maas took this story and her chaarcters to new heights that i'm so scared to see where everything goes. At this point, anything could happen. That being said, Heir of Fire may not have been m favourite in the series but I felt like this book was needed for it's character development. Great review
Lily recently posted…Rites of Passage: Review
I only quickly skimmed this review b/c I'm in the middle of reading it right now, but I'm so happy to see you really enjoyed it!! I totally agree, I want more Celaena and Chaol romance, and I'm dreading the impact of their time apart (I just want happy romance!! lol).
And yes, holy cow is there way more POV this book. I'm glad I'm use to reading fantasy…I see why it can get confusing! Thanks for the review, Jeann!
Cyn @ Book Munchies recently posted…Review: Forged By Desire by Bec McMaster
Woohoo! I just finished ToG and loved it. Great characters. I can't wait to catch up with the series.
Christy recently posted…The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
I'm really glad that you enjoyed this one, Jeann! As you may know, Sarah J. Maas is one of my favourite authors. She really left me hanging and crying at the end of CoM for more, and now that this is out, I'll have to go out and read it! This series can be 50 books, and I'll always end up reading them all, or anything by Sarah!
I loved this! The story is evolving which is expected because Celaena is growing up so it's natural for me that the tone of the book is following suit. It doesn't feel YA anymore and all the additional plot threads are very interesting. I cant wait for the next one!!
Braine Talk Supe recently posted…It’s The Brazen Babes!
Brilliant review. I had the same problem you did, I ended up feeling like there was too much going on in this. I really love Chaol and Celaena together, so I really missed their relationship in this. I didn't mind all the different POVs this has, but I did get a little sick of some of them.
Reviews from a Bookw recently posted…My Weekly Book Haul: 06/07/2014
I'm so glad you loved this, Jeann! I absolutely loved Celaena's development and her relationship with Rowan, they were pretty entertaining to watch. I liked this a bit less than you because I felt really bored in some perspectives like Manon, but overall, I must agree with you! Also, I think you mean Bloomsbury not Harlequin Teen? 😛
Lovely review, lady <33
I am so ready for this. There are so many names that are new to me (well like 3 but same thing) and I can't wait to meet everyone! I'm gonna read Crown of Midnight next and then finally, Heir of Fire!
Laura Plus Books recently posted…Stacking The Shelves #44: Catching Up
I received this for review much to my utter excitement as I love this series. I'm about 20 pages in but for some reason I always find it hard to get settled into these books. I'm excited as I've heard such great things but having not been a massive fantasy reader, I'm afraid things will get too overwhelming. Oh well, I guess I'll have to see. Glad you enjoyed it xx
Sunny @ A Sunny Spot recently posted…REVIEW: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
I just skimmed over your review because I hope to read this book soon!! Glad to see that you enjoyed it! 🙂
tricia recently posted…Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) by Diana Gabaldon
I loved this new installment, but thought it could have done without the extra POVs like Sorscha's. Seriously, it really wasn't necessary for the plot. But omg, I LOVE LOVE LOVED Manon. I found her so fierce and I can't wait for her and Celaena to clash. And I'm pretty sure they'd clash cos they're both so darn stubborn! Wonderful review Jeann xx
Joy @ Thoughts By J recently posted…Exclusive advanced screening of ‘The Giver’
I've not started this series yet but I don't know how I would feel about the multiple povs. It sounds really good and I can't wait to check the books out. Great review!
Janina @Synchronized recently posted…Bound To Danger by Katie Reus
Thanks Janina, yeah multiple povs can be pulled off well depending on the book I think. Thank you lovely!
Fantastic review Jeann, and I loved the friendship that develops with Rowan. I was so swept up in the world, characters, creatures and images that Maas brought us. I cannot wait for the next book!
kimbacaffeinate recently posted…Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
I know, I was like oh no who is this new guy that is being introduced but in the end he was a strong character that I really liked. Me too!
YAY JEANN!!!!!! I so loved this book two, though I of course wanted some Chaol/Celaena moments. I understood why they were apart for this book though, it was necessary, but still:) And a huge YES to Rowan and Aedion, I absolutely adored both of them and hope they continue to play large roles moving forward. Rowan and Celaena's friendship just made me happy:) Gorgeous review!
Yeah, it was necessary but I couldn't help wishing while I was reading it though. I'm glad I managed to pull myself away and get attached to new characters hehe. The friendship between her and Rowan was a highlight, definitely!
I personally prefer action to romance, so I probably wouldn't have been as taken aback by the sheer volume of events, and having Chaol & Celaena's romance fall to sidelines for a while. However, what do I know? I haven't even started this series yet which means that at this point I'm just blowing hot air. LOL 4.5 stars is still pretty darned good for a third installment though, so Maas must be doing something right. Wonderful review!
Carmel @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Night Unbound Blog Tour with Dianne Duvall: Playlist, Review and Giveaway
Ah yes, there was definitely a lot of action here and development of the new characters. LOL I do start the series at some point, it is incredible. Thanks Carmel!
I've honestly always heard good things about this series and, I must say, the excitement is quite contagious. I haven't read the books, but I'm really fascinated by them and I think at some point I'll give them a go! Fab review, Jeann 🙂
Silvia @ Darkest Sin recently posted…Life of a Blogger: Fitness
That's the perfect way to describe this series Silvia, especially with all the hype and excitement going around after every release (and long after they are released). Glad to hear!
Sounds like an exciting read. Not my type of thing, but I know the vast majority of readers love books like this.
Thanks Stephanie, this is a really accessible YA fantasy read for many, which is why it's so loved.
I also love Aedion!!! He's so adorable!!! HAHA I love that he has this facade thing going on but there's this puppy love thing with Celaena. Why does everyone love Celaena? LOL I'm just upset there weren't any Chaol and Celaena scene 🙁 Most of the book was about training. I found Manon unnecessary in the book, though. She wasn't able to interact with any of our past characters, from what I remember. HAHA Great review!
Chyna @ Lite-Rate-Tu recently posted…Design Review: Does this cover not amuse you?
I knowww, I really liked him as well! He seems to be looking for his long lost love/childhood friend. I totally agree with you with everyone seeming to love her – it seems a bit unrealistic, doesn't it? Yeah, Manon was kind of out of the blue for me. I just wanted to skip her bits lol. Thank you CHyna!
I agree, the new POVs felt overwhelming at some points. It was irritating also how there would be multiple POV changes in a chapter. I wish one chapter = one POV 🙁 Sometimes we're getting to a good part in a POV, then it switches and I'm like "arggggh." Haha. I really like Aedion, too! He's such a loyal, fierce warrior and I am kinda shipping him with Celaena despite him being a cousin ( I am hoping real hard he's a third, or fourth, or very distant cousin haha).
Faye @ The Social Po recently posted…ARC Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
Oh yes, the whole book felt like it was getting good and then it kept on switching and I found myself frustrated because I just wanted to know what happens to Chaol, Celaena, and Rowan lol! HAHA OH FAYE that is an interesting pairing 😉
Jeann, I am so sorry but I didn't read your review. I know that you don't put spoilers in your review but I am still afraid that there might be triggers there that would clue me in on what happened on the book. I just bought it yesterday and would read it ASAP as soon as I'm done with some ARCs. I am so happy that this one made a good sequel to Crown of Midnight.
Charlotte @ Thoughts recently posted…I Wish There Will Be Remakes Of Book-To-Film Adaptations
That's alright Charlotte, I know what you mean – sometimes I don't like reading reviews for books I know I'm going to read soon. It will be a great 'pleasure' read for you hopefully!
My copy is on its way! Hurray! 😀
Bieke @ Istyria book recently posted…Bookish Babble: Sequels kick ass now
Glad to hear Bieke!
YES!!! Amazing review, Jeann! This book just . . . THERE ARE NO WORDS.
I loved Rowan, too. But I have to say Aedion was my favourite new character! He was just so bad-ass and the ending with him . . . I can't. I CANNOT. (Side note: let's hope Rowan doesn't turn into a love interest, because I would roll my eyes at that so badly. Chaol and Celaena for the win!).
Dorian was pretty awesome too though, right? I was surprised how much I loved him in this 😀
Thank you Allie, YES I loved both of them and I'm glad there were more amazing strong males for us to swoon over! I don't know, I thought the romance with Dorian was kind of lame and he moved on quicker than I expected!
Ack. This sounds painful, to be honest. I can't…and I haven't even read the first book!
Joy (Joyousreads) recently posted…Confessions of an Addict [27]: Audiobooks
Hehe it was a tough one to go through, but totally worth it y'know?
I have to admit, I am one of the few that enjoys this series but can't understand how it has risen to such heights. I will be reading this as soon as I can – but I think that's because I want to be part of all the hype lol I was really worried there would be like a love octopus or something in this. High fantasy was my first passion, so this one might hook me more ! Thanks, Jeann!
Lorelle Page recently posted…Thoughts from an urban fantasy writer’s panel
HAHA Love octopus is such a perfect way to describe this series – I can certainly see why that happens. I agree, hype is easy to get swayed away from – but it always makes your expectations sky high.
I struggle with various POVs so I'm definitely dreading that aspect. I began reading this a whiiillleee ago and just couldn't make a dent (my concentration decided to become elusive). Then again, I do love some magic, and I feel like this building up to something big! Great review, Jeann 🙂
It definitely does build into something bigger than you expect from the past 2 books and the start. It had a steep and drawn out beginning, but gets so awesome towards the end. Thank you Jess! The magic and action here was amazing.
I really should get into this series. One day, I will. For now, I'll slowly read some books.
Dre @ Sporadic Reads recently posted…Giveaway : Follow Me Wherever I Go! (INTL)
I totally agree Dre, just read what you can enjoy for the moment.
I think you read (and commented on) my review so you know that I struggled with this one, not because it's not an amazing book, which it is, but because I feel like it moved firmly into high fantasy territory, which is a place I'm not entirely comfortable as a reader. Still, what an emotional ending. I'm impressed!!
Jen @ YA Romantics
I am glad to hear it impressed you even though there was a steep learning curve in this book. I felt the same way Jen, but it did really sweep me away eventually.
I have GOT to start reading this series! I have read so many amazing reviews! Thank you for reviewing it, Jeann, and reminding me that I have GOT to start this series:-)
Tammy @ Books Bones recently posted…Using Blurbs From Bloggers: Do Publishers Need Your Permission to Reprint Reviews?
No problems Tammy, I hope you will enjoy it when you start it, it's a favourite for a reason 🙂
*squeals* I love this series so much and I could even say that it's one of my favourites. I've heard Heir of Fire is quite large compared to the first two so I'm interested to see what happens. That's disappointing that all the POV's got a little confusing at times but I feel like this novel is just going to be the least favourite out of the series. Don't get me wrong, I love every book but there is always one book that is sort of used as a basis for the storyline.
I think this is going to be a struggle for since I'm such a major Chaoleana shipper. It nearly broke my heart having to see them go their separate ways. Although I must say I'm curious to see what these new characters are going to be like. I can't wait till Heir of Fire comes in the mail, I'm just waiting on Bloomsbury.
Great review, you've got me excited all over again.
P.s. How awesome is the cover!!!???
Francoise recently posted…Hiatus until further notice!
Glad to hear Francoise, it definitely was a big book and yeah, I liked the first 2 better because they seemed a bit easier to follow or more 'enclosed' you know? But it was still freaking awesome, and I loved it. Hope you get your copy soon Francoise, then we can discuss! xx
The thing I'm most excited for is MORE MAGIC. I love magic. Although it's funny how I hardly ever read epic fantasy anymore. I used to read lots of it when I was younger – His Dark Materials and the Inheritance Cycle come to mind, and those were my faaaavourite books at one point (well, and Harry Potter of course). So it'll be interesting to see if I can handle all the different viewpoints…
All these reviews are making me so excited to read it 😀
Emily @ The Loony Te recently posted…August Recap
Oh my gosh the magic was freaking amazing! I'm really glad to hear that you're keen on reading it Emily, can't wait to hear what you think yourself. PS. I need to remember to finish the Inheritance cycle, I only read the first one!
I started reading this a while but I didn't finish it because I was so distracted but I'm going to be starting this again next week because the ending of CoM was horrible between Chaol and Celaena. I admit, when I started reading this I loved how it just continued from where we left off without it jumping time or place etc. It followed through nicely. Rowan certainly sounds like another great character, but like you I'm a Chaol girl! hehe. Lovely review, Jeann!
Emma @ Never Judge a recently posted…ARC REVIEW – THE JEWEL by Amy Ewing
Thank you Emma, I hope you give it a good chance, I just wanted more Chaoleana but I guess we have to be patient for that! I trust the author will take us on a fantastic journey and the book was worth sticking through 🙂