ARC Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Pages: 565

Received: Publisher via Netgalley

Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆









Summary: (Throne of Glass #3)
                   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?               

My Thoughts:

When I got accepted to read this from Netgalley, I was more than overjoyed. Sarah J Maas has written Heir of Fire beautifully and the way she writes should not be questioned. Sometimes a recurring question pops in my head: How does she do it? She didn't disappoint me in this novel, but one minor thing bothered me. Without a doubt, her writing was entrancing and otherworldly. She is, in my eyes, the definition of young adult fantasy.

Celaena, known as the King of Adarlan's Assassin, is bound and has to serve the King of Adarlan. She wants to requite the king for Celaena's most cherished friend's death. To protect her, Chaol sends Celaena to Wendlyn. She discovers answers and lies among them. Being introduced to new characters was a little challenging for me. You get so used to these characters, that you cannot fathom being without them.

"The people you love are just weapons that will be used against you."

Without spoiling anything, I could definitely see the growth of Sarah J Maas's writing. The thing that I just couldn't get through were the new characters. Yes, throughout the novel, their story gets more intriguing. It was just slow, for me personally. But the rest of the story made up for that marked off .5. 

"She smiled at the crowd, at her people, at her world, so ripe for the taking."

Celaena, in this novel, gave me hope for feminism. She endured and is a strong, potential YA heroine. At a point in our lives we just want to walk away from our problems and give up. But as we discover that flaw, we face our problems. That was what Celaena did. I've seen Celaena grow as a character and also as a person. 

"She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one."

I could not write this review without including Chaol and Dorian. Their stories were entertaining and interesting. (I'm sorry I cannot elaborate more without bursting into spoilers). I am proud to say there was only one love interest. All the intense action and adventure aspect was far more compelling than the affection. The plot went fairly fast. Some scenes felt like I was like on a slow train. But the ending made up for all the times I doubted any of the characters and plot. The ending went by so fast, I'm still contemplating it. 

HEIR OF FIRE was captivating and spellbinding. All the elements Sarah J Maas threw at you was worth reading until the very end. The growth of the characters, the beautiful writing, and the entrancing ending, was enthralling. I cannot hold my excitement for the next novel in the series.
*Thanks again Bloomsbury/Netgalley for this wonderful opportunity*

4/5 STARS