About the Book:
Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone in this explosive start to a YA romantasy trilogy about dangerous magic, forbidden love, and a cut-throat competition for the throne in an empire where crowns are not inherited — they’re won.
“This is going to be huge.” ―Laura Steven, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates
The very day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire, Blaze’s birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. She’s been hidden away ever since with a dark secret: the same torrential power that branded her an outcast disappeared that fateful day. And she’s not sure she wants it back.
When an unexpected invitation arrives for Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, to compete as future rulers of the empire, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight again — and into battle. Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.
As Blaze explores her untapped power, she discovers the throne may be within her grasp. But in order to take it, she’ll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her, and find the courage to write her own.
*Review Contributed by Olivia Farr, Staff Reviewer*
HEIR OF STORMS is a riveting and twisty YA fantasy. Blaze was born to a family with power over fire – but her power, which manifested at birth, nearly drowned the world in storms and defined the rest of her life. A Storm Weaver, she is one of the last of this kind of magic, and with the deaths that followed the storm she created as an infant, she has carried a figurative mark on her back ever since.
Following her mother’s death, she and her twin brother, Flint, and little brother, Renly, have lived with their grandmother, the former fire queen (now, their aunt). Flint has spent his life training to become the next ruler for fire. Once in a generation, there is an eclipse, following which four of each type of magic are chosen to compete to be the ruler of each of the four kingdoms, tied to the emperor and his power of light. Not long after their name day, Flint and Blaze are each chosen as one of the four heirs – Flint for fire and Blaze for water. The resultant contest will also have a lot of political intrigue and machinations as they each fight for a crown.
What I loved: This was a fascinating premise and a consuming read. The kingdom and the powers are interesting, and the reader gets to learn more about these systems as the book continues, as well as the mythology that forms their religion/practices. The world-building was quite strong though limited to Blaze’s experiences. It would be easy to see this growing in future books, where the reader will learn more of the world alongside her.
This is definitely a story of political intrigue and maneuvers. While Blaze is somewhat naive due to having been so sheltered, she has also been lonely. She has a difficult time deciding who to trust, and this shifts as people reveal themselves and their character along the way. She has also long been bullied by her younger cousin and others who lost loved ones in the storm she unwittingly created as an infant. This continues in the book with Blaze learning how to stand up for herself and determine who she wants to be, balancing her power with her emotions.
There is a solid love triangle in the book as well. While it was easy to guess that there would be some twists in this, the actual twists were shocking. There were many reveals towards the end that were quite surprising and really kept the reader on their toes. Blaze is navigating her emotions and her heart amidst these potential romantic partners, and that is anything but easy.
The ending was really strong and impossible to put down. While the book started a bit slow, the last third really picked up and kept the reveals and twists coming fast – it was easy to get hooked and stay up late reading.
What left me wanting more: I found the element of slavery to be a bit challenging in this story. While Blaze seems to take some effort to learn about the slave (called serf) she was assigned in the capitol, this obviously fell a bit short. This troubling element of the story was not handled very well – but I could see potential for this becoming a bigger and more important theme in the future, especially with the ways that Blaze changes. In the story, the serfs are background and seemed to be character building elements for the owners’ stories.
Final verdict: HEIR OF STORMS is a twisty and consuming YA fantasy read that I would recommend for readers who enjoy deadly contests, love triangles, and magic coming-of-age stories.
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