Review Detail

This book gave me such nostalgia for when I red Red Queen and Shadow and Bone in High School, and I am all here for it.

Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray is YA fantasy novel that is best described as Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone meets Hunger Games. 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.

What I loved most about this book is the worldbuilding. Murray has this way of creating a world that is both so familiar and unique, that you almost can't help but to yearn for a way to join it. Though I most of this can be pinned down to the fact that it reads and resembles the likes of the good old beginnings of YA fantasy (ie. Cinder, The Selection, Shatter Me) in that it has a strong female voice that may not always be as fierce as the author was maybe intending, and often ends up quite doubtful and reliant on the male protagonists.

One thing I didn't quite like about this book, was the pacing. It felt like Murray either was too fast or too slow in her reveal of plot and backstory. In that the opening scene really sets the plot off with a brief narrative about Blaze's birth. But the actual book's start, is slogged down scenes that feel more like telling than showing. But blame this analysis on the fact that I too am writing a YA fantasy novel and often find myself struggling with what all needs to be crammed into the first 30 pages.

Regardless, Heir of Storms is a solid read and a solid start to Murray's YA romantasy trilogy. I can't wait to get my hands on book two, and see what else Murray has in store for Blaze and the rest of her loveable characters.