Book Review: Heir of Fire
- Author: Sarah J. Maas
- Series: Throne of Glass #3
- First published September 2, 2014
Celaena Sardothien finally accepts her past and sets out on the path fate has laid out for her. No more self-pity, no more self-destructive behavior.
The third book of Throne of Glass
Celaena finds herself in an unknown land, with a new mission to kill. However, nothing goes as originally planned, and her time is quickly running out. The protagonist once again falls into a dark state and loses all desire to fight against events. The promise made to her at Nehemiah’s tomb eats her up from the inside, but Celaena does not have the strength to face her past and the obligations that her lineage entails.
This book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas delves further into the world building. The plot is an idea slower, but that gives us the opportunity to learn more about Celaena’s past and all the demons that haunt her.
In this volume we are introduced for the first time to a couple of new characters who will play an important role a little later in the story.
Rowan
My absolute favorite. To me he is a very strong male character that the story needs. If we compare him to the previous strong halves, the old elf’s demeanor and charisma is much more masculine and laid back than the slightly youthful of the previous ones.
Manon
She is another favorite heroine of mine. I have followed her story with great interest, and even though she’s in the opposing camp, she exerts a strong pull. The witch is absolutely ruthless and, as is made clear throughout the narrative, has no heart. There were times when her story was much more compelling than Celaena’s cycling in one place.
The magic returns…
The different points of view in the book are a very good way to expand the scope of this magical world. Two other kingdoms and their struggle against Adarlan come to the fore. We are introduced to the kingdom of the witches and the clans fighting for supremacy. We also get to know Celaena’s “loving” relative, who also plays a mysterious role in the Assassins’ past. We get a deeper insight into the huge spectrum of magical creatures that Sarah J. Maass has prepared for us, and she will continue to enrich it until the end.
Through her characters, Sarah J. Maas manages to tie everything into one storyline. The fact that there are different chapters from the point of view of several characters does not split the storyline at all, but makes it clear that everything revolves around an ancient war between demons and humans. The clash between two different worlds centuries ago and the desire of the demon lords to conquer the mortal settlement.
In “Heir of Fire” we witness real magic.
After leaving the borders of Adarlan, Celaena finally shows us what she is capable of. The magic in this story is nascent and sure to grow.
Sarah J. Maas once again manages to thrill us. While the pace of the plot was leisurely for most of the book, at one point it stuns us with lightning-like speed. Once again, the author manages to push her characters to the limits of the bearable and push them into the abyss. And all that remains for the reader is to watch them fall, not knowing what fate awaits them.
I read The Heir of Fire for the second time and was surprised at how many details I had forgotten. Again, I was able to relive all of Celaena’s experiences from the first book to the present. From “The Assassin’s Blade” where I knew Sam was going to die, and yet I literally devoured every chapter that followed, shuddering at the moment. All the way to “Crown of Midnight” where the brutal murder of Nehemiah shook me again. Sarah J. Maas has a knack for compelling stories and there is hardly a fan of hers who has not read at least one of her books.
Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?
