Author: Sarah Maas
Length: 576 pgs.
Audiobook length: 20 hours 39 minutes
WOW. Wowee wow wow. This was SUCH an improvement on the second book - Crown of Midnight (review here.)
Whereas Crown of Midnight was almost like a history lesson on Celaena’s world (with a little action and a devastating loss thrown in), Heir of Fire is so chockfull of action, betrayal and mischief that there's hardly any room to breathe between chapters. It's also where we witness Celaena completely come into her own and transform from the emotionally disabled assassin into the woman she is meant to be. It was time for her to grow up and it seems like such a natural progression.
We’re introduced to many new characters, one of whom is Manon, heir to the powerful Blackbeak witch clan. It’s amazing to me the thought that goes into the creation of all these characters with their rich, realistic personal backstories and extended history, unique behaviors, traditions and beliefs. The addition of the witches to the story is an example of this, and it’s not just Manon’s clan we meet but the Yellowlegs and Bluebloods as well. And why they are all together is something I won’t spoil here but gives me chills thinking about how it will eventually all play out. This is a story well over 500 pages and yet there’s so much more to come on this front.
Another character who was introduced is Rowan. He’s unlikeable at first, and wants to be that way. Yet, the bond that slowly forms and changes and grows between him and Celaena throughout the book feels completely real. By the end of the book I was emotionally affected by their friendship and the way that they rescue each other from various situations. It’s also Rowan who helps to unlock Celaena’s heart.
Shit definitely hits the fan in this book. No one really feels safe (as in, not to be killed off) except for Celaena, and that’s only because I already know her story continues, otherwise I might question even that. At the end of the book, the ever-present danger shows itself in an oh-shit-now-it’s-going-down way, and we know from that point that things are going to be WAY different moving forward.
It’s a combination of the emotional character transformations, the new relationships that are formed (some of which are painfully extinguished), the solid new characters that are introduced, new information that shines a light on so many things we’ve already seen and learned in this series, and the events that unfold in Heir of Fire’s conclusion that make this book pack such a powerful punch. I think I need to take a break and listen to some lighter fare before moving on to the fourth book, but I definitely will be reading that soon because I can’t wait to find out how everyone comes out on the other side of this.
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