HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: B+
Release Date: 9/2/14
Synopsis:
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 on the book:
The Throne of Glass series is one of my absolute favorites, but this book didn't appeal to me as much as the first two did. That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, because I did. It just wasn't as enthralling as the first two installments. The world-building is still top notch, and Celaena's character growth is amazing, but the pacing is a bit off. This book will be well-received by fans of the series, and it sets up the next part book nicely. It does end in a cliffhanger, which I hate, and I'm dying to know what happens next. 

Celaena has always been one of my absolute favorite female characters because she's so strong. In this novel, she shows a bit of vulnerability, but she still manages to regain her strength and come out of a horrible situation as a better person. Her grieving was a bit repetitive at times, but for the most part it wasn't over dramatized. I was impressed by the person she became by the end of the book, and I can't wait to see what she does next. Dorian got on my nerves quite a bit for a good portion of this novel, but toward the end, I really grew to respect him. Chaol also came across and weak and annoying until the very end. Some of the new characters blew my mind because they were so amazing. I adored Rowan. He's such a bad ass with a heart of gold. I'm totally shipping him and Celaena, even though Maas seems to be trying to keep them as just friends. I would love to see a main character move on to someone new instead of returning to an old flame, for a change. That'd be nice. Aedion is also a fantastic addition to the series, and I hope we get to learn more about him in the next installment. Sorscha is horrible and weak, in my opinion. I really didn't like her at all. 

Heir of Fire is split into two parts, and while the first part is important to the second part, it just dragged for me. The second half of the book is much more interesting, and I flew through it. This book has a very different feel than the first two, and it is more of an emotional journey for Celaena than her just running around being a bad ass. I really liked how she had to deal with her emotions for once instead of burying them. The alternating points of view worked for me, except for Manon. Her perspective came across as "simple," for lack of a better term. She just didn't seem very smart to me, and her thoughts were very basic. I know she's an evil character and I'm not supposed to like her, but along with disliking her, she bored me to tears. However, I did like glimpsing into Rowan's head a couple of times and seeing what was going on in Rifthold while Celaena was in Wendlyn. The ending is a cliffhanger, and it's one of the worst ones I've ever read. You can't just stop a book there, Ms. Maas! I have to know what happens next!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am not so patiently awaiting the next installment. Fans of fantasy and people who like tough heroines and intriguing characters will adore this series. People who already love the Throne of Glass books will not be disappointed by this novel. 

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