Review: MAGONIA by Maria Dahvana Headley

Title: Magonia
Author: Maria Dahvana Headley
Series: Untitled #1 (Magonia?)

Summary: Aza Ray is drowning in thin air. 

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak--to live. 

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name. 

Onluy her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world--and found, by another. Magonia. 

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power--and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza's hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity--including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie? 

Why I read it: It was touted as a standalone fantasy, so it was the perfect book to take on vacation!

Thoughts: First of all, this is so NOT a standalone. There will be a sequel next year. It is a duology. DO NOT read this thinking it is a standalone. Just don't do it.

Okay. Now, with that out of the way, I really enjoyed this book.

I adored both Aza and Jason. Once Aza is introduced to Magonia, it was so interesting to learn more about the world in the sky, and figure out how Aza fits into it. And when we got Jason's POV, I loved him ten times more. Jason is infinitely quirky, and I loved that about him.

The side characters really rounded out the world, both on the ground and in the sky, in Magonia. The other Magonians that Aza meets and gets to know are all unique, both in appearance and in personality, and I appreciate that. On Earth, both Aza and Jason's families were perfect. They are both supportive and understanding of their children, and it was so heartwarming to see that in a YA, where so many parents are absent or uncaring.

As far as the plot goes, I can't say much without delving into spoilers. The book is pretty short, but a lot happens and it's all packed into a short space. There is a lot of world-building that happens in this book, as well, because halfway through the book we're thrust into Magonia without much explanation. We learn about Magonia alongside Aza, and there's never an info dump. We're given pieces of information very deliberately and slowly, keeping the mystery alive for almost the entire book. And at the moment everything finally comes together, the climax happens and it is so intense that I almost didn't breathe for several pages.

The book was a little short for my taste, but it wouldn't bother me as much if I had known going into it that there would be a sequel. It was marketed as a standalone, but believe me. Once you get to that last page, you know there's no way it could be. And sure enough, the author has confirmed that there will be a sequel next year. If I had known that from the beginning, I'm sure I would have enjoyed this book much more. As it was, the closer I got to the end, the more annoyed I was, because I thought, How can this possibly get wrapped up in these few last pages? It diminished my enjoyment of the book slightly.

Also, as much as I enjoyed Aza as a character, I didn't feel for her as much as I did Jason. Maybe it was, once again, the fault of the short length, but I didn't connect to her emotionally as much as I could have.

I definitely recommend reading it, though. It's wholly original and insanely creative. And I will definitely be picking up the sequel next year!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1

Summary: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf int he woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin--one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. 

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it...or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever. 

Why I read it: Sarah J. Maas. DUH. I actually got to meet her the week of its release! (As you probably already know. I still haven't shut up about it.) So I decided to read it to start off the Bout of Books 13 read-a-thon!

Thoughts: HOLY COW. NEW FAVORITE.

First of all, the characters. Feyre is such a great protagonist, because she is NOT perfect. She makes mistakes and she's quick to judge everyone around her. But she's only human, and I love the flaws in her character. Every relationship she has with the other characters develops throughout the book; there is nothing stagnant here. Dynamics shift and perspectives change, so how she sees Tamlin, Rhysand, and even her sisters, is different from the beginning to the end.

Speaking of Tamlin and Rhys, and adding in Lucien, how delightful are these High Fae? Between the Throne of Glass series and now this series, Sarah J. Maas really is excellent at giving us swoon-worthy male characters. Tamlin is all golden sunshine and fierce loyalty, and Rhys is all mystery and darkness, and Lucien is all sarcasm and protectiveness. I love all three of them for very different reasons. Tamlin is the obvious love interest, Rhys is the dark horse, and Lucien is the male best friend (the role of which I'm very fond of, as you know).

Once you've read this book, let the shipping wars commence! I know what side I'm on already. I love Tamlin, but I'm Team Rhys all the way!

Do I even need to mention the writing? This is a Sarah J. Maas book, of course I loved the writing. That's silly.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it's also woven in with elements from Tam-Lin and East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Beauty and the Beast is a very well-known fairy tale, so that is the one everyone mentions when talking about this book, but I've heard very few people talk about the other aspects. It's easy to tell how Beauty is reimagined for the story. There certain scenes pulled directly from the tale and slightly reworked to fit, and other things are simply alluded to. But what I love the most is how well the elements from the other two fairy tales are used to fill out the story. It's incredibly well done.

The last quarter of the book is where things start to shift away from Beauty and the Beast and into other territories, and it is one hell of a ride. Once again, I'm amazed by how Sarah J. Maas managed to pull me in from page one and keep me there until the very last page.

PLUS, it's technically a new adult series, which makes it my official first new adult book! Feyre is nineteen, and there are some steamy times. Part of the reason I've stayed away from new adult is that most of them sound the same. They're all contemporary books with a girl and a guy getting into a relationship with a lot of a sex, and often the girl is a shy virgin and the guy is aggressive and I just don't like to read about those kinds of relationships very often.

ACOTAR, on the other hand, avoids those tropes entirely. And I hope that this represents a shift in the way we can view new adult. Hopefully it ushers in a new era of new adult that includes fantasy and paranormal and real, meaty plots. Because some of us want the steamy times without the relationship drama and dark pasts!

Whoa, went on mini-rant there. Rant over!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of fantasy and steamy romance.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read ACOTAR yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: THE WICKED WILL RISE by Danielle Paige

Title: The Wicked Will Rise

Author: Danielle Paige

Series: Dorothy Must Die #2

Why I read it: After finishing Dorothy Must Die Stories, I was VERY intrigued to see where the story went. And I wanted to keep up with the series instead of falling behind. 

Thoughts: What a great second installment. 

I was a little worried when I bought this book, because it is significantly shorter than the first book, and I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough meat there. But I was so mistaken. 

The great thing about second books, and the reason they get away with being shorter than first books, is that there is way less world-building to be done here. We've read the first book, we know all about the world and the characters and what is going on, so we don't need all of that in the second book. Instead of introducing things, second books can get right into the action and not let up. 

Because trust me. The Wicked Will Rise is definitely not short on plot. 

This book picks up pretty much exactly where the first book left off, and it doesn't really slow down from there. There are a few quieter moments, but the plot is constantly moving forward. It doesn't stagnate at all.

Though we don't get to see all of our favorite characters from the first book, we do get to meet a few new characters along the way like Polychrome and Bright. And they are so much fun. Amy continues her journey here, fighting to remain good when her inner wickedness is fighting to be fully released.

We get to see new parts of Oz we haven't been before, and we get to revisit places we have. But those places are changing, as the events of the series start to catch up with the landscape.

And without going into details, THAT ENDING. I was never bored with this book, even though parts of it were a little less eventful than others. But then we got to the last quarter of the book, and I. Could. Not. Put. This. Book. Down. So much was happening, and so many revelations, and that twist. And so many plot threads were coming together, including threads introduced in the Dorothy Must Die Stories collection of prequel novellas. So I would highly recommend reading the novellas before reading this sequel. Things will come together even more beautifully that way.

Danielle Paige definitely upped the ante in this book, and I cannot wait for the third book. But a quick glance at Goodreads tells me that the third book isn't due until 2017?!?! HOW is that even possible? I severely hope that is just a placeholder, and that we will get to see it much sooner than that. Otherwise, the book world might just have a riot on its hands. Publishing, you've already pushed back the release of The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater. Give us a bone. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this sequel? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: DOROTHY MUST DIE STORIES by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die Stories
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die #0.5

Why I read it: I hadn't planned on continuing the series so fast after reading Dorothy Must Die, but then the sequel came out and I decided to go ahead and marathon the beginning of this series, so I picked up the prequel novella bindup!

Thoughts: I really enjoyed these novellas!

This book is a bindup of the three prequel novellas that were originally published as ebooks. So I will review each novella individually, then give the bindup an overall rating!

No Place Like Oz

Rating: 5/5 stars

This was, by far, my favorite novella of the three. No Place Like Oz is from Dorothy's POV, and it chronicles her journey back to Oz and how she came to be its new (evil) ruler. It was so intriguing to be in Dorothy's head, and not entirely pleasant. It shows us how Dorothy's first adventure in Oz has changed her, and how she could become the evil witch we see her as in Dorothy Must Die. But there is even more to this novella, and it shined so much light on the first book and things in the background that we didn't know yet. I loved it!

The Witch Must Burn

Rating: 3/5 stars

This was an okay read. It was slightly interesting, but nothing terribly new to be honest. This novella was all about Jellia Jamb, who is just an awesome character and it was interesting to see a little bit of her background. But considering how Dorothy Must Die ended, this felt a little pointless. But oh well. It was still fun! 

The Wizard Returns

Rating: 3/5 stars

This was another average novella. We see how the Wizard ended up in Oz once more, and we definitely learn a lot about his true intentions. And I really enjoyed the ending! But the bulk of this novella was just so-so, and once again, felt a little pointless in the grand scheme of things. But the end made up for some of that!

Overall, this was a fun prequel read for Dorothy Must Die, but I wouldn't say it's an essential must-read of the series. 

Overall rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read these novellas? What were your thoughts? Do you think they're necessary reading? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black

Summary: Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they're destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she's found the thing she's been made for. 

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries' seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can b, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. 

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. 

Until one day, he does...

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Why I read it: I was looking for another standalone to finish off March, but I didn't want to read another contemporary. This was one of the most recent books I'd bought, so I grabbed it!

Thoughts: LOVE.

This is the first Holly Black book I've ever read, so I wasn't sure what her writing style was going to be like, but I absolutely loved it. The writing is lyrical and beautiful, and unexpectedly emotional. In the beginning, during exposition, the narration wandered a bit. Things would be happening and the narrator would start thinking about something else, which would then make her think of something else, until her thoughts finally ended up back in the present. At first it was a little bit confusing, but it didn't take long to get used to. I ended up liking the almost stream of aspect.

The characters are fantastic. Every character is fully fleshed out, and I was shipping characters left and right from the very beginning. Hazel is so strong, and I love that she is the warrior instead of her brother, Ben. But Ben is pretty amazing, too. I loved him so much, and his crush on the horned boy is so perfect. Having a gay character in an urban fantasy YA was so refreshing.

The secondary characters are fantastic as well, such as the horned boy and Ben's best friend, Jack. Even characters who are mentioned in passing early in the book are brought up again at some point, often playing a significant part in the plot. I like this attention to detail; the idea that no one is insignificant.

I've read quite a few books with fairies or faeries or fae in them, but this one managed to be completely different. The folklore and mythology behind the fae is so intriguing, and some of it definitely felt familiar. Especially the Alderking. (Erlkonig, anyone? Since I'm a vocal music person, it was great to see that come up! Let me geek out a bit.)

This book twists and turns and I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. There were so many plot points that I never guessed, but they worked perfectly. I really appreciate that this is a standalone fantasy, and everything is wrapped up by the end.

I highly recommend this to everyone, whether you're a diehard Holly Black fan or a newbie like me! Especially if you like books about fae.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Series: Dorothy Must Die #1

Summary: I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado--taking you with it--you have no choice but to go along, you know? 

Sure I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road--but even that's crumbling. 

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe. 

My name is Amy Gumm--and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. 

I've been trained to fight. 

And I have a mission.

Why I read it: This was my jar pick for the month, and I thought, How perfect! The sequel was coming out at the end of the month, so it was a perfect time to get to this!

Thoughts: I know there have been some mixed opinions on this book, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I really love the main character, Amy Gumm. She's a trailer-park girl from Kansas with an absent dad and a lackluster mom, and she's got pink hair to boot. But what I really love about Amy is that even though she's had a rough life and she's definitely a strong female character, she isn't mean or overly sarcastic. And that's what makes her interactions with everything Oz so special.

We have a large ensemble of characters here, all of which fall into two categories: ones that were in the original L. Frank Baum books, or ones that have been imagined by Danielle Paige.

All of the L. Frank Baum characters are twisted in delightful ways, either for good or for bad. I won't get into the "how's" and "why's" for fear of spoilers, but it is so much fun to meet each character and see how Paige has changed them for her story, or to catch small mentions of minor characters from the originals.

The characters Paige has created fit perfectly into the world of Oz and its topsy-turvy feel. Nox quickly turned into a favorite character for me (and a swoon-worthy one, at that!) Grandma Gert and Glamora (Glinda's twin sister) are also two of my favorite characters.

That's the thing about this book. I have so many favorite characters because Paige is so good at writing them. None of them are purely good or purely evil; they all exist in that morally gray area that I just love.

The setting is mostly the Oz we all know and love, so it's recognizable and doesn't require too much explanation, but with some extra fun thrown in!

The plot is so intriguing, as well. I was constantly wanting to turn the page, find out what happens next, because the plot twists just kept coming! And that ending? I did NOT see that coming!

My only problem with this book is that it drags in a few places, and there are a few times where things are over-explained, telling rather than showing. But other than that, I'd say this is a very solid debut from Paige and I can't wait to read more!

Rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read Dorothy Must Die yet? If so, what were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: LARK ASCENDING by Meagan Spooner

Title: Lark Ascending
Author: Meagan Spooner
Series: Skylark #3

Why I read it: I have been anxiously awaiting this trilogy conclusion since I finished Shadowlark last winter! Oren made my list of top ten book boyfriends last summer, so I had to find out what happened. And since I've made it my goal to finish more series than I start this year, I thought this was a great time to start making good on that promise!

Thoughts: This was a pretty solid conclusion to the trilogy.

As I'm writing this review, I'm finding it hard to put my thoughts into words. I have to say that as I was reading it, and immediately afterward, I was a little disappointed by this book. But now that it's been a little while since I finished it, I'm realizing I liked it more than I thought I did.

Lark and Oren are still the characters I loved from the first two books, and I continued to root for their relationship throughout the entire book. The supporting characters were interesting as well, and I love seeing how Lark's interactions with people from her city have changed from the first book, after she's seen the real world.

The writing is okay, but I wouldn't say the writing is the selling point for this series. Instead, it's the characters and their relationships. But the writing gets us where we need to go.

I really loved the plot. Eve, the renewable from the first book, provided a really interesting foil for Lark's character, and she ended up driving the plot a lot more than I had expected.

I read this after finishing Ignite Me (review here), and I had a bit of a book hangover, so I was moving through Lark Ascending pretty slowly. But the climax was thrilling, and once I got there, I was flipping pages much faster to discover how it all turned out.

I think my main problem with this book was the world-building. The world-building in the first two books was extremely satisfying, but there were explanations for plot events in this book that just didn't make as much as sense as I needed them to, and the history of their world feels like it still needs to be fleshed out more. So that was where the disappointment came in.

There was also a plot point I wasn't a fan of. I won't get into details because of spoilers, but it involves more drama between Lark and Oren.

That said, the ending was still satisfying, and I appreciate the journey the main characters took throughout the trilogy. I would still recommend this series to anyone who loves science-fiction/fantasy and great romance, especially in the first book.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this series? What did you think of the conclusion? Which book was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu

Series: The Young Elites #1

Summary: I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside. 

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina's black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family's good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever's survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars--they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites. 

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it's Terren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Vlenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them beefore the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they've never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn't belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her. 

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt. 

Why I read it: I absolutely adored Marie Lu's Legend trilogy. I marathoned all three at the end of February and into March, and just couldn't put them down. Champion made me cry. So I fell in love Marie Lu's writing and when I heard she had a new fantasy series beginning this year, I did a little happy dance and featured it on a Waiting on Wednesday post a couple months ago. Then I won an ARC copy from a blog giveaway and got the opportunity to read it before it comes out! 

Thoughts: I finished this last week and had to take a few days to really process my thoughts on this book. Usually I know my rating for a book immediately when I finish it, but I really needed to sort through my feelings on The Young Elites before I rated and reviewed it. 

That said, I think I loved it. 

Our main character, Adelina, is one of the most complicated characters I've ever read, especially as a main POV character. She has been through hell in her sixteen years, so her dark tendencies and sometimes morbid fantasies are often understandable. And though Adelina does terrible things in this book, she remains, if not relatable, at least empathetic the entire time. Marie Lu has explained The Young Elites as almost a villain origin story, and having read the book, I totally understand where she is coming from now. 

The other characters are similarly gray morally. Certain characters are easier to love than others, but they are all complex and intriguing. Enzo and Teren obviously play huge roles in the story, but other characters make just as much impact. Raffaele, for example, is such a mystery. He quickly became one of my favorite characters, but by the end of the novel, it's obvious that there is more to him than we have even seen yet. The other Daggers and Adelina's sister, Violetta, round out this marvelous cast. 

The writing, as expected, was beautiful. Lu takes inspiration from Renaissance-era Italy for her Adelina's country of Kennetra, and it makes for such a rich, beautiful setting, and the bits of fantasy woven in really stand out. The baliras were one of my favorite small details, because they sound SO COOL. 

There is only one thing that really bothered me about the book, and it's something small that doesn't diminish my affection for the book. Most of the book is written in first-person POV from Adelina's perspective. But every once in a while, we get a chapter from Enzo, Raffaele, or Teren's POV, but they are written in third-person so that Adelina can remain the only first-person POV. While I understand the choice, it is a bit distracting because if we are meant to be in Adelina's head the entire time, we shouldn't have access to these scenes and/or thoughts in the first place. And honestly, many of these scenes seemed extraneous anyway, with the information gleaned during these chapters being revealed to Adelina again later. I think it would have had more impact if we had learned this information along with Adelina later on, rather than knowing it before her. 

Other than that, I loved this book, and I think the series has the potential to get even better in the second and third books! 

This book releases TOMORROW, 10/7/14, so definitely go pick it up and give this new fantasy series a shot! 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 

Tell me: do YOU plan on picking up The Young Elites? And if you read the Legend trilogy, what did you think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J. Maas

*WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS for books 1 and 2* 

Proceed at your own peril. 

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #3
Summary: 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? 

Why I read it: Are you kidding me? You're joking, right? IT'S A THRONE OF GLASS NOVEL. Of course, I'm going to read it. I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.

My thoughts: OH MY GOD. Seriously, it's really hard for me to put my feelings for this series into words. It is the sole reason I really got into YA epic fantasy. I've always loved dystopian, sci-fi, paranormal stories, but for some reason, I had never really read much high fantasy before Throne of Glass. And it was a total awakening.

Now remember, this review is going to be TOTALLY spoiler-y for the first two books in the series. There's really no other way. But I will not be spoiling HoF for you. Onward!

As usual, I just adored this book. Sarah J. Maas may not have the most lyrical of prose, but she weaves the most intriguing and emotionally complex stories I've ever read. Her characters are so well-developed, and the plot lines are complex and layered. I am never bored reading a Sarah J. Maas book.

We find Celaena in Wendlyn, where she is still grieving over Nehemia's death (and Chaol's role in it.) She journeys to meet with her Fae aunt Maeve, whom she believes has the answers to the problem of the wyrdkeys. Her journey in this book is all about finding herself again, and reconnecting to the Fae part of her that she has long suppressed since she was Aelin, a child and princess of Terrasen. And she has a new acquaintance to help her do it.

Rowan, a Fae warrior who is distant cousins with Celaena, is tasked with training Celaena. Rowan is all growls and bared teeth, and I absolutely love him. He matches Celaena like no one else, and the dynamic between them is a palpable chemistry, albeit not a romantic one. I SUPER appreciate the fact that Rowan is not presented as a new love interest for Celaena.

Back in Adarlan, we are also following two more plotlines. First, the story taking place in Rifthold is told by Chaol, Dorian and two new POV characters, Sorscha and Aedion. Sorscha is a young healer in the castle who is in love with Dorian, and Aedion is Aelin's cousin who is now a general in the King's army.

Sorscha was the one POV I really didn't care much for. Honestly, she never seemed that important to the plot and the few times we were in her head were not all that interesting. I'm hoping, with the events that happened at the end of the book, that we will see her significance more in the next book, but she is still one of my least favorite characters in the series.

Aedion, on the other hand, is deliciously complex. I can't say too much without giving things away, but suffice it to say that I loved his character development throughout the novel.

I obviously still love Chaol and Dorian. (And I still totally ship Chaolena. Just sayin'.) Chaol must decide where his true loyalties lie, and Dorian must come to terms with his understanding and control over his newfound magic.

And finally, we have the last storyline, and my absolute favorite new character. Manon Blackbeak is an Ironteeth Witch of the Blackbeak clan, and she is FABULOUS. The Ironteeth Witches are called to the Ferian Gap to train to become a new army for the King, by taking to the sky on wyverns. After Celaena, Manon may be my favorite character of the whole series. If you've read the book, you know exactly how fantastic she really is.

It's really hard to do reviews for middle books in series. But if you take anything away from this review, just know that this book is amazing. The series just gets better and better as it goes, and if it continues this way, then the sixth and last book may just be the death of me.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (if I could give it more, I would.)

Tell me: have YOU read Heir of Fire yet? If so, let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are and who your favorite new character is!