Tuesday 30 September 2014

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

Title: Heir of Fire
Author: Sarah J Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: 11th September 2014
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description: Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can't bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back... The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king - for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?





First and foremost The Throne of Glass series is Spectacular with a capital S. This series is one of those rare gems that ensnares every bit of your consciousness in its world and Heir of Fire is no exception. For Celaena and company the stakes are higher than ever and Sarah J Maas delivers a book that will make you cry, laugh and love. There is a maelstrom of emotions brewing in this book that will transport you to another place, taking you on an engrossing adventure. Heir of Fire is in short epic and empowering.

Heir of Fire is what I would call a crucible book or better yet it is a book of self-discovery.  Every character, especially Celaena are put through the ringer and are forced to decide what part they want to play. Heir of Fire challenges all of its characters to figure out who they are and where they want to go. Loyalties are tested, new allies emerge and everything changes. Picking up right after the events of Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire follows Celaens’s journey as begins to learn about her fae powers. The events of Crown of Midnight left Celaena broken and now she has to confront her past and reconcile it with the powerful women she has become. It’s not easy; rather it’s a messy struggle that takes her through darkness.  Back in Rifthold, Chaol and Dorian have to deal with Celaenas secret and secrets of their own. There is not a lot of outward action in this book, like the previous instalments. Much of the action in Heir of Fire is about the characters themselves figuring out where they are headed. All of their stories intertwine together and come to a head for an explosive climax that will set you reeling. It sets the stage for an explosive book 4. Which I would like immediately, if at all possible.

Heir of Fire shows us yet again another facet of Celaena and her friends.  Maas peels back another layer to revel another side to them.  What’s beautiful about Celaena is that she is beautifully flawed. She is not just one thing. She is an assassin. She is strong and fierce and beautiful. She’s stubborn and sometimes mean. She loves the finer things in life such music and clothes, but she is also a girl who has had to deal with a shit ton of bad. In this book she goes to a darker place. We get to find out a lot more about her past and her family. Her struggles make relatable and her ability to overcome her them make her empowering. 

We meet a host of new characters that enrich this story.  Maas gives you new heroes, villains and everyone in between that you want to champion, love or loathe. We meet Rowan who is a fae prince and his tumultuous relationship with Celaena is such a treat to watch unravel on the pages as find common ground and each other. He and Celaena are on similar paths and their story is wonderfully intertwined. I need more Rowan. Manon was also another favourite. She is a blackbeak witch and has been raised to be a murderer with no heart. But even with her dark heart her story about her thirteen and her wyvern Abraxos is fascinating. Her growing relationship with her wyvern changes how she perceives the world and her place in it. It helps that she’s a complete badass. I really want to see what happens when her and Celaena meet. It would be nothing short of explosive. Aedion was another fabulous character. His love and devotion to his nation and Celaena was something fierce and needs to be admired.

What I love about this story is all the layers. It’s part of the reason why Sarah J Mass is such a freaking talent. There are so many different pieces moving in sync to give you a massive adventure. All the pieces fit together smoothly and build to an epic climax, which will leave you wanting to build a time machine, if only to find out what happens next.   There is also not one point of view that felt boring or not needed. Whether you are reading Manon’s story or Chaol’s or Celaena’s , you feel drawn to their struggles and triumphs. You care about what happens to them.


Heir of Fire is a must read for everyone. One of my favourite books this year. Just go read it. 


Wednesday 10 September 2014

W..W..W.. Wednesdays #35

W.W.W Wednesdays is a weekly event bought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading 

It's Wednesday and that means its time to let the world know what I've been reading. When I say the world, I mean this tiny corner of the internet that I call my blog. Hope everyone is having a good week.

What are you currently reading?
I'm reading On the Fence by Kasie West. I simply adore this book. Kasie writes some of the sweetest contemporary stories.

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished reading Open Road Summer by Emery Lord. This book hit all the right notes with a perfect mix of romance, friendship and healing. I also finished reading Eternal Night by Carina Adly MacKenzie. I really like the mythology and backstory of the gods but the ending felt a little rushed.

What do you think you'll read next?
Up next for me will probably be What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I'm seem to be gravitating towards contemporary reads lately. If you have any favourite contemporary books, let me know.

Thats all for me. Let me know what you guys are reading.

Wednesday 3 September 2014

W..W..W.. Wednesdays #34

W.W.W Wednesdays is a weekly event bought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading 

It's Wednesday and that means its time to let the world know what I've been reading. When I say the world, I mean this tiny corner of the internet that I call my blog. Hope everyone is having a good week.

What are you currently reading?
I've just started reading A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall and by started I mean I'm on page 1. This book sounds sweet and romantic. I also love the premise of one love story told from 14 different perspectives.

What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished reading Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini. I love the world building in this story. All the small details woven together create a really unique story about alternate universes.

What do you think you'll read next?
Up next for me will probably be Eternal Night by Carina Adly MacKenzie.

Thats all for me. Let me know what you guys are reading.

Monday 1 September 2014

A Little Spring Reading

It’s the first of September and that means that the Hogwarts Express is ready to leave and that spring is finally upon us (despite it being grey and rainy outside today). The days are getting longer, the weather is finer and there are plenty of books to be read in the coming months. So I thought I would put together a list of books that are being published within the next three months that I really want to get my hands on (my bank account is going to be crying by the looks of this list). 





It’s description as Downtown Abbey meets Cassandra Clare sold me completely on the premise. It sounds just like my cup of tea. Besides the cover is gorgeous. Don’t you just love the birds flying out of the teacup?

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas – September 11th
I just finished read this and the third instalment in the Thorne of Glass series is nothing short of a brilliant emotional ride. A freaking awesome book is what it is. You get to find out what Celaena’s been up to and meet a whole host of new characters you will love. A must read!





I need to know what happens next for Cassie, Ben and the gang. The 5th wave was one of the best books I read last year. It's also one of the best alien invasion stories I’ve read. If we get taken over by aliens and it happens like the 5th Wave then we’re all massively screwed.








I needed this book in my hands like yesterday. I’m willing to make a sacrifice to the book gods. That’s how much I want this book. I need more Titus and Iolanthe, but mostly just Titus.  If you haven’t read The Burning Sky yet then you’re missing out on such a unique story. It’s like the magic of Harry Potter meets She’s the Man but its so much more than you can possibly imagine.







The premise of this book just sounds so freaking cool. I mean a world with a world. Plus the blurbs of this book are hilarious.










This contemporary romance just sounds adorable and sweet.  The kind that’s bound to leave a smile on your face.









The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums” – How spellbinding does this book sound? It’s a dark fairytale that was inspired by The Nutcracker. Need I say more?








This book was inspired by Arabian Nights and is about a Jinni. It’s a different supernatural being, one that I haven’t read about in the past.  It sounds fresh and exciting.








Marie Lu is one of my favourite authors. I loved the Legend Trilogy and can’t wait to read her new series, which is set in a renaissance time period.  Plus it looks like it has plenty of bloodshed within its pages.









I have been waiting for this book for more than a couple of months. If I’m honest, I’ve been waiting for this book since I first heard about it.  It’s a YA fantasy book that looks to be an epic sweeping tale. I just want it already.








If you haven’t read The Raven Boys yet, why haven’t you? I love this series and the third book just looks to be just as heartbreaking as the previous one. Two words: Blue and Gansey.








Compulsion byMartina Boone – October 28th
I’ve heard so many good things about Compulsion.  It’s got a swoony romance and a gothic feel to it. Sounds like something right up my alley.









I will read anything by Julie Kagawa. She is an amazing author and her latest new series will be terrific. It’s about dragons living among humans and a secret society. If that didn’t sound cool enough there is already movie in the works.




Just look at the cover. Isn’t it beautiful? If the cover isn’t enough to convince you to pick it up than the premise should. It’s about a manhunt through parallel universes.







Disruption was one of the best YA books I have read this year. Maggie is such a great protagonist (great protagonist =badass). Plus there’s Quentin Mercer and great world building.  I need to know what happens to Maggie after the first instalment.








What are you looking forward to reading in the coming months?