A review by theshelfarchive
Heart of Chaos by Madeleine Eliot

adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No

3.75

Heart of Chaos is a fast-paced, engaging fantasy read that pulls you in from the first chapter and doesn’t let up. From the moment we meet Eisa, her life is turned upside down in an instant, and the momentum never really slows, with one thing happening after another. While this makes for an exciting, compulsive read, I would have loved for the pacing to ease up in the middle, allowing for more time to settle into the world and the characters.

Eliot’s writing is sharp and concise, making the story easy to sink into without overly flowery or complex prose. The world-building is intriguing, offering enough to set the stage and players, though there were moments I wished for a little more depth.
For instance, what’s the hierarchy of the dragons? We know they’re divided by colours with some being more rare and powerful than others, but is power the only thing that differentiates them? And how was this hierarchy determined? And by whom? These things might get explained in the next book, but I feel like it’s important enough information to include in the first book in a series.


The cast of characters is well-drawn and likeable (except for the ones who aren’t meant to be, of course), and while I enjoyed following Eisa's and Arik's journeys, I found myself wanting a deeper emotional connection to them.
Eisa, in particular, takes everything in stride and faces challenges with truly remarkable composure and at times, it felt a little too... convenient, maybe, that she went with the flow. She’s thrown into a life-or-death situation while already dealing with a chronic illness that threatens to shorten her life, yet she rarely seems overwhelmed by it all. I understand that this is a fantasy novel, but a bit more emotional weight in her reactions would have made her journey feel more grounded and compelling.


The romance leans towards the fated trope rather than outright insta-love, but there’s an early expectation that Eisa and Arik will end up together, and they don’t put up much resistance to it. Eisa does push back against the idea of being mates, but not with the level of intensity I’ve seen in other fated mates stories. There’s an element of "I don’t like this because it feels like my choice has been taken from me, but I’m still going to go along with it." For example, when Arik asks her to choose him in The Rifting over another character (Einar), it’s framed as a noble request—he needs her help to save their world. However, in the end, she chooses him not out of conviction but because Einar threatens her, and she generally finds him to be awful. While it seems like she made the choice of her own free will, the circumstances make it feel more like she was backed into a corner, especially since The Rifting began much earlier than expected. The whole situation felt a little strange—like she had a choice, but not really.


In terms of plot, the story unfolds in a familiar way, which makes it easy to follow, though it doesn't have as many twists as some might expect from a fantasy/romantasy. While this doesn’t take away from the enjoyment, it does mean that the book lacks the kind of surprises that keep you on the edge of your seat.


Overall, Heart of Chaos is a fun, fast read with engaging writing, an interesting world, and a solid cast of characters. While I would have liked a slightly slower pace and deeper exploration of both the world and its characters, I still enjoyed it enough to want to continue the series.

If you're looking for a dragon fantasy set in a Norse-inspired world with a spicy romance and fast-paced writing, then this is an enjoyable pick.
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