reedrl333 's review for:

Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Heir of Storms is a captivating start to a new YA fantasy trilogy! It’s marketed as Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone, and I can definitely see the similarities. However, as someone who’s read both (albeit a while ago) and didn’t love either series, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. To me, it felt like a blend of Avatar: The Last Airbender (four nations with elemental powers and one individual who possesses all four), Frozen (a child hidden away to “protect” them and conceal their powers), and Throne of Glass (a competition + a prophecy involving a quest to locate three powerful objects) or any number of alternative YA fantasy stories with a competition aspect. It also includes a love triangle (with a twist!) featuring one love interest who’s very Cardan/Jacks-coded, which I loved. 

 

I was hooked from the very beginning. Opening the story with Blaze’s introduction into society was a clever way to naturally bring new characters into the story, as the reader meets the key players and learns about the competition alongside the main character. I found the world fascinating, and I enjoyed learning about the intricacies of Blaze’s magic. I absolutely loved her relationship with her brothers. I was also invested in the romance (though I’d say romantasy is used a bit loosely here, since we only got a small taste of it in this first book). Blaze’s internal struggle with her powers and identity was a strong focus of the story, which I found authentic and engaging. Her whole life has been shaped by the tragedy caused by her magic which manifested at her birth, yet she’s still drawn to it as a way to discover who she truly is and what her purpose might be. 

 

That being said, the story wasn’t groundbreaking or without flaws. The competition itself was fairly standard: three trials which involved

conquering ones fears/insecurities, solving a riddle, and one-on-one magical combat

. The structure of the book also felt a bit formulaic, alternating between daytime training sessions, evening balls or social events, and the interspersed trials. I also had a mixed reaction to the twist in the love triangle; it felt like the author

pulled back from fully committing to it.

At the very least, Blaze’s reaction should have been

stronger, especially considering her supposed growing feelings.

Finally, there were a few aspects that felt a bit cheesy to me (though this could also be a result of me being an adult reading a book for a young adult audience) such as the character names giving Disney/Pixar’s Elemental vibes, the YA-logic of all the divinely chosen candidates for the throne being teenagers aged 15–18, and the overuse of the “mean girls tripping the FMC to embarrass her” trope. 

 

Overall, Heir of Storms is a solid start to a promising trilogy. It ends with a strong setup for a sequel that promises higher stakes and (hopefully!) a swoon-worthy romance. I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment in the Storm Weaver trilogy. 

 

Thank you to Roaring Book Press for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley!