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A review by clairebartholomew549
Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray
dark
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I ate this up - it made me so happy and excited. The plot is extremely similar to The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and I loved it because I loved that book and to me there's never too much of a good thing. If you love romantasy, you'll love this.
Blaze has been hidden away from the world for the last 17 years because when she was born, she accidentally caused a huge, world-ruining storm that killed thousands of people, and ever since she's been hated and despised by the realm. Blaze's family has the power to wield fire, but somehow she has the power of rain singing - an extremely rare and special magic. Or at least she did: she has no power anymore. She's determined to go somewhere where no one knows her name or her history, but then she is chosen by the gods to compete in the Choosing Rite: the realm's ritual to determine who will rule the four territories - fire wielders, earth wielders, wind wielders, and water wielders. She's terrified, of course, and things unravel in a way she (and me!) could never have predicted.
This was really, really enjoyable. The world-building is clear and accessible, Murray's voice is sure-footed, and Blaze is so easy to root for. This is YA so there isn't explicit smut, but there is definitely lots of sexual tension and yearning, and I found that in this book, the lack of spice didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. This book had a great ending, too, which I feel like is hard sometimes in the first book of a romantasy. It tied up enough knots, answered enough questions, and left enough new mysteries to keep me hooked but also satisfied. I can't wait for the next one!
Blaze has been hidden away from the world for the last 17 years because when she was born, she accidentally caused a huge, world-ruining storm that killed thousands of people, and ever since she's been hated and despised by the realm. Blaze's family has the power to wield fire, but somehow she has the power of rain singing - an extremely rare and special magic. Or at least she did: she has no power anymore. She's determined to go somewhere where no one knows her name or her history, but then she is chosen by the gods to compete in the Choosing Rite: the realm's ritual to determine who will rule the four territories - fire wielders, earth wielders, wind wielders, and water wielders. She's terrified, of course, and things unravel in a way she (and me!) could never have predicted.
This was really, really enjoyable. The world-building is clear and accessible, Murray's voice is sure-footed, and Blaze is so easy to root for. This is YA so there isn't explicit smut, but there is definitely lots of sexual tension and yearning, and I found that in this book, the lack of spice didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. This book had a great ending, too, which I feel like is hard sometimes in the first book of a romantasy. It tied up enough knots, answered enough questions, and left enough new mysteries to keep me hooked but also satisfied. I can't wait for the next one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Slavery, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Confinement, Death, Xenophobia