Heir Of Fire – Sarah J. Maas – Book review (with spoilers!)

Hello lovelies!

I hope you are all well and safe, and that you are taking care of yourselves and your loved ones.

This book has been sitting on my TBR for a long time, but I finally read it and I loved. every. single. page. Continue reading for my review of this wonderful book.

Title: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Summary: Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth…a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.The king’s assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Timesbestselling Crown of Midnight. (Goodreads)

“She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius—­and she would not be afraid.”
― Sarah J. Maas, Heir of Fir

It is not secret that I didn’t like the two previous books. I was very disappointed by the first one and even a little sad because I have read the ACOTAR series and I loved every single book in the series. The second book was a little better but I think that Chaol and Celaena lacked chemistry so the plot was not believable to me, in a sense.

BUT LET ME TELL YOU. This book was spectacular. I am still on a high from having finished it! It was everything I hoped for and I finally got what I wanted. I don’t usually highlight extract from my books, I like to keep them pristine, but here there were just too many beautiful moments, that I couldn’t help myself.

Celaena: I loved this book because we could see Celaena’s pain. It was so well-written that I cringed and whimpered several times because it was very uncomfortable to read. She was broken and it was hard to read about, and I love the book so much because she found herself again, she embraced the darkness. I admired the way she faced her fears. I like how there was a shift in the way she perceived her parents’ and Lady Marion’s death and sacrifice. When she first encountered the Valg princes, she vomitted and even peed herself. I could really feel her distress. But the second tile around, she realized that it was not her fault, but the King of Adarlan, she accepted her grief and forgave herself.

Of course, Celaena meeting Rowan was a turning point. At first I had a hard time with the violence between the two. I’m usually unbothered by it, but I wondered why they hated each other so much. But that was because they both had put their walls up,. And it was beautiful to see them learn to bring them down, to trust each other, support each other and respect each other. I loved reading about how their relationship grew and became stronger. I liked how they balanced each other; down to their powers. I loved the fact that they were carranam, it made my heart melt. I liked how they alternately stoop up for each other, especially Celaena to Maeve, with Rowan’s help. Rowan is so kind in a quiet and free way. He trusts her and lets her be herself. I understand now why he gave her tough love. I also loved when they both opened up about their past, talking about the people they lost. Also the moment when they claimed each other my heart stopped.

I enjoyed how this book dove into Aelin’s past and legacy and it alternated between myths and legends and real stories; I like how we had a glimpse of how caring her parents were, Brannon and Queen Maeve’s history and everything in between.

It was also great to see how the soldiers respected her when she went training in the morning, because it showed how resilient and determined she is, but also how she inspired others. It’s safe to say that I did not like Celaena much but I’m learning to love and care for Aelin.

Aelin’s power: I liked how realistic it was that she could not master it quickly; from the very beginning when even she struggled to shift at first. That was why, seeing her master it at the end was so satisfying. And though the burnout was painful to read about, it was interesting that the Fae also had their limits and that their magic needs balance.

Other characters: There were so many new characters that I loved instantly or learned to love. And I love the multiple point of views, it allowed us to see how each of them were evolving; the character development was amazing for some (yes, I’m talking about you Chaol). It was not only Celaena becoming Aelin, but also Dorian embracing his power and standing up to his father, Chaol choosing where his loyalty lay (when he said “I love you” to Dorian, I died), and Aedion’s undying devotion to Aelin. I really hope he will get to see her, just once. But the greatest character development was Manon’s. I loved how she realized that she had a heart, even if it is still somewhat frozen (only for a brief while, I’m sure). I loved the pair she formed with Abraxos; their exchanges were so cute and heartwarming, especially when Abraxos smelled the flowers. It made me laugh. I appreciated the length she went to, to heal him and how she allowed Abraxos to save Petrah and Keelie because they both wanted to.

I liked how Rowan, Celaena, Emrys, Luca and Malakai all formed a family; it was lovely.

What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

Karla xx