Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas is the third installment in the Bestselling, YA Throne of Glass series!

This review contains lots of SPOILERS!

“Celaena 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. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish.“

We are back into the story of Celaena/Aelin and her sudden adventure into Wendlyn. After her orders to execute another royal family, she rebels and decides to venture into the unknown where she finds herself face to face with the long-forgotten Fae.

Her goal throughout this installment is to find a way to save everyone from the King’s rage once he finds out what is happening. Because he will.

We are quickly introduced back into Celaena’s assassin strength which is quickly shot down by the overwhelming power that is Rowan. It was interesting to go from a main character that was so strong and mighty to a character who became this delicate, tiny person. He makes the assassin look like a bunny in comparison, and she starts to realize it.

But throughout her physical and mental journey to a mighty warrior, we also get to meet more of the magical system in a land where magic was never taken away: Wendlyn. I see Heir of Fire as the link between what magic was and what it could have been in the rest of Erilea.

But sadly, there isn’t anything shy of social hierarchy in this magical society. As Aelin quickly realizes that the training to prove her worth to the Fae will be harder than anticipated, she gets to blend in with a group of lower socialites that give her more of the background into the kingdom.

And while she is off training with the Prince, Dorian is discovering more of his own magical abilities and his burning desire for a certain healer. This guy has a deep crush for her, and getting to see this lighter side to him was bittersweet to read. I can’t help but compare it to a high-school crush with the stolen glances and the constant, superficial excuses in order to be in the same room as her.

Except substitute the lame high school drama for forbidden love and a touch of my–father-will-actually-kill-you-if-he-finds-out problems.

I loved reading those chapters.

And then there’s Chaol who is just trying to keep everything on the d.l. since his fresh discovery of Celaena’s past. He slowly finds himself allying to his worst enemy, but continues to skim the line between the King and Terrasen. He’s a very confused rebel.

And then. We meet Morian.

Not only is this series filled with my favorite elements such as magic, assassins, and treachery, but we also get to read about witches and dragon-like creatures! YES!!

I will say that it did take me until the end of the book to really like reading her chapters as we get very little information during her introduction to the plot. I had trouble in connecting the subplot to the actual plot, but when I did, I was hooked!

I really love how they aren’t just the typical witches that you read about in YA. They are the nastiest of the nasty and the bloodthirst-iest of the bloodthirsty. Just everything about them is dark, cringe-worthy, and down-right wicked. From their teeth to their lust for killing mortals, they make sure everyone knows who’s superior.

And then they are given wyverns which are monstrous creatures with wings (kind of like a dragon, but not). And that is when the party gets started. The motivation behind Manon choosing Abraxos was strategic. And it was a way for us to see her mini-rebellion side.

Just everything about the witches had me excited to see where they were going to take the story. Their story does not disappoint.

And then jumping back to Aelin and Rowan. Did anyone else figure out that relationship?? I had a hunch something might happen, but there were a lot of ups-and-downs.

We get to see more of the dark creatures that Celaena met back in Throne of Glass. A lot is uncovered with the connection to the secret project in Morath. Which, by the way, is the creepiest part of the book. Demon-Witch babies. Uh, no thanks.

Celaena’s journey back into Aelin is the major turning point to the story. She is finally in touch with her birth-right, and it’s her time to raise an army to bring back her kingdom.

Going into this book, it did take me a chunk to really become invested with this book. There is a slower pace in some parts compared to the first few books. It had more of a roller-coaster effect, and I wouldn’t label it as boring because there is important world-building that goes on in this book, so if you find yourself in a similar situation while reading, I promise, this book will get ALOT better!

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars just because of that. Once I got to the juicy meat of the plot, I was completely blown away! The ending leaves a whole new direction for the characters, and I was just left on the end of my seat in the last chapters. This is definitely the world-building part of the series.

Especially the scene with the King beheading Sorscha, Chaol’s escape, Aedion’s capture, and Dorian’s epic fate. And it all happened in ONE SCENE!

Mind = Blown.

“burn this place to the ground.”

– Dorian, pg 550

But it was the final goodbyes between Dorian and Chaol that almost brought me to tears. Such raw, brotherly love.

I am super excited to move onto Queen of Shadows (#4), and just see how Aelin will be reacting to everything.

“She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius — and she would not be afraid.”

-Aelin, pg 562

Published: 2 September 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 565

How I Read It: Paperback

Want to join in on finishing the Throne of Glass series?

Currently, we are reading Tower of Dawn (#6) which is the last installment before the epic release of Kingdom of Ash!!

Have you read my other reviews?

Follow along on Instagram @treestandbookreviews for daily reading highlights and goals as we read along through the books using #ThroneofThoughts!

If you enjoyed reading along with me, feel free to leave your comments below! What were your favorite parts of this book?

Stay tuned for more book reviews every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday! You can subscribe below for instant links to each of my posts and help share the love of reading YA!