The Warrior Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Series: The Heir Chronicles (#1)
Publisher: Hyperion
How Received: bought
One March day, Jack Swift, a high school student in a small college town, forgets to take the medicine he’s taken daily since he was an infant. There ensues a cascade of events that puts him in mortal danger.
Jack discovers he carries a secret within him that has made him a target of the ruthless wizards of the Red and White Rose. Jack is a Warrior Heir, the last of a dying breed, sought after by the Roses to fight in the tournaments that are used to allocate power among the Wizard Houses. Unknown to him, Jack has lived all his life surrounded by members of the Magical Guilds: wizards, enchanters, soothsayers, and sorcerers. They are determined to save him from the Roses.
With the aid of his aunt, a beautiful enchanter, Jack desperately tries to acquire the skills that might save his life. Jack and his friends, Will and Fitch, unearth a magical sword from a cemetery and fight off the wizards who would take it from them. Jack begins training with the dark and dangerous Leander Hastings, a wizard with a mysterious past.
Meanwhile, Jack is torn between his attraction to Ellen Stephenson, a new student at Trinity High School, and Leesha Middleton, his former girlfriend, who decides she wants him back.
Discovered and besieged by treachery at home, he flees to the Lake District of England. There he is confronted by the greatest challenge of all.
Chima's book was simply fantastic. I loved it.
It was the perfect embodiment of adventure, thrill, and fantasy. It was written nicely and easy to read. The story was a page-turner, to say the least, and the plot was solid and intriguing.
But there is one thing I loved about this book. The lack of romance.
What? Yes, that's right. I like just a little bit of it in books, and this book had just a little bit. Chima's writing made me think of J.K. Rowling a bit. She focused on the adventure, and the plot, and the art of storytelling. It didn't need the romance. Just with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, it didn't have the romance (at first) and yet it was good. That is the same with The Warrior Heir.
The characters were well rounded, and I loved the plot twists. Some parts were predictable. For example, I could tell from a long way off, who Jack was going to be fighting in the Game. The twist with Lee at the beginning was interesting, and just when you think you have things figured out, the end of the story comes and you're greeted with a hair-pin plot twist. It was great!
The only thing I would like to have seen different, was a little bit more focus on Ellen. She plays a key part, and yet she's not noticed that much until the end. Maybe that's the way Chima wanted it...
However, the book ranks as one of my favourites, and as with every favourite book of mine, there comes a favourite quote.
More and more, there were no revelations, but simply the uncovering of truths long known but dimly remembered. Everything had been written long ago. There was nothing truly new in the world, but only the slow, circular march of time that revealed the old things once again.
Her writing is almost poetic, and yet very easy to read. She's definitely a talented author. I would definitely read this again, and I am very much looking forward to reading the companion novels. As for recommendations: READ IT NAO. It's worth it.
