Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, 3)

“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.”—Sarah J Maas (Heir of Fire)(5/5⭐️) Sometimes it takes tough love to uncover true potential. Celaena wants to run from who and what she is. After everything that’s happened, she has given up on life. Until Rowan Whitethorn shows up. Charged with orders to train her, he’s got no patience for her antics. From enemies to friends, they must battle the barriers of her magic. When Rowan encounters a string of killings along the shore, he and Celaena discover the arrival of something sinister, an ancient threat from another world. It’s coming for them, and Celaena’s magic is the only thing strong enough to save them.Wow! What a whirlwind adventure! I could not put this book down. The addition of new POVs kept me turning pages. Each time I tumbled into one character’s story line, I was switching to the next. And while these characters were all part of a storyline woven together, they were were unique in their own way, with their own flaws and their own challenges.Heir of Fire was progressively better than the first two books. The plot and character development stood out the most. It also felt more mature than the last two. Celaena’s development really impressed me. At the beginning, she was running from herself. This became more and more evident as she struggled through her training with Rowan:“You collect scars because you want proof that you are paying for whatever sins you've committed. And I know this because I've been doing the same damn thing for two hundred years. Tell me, do you think you will go to some blessed Afterworld, or do you expect a burning hell? You're hoping for hell--because how could you face them in the Afterworld?”But in the end, she faced her demons. She accepted her fate. This challenge was woven seamlessly into the main plot. And the plot itself was gripping. My favorite moments were near the end, when Celaena faced Mave. I felt like she’d conquered something huge. It was extremely fulfilling.I also really enjoyed Celaena and Rowan’s relationship development. I’m a huge fan of enemies to lovers, and while they aren’t exactly lovers (yet?) they are very close. He starts off as such an ass! I disliked some of the things he did. But we learn his reasons, and he softens up. It was a testament to the author’s ability that she made me hate him before loving him. I think Celaena felt the same by the end:“Gods, he was brilliant. Cunning and wicked and brilliant. Even when he beat the hell out of her. Every. Damn. Day.”I cannot think of a single thing about this book that I would change. This story was gripping, the characters were fleshed out. The plot was riveting. The pace kept me turning pages. And each time I set the book down, I could not stop thinking about it. I’m still thinking about it, days later. I want to pick up the fourth book SO badly but I’m waiting a few weeks. That wait is going to be torture! I highly recommend this series.

Where do I even begin with this review? I have SO many thoughts. Like sooo 😵Ok, well start at the beginning. So I read the first 2 books back in 2021 but never finished the series. I was really enjoying it before then so I don’t know WHY it’s taken me this long to get back to it. 🤦🏻‍♀️Needless to say I needed a refresher of those 2 books before I could continue on with the other books in the series. I enjoyed my re-read of them, and loved them even more the 2nd time around 😁 So I promptly dove into this book, my first fresh book in the series. And wow 😳 This book just packs so much into these pages! I was astounded at what all this one book encompasses for a thrilling read as well as setting up so much potential for the following books! To say this book was gripping is a severe understatement.Rowan and Celaena’s storyline was by far my favorite. And it was the most dramatic. I love Rowan so much 😍 I mean, who doesn’t love a hot, broody male fae?? 🥵🔥Now I have to say that I have been basically spoiled for all the couples in this series due to all the glorious artwork out there on Insta, so I am a bit puzzled by this book where certain people are concerned, but have high hopes for the future books 👀 But seriously, these two together are the best reading material! Their initial grumpy interactions are hilarious, then their friendship and mutual support for all the trauma and stuff they’ve gone through in their lives🥹 It just hits you right in the feelsManon, my glorious savage witch ⚔️ I loved her from the very first page of her introduction. How could I not? I hope for so much for her 🖤🖤 I don’t trust her granny though after how things ended with her PoV 👀 And I’m so curious about this potentially softer, more merciful side of Manon. I’m SO curious to see how things play out for her and the Thirteen (whom I also love!). And Abraxos, you adorable flower loving sweetie 🥰 I was definitely shocked when I met him since he…uh, doesn’t look quite like that in the artwork I’ve seen online of him & Manon 🤫 Very curious to see how that comes about…Dorian. I’m sorry to all his supporters out there, but I’ve never been a fan of him from my previous reading of books 1 & 2. He just screams spoiled Prince who always gets all the ladies and has a fit when he doesn’t get this one girl 🤦🏻‍♀️ On my re-read of those 2 books though I didn’t mind him so much. But in this one he went right back to annoying me lol. I always groaned when it went back to his POV because it was so dull and whiny. He was all butthurt with Chaol for things even though some of those things were kept from him to keep him safe, the ungrateful brat🙄 But Chaol had his own stupid moments too lol. Anyway, Dorian’s pov in this didn’t offer much other than another fling, blah blah blah. Until that ending 🤯 Omg!!! He’s now redeemed himself in my heart, and now I MUST know that he’s ok!! 🙉Chaol. Why are you so twitchy and mistrustful of magic wielders??? You magic-phobe idiot. He makes no sense with this, other than omg magic is outlawed whatever. BUT he was alive before magic disappeared so I’m sure he came across people in that time who had it and didn’t harm him. So why he’s so twitchy about it with the people he’s close to… derp. But omg I loved his pov chapters and everything he’s up to…with…people 👀🤐 The way things end with his pov too has me dying for more.Obvs I’m probably going to be diving straight into Queen of Shadows soon. I just have so many things that I just MUST find out 😱I do hope we see more of Rowan’s “kitty cat friend” as Celaena calls him 🐈 I think he could be very interesting to have around 🦁

While I do love the book and series, the theme and the problem is all the same in all of her books. I get it that she’s trying to tie in the books together. But it’s just rinse and repeat with the storyline.