The Heir Chronicles, Book Two - The Wizard Heir

By Cinda Williams Chima

[Seph McCauley has spent three years getting
kicked out of one exclusive private school after
another. And it's not his attitude that's the
problem: it's the trail of magical accidents -
lately, disasters - that follow in his wake. Seph
is a wizard, orphaned and untrained, and his
powers are escalating out of control.

Worse, as the magical accidents that plague him grow
in intensity, Seph makes a discovery: the stories he's
been told about his parents' deaths are fabrications.
The people he trusts most have been lying to him.

Seph is sent to the Havens, a secluded boy's school
whose headmaster promises to train him in magic.
Maybe here he will find a community he can trust?
But he soon learns that the training comes at a steep
cost and everyone around him is keeping secrets.
Where can he turn, when he finds himself at the
centre of a war he may well not survive?]

Oooh, I was wondering how they would continue on from The Warrior Heir, whether the characters would crossover or whether this one would be completely separate but be placed in the same world.

I'm glad that it crossed over to be honest. I enjoyed Jack's character so much in the first one that Seph couldn't really compare in this one (although Jack came across a little cold and grouchy in this one which put me off him).

I did like the story though. It had an intriguing concept and a good mysterious element to it. Unfortunately, I did find it a little predictable in that I guessed who both of his parents were and it wasn't that big of a reveal as to who the Dragon was either.

Not to worry though because it was a solid story and I can see how it could possibly unfold in the others to come.

I don't think I enjoyed this one as much as the first one though because it lacked the medieval element that it had and I love medieval plots.

One scene that particularly stood out to me, which I think was fantastic, was the scene where Madison and Seph go off together for a picnic by a scenic river. This scene doesn't have any importance to the story or any impact at all on anything really, I just thought it was so beautiful and could picture every detail described.

Am looking forward to seeing what the others have in store!



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The Heir Chronicles, Book One - The Warrior Heir

By Cinda Williams Chima 

[Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old
Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small
Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has
to take daily and the thick scar above his heart
set him apart from the other high-schoolers.

At least, until the day Jack forgets his 'medicine'.
Suddenly he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident
than ever before. And it feels great - right up until
he loses control and almost kills someone.
An incident which proves to be just the beginning.

Jack is about to learn the startling truth: he is Weirlind;
part of an underground society of magical people
who live among us. More, Jack discovers that he's 
unique: he's one of the last of the warriors, and his
power has manifested at a time when both houses are
hunting for a warrior. And until one of the feuding
houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, they'll stop
at nothing to get Jack to fight for them...]

I got bought this book for Christmas as my friend thought it'd be my type of thing, not that she'd read it herself - she just knows me that well!

And I did enjoy this book. I'd never heard of it before and as always, when getting into a new fantasy series it takes me a few chapters to get my head around the new terms, but I grasped them pretty quickly.

The prologue was intriguing and definitely a good way to pull you into the story (also nicely looped around at the end and neatly tied up).

The main bulk of the book was great though. I loved the characters, especially Jack, Will and Fitch. The mix of everyday life thrown into contrast against magical battles and sparring was very well done and I didn't find any of it boring which you can sometimes get in fantasies with all the description.

The tension throughout was brilliant, one big long adventure with little quiet moments that were cute or refreshing. The final battle (although I guessed Jack's opponent moments before it was revealed) was good, I felt it could've been a tiny bit more dramatic. I wasn't on the edge of my seat because it was the outcome I expected too.

I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series will bring though. I love the idea of ancient magic and tournaments so I'm intrigued!

Also more to come about Jersey soooooon...



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