Helpful Score: 5
It's always great to stumble upon a new, great book. But happening upon a new great series? That's even better.
I can't say enough good things about The Warrior Heir, the first of a three-book series by Cinda Williams Chima. It's a story that, like Harry Potter, does an excellent job of straddling the "real" modern world and a fantastic second reality filled with wizards, warriors, enchanters, sorcerers and other magical folk.
The story follows Jack Swift, a 16-year-old boy from Ohio that has lived an uneventful life since recovering from a heart defect as a baby. He takes medication every day, but other than that, he's normal as can be. Until he misses a dose one day and finds himself stronger, faster and more aggressive than ever before, able to outperform his friends on the soccer field and full of unexplained power. That little slip of mind opens the door to an epic tale that spans continents and generations, as Jack struggles to define his role as warrior or wizard while still working on just being a teenage boy.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next book of the series, The Wizard Heir. I had never heard of Chima before, and I'm so glad I discovered her books. She writes with a strong and distinct voice, and the characters she develops are very easy to care about. It sounds like the biggest players from this book also have a role in the rest of the series, so I can't wait to see what lies in store for Jack and the rest of the gang in the future. [close]
I can't say enough good things about The Warrior Heir, the first of a three-book series by Cinda Williams Chima. It's a story that, like Harry Potter, does an excellent job of straddling the "real" modern world and a fantastic second reality filled with wizards, warriors, enchanters, sorcerers and other magical folk.
The story follows Jack Swift, a 16-year-old boy from Ohio that has lived an uneventful life since recovering from a heart defect as a baby. He takes medication every day, but other than that, he's normal as can be. Until he misses a dose one day and finds himself stronger, faster and more aggressive than ever before, able to outperform his friends on the soccer field and full of unexplained power. That little slip of mind opens the door to an epic tale that spans continents and generations, as Jack struggles to define his role as warrior or wizard while still working on just being a teenage boy.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next book of the series, The Wizard Heir. I had never heard of Chima before, and I'm so glad I discovered her books. She writes with a strong and distinct voice, and the characters she develops are very easy to care about. It sounds like the biggest players from this book also have a role in the rest of the series, so I can't wait to see what lies in store for Jack and the rest of the gang in the future. [close]
Helpful Score: 2
This was a pretty good YA story. It wasn't complicated and it was an easy read. The first half of the story was a little slow going, but things really picked up during the second half. I thought Jack was a likable character. He was thrown into his situation unaware of his magical abilities, but he did a great job handling it. He showed signs of maturity without becoming a brat, which was refreshing. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed The Warrior Heir (Heir Chronicles, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I have had this book on my to be read pile forever and was excited to finally get to read it. It was a quick read and a decent story. I had some trouble engaging with the characters and thought the plot was okay but not great.
This was a decent story about a modern day teen, Jack, who finds out he is the heir to magical warrior powers. He ends up drawn into the political machinations of modern day wizards and enchanters.
This is very much one of those classic types of fantasy where a character in a modern day world finds out they have magical powers that tie back to centuries old magic. It wasn't all that unique but it was decently done. The story was fairly engaging and it was interesting to watch Jack unravel the mysteries of his power.
I personally don't plan on reading more of this series, I just didn't find the setting or idea all that engaging and I had some trouble relating to the characters as well.
This story is self-contained and wraps up nicely. I think middle grade/teen boys might enjoy this series a bit more than I did.
Overall a decent fantasy story. The storyline is pretty typical of a number of middle grade/YA books where a young person in our world finds out they have strange powers and get embroiled in ancient politics. I think middle grade/YA boys who love fantasy will enjoy this more than I did. I don't plan on reading future books in this series.
This was a decent story about a modern day teen, Jack, who finds out he is the heir to magical warrior powers. He ends up drawn into the political machinations of modern day wizards and enchanters.
This is very much one of those classic types of fantasy where a character in a modern day world finds out they have magical powers that tie back to centuries old magic. It wasn't all that unique but it was decently done. The story was fairly engaging and it was interesting to watch Jack unravel the mysteries of his power.
I personally don't plan on reading more of this series, I just didn't find the setting or idea all that engaging and I had some trouble relating to the characters as well.
This story is self-contained and wraps up nicely. I think middle grade/teen boys might enjoy this series a bit more than I did.
Overall a decent fantasy story. The storyline is pretty typical of a number of middle grade/YA books where a young person in our world finds out they have strange powers and get embroiled in ancient politics. I think middle grade/YA boys who love fantasy will enjoy this more than I did. I don't plan on reading future books in this series.
