The Heir Trilogy is one of the best, most underrated YA series I've stumbled across in recent years. I picked up The Warrior Heir blindly, and was delighted from page one. That enthusiasm has only grown throughout the series, and by the time I closed the cover on the third and final book in the trilogy, my only regret was that there were no more adventures to look forward to.
In The Dragon Heir, Cinda Williams Chima concludes her broad saga, which weaves the magical and everyday worlds into one complex and fascinating story. Readers are once again treated to action following warrior Jack and wizard Seph -- the main hero figures of the previous two books -- but much of the focus of the third book is on the mysterious Dragon Heir. In an interesting twist, Chima doesn't reveal who the title character is until late in the story, leaving readers to guess who will pick up the reigns and champion the power of the Dragonheart stone and rule over the Weir guilds.
The journey to that point in the story is a long one, though. Chima fills the final installation of her series with battles and conflicts, and cranks the tension up to an almost uncomfortable level at times. The key characters suffer at the hands of their enemies, as well as their responsibilities and values. Smaller players from previous Heir books like Madison and Jason have a more important presence in this book, and readers learn more about Elicitors and some of the other mysteries hinted at in previous plots.
The storyline is rich, but the character relationships are what really sold me on the series. That continues to be true in The Dragon Heir. I love the relationship between Ellen and Jack, as well as the growth of characters like Leesha and Jason. However, I thought the absence of most of the adult characters in the book was a little odd. In such a critical time in the storyline, it was strange to lose the guidance and oversight of seasoned Weir leaders like Hastings and Linda -- although their absence did allow the series' central characters to step up and take center stage in the fray. I thought the ending was very satisfying (although not necessarily a "happily ever after" -- have some tissues on hand!) and admire Chima's creative and in my opinion, unexpected conclusion to a complicated plot.
All in all, I'd rank The Heir Trilogy among revered YA fantasy series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. The writing is second to none. The atmosphere and world-building is fantastic and well developed, while remaining believable. And most importantly, Chima writes characters that are multidimensional and likeable. I have recommended the books to many people, and will continue to share them in the future. But only with people who I know will return them -- this is a series I know I will read again.
In The Dragon Heir, Cinda Williams Chima concludes her broad saga, which weaves the magical and everyday worlds into one complex and fascinating story. Readers are once again treated to action following warrior Jack and wizard Seph -- the main hero figures of the previous two books -- but much of the focus of the third book is on the mysterious Dragon Heir. In an interesting twist, Chima doesn't reveal who the title character is until late in the story, leaving readers to guess who will pick up the reigns and champion the power of the Dragonheart stone and rule over the Weir guilds.
The journey to that point in the story is a long one, though. Chima fills the final installation of her series with battles and conflicts, and cranks the tension up to an almost uncomfortable level at times. The key characters suffer at the hands of their enemies, as well as their responsibilities and values. Smaller players from previous Heir books like Madison and Jason have a more important presence in this book, and readers learn more about Elicitors and some of the other mysteries hinted at in previous plots.
The storyline is rich, but the character relationships are what really sold me on the series. That continues to be true in The Dragon Heir. I love the relationship between Ellen and Jack, as well as the growth of characters like Leesha and Jason. However, I thought the absence of most of the adult characters in the book was a little odd. In such a critical time in the storyline, it was strange to lose the guidance and oversight of seasoned Weir leaders like Hastings and Linda -- although their absence did allow the series' central characters to step up and take center stage in the fray. I thought the ending was very satisfying (although not necessarily a "happily ever after" -- have some tissues on hand!) and admire Chima's creative and in my opinion, unexpected conclusion to a complicated plot.
All in all, I'd rank The Heir Trilogy among revered YA fantasy series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. The writing is second to none. The atmosphere and world-building is fantastic and well developed, while remaining believable. And most importantly, Chima writes characters that are multidimensional and likeable. I have recommended the books to many people, and will continue to share them in the future. But only with people who I know will return them -- this is a series I know I will read again.
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