The heir chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima
Indigo, 2012.
The warrior heir. Book 1. ISBN 9781780620473.
The wizard heir. Book 2. ISBN 9781780620503.
The dragon heir. Book 3. ISBN 9781780620534.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. A reprint of Chima's award winning series
(2008 Kirkus Best YA Book of the Year, 2009 Voya Best SF and Fantasy
Book of the Year) is a treat for fantasy lovers like me. The books
would best be read as a series, starting with book 1, The
warrior heir, where the reader is introduced to 16 year old
Jack, a normal teenager living in a small Ohio town. The only thing
that makes him different is the scar above his heart and the
medicine he has to take daily. One day when he misses his medicine,
he discovers that he is stronger and faster than all his soccer
mates and that he is a member of the Weirlind, a group of magical
people who are facing war. Book 2, The wizard heir, follows
the adventures of Seph, who is an untrained wizard. When sent to a
private school in Maine, he uncovers deadly secrets and becomes
involved in the war between the Red and White Rose factions. The
dragon heir has two main protagonists: Jason, who steals the
Dragonheart, a powerful treasure and Madison Moss who is a danger to
her boyfriend Seph, as she leaks the toxic magic that she absorbed
in the fight against evil.
Chima deserves the accolades she received for these books. After
reading The warrior heir I was thrilled knowing that I had
the next two stories to read straight away rather than having to
wait impatiently for them. Her main male teen characters,
Jack, Seph and Jason are tough, intelligent and courageous. Each
must go through terrible trials but all triumph in different ways.
The girls in the story are brave and smart, play vital roles in the
fight against evil and the romances are very well done.
Her world building is wonderful. The reader is taken off into the
politics of a magical place, where those who have the strongest
warrior wield power. A single warrior from each of the warring sides
is forced to fight to the death in a gladiator style to win the
power to rule. The action is inventive and ranges from Ohio to the
wind swept moors of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. With swordplay,
wizards living hundreds of years and using mind control, intrigue
and strange treasure, I was swept along in Chima's fabulous world.
Each book has an emphasis on a different character. This gives added
appeal as Chima explores different relationships and abilities,
making a much richer series than is often encountered where the same
main characters appear. There is a satisfying conclusion to the
three books (although a look at Chima's website gives information
about two more books to come).
The clever writing, inventive setting and great characters of
this series should appeal to both boys and girls. Fans of these
books will want to go out and immediately find her Seven Realms
series.
Pat Pledger