August 1, 2015
Having cast off her Celaena identity, Aelin returns to Adarlan to reclaim her crown. Leaving Rowan behind after Heir of Fire (2014), Aelin arrives determined to stop the king's deadly demons, the Valg. She seeks out her former master from her assassin days, the charismatic and devious Arobynn, and also finds Chaol, but there's no happy reunion between the two. (Chaol fans shouldn't worry-while he and Aelin may not see eye to eye, he has prominent storylines and character growth.) Aelin's most pressing priority is the rescue of her cousin Aedion, slated for execution at Prince Dorian's birthday as an obvious trap for her. As for Dorian, he's imprisoned in his own body by the Valg controlling him-Chaol holds hope that he can be saved; Aelin knows how unlikely that is. Meanwhile, Wing Leader Manon, head of Adarlan's wyvern-riding witch army, finds growing dissent at the commands she is given, leading to tough choices. At times believability is stretched (fugitives travel around the city freely, one or two heroes defeat large groups of enemies), but character motivations and interactions-friendships, romances, and others-are always nuanced and on point, especially as Aelin's growing maturity offers her new perspectives on old acquaintances. The ending leaves readers poised for the next installment. Impossible to put down. (Fantasy. 14 & up)
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October 1, 2015
Gr 10 Up-Picking up where Heir of Fire (Bloomsbury, 2014) left off, this work follows Aelin as she returns to Adarlan to rescue her cousin from execution, free Prince Dorian from the Valg demon inside of him, and kill the King of Adarlan to set her people free. Told from many different viewpoints, this highly anticipated installment of the series will live up to every one of fans' expectations. Strong, clever, and resilient, Aelin expertly manages to rescue her cousin from the castle with minimal casualties. Then, with the help of her loyal friends and the Fae Prince Rowan, they devise a plan to destroy one of the king's towers to free magic and take back their powers so they can assassinate the evil King of Adarlan. Meanwhile, Manon, the Wing Leader of the Blackbeak witch coven, struggles with her grandmother's order to select a coven of witches to breed with Valg demons to please the mortal Duke. Aelin and Manon cross paths in surprising ways, and everything comes together in one thrilling and high-stakes climax that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. With a full cast of three-dimensional characters and a slew of emotionally riveting scenes and shocking realizations, readers will be daydreaming about this book long after it's over. VERDICT Beautifully written prose and brilliantly crafted plots come together in this entry of the awe-inspiring fantasy series that will leave readers anticipating the next volume.-Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, WA
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