Emotional journey

Chaol thought he was protecting Celaena by suggesting the King send his champion to Wendlyn to dispatch the royal family. But that was before he had unravelled the riddle she left about her true identity. Never did he imagine that the woman he loved would turn out to be the single greatest threat to the King he is sworn to protect.

Celaena arrives in Wendlyn with one goal in mind: to avenge the death of her friend. She may be the Kings champion, feared and revered, but this side of the ocean, she’s way out of her depth. Riddled with guilt and self-loathing at her sins and failures, Celaena must start at the bottom of the ladder again, to find herself and prove worthy of the title she has long ago given up hope of fulfilling.

The Throne of Glass series has it all: magic, romance, adventure, horror, tragedy…and now Heir of Fire has added something else to up the stakes in this, one of my favorite series of all time. Friendship. What a refreshing addition this is. The development of this new relationship that starts out teeming with conflict, is deep and soulful and matures Celaena’s character in wonderful ways.

The introduction of the witches was another gem in this installment. Ms Maas has done away with the stereotypes of these creatures, and created a whole new species that is a study in ambiguity. They are cruel, cunning and evil – or are they?

There were many exciting action moments, some devastating moments of betrayal and some tender moments too, but this novel was really more about the emotional journey of Celaena and her rediscovery and acceptance of herself. I can’t wait to see what happens next.