The champion goes to:
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?
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Date Read: June 28, 2014
My review:
My rating: 9/10
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Top 3 reasons why I love it SO DAMN MUCH:
1) It's a masterpiece
You can't deny it's not at its finest. I thought Crown of Midnight was crazy enough. Things can't possibly get any worse. Nope, I'm so wrong. The second book was trivial compared to Heir of Fire. It's filled with the most glorious and darkest scenes. Written in multiple point of views, you have a full view of just how messed-up and brutal the situation really is. It's just the third book. Things are already heating up really quick and is about to explode in the second half of the series. Don't believe me? Look at the rating on Goodreads. The rating for Crown of Midnight is 4.51 out of 5. This is one of the highest ratings I've ever seen in YA novels (okay, Clockwork Princess has 4.58, which is the highest I've ever seen until this book). Heir of Fire has the rating of 4.61 out of 5. I'm not the only one who thinks this book is a masterpiece.
2) Scenery
Reading Throne of Glass is like going into a magical world that only artists can create. A lot of scenes described in the book are really beautiful. Heir of Fire is like the collection of the ethereal scenery. Wendlyn is a good example. Wendlyn is described as a kingdom where Fey thrives, so of course everything there is very natural. Imagine Celaena training with Rowan to control her ability to wield fire. In a small grassland surrounded by exotic trees and colorful flowers and fruits. Not to mention that Celaena's is described as fiery and beautiful when wielding her fire. I wish I was in Wendlyn.
3) Two great new characters... and Dorian
The addition of Rowan and Aedion is a great decision. Aedion is loyal and Rowan... oh, what am I going to do with him? He's honorable. I know that's because he's a Fey. But it doesn't cancel out the awesomeness. He's a really deep character and has a lot of history. Celaena and Rowan makes a great team and I would like them to stay together as partners or... something more, if that's possible *wink. Anyway, I hope I will be seeing more of Rowan in the next book. As for Dorian... there is a great character development in Dorian. (spoiler!) After discovering his not-so-normal powers that can possibly get him killed or worse (yes, there are a lot of things worse than death in YA novels), he has changed a lot. I can see him as a good king. My heart broke when something really foul happened to him at the end of the book. God, WHY? WHY WOULD YOU TORTURE US LIKE THAT! I'M BEGINNING TO LIKE HIM AND THAT'S HOW YOU TREAT ME?
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Why I recommend this book or series:
Timeless paranormal series has become a thing recently. I like them because you can basically bend to world to your will. When you write a book based on some sort of mythology, things can get tricky if there's an unexplained loophole. But in these series you can basically do anything. Imaginations can run wild in these novels. Throne of Glass series is one of them. And one of the best, I'd say. You can't possibly predict what happens next. The characters are great and the world is absolutely breathtaking.
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Do I like the cover?
Yep. It's badass and gorgeous. I like the cover of Crown of Midnight more though.
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Top 3 favorite scenes: (spoiler alert!)
1) When Celaena finally has control of her power by battling the evil princes (sorry, I really don't remember what they are called)
It's the very definition of glorious. Literally and metaphorically.
2) When Rowan pledged his loyalty to Celaena
Don't deny it. It brings tears to your face. It did to me, and I am not a girl who cries.
3) When Chaol evades Adarlan
Finally! I admire his loyalty, but it's so terribly misplaced that sometimes I just want to smack him in his head. It's good that he finally sees sense.
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OTP: Hmm, can I ship Celaena and Rowan? I've been obsessing all over it since I read Heir of Fire.
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Aftermath:
There you go, the list of my top ten favorite novels in 2014! I will work on the listopia soon. But 2014 is surely a crazy year. Unfortunately I'm afraid I won't have a lot of time to read books in 2015 because the time to take the public exams is approaching. Let's hope, shall we?
