This fantasy novel by Lauryn Hamilton Murray is a dive into a world filled with magic and powers. The main character, Blaze, has powers which are the opposite of what her name suggests. Instead of wielding fire powers like the rest of her family, she is born as a rain singer. Her birth brought about a destructive and large storm, causing her to be feared and hated. But what they don’t know is that her powers had all but vanished. After 17 years of living with her grandmother and brothers, she finally gets a chance to see the outside world and her and her twin brother’s name day celebration. That night, she discovers she is chosen to be an heir, a competitor for the Aquatori throne. Along with her twin who has also been chosen as an heir to compete for the Ignatia throne, they travel to the palace. There she must go up against opponents who have years of practice and training in order to win the throne. Add in drama with the crown prince and his half brother, and a mysterious talisman, Blaze must harness her powers and wits to survive the trials.

This book was a great fantasy read, with a dash of romance. The world was well written and immersive. The character development for Blaze was also well drawn, as we can see her grow more confident as her powers grow. By the end of the story she has come a long way from the shy and isolated girl she was. It was nice to see her powers grow as she receives training and discovers more about them. Instead of just immediately becoming powerful, she has to develop them. And as for the romance, it was a balanced amount, not overshadowing the main plot. The side characters were also fleshed out, as each of them had their own personality and story. They were written in a way that made you want to know more about them. Blaze grows closer with the crown prince, Haldyn Castellion, as well as his brother, Fox, the feared earth cleaver. She also has a strong bond with her twin brother Flint.

View my opinion on a particular twist… (Spoiler Warning)

When Blaze arrives at the palace, the prince, Haldyn Castellion immediately seems to take an interest in her. He acts flirtatious and romantic, having flowers delivered to her room. They even share a kiss eventually. However toward the end of the book, Blaze discovers that his true interest was in her maid all along, who he had fallen in love with long before Blaze even arrived at the palace. He explains to her that he could never even be seen with her maid, a prisoner from an enemy nation, and Blaze was merely the cover. Hal apologizes profusely, and asks if they can still be friends as he truly enjoyed her company, just in a platonic way. Blaze agrees and forgives him as she understands the situation.

While she may have forgiven him, I still severely dislike Haldyn’s actions. He essentially used her and pretended to have feelings for her all while leading her on. While the reason behind it may be acceptable, the way he handled the situation was far from perfect. Instead of going about it the way he did, he could have explained the situation to her. Blaze forgives him easily, though I personally wished she hadn’t.

The only good outcome from this situation is that it avoids a love triangle between Blaze, Haldyn, and Fox. I am not the biggest fan of love triangles, so I’ll take it.

The style of the trials which the heirs had to compete in were similar to that of the Triwizard tournament from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, so fans of the series will enjoy it. The ending left many questions unanswered and allows room for a bigger story to unfold, connecting nicely to the second book in the series. Heir of Storms is a great start to a magical fantasy series, with great worldbuilding and characters to root for, and leaves readers eagerly waiting for the second book, which is coming soon.

4.5/5 Stars