After everything was said and done by the end of The Fifth, here comes The Heirs' Quest to capsize the foundation of the Continent of Time. In a world whose creatures do not possess any magical ability in the strict sense (drakes and phoenixes breathe and catch on fire respectively, but it isn't perceived as 'magic' but rather as an anatomical feature like venom is for a snake), five dragons are born with elemental powers for the first time in history. So it seems, at least.
One of the lore tidbits that fascinated me the most in the first book is the dichotomy between the winds and the currents, and I was excited to learn that this would be the backbone of The Heirs' Quest and in which way it entwines with these previously unheard-of powers and new prophecy.
Another prophecy? What can be different from the first book, whose story felt quite fate-driven as if the winds themselves had orchestrated the characters' every move with no chance of error?
Everything, actually. This time, it's the characters' blind faith in the prophecy that will result in a few fatal errors. The slap in the face that ensues for both the protagonists and the reader wouldn't have been as startling had the events of The Fifth unfolded in any other way, and being not a huge fan of prophecy-driven plots myself, this was an incredibly satisfying development. However, this also makes me a bit scared for the future of these characters because now I know the author isn't joking around!
Now let's move on to the characters.
As the title suggests, this time the salvation of the Continent befalls the heirs of each clan, who (unlike Lily in The Fifth, an adult, battle-ready soldier) are a bunch of pampered teenagers with their heads full of dreams of glory and on their shoulders the weight of their formidable parents' reputation. What could ever go wrong?
The book soon takes an introspective turn, unveiling, bit by bit, the truest self of each POV character (namely: Megyen, Veleria, Aro, Atalla, and Reken) as they learn to understand each other. Everyone with their flaws and qualities has grown on me in no time and towards the end, I felt part of this little found family myself.
There would be much to say about each character but I don't want to spoil too much here. Just, read this book and discover them yourselves. Then read it again and dig a little bit deeper, The Heirs' Quest deserves it.
With all this being said, Daughter of Sky can't be released soon enough!