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The Heir Chronicles #3
The Dragon Heir
The third thrilling installment of the Heir Chronicles series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.
The covenant that was meant to keep the wizard wars at bay has been stolen, and Trinity must prepare for attack. Everyone is doing their part—Seph is monitoring the Weirwalls, Jack and Ellen are training their ghostly army, even Anaweir Will and Fitch are setting booby traps around the town's perimeter. But to Jason Haley it seems like everyone wants to keep him out of the action. He may not be the most powerful wizard in Trinity, but he's prepared to fight for his friends.
Everything changes when Jason finds a powerful talisman—a huge opal called the Dragonheart—buried in a cave. The stone seems to sing to Jason's very soul, showing him that he is meant for more than anyone knew. Moral compasses spin out of control as a final battle storms through what was once a sanctuary for the gifted. With so much to lose, what will the people of Trinity be willing to fight for—and what will they sacrifice?
The covenant that was meant to keep the wizard wars at bay has been stolen, and Trinity must prepare for attack. Everyone is doing their part—Seph is monitoring the Weirwalls, Jack and Ellen are training their ghostly army, even Anaweir Will and Fitch are setting booby traps around the town's perimeter. But to Jason Haley it seems like everyone wants to keep him out of the action. He may not be the most powerful wizard in Trinity, but he's prepared to fight for his friends.
Everything changes when Jason finds a powerful talisman—a huge opal called the Dragonheart—buried in a cave. The stone seems to sing to Jason's very soul, showing him that he is meant for more than anyone knew. Moral compasses spin out of control as a final battle storms through what was once a sanctuary for the gifted. With so much to lose, what will the people of Trinity be willing to fight for—and what will they sacrifice?
499 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2008
About the author
Cinda Williams Chima
36 books11.7k followersNew York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima comes from a long line of fortune-tellers, musicians and spinners of tales. She began writing romance novels in middle school, which were often confiscated by her teachers.
Her Heir Chronicles series (magic comes to contemporary Ohio) comprises The Warrior Heir The Wizard Heir . The Dragon Heir The Enchanter Heir, and the Sorcerer Heir.
Chima's Seven Realms series comprises The Demon King The Exiled Queen The Gray Wolf Throne and The Crimson Crown ).
Her Shattered Realms quartet comprises Flamecaster ( 2016) Shadowcaster (2017) Stormcaster (2018) and Deathcaster (2019.)
Her newest series, Runestone Saga, marries Norse magic and mythology with swordplay (axeplay?) and romance. Children of Ragnarok was released 11.8.22, and the sequel and conclusion, Bane of Asgard, is set for release 10-22-24.It is available for preorder now.
Chima is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the University of Akron. Chima has been a workshop leader, panelist, and speaker at writing conferences, including the Northern Ohio SCBWI Conference, the Western Reserve Writers’ Conference, and the World Fantasy Convention. She frequently speaks to young writers and readers at schools and libraries nationwide.
Chima lives in North Carolina with her family, and is always working on her next novel.
Her Heir Chronicles series (magic comes to contemporary Ohio) comprises The Warrior Heir The Wizard Heir . The Dragon Heir The Enchanter Heir, and the Sorcerer Heir.
Chima's Seven Realms series comprises The Demon King The Exiled Queen The Gray Wolf Throne and The Crimson Crown ).
Her Shattered Realms quartet comprises Flamecaster ( 2016) Shadowcaster (2017) Stormcaster (2018) and Deathcaster (2019.)
Her newest series, Runestone Saga, marries Norse magic and mythology with swordplay (axeplay?) and romance. Children of Ragnarok was released 11.8.22, and the sequel and conclusion, Bane of Asgard, is set for release 10-22-24.It is available for preorder now.
Chima is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and the University of Akron. Chima has been a workshop leader, panelist, and speaker at writing conferences, including the Northern Ohio SCBWI Conference, the Western Reserve Writers’ Conference, and the World Fantasy Convention. She frequently speaks to young writers and readers at schools and libraries nationwide.
Chima lives in North Carolina with her family, and is always working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,302 reviews
October 9, 2023
"Saw a wild turkey and a bald eagle yesterday."
That escalated quite quickly to almost a medieval war... not a bad way to end what felt like a separate duology inside the Heir series.
Review to come.
"I know what it's like to want to prove yourself so badly it destroys everything else that matters."
That escalated quite quickly to almost a medieval war... not a bad way to end what felt like a separate duology inside the Heir series.
Review to come.
"I know what it's like to want to prove yourself so badly it destroys everything else that matters."
April 15, 2010
3.5 stars
This was better than I remembered, but maybe not so good that I'd shove this series in anyone's face & beg them to read it.
Still.
DRAGONS!
I guess more specifically, dragon. Because there's only one heir to the Dragon...thingy. Guild? I don't know. Whatever. It's not important. Just know that, unlike all the rest of the magical people, nobody even knew this type of person could exist.
SURPRISE!
This one has all of the characters from the previous two books in it, but the main focus is on Madison & Jason.
I think I might rate this higher, but there were quite a few things I felt were either too rushed , too glossed over , or too out of character for me to get 100% behind this one.
However, I already have the next book on hold, so it does have that sumpin'-sumpin' that makes me want to see how it all turns out.
I just hope it's worth it...
This was better than I remembered, but maybe not so good that I'd shove this series in anyone's face & beg them to read it.
Still.
DRAGONS!
I guess more specifically, dragon. Because there's only one heir to the Dragon...thingy. Guild? I don't know. Whatever. It's not important. Just know that, unlike all the rest of the magical people, nobody even knew this type of person could exist.
SURPRISE!
This one has all of the characters from the previous two books in it, but the main focus is on Madison & Jason.
I think I might rate this higher, but there were quite a few things I felt were either too rushed , too glossed over , or too out of character for me to get 100% behind this one.
However, I already have the next book on hold, so it does have that sumpin'-sumpin' that makes me want to see how it all turns out.
I just hope it's worth it...
April 5, 2009
I just can't rate this book as highly as the first 2 which is a bummer as it's the conclusion. The two main characters were soooooo whiny I felt like I was reading Harry Potter #5. Then it seemed like the author had to go somewhere so she just tied up the end real quick. . . "and he died and she lived and the other two lived happily ever after, the end"
August 27, 2009
Magic is real, and the people who use it are dicks.
Wizards have been engaged in a bloody battle for supremacy for generations, and they don't care who they destroy in the process. In The Warrior Heir, young Jack finds out that he has magic and that the wizards plan to use him as a pawn in their latest scheme. With help from the few wizard rebels, he manages to badly damage the wizards' power over the other magic guilds. In the second book, The Wizard Heir, the growing band of rebels continue their fight to create an egalitarian magic society while keeping the non-magic users safe. But in The Dragon Heir the wizards forge an uneasy alliance amongst themselves, and their combined power may be enough to destroy the haven of Trinity and all who have worked so hard to create it. The rebels' only chance to survive is to harness the power of the Dragon Stone. But the secrets of how to use the stone have been lost for centuries, and they're running out of time...
Sounds awesome, right? After all this build up, The Dragon Heir should be the apex of excitement and epic adventure! And yet--it's actually kinda boring. There are so many characters, and they all get more than their fair share of inner monologues about their personal problems. Even though this is the final battle, Chima introduces all manner of extraneous characters and extra plot points, then forgets about half of them. It's an unfocused mess of a book, and the climax is an unsatisfying deus-ex-machina.
The world building is subpar (I'm still bothered by the fact that we never see any hint that there's a broader world out there--it's all either western Europe or America. If both sides are in such dire straits, how come they never thought of seeking out help elsewhere?) and the plot is inconsistent. Chima isn't great at creating novel, memorable characters, either--I literally could not remember which male teen was which. That said, when Chima focuses on Seph, Jack or Madison, the story comes alive. And Chima is one of the few ya novelists who doesn't do gender essentialism. I loved that the male and female warriors are described using the same language (none of that half-hearted bullshit about how the dude is so strong and brawny and the lady is "lithe" or "slender"--they both hack people to death with swords and have got the incredible fore-arms to prove it). The characters have a wide range of motivations, abilities, and goals, irrespective of gender. It's sad how excited I am to find a fantasy book without that set of stereotypes.
Overall, I'd recommend this series, but with the caveat that the last book doesn't live up to what came before it.
Wizards have been engaged in a bloody battle for supremacy for generations, and they don't care who they destroy in the process. In The Warrior Heir, young Jack finds out that he has magic and that the wizards plan to use him as a pawn in their latest scheme. With help from the few wizard rebels, he manages to badly damage the wizards' power over the other magic guilds. In the second book, The Wizard Heir, the growing band of rebels continue their fight to create an egalitarian magic society while keeping the non-magic users safe. But in The Dragon Heir the wizards forge an uneasy alliance amongst themselves, and their combined power may be enough to destroy the haven of Trinity and all who have worked so hard to create it. The rebels' only chance to survive is to harness the power of the Dragon Stone. But the secrets of how to use the stone have been lost for centuries, and they're running out of time...
Sounds awesome, right? After all this build up, The Dragon Heir should be the apex of excitement and epic adventure! And yet--it's actually kinda boring. There are so many characters, and they all get more than their fair share of inner monologues about their personal problems. Even though this is the final battle, Chima introduces all manner of extraneous characters and extra plot points, then forgets about half of them. It's an unfocused mess of a book, and the climax is an unsatisfying deus-ex-machina.
The world building is subpar (I'm still bothered by the fact that we never see any hint that there's a broader world out there--it's all either western Europe or America. If both sides are in such dire straits, how come they never thought of seeking out help elsewhere?) and the plot is inconsistent. Chima isn't great at creating novel, memorable characters, either--I literally could not remember which male teen was which. That said, when Chima focuses on Seph, Jack or Madison, the story comes alive. And Chima is one of the few ya novelists who doesn't do gender essentialism. I loved that the male and female warriors are described using the same language (none of that half-hearted bullshit about how the dude is so strong and brawny and the lady is "lithe" or "slender"--they both hack people to death with swords and have got the incredible fore-arms to prove it). The characters have a wide range of motivations, abilities, and goals, irrespective of gender. It's sad how excited I am to find a fantasy book without that set of stereotypes.
Overall, I'd recommend this series, but with the caveat that the last book doesn't live up to what came before it.
April 5, 2018
For a finale, this book was rather underwhelming. It was okay and I still plan to continue the series, but I expected more.
Who died?
It surprised me that Jason and Madison were the stars of Dragon. I expected it to be Seph and Jack. I wish it was Seph and Jack. Though I should've liked them, Madison and Jason just annoyed me. Madison's story was particularly boring and she was stupid!
Chima did a good job with Leesha, because I like her now but she's obviously still the same person she was before. Her negative qualities didn't magically go away.
I like Seph but I hated the whole drugging himself to function storyline. I saw it coming from the last book but I hate the whole druggie thing. At least Chima made it make sense, he was under too much pressure. It really wasn't fair, Linda and Hastings putting so much on his shoulders.
I understand, Hastings had to leave so the kids can be on their own, but Jack should've been the leader not Seph. Sure, he's not a wizard but he's older, and this is his town.
If Dragon followed the pattern of the other books it really should've been Seer Heir. Almost everything Jason did could've been done by a Seer. Unnoticeable, he just knew where the bad guys would be. And then some of the coincidences would make sense!
Who died?
It surprised me that Jason and Madison were the stars of Dragon. I expected it to be Seph and Jack. I wish it was Seph and Jack. Though I should've liked them, Madison and Jason just annoyed me. Madison's story was particularly boring and she was stupid!
Chima did a good job with Leesha, because I like her now but she's obviously still the same person she was before. Her negative qualities didn't magically go away.
I like Seph but I hated the whole drugging himself to function storyline. I saw it coming from the last book but I hate the whole druggie thing. At least Chima made it make sense, he was under too much pressure. It really wasn't fair, Linda and Hastings putting so much on his shoulders.
I understand, Hastings had to leave so the kids can be on their own, but Jack should've been the leader not Seph. Sure, he's not a wizard but he's older, and this is his town.
If Dragon followed the pattern of the other books it really should've been Seer Heir. Almost everything Jason did could've been done by a Seer. Unnoticeable, he just knew where the bad guys would be. And then some of the coincidences would make sense!
November 10, 2008
A great finish to the "Heir" Trilogy. I had a few issues with some of the characters in the story.
SPOILERS***
Linda and Leander's brief stint in this book was annoying. Why couldn't they come back and help in the battle? Bring a few weapons from the castle's stash? Could they buy a cell phone and call to check in? The Trinity Weir people were in desperate need all the while Linda and Leander hang out in a castle and have basically no part in this book.
I was confused about the dragon/lady. Was she a dragon or a lady? Both? This was confusing to me. When Madison became the dragon did she give up art school? Maybe they don't allow dragons at art school.
Sad about Jason, but hopefully Leesha will have a long time to feel guilty about that.
Warren Barber got off too easy in my opinion. I guess falling off a cliff is a violent end, but I would have preferred death by dragon fire or dragon teeth.
I loved how Jessamine and Wylie lost their Weirstones. What a perfect end for them!
Jason's sacrifice was heroic but sad.
And what about Nicodemus? How could he love someone and betray her so fully? And sorry, but if I was the dragon and came face to face with my betrayer, I would have a few more words to say.
SPOILERS***
Linda and Leander's brief stint in this book was annoying. Why couldn't they come back and help in the battle? Bring a few weapons from the castle's stash? Could they buy a cell phone and call to check in? The Trinity Weir people were in desperate need all the while Linda and Leander hang out in a castle and have basically no part in this book.
I was confused about the dragon/lady. Was she a dragon or a lady? Both? This was confusing to me. When Madison became the dragon did she give up art school? Maybe they don't allow dragons at art school.
Sad about Jason, but hopefully Leesha will have a long time to feel guilty about that.
Warren Barber got off too easy in my opinion. I guess falling off a cliff is a violent end, but I would have preferred death by dragon fire or dragon teeth.
I loved how Jessamine and Wylie lost their Weirstones. What a perfect end for them!
Jason's sacrifice was heroic but sad.
And what about Nicodemus? How could he love someone and betray her so fully? And sorry, but if I was the dragon and came face to face with my betrayer, I would have a few more words to say.
July 10, 2019
4.5/5
This was seriously awesome! The Dragon Heir picks up right after the events in The Wizard Heir. This installment focuses more on Madison Moss and Jason Haley. When Jason steals the Dragon Heart from Ravensguild, the Wizards are in an uproar and desperate to get it back. Trinity is preparing for war, Leander Hastings & Linda Downey leave to go after the weapons horde at Ravensguild, leaving Seph McCauley in charge with only a handful of other wizards.
I absolutely love the world Chima has created with the Weir and Anaweir in this story. This book flew by and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. Strange things started happening to Madison after being hit by Leceister's hex that was meant to kill Seph and she's still suffering effects from it. I was so frustrated with Madison for a decent part of this book. She refused to confide in anyone about what was happening to her. Even at the very end she never said anything about it. I couldn'y understand why, because it was like she was actually trying to hurt Seph. Madison also leaves for a majority of the story to go watch her family in Coulson County.
Then we have Jason. I loved getting to know him more, but he was also slightly frustrating. He kept trying to leave Trinity to go feel important. Like son, sit down. Sometimes you don't get to be a hero 24/7 and you need to be cool with it. The other thing that was weird was Linda & Leander going off to Ravensguild. They manage to capture the castle but then they never do anything with it. They just hung out with all those weapons while Seph and his friends are running around raged in Trinity. It was such a random and weird absence that was never resolved at the end.
This world is so much fun to be in. There's something about the magical guilds that I absolutely love. And seeing all these characters I've grown to love work together, was extremely satisfying. I loved how the fight between the underguilds and Wizards was culminated in this one. There were so many moving pieces to keep track of and I was never bored with it. The ending was equal parts triumphant and sad from the multiple deaths. I really enjoyed how this was resolved, but I'm curious to see what will happen in the last two books!
This was seriously awesome! The Dragon Heir picks up right after the events in The Wizard Heir. This installment focuses more on Madison Moss and Jason Haley. When Jason steals the Dragon Heart from Ravensguild, the Wizards are in an uproar and desperate to get it back. Trinity is preparing for war, Leander Hastings & Linda Downey leave to go after the weapons horde at Ravensguild, leaving Seph McCauley in charge with only a handful of other wizards.
I absolutely love the world Chima has created with the Weir and Anaweir in this story. This book flew by and I enjoyed almost every minute of it. Strange things started happening to Madison after being hit by Leceister's hex that was meant to kill Seph and she's still suffering effects from it. I was so frustrated with Madison for a decent part of this book. She refused to confide in anyone about what was happening to her. Even at the very end she never said anything about it. I couldn'y understand why, because it was like she was actually trying to hurt Seph. Madison also leaves for a majority of the story to go watch her family in Coulson County.
Then we have Jason. I loved getting to know him more, but he was also slightly frustrating. He kept trying to leave Trinity to go feel important. Like son, sit down. Sometimes you don't get to be a hero 24/7 and you need to be cool with it. The other thing that was weird was Linda & Leander going off to Ravensguild. They manage to capture the castle but then they never do anything with it. They just hung out with all those weapons while Seph and his friends are running around raged in Trinity. It was such a random and weird absence that was never resolved at the end.
This world is so much fun to be in. There's something about the magical guilds that I absolutely love. And seeing all these characters I've grown to love work together, was extremely satisfying. I loved how the fight between the underguilds and Wizards was culminated in this one. There were so many moving pieces to keep track of and I was never bored with it. The ending was equal parts triumphant and sad from the multiple deaths. I really enjoyed how this was resolved, but I'm curious to see what will happen in the last two books!
July 8, 2009
Why this book didn't get 5 stars
1. My 2nd favorite character dies, and nobody even seems to care.
2. Linda and Leander have hardly any scenes
3. The ending was rushed, like she just wanted to get it over with and didn't care about the story anymore--and there were tons of loose ends
4. We don't even find out what happens with Jack and Ellen, or get to see Linda and Leander's reactions to the war etc..(The last time we saw Ellen, she was dying and unconscious...is that any way to end a series? I think not)
Other than these things, it was great. But I'm really upset. I LOVE Jason! He shouldn't have died, and if he had to, he could have a more drawn-out death. I mean, it was like nothing. One seconds he was alive, the next he was dead. It was ridiculous.
Although the separate story about Madison Moss was kind of random and not strictly necessary, I enjoyed it. I really like Maddie and her bravery, but I would have preferred more of the other characters, like Seph, Jack, and Ellen...It was a Maddie overdose, really. It also annoyed me how she didn't tell Seph WHY she was avoiding him, though it clearly HURT him. It's not as if he would have been mad at her; it wasn't her fault that the hex magic stuck in her. In fact, Seph probably would have figured out a way to get rid of it sooner. It just seemed unnecessary, and there weren't enough Seph/Maddie scenes for my liking.
I loved getting Jason's POV, which is part of the reason I despised his death. It seemed like Chima didn't want to deal with him or have to write a scene between him and Leesha, so she just killed him. We got to know him only to have him die? Cruel, very cruel.
I would have thought that, being that this is the third and final book, there would have been more of Jack and Ellen. Also, Linda was such a strong, clever character who I loved to pieces, yet none of her initiative is shown in this book. She's off wasting time the whole book. WHY DID SHE LEAVE SEPH to be in charge of the WAR? Nick Snowbeard was clearly getting old and weak, so what gave her the idea that he would be an acceptable replacement for either Hastings or herself. Why couldn't Hastings have handled the Ghyll on his own? Or Linda have handled the Gyhll so that at least ONE of them would have been able to help and maybe JASON WOULDN'T HAVE DIED, because Chima would have decided NOT to be LAZY.
Also, the whole thing about Nick Snowbeard betraying Lady Aiden? That was just randomly sloshed in there, and didn't make much sense, to be honest. And Lady Aiden...what was she? Woman? Dragon? HOW did Nick betray her and WHY? I was confused. When Maddie gets the power from her and scares away everyone...unrealistic. I think the removal of weir-stones was a good idea, but, once again, it was too rushed. One second it was war, the next they all retreated and Maddie was running off to save her siblings. Warren Barber's demise was pathetic and, shockingly, rushed.
DON'T get me wrong. I LOVE this series, and I'm only being so hard on it for that reason. I really had high expectations for it. Some of the BEST characters I've ever read. I'm definitely going to run out and buy Chima's next trilogy, and hope that she's learned from her mistakes and will NOT bunch together a gunky ending OR KILL SOMEONE I LOVE!!
1. My 2nd favorite character dies, and nobody even seems to care.
2. Linda and Leander have hardly any scenes
3. The ending was rushed, like she just wanted to get it over with and didn't care about the story anymore--and there were tons of loose ends
4. We don't even find out what happens with Jack and Ellen, or get to see Linda and Leander's reactions to the war etc..(The last time we saw Ellen, she was dying and unconscious...is that any way to end a series? I think not)
Other than these things, it was great. But I'm really upset. I LOVE Jason! He shouldn't have died, and if he had to, he could have a more drawn-out death. I mean, it was like nothing. One seconds he was alive, the next he was dead. It was ridiculous.
Although the separate story about Madison Moss was kind of random and not strictly necessary, I enjoyed it. I really like Maddie and her bravery, but I would have preferred more of the other characters, like Seph, Jack, and Ellen...It was a Maddie overdose, really. It also annoyed me how she didn't tell Seph WHY she was avoiding him, though it clearly HURT him. It's not as if he would have been mad at her; it wasn't her fault that the hex magic stuck in her. In fact, Seph probably would have figured out a way to get rid of it sooner. It just seemed unnecessary, and there weren't enough Seph/Maddie scenes for my liking.
I loved getting Jason's POV, which is part of the reason I despised his death. It seemed like Chima didn't want to deal with him or have to write a scene between him and Leesha, so she just killed him. We got to know him only to have him die? Cruel, very cruel.
I would have thought that, being that this is the third and final book, there would have been more of Jack and Ellen. Also, Linda was such a strong, clever character who I loved to pieces, yet none of her initiative is shown in this book. She's off wasting time the whole book. WHY DID SHE LEAVE SEPH to be in charge of the WAR? Nick Snowbeard was clearly getting old and weak, so what gave her the idea that he would be an acceptable replacement for either Hastings or herself. Why couldn't Hastings have handled the Ghyll on his own? Or Linda have handled the Gyhll so that at least ONE of them would have been able to help and maybe JASON WOULDN'T HAVE DIED, because Chima would have decided NOT to be LAZY.
Also, the whole thing about Nick Snowbeard betraying Lady Aiden? That was just randomly sloshed in there, and didn't make much sense, to be honest. And Lady Aiden...what was she? Woman? Dragon? HOW did Nick betray her and WHY? I was confused. When Maddie gets the power from her and scares away everyone...unrealistic. I think the removal of weir-stones was a good idea, but, once again, it was too rushed. One second it was war, the next they all retreated and Maddie was running off to save her siblings. Warren Barber's demise was pathetic and, shockingly, rushed.
DON'T get me wrong. I LOVE this series, and I'm only being so hard on it for that reason. I really had high expectations for it. Some of the BEST characters I've ever read. I'm definitely going to run out and buy Chima's next trilogy, and hope that she's learned from her mistakes and will NOT bunch together a gunky ending OR KILL SOMEONE I LOVE!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2010
I enjoyed the first two books of this trilogy. Ive always liked stories of the "everyman" finding that he's part of a powerful hidden destiny. I felt the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, but they were still likable overall. The 3rd book however, fell flat on its face. Its almost as if the author couldnt figure out how to end it, so she just wrapped it up with a few quick paragraphs from a third person point of view. Linda and Hastings, integral characters, disappear from the story part way through the book, only making a brief cameo later on. Jack, who was the main character in the 1st book, barely gets a footnote, while Ellen who was mortally wounded, get a quick but non-satisfactory explanation about her recovery. Seph changes from the niave half-trained wizard to a dark, brooding being more powerful than all the others with only the slightest of explanation how (wizard flame). And after all they've been through including Jason's sacrifice, all we get to know of him and Madison is that they live happily ever after on Booker Mountain.
The end of this trilogy was a huge let down. All of the build up and suspense anticipated in our heroes using the "Ultimate weapon" that was the Dragon Heart, ended up being less exciting than watching a single firecracker pop. Reading the last chapter, it felt to me as if the author just gave up and called it a day to meet a deadline.
The end of this trilogy was a huge let down. All of the build up and suspense anticipated in our heroes using the "Ultimate weapon" that was the Dragon Heart, ended up being less exciting than watching a single firecracker pop. Reading the last chapter, it felt to me as if the author just gave up and called it a day to meet a deadline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2017
This was a pretty underwhelming conclusion to the initial trilogy. More than predictable and quite unsatisfactory. My edition was 499 pages long and everything is "resolved" in the last 30 pages or so and it's not even a good conclusion. Besides the overall plot, I wouldn't say this is a sequel to the first two books. Some characters don't feel like the characters from the previous two books. I was not happy with this and I'm sure as hell won't be picking the next two books that came out after this one. I don't tend to be this harsh but I just felt I wasted my time big time reading this
March 30, 2009
The final book in the excellent ‘Heir’ trilogy wraps up the conflict centered on the talented youths Jack, Ellen, Jason, Seph, and Madison. The war between the different factions of wizards has come to a head and the discovery of a powerful weapon, the Dragonheart, has each side fighting for its control. I think this volume even edged out ‘Warrior Heir’ for my favorite of the three – this one was so much more developed and the characters matured in many ways.
One thing that really bugged me was the absence of Leander and Linda from 90% of the action. I understand that the novel was primarily centered on these talented teens and the choices they made but it seemed odd that the two major adult players in the game would be gone – off in England securing a castle no less – for most of the book. I can’t really believe they never checked back even once with everyone in Trinity to make sure things weren’t going too badly (which they were) especially since it was their kids we’re talking about here!! And, we never get any resolution from them either. Perhaps that is my problem with the entire books ending though. I felt like this fascinating story moved forward at such a fast pace with details galore and conflicts legion but after the major conflict was resolved all the rest simply melted away. We were given hints about many of the characters but I for one was left feeling pretty let down. I wanted to know all the nitty gritty details about where everyone went from there. Perhaps it would have added another 50-100 pages to properly address all the lingering issues but I had already read around 500 and I wouldn’t have minded a bit.
Okay that was quite the digression so let me say again that I loved this book! Mature, smart, and even flawed teens making heartbreaking choices in a world full of magic, betrayal, strength, love, and loss.
One thing that really bugged me was the absence of Leander and Linda from 90% of the action. I understand that the novel was primarily centered on these talented teens and the choices they made but it seemed odd that the two major adult players in the game would be gone – off in England securing a castle no less – for most of the book. I can’t really believe they never checked back even once with everyone in Trinity to make sure things weren’t going too badly (which they were) especially since it was their kids we’re talking about here!! And, we never get any resolution from them either. Perhaps that is my problem with the entire books ending though. I felt like this fascinating story moved forward at such a fast pace with details galore and conflicts legion but after the major conflict was resolved all the rest simply melted away. We were given hints about many of the characters but I for one was left feeling pretty let down. I wanted to know all the nitty gritty details about where everyone went from there. Perhaps it would have added another 50-100 pages to properly address all the lingering issues but I had already read around 500 and I wouldn’t have minded a bit.
Okay that was quite the digression so let me say again that I loved this book! Mature, smart, and even flawed teens making heartbreaking choices in a world full of magic, betrayal, strength, love, and loss.
November 28, 2019
This was good. Ok, maybe great. Some stuff didn’t make full sense, and crazy stuff happened, but that’s acceptable.
June 20, 2020
I think that this was a good conclusion to the series. It brought just as much magic and high intensity as the other two and gave you a lot more of each of the characters. I also enjoy the fact that it keeps it realistic with the people and all the things they are going through amidst battles between mages (that being personal and relationship struggles).
It could get dark at times but not too dark that it is bordering on a thriller or horror. Just dark in the sense that the plot is becoming a little more PG-13 rated and less PG.
It's hard to talk a lot about a final book in a trilogy because there is not much you can say without giving away anything. So I will keep this review short and sweet by saying that I think you should read this series if you want to dip your toes into the urban fantasy genre.
It could get dark at times but not too dark that it is bordering on a thriller or horror. Just dark in the sense that the plot is becoming a little more PG-13 rated and less PG.
It's hard to talk a lot about a final book in a trilogy because there is not much you can say without giving away anything. So I will keep this review short and sweet by saying that I think you should read this series if you want to dip your toes into the urban fantasy genre.
April 2, 2023
This turned out to be an alright read, but took quite too long to get into the interesting bits. Its filled with magic, dragons( just a few pages) and the lot.
It needed to cut back on the whole drama between them all. About 80% of the book was just a build up to a battle, slow to reach its point. I was not a fan of Jason and maddie, he was too foolish and she could have solved her issues with a little honesty
Id say 2.25 rating is good enough. I'd add that this or a majority of this book could have been a novella.
It needed to cut back on the whole drama between them all. About 80% of the book was just a build up to a battle, slow to reach its point. I was not a fan of Jason and maddie, he was too foolish and she could have solved her issues with a little honesty
Id say 2.25 rating is good enough. I'd add that this or a majority of this book could have been a novella.
October 14, 2019
Omg this is an amazing book!
The amount of suspension is great. I would have liked it to be a bit more crazy as it does have a war scene and it wasn't giving off that much an insane feeling.
Over all I loved it!
The amount of suspension is great. I would have liked it to be a bit more crazy as it does have a war scene and it wasn't giving off that much an insane feeling.
Over all I loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2009
Things have come to a head between the wizards and the other Weir (those who have the Weirstones that give them special powers). In the previous installment/novel, The Wizard Heir, the Weir attempted to draft a new Covenant, but the peace process was a mockery, and the Covenant was stolen. In an effort to discover its whereabouts, Jason, a young, *good* wizard sneaks into Raven’s Ghyll. He doesn’t find the Covenant, but he does find the Dragonheart – an opal and a source of great power- as well as some other magical items. He brings these back to Trinity, OH, where a sanctuary for other Weir has been set up, in the hopes that they will aid them in the battle that is to come. And come it does. Despite the efforts of all the Weir in Trinity, they are not powerful enough to hold back the invading wizards, who want the Dragonheart more than anything. Jack, Ellen, Jason, and Seph hold them back as long as they can. It’s Madison (as foreshadowed in the previous novel) who has the power to control the Dragonheart and turn the tide for the other Weir.
I was not as happy with this book as with its predecessors. It was predictable in a lot of ways, and seemed to have a lot of restless, but unnecessary plot devices. Madison actually takes the stone into her, absorbs it, if you will, so now she’s technically Weir, too, because she also has a stone embedded inside of her. She’s the heir to an ancient dragon legacy. I thought the Weir won a bit too easily (Madison certainly scares the wizards off when she takes away the powers of two – Geoffrie Wylie and Jessamine Longbranch) in the end, and the last few pages are a summary of what takes place after the battle. It’s never really clear why two major players – Seph’s parents – don’t focus their efforts on Trinity rather than Raven’s Ghyll, as all the forces massed against them are in Ohio. They’re sorely needed. This wasn’t as tightly written as the previous books and once again we’re left with an ending that foretells yet another installment. I’m worried that it will just rehash these same events and the same, constant, war between the wizards and the other Weir, or infighting among the wizards. I was hoping that Chima would explain more about Madison’s mysterious powers and that someone would think to teach her how to use them – her training would have been much more interesting to me. It seems like once a power or a spell or a magical device is introduced, it’s then used ad nauseum, and the browbeating just makes it less imaginative/inventive somehow. It took me a couple weeks to read this (as opposed to a couple days with the others). I’m not particularly thrilled about a sequel.
I was not as happy with this book as with its predecessors. It was predictable in a lot of ways, and seemed to have a lot of restless, but unnecessary plot devices. Madison actually takes the stone into her, absorbs it, if you will, so now she’s technically Weir, too, because she also has a stone embedded inside of her. She’s the heir to an ancient dragon legacy. I thought the Weir won a bit too easily (Madison certainly scares the wizards off when she takes away the powers of two – Geoffrie Wylie and Jessamine Longbranch) in the end, and the last few pages are a summary of what takes place after the battle. It’s never really clear why two major players – Seph’s parents – don’t focus their efforts on Trinity rather than Raven’s Ghyll, as all the forces massed against them are in Ohio. They’re sorely needed. This wasn’t as tightly written as the previous books and once again we’re left with an ending that foretells yet another installment. I’m worried that it will just rehash these same events and the same, constant, war between the wizards and the other Weir, or infighting among the wizards. I was hoping that Chima would explain more about Madison’s mysterious powers and that someone would think to teach her how to use them – her training would have been much more interesting to me. It seems like once a power or a spell or a magical device is introduced, it’s then used ad nauseum, and the browbeating just makes it less imaginative/inventive somehow. It took me a couple weeks to read this (as opposed to a couple days with the others). I’m not particularly thrilled about a sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2013
3.5 Stars rounded up
The Dragon Heir is much a story about Madison and Jason who played roles in the Wizard Heir. This is the third book in a series that will be five books long. I have read both of Cinda Williams Chima’s series and while I prefer The Seven Realms Series this one is also a solid fantasy series. The characters are full of flaws, making good decisions and bad. Sometimes I think the pacing of the story tends to drag a bit throughout and then all the action ends up being at the end. There was a stint through the middle that seemed to stagnate but the ending was very well thought out with a few interesting reveals about the Dragon lore, Nick and Madison.
“Falling in love was like falling off a cliff. It felt pretty much like flying until you hit the ground.”
Madison is having some issues with power leakage after absorbing all of the Hex magic at the end of book 2. It seems to be making Seph sick, but she is keeping it a secret out of fear and is just avoiding him in hopes it will get better. Hard to be in love with someone you can’t touch for fear of killing him.
“Jason felt humiliated and frustrated. Rejected by a rock.”
Jason is trying to prove himself invaluable to the resistance, he isn’t extremely powerful for a wizard and sometimes becomes childish and temperamental, jealous of Seph. He found the Dragonstone a source of great power but unfortunately he has no idea how to use it. Sent back to trinity he goes on a journey with an unexpected outcome as he and Madison work together and become great friends.
Jack and Ellen are training a warrior army for the battle that is sure to come and Seph is trying to hold all of trinity together in the absence of Linda and Leander. Leasha Middleton even plays a significant role in this installment.
I liked the storyline of this book, the dragon lore is so interesting and the competing bad guys with their deals and double-crosses are staggering. The tension definitely built up to an epic end full of surprises . Unlike the endings of the other books where I saw parts coming the fate of the dragonstone was a definite twist on how I thought it would go.
Not my favorite fantasy series but if you can handle a bit of a lull for a big payoff in the end I think you will really enjoy this book. The worldbuilding is fantastic and I really thought the series could have been finished at the end it seemed very well tied up.
The Dragon Heir is much a story about Madison and Jason who played roles in the Wizard Heir. This is the third book in a series that will be five books long. I have read both of Cinda Williams Chima’s series and while I prefer The Seven Realms Series this one is also a solid fantasy series. The characters are full of flaws, making good decisions and bad. Sometimes I think the pacing of the story tends to drag a bit throughout and then all the action ends up being at the end. There was a stint through the middle that seemed to stagnate but the ending was very well thought out with a few interesting reveals about the Dragon lore, Nick and Madison.
“Falling in love was like falling off a cliff. It felt pretty much like flying until you hit the ground.”
Madison is having some issues with power leakage after absorbing all of the Hex magic at the end of book 2. It seems to be making Seph sick, but she is keeping it a secret out of fear and is just avoiding him in hopes it will get better. Hard to be in love with someone you can’t touch for fear of killing him.
“Jason felt humiliated and frustrated. Rejected by a rock.”
Jason is trying to prove himself invaluable to the resistance, he isn’t extremely powerful for a wizard and sometimes becomes childish and temperamental, jealous of Seph. He found the Dragonstone a source of great power but unfortunately he has no idea how to use it. Sent back to trinity he goes on a journey with an unexpected outcome as he and Madison work together and become great friends.
Jack and Ellen are training a warrior army for the battle that is sure to come and Seph is trying to hold all of trinity together in the absence of Linda and Leander. Leasha Middleton even plays a significant role in this installment.
I liked the storyline of this book, the dragon lore is so interesting and the competing bad guys with their deals and double-crosses are staggering. The tension definitely built up to an epic end full of surprises . Unlike the endings of the other books where I saw parts coming the fate of the dragonstone was a definite twist on how I thought it would go.
Not my favorite fantasy series but if you can handle a bit of a lull for a big payoff in the end I think you will really enjoy this book. The worldbuilding is fantastic and I really thought the series could have been finished at the end it seemed very well tied up.
January 9, 2009
Alright. Here we are. I assume that if you've gotten this far, you've read and enjoyed the previous two. Good for you. We finally have something in common. I feel like I know you already, nameless reader.
The Dragon Heir is the third and final installment of the Heir Trilogy. (For those among you who do not understand the meaning of the word "trilogy" means.) I really have mixed feelings about this one--hence the four-star rating.
The book starts strong, and moves along nicely, weaving together seemingly unrelated characters and adding complex back story to a few. It's exactly what we've grown to love in the previous novels. In fact, Chima does a fantastic job of tying up the myriad loose ends, uniting all of the plot threads, and generally assembling a tidy and thrilling wrap-up. And maybe she had too many things to put together, or she ran up on her deadline, or maybe she just ran out of steam. Whatever the case, the last seventy-five pages or so seem lackluster, rushed. An entire magical war, heralded to greatly in the leadup to the showdown, is crammed into about two short chapters. A stupendous climax seems to be hurried through. I felt robbed. I knew there was more than that. Come on! Some crucial characters are simply dropped along the way, leaving a sensation that the pivotal people were absent.
All in all, The Dragon Heir remains a great book. You should still rush out and get it. It just doesn't quite live up to the first two novels' level. And maybe that's me, expecting too much.
On the bright side, however, Chima has announced the first book of another fantasy trilogy to be ready, coming this October!
The Dragon Heir is the third and final installment of the Heir Trilogy. (For those among you who do not understand the meaning of the word "trilogy" means.) I really have mixed feelings about this one--hence the four-star rating.
The book starts strong, and moves along nicely, weaving together seemingly unrelated characters and adding complex back story to a few. It's exactly what we've grown to love in the previous novels. In fact, Chima does a fantastic job of tying up the myriad loose ends, uniting all of the plot threads, and generally assembling a tidy and thrilling wrap-up. And maybe she had too many things to put together, or she ran up on her deadline, or maybe she just ran out of steam. Whatever the case, the last seventy-five pages or so seem lackluster, rushed. An entire magical war, heralded to greatly in the leadup to the showdown, is crammed into about two short chapters. A stupendous climax seems to be hurried through. I felt robbed. I knew there was more than that. Come on! Some crucial characters are simply dropped along the way, leaving a sensation that the pivotal people were absent.
All in all, The Dragon Heir remains a great book. You should still rush out and get it. It just doesn't quite live up to the first two novels' level. And maybe that's me, expecting too much.
On the bright side, however, Chima has announced the first book of another fantasy trilogy to be ready, coming this October!
February 4, 2016
*3.25
Alright heres the thing....The first half of this story was not the best...it was very slow and the main POVs were very annoying and whiny. At the end of Wizard Heir, my favorite character in this whole series was Jason. In this book he turns into this whiny, attention seeking ass. He did improve but it took him a majority of the book and he still never compared to the Jason in the previous book. Also, Madison was just generally annoying idk why honestly. SEPH was the shining light in this story... he becomes so powerful and just he's EPIC. Seth has taken the place as my fav in the series bc he's just awesome.
NOW THE ENDING.... This book had to deal with ALOT. Its the "conclusion" to this trilogy and it had to explain and wrap up soooooo many things. Too many things IMO. It was just impossible. The ending doesn't deal with half the problems it should have (mostly with how the characters recover from this whole war thing). I was reading the last few pages and the story just stops and its like "And they all frolicked off into a meadow" NO!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE CHARCTERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH? NO MEADOW FROLICKING! YOU'RE NOT CLOSE TO BEING DONE.
Ughhh...
Of course this book wasn't terrible. I love magic. So this was cool. Just not what I was expecting. I was excited to start this and I was mostly let down... except for Seph.. bc once again Seph is amazing.. ;) I will still continue on with the series as well!
Alright heres the thing....The first half of this story was not the best...it was very slow and the main POVs were very annoying and whiny. At the end of Wizard Heir, my favorite character in this whole series was Jason. In this book he turns into this whiny, attention seeking ass. He did improve but it took him a majority of the book and he still never compared to the Jason in the previous book. Also, Madison was just generally annoying idk why honestly. SEPH was the shining light in this story... he becomes so powerful and just he's EPIC. Seth has taken the place as my fav in the series bc he's just awesome.
NOW THE ENDING.... This book had to deal with ALOT. Its the "conclusion" to this trilogy and it had to explain and wrap up soooooo many things. Too many things IMO. It was just impossible. The ending doesn't deal with half the problems it should have (mostly with how the characters recover from this whole war thing). I was reading the last few pages and the story just stops and its like "And they all frolicked off into a meadow" NO!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE CHARCTERS HAVE BEEN THROUGH? NO MEADOW FROLICKING! YOU'RE NOT CLOSE TO BEING DONE.
Ughhh...
Of course this book wasn't terrible. I love magic. So this was cool. Just not what I was expecting. I was excited to start this and I was mostly let down... except for Seph.. bc once again Seph is amazing.. ;) I will still continue on with the series as well!
July 26, 2008
I waited quite a while for this one. I loved how the reader gets to see the story from every main character's pov. CWC really knows how to keep the action moving.
The only thing that didn't quite meet my expectations was the conclusion. It was a little cliche, and I was disappointed that Madison gained all that power (though it worked). I couldn't really tell if she'd become a wizard or something different entirely, but I thought being an elicitor was plenty without piling on MORE abilities (aside from the neat way she, AHEM, steals another's weirstone power).
The only thing that didn't quite meet my expectations was the conclusion. It was a little cliche, and I was disappointed that Madison gained all that power (though it worked). I couldn't really tell if she'd become a wizard or something different entirely, but I thought being an elicitor was plenty without piling on MORE abilities (aside from the neat way she, AHEM, steals another's weirstone power).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2016
This one was not my favorite. the escalation was a bit much.
September 8, 2025
Another fine addition to this series. I would have liked it to be a bit less lengthy as I had to take many “breaks” when the story got overwrought and tedious. That said, it is a convoluted and intense tale of wizardry gone wrong, where power becomes the only currency and morals are abandoned completely.
Fortunately there are a few true souls who still believe in doing the right thing even if it doesn’t bring them fame and riches. Seph is back and growing into the legacy of his birthright. Madison has run from the power of the dragonstone, a weapon that can bring wizardry to its knees and that she alone can wield. She mistakenly believes that she can hide from the war that’s brewing by hiding alongside her two young siblings in her mountain home, but an evil wizard who craves domination above all else has other plans.
Soon it’s up to Maddie, Seph, the other wizards in Trinity, and the powerful warriors Jack and Ellen to face off against the combined forces of the wizard guilds in the ultimate battle for control. The final showdown is epic and is worth everything that led up to it.
This was meant to be the end of a trilogy but two additional books have been added to the mix. I guess I’m not quite done yet.
Fortunately there are a few true souls who still believe in doing the right thing even if it doesn’t bring them fame and riches. Seph is back and growing into the legacy of his birthright. Madison has run from the power of the dragonstone, a weapon that can bring wizardry to its knees and that she alone can wield. She mistakenly believes that she can hide from the war that’s brewing by hiding alongside her two young siblings in her mountain home, but an evil wizard who craves domination above all else has other plans.
Soon it’s up to Maddie, Seph, the other wizards in Trinity, and the powerful warriors Jack and Ellen to face off against the combined forces of the wizard guilds in the ultimate battle for control. The final showdown is epic and is worth everything that led up to it.
This was meant to be the end of a trilogy but two additional books have been added to the mix. I guess I’m not quite done yet.
October 31, 2022
3.5 Stars
I would like to formally announce that Seph McCauley is my son! I have decided to adopt him since someone needs to protect him (and his parents aren't doing too good of a job of it).
In other news, I thought this was an underwhelming finale. It’s definitely the weakest book of the trilogy technically it's not a trilogy, but the other books follow different characters; therefore, it's a trilogy to me , which is a shame, since I had high hopes for it. Overall, I still am glad I read this series, even if it took me 3 years.
I would like to formally announce that Seph McCauley is my son! I have decided to adopt him since someone needs to protect him (and his parents aren't doing too good of a job of it).
In other news, I thought this was an underwhelming finale. It’s definitely the weakest book of the trilogy
May 29, 2021
Serinin ilk iki kitabını daha çok sevmiştim; daha heyecanlı ve aksiyon doluydu. Birde tabi ilk iki kitabı art arda okumamın etkisi de var bunda.
Varis üçlemesinin son kitabında; Trinity artık savunmadan çıkıp saldırıya hazırlanmaya başlıyor. Özel kişiler için korunaklı bir yer olan Trinity, bu sefer saldırıya açık bir durumda.
Seph, Jack, Ellen, Anaweir olan arkadaşları, Jason, Maddison…
Trinity halkı bu sefer birlik olmak zorunda..
Kitabı okurken azıcık sıkıldım. İlk iki kitabı daha akıcıydı.
Varis üçlemesinin son kitabında; Trinity artık savunmadan çıkıp saldırıya hazırlanmaya başlıyor. Özel kişiler için korunaklı bir yer olan Trinity, bu sefer saldırıya açık bir durumda.
Seph, Jack, Ellen, Anaweir olan arkadaşları, Jason, Maddison…
Trinity halkı bu sefer birlik olmak zorunda..
Kitabı okurken azıcık sıkıldım. İlk iki kitabı daha akıcıydı.
February 7, 2017
Overall great writing. The story was entertaining but throughout I never really connected with the protagonists and the characters was curious about were overlooked and/or
I see there are two more books in the series but right now - still on the read what you have drive - I won't be continuing with this.
I see there are two more books in the series but right now - still on the read what you have drive - I won't be continuing with this.
February 8, 2024
3,5/5 niestety trochę słabsza niż pierwsze dwa tomy...
November 12, 2008
A huge disappointment. Writing was choppy and jumped all over the place. Spent too much time writing about stuff that would end up being insignificant later and not enough time building up other stuff that turned out to be really important. Thank goodness I only got this from the library instead of buying it. Because this one sucked so bad I may not buy the first two (which were pretty good). It was that bad.
Specific things that bothered me:
Devereaux D'Orsay being killed. This is a 14-year-old CHILD. True, he is the son of the main baddie and the author definitely shows him as taking after his dad in some ways. However, it is clearly the influence of his father that has made him that way and HE IS A CHILD. Then, of all people, it's Jack (Mr. I-was-never-supposed-to-be-a-warrior-I-don't-want-to-kill-anybody)who kills him. And what kind of agonies does this cause Jack? To have killed a child with his own hands even though he was avenging his love?? NONE! There's no regret, no retrospective "OMG! I just killed a kid!" Apparently it doesn't cause Jack even a wink of lost sleep. Yet, just before this scene the author spends a couple of pages on the "death" scene of one of Jack's ghost friends that has Jack all teary-eyed. THE GHOST IS ALREADY DEAD!! As readers, we are supposed to have more empathy for this ghost character "dying" than for a 14-year-old boy who is the son of the bad guy?? Bottom line, if you are going to kill a child in your story, you ought to have a darn good reason/ have provided an overwhelming amount of background and justification. I think this is especially true when you consider that this is a young adult novel, so Devereaux is in the same age group as the majority of this book's demographic. Devereaux deserved his shot at redemption once he was outside of the influence of his father.
I mean, good grief, she even tries to redeem Leesha-- yes THAT Leesha. You know, the I'm-in-to-HUMAN-TRAFFICKING-and-will-backstab-anybody Leesha. And what's the reason the author gives for what's made Leesha the way she is and why she deserves forgiveness?? "Oh, boo hoo! My parents were always out of town and never loved me!! Woe is me!" How compelling! By the end of the book I was even OK with her redeeming Leesha's character (I think I just didn't care anymore) if for no other reason than that Jason loved her (although I didn't care for that pairing). So, even though I still don't like Leesha, at least she's changed a little bit and she and Jason will be happy together, right? RIGHT?? Wrong! Jason gets killed! The ONLY satisfaction Jason gets in the entire story is his revenge on D'Orsay, and it kills him! Stupid!! If the author was going to kill one of those two, she definitely should have killed Leesha.
The other thing that bothered me the most (believe it or not, I am only writing about the things that bothered me MOST. There were several other things I found annoying, inconsistent, or just poorly written) was Seph's use of that wizard-enhancing drug (sorry, I can't think of the name... weir-something). The author goes out of her way to point out how dangerous this drug is (multiple characters confront Seph about it; descriptions of the physical trauma it's causing him (he's raging with fever), etc etc.) even going so far as to mention how wizards can soon become addicted to this drug and it drives them insane. Seph promises that he'll only use the drug if he absolutely needs to, but he has so much responsibility that by the end of the book he's chugging it left and right, talking about how he feels horrible, but after he has a sip he feels fine. Sounds like he's addicted to me. So there's at least going to be some serious consequences later on, right? RIGHT?? Wrong! After the big ending battle I don't remember it being mentioned again. I thought at the very least Madison would have to heal him with her new dragon powers (which may have been overly convenient, but at least would have addressed the issue), but no. He's just completely fine. No side-effects, no consequences. I think that sets a disturbing precedent, again, especially considering the demographic of this book.
Specific things that bothered me:
Devereaux D'Orsay being killed. This is a 14-year-old CHILD. True, he is the son of the main baddie and the author definitely shows him as taking after his dad in some ways. However, it is clearly the influence of his father that has made him that way and HE IS A CHILD. Then, of all people, it's Jack (Mr. I-was-never-supposed-to-be-a-warrior-I-don't-want-to-kill-anybody)who kills him. And what kind of agonies does this cause Jack? To have killed a child with his own hands even though he was avenging his love?? NONE! There's no regret, no retrospective "OMG! I just killed a kid!" Apparently it doesn't cause Jack even a wink of lost sleep. Yet, just before this scene the author spends a couple of pages on the "death" scene of one of Jack's ghost friends that has Jack all teary-eyed. THE GHOST IS ALREADY DEAD!! As readers, we are supposed to have more empathy for this ghost character "dying" than for a 14-year-old boy who is the son of the bad guy?? Bottom line, if you are going to kill a child in your story, you ought to have a darn good reason/ have provided an overwhelming amount of background and justification. I think this is especially true when you consider that this is a young adult novel, so Devereaux is in the same age group as the majority of this book's demographic. Devereaux deserved his shot at redemption once he was outside of the influence of his father.
I mean, good grief, she even tries to redeem Leesha-- yes THAT Leesha. You know, the I'm-in-to-HUMAN-TRAFFICKING-and-will-backstab-anybody Leesha. And what's the reason the author gives for what's made Leesha the way she is and why she deserves forgiveness?? "Oh, boo hoo! My parents were always out of town and never loved me!! Woe is me!" How compelling! By the end of the book I was even OK with her redeeming Leesha's character (I think I just didn't care anymore) if for no other reason than that Jason loved her (although I didn't care for that pairing). So, even though I still don't like Leesha, at least she's changed a little bit and she and Jason will be happy together, right? RIGHT?? Wrong! Jason gets killed! The ONLY satisfaction Jason gets in the entire story is his revenge on D'Orsay, and it kills him! Stupid!! If the author was going to kill one of those two, she definitely should have killed Leesha.
The other thing that bothered me the most (believe it or not, I am only writing about the things that bothered me MOST. There were several other things I found annoying, inconsistent, or just poorly written) was Seph's use of that wizard-enhancing drug (sorry, I can't think of the name... weir-something). The author goes out of her way to point out how dangerous this drug is (multiple characters confront Seph about it; descriptions of the physical trauma it's causing him (he's raging with fever), etc etc.) even going so far as to mention how wizards can soon become addicted to this drug and it drives them insane. Seph promises that he'll only use the drug if he absolutely needs to, but he has so much responsibility that by the end of the book he's chugging it left and right, talking about how he feels horrible, but after he has a sip he feels fine. Sounds like he's addicted to me. So there's at least going to be some serious consequences later on, right? RIGHT?? Wrong! After the big ending battle I don't remember it being mentioned again. I thought at the very least Madison would have to heal him with her new dragon powers (which may have been overly convenient, but at least would have addressed the issue), but no. He's just completely fine. No side-effects, no consequences. I think that sets a disturbing precedent, again, especially considering the demographic of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2012
I was very disappointed in this book and the author. Ms. Chima made it feel like she had a very tight deadline that she needed to make and so she didn't spend the time or the effort on this book that she spent on the previous two. I had high hopes for her trilogy but this last book ruined it.
SPOILERS AHEAD....
Firstly, the two main characters were not very lovable this time around. Madison's entire storyline seemed fairly pointless. All of the drama and the tension was set up because Madison was acting like an idiot and for no other reason. She spends far too long with her family back home and I felt like I was waiting for her to return to Trinity the entire time and it wasn't until the last few pages that anything actually happened. Madison's storyline felt like it was there just to increase the length of the story. She was whiney and all it would have taken was a little bit of truthfulness on her part and all her problems would have been fine. Finally, in the end when Madison becomes the Dragon, it's just too easy. There could have been more tension and a better climax but instead she becomes the dragon, turns wizards into normal humans and even cures Seph of his addiction, all in just a few short paragraphs. It was too easy and it felt forced, like the author had run out of ideas and just needed to put something down on the page.
Jason, was another disappointment. He was an annoying character who seemed to always be trying to cause trouble and do whatever he wanted to do. For the first half of the book I couldn't stand him at all. Then, finally he seemed to turn over a new leaf after spending time with Madison and all of a sudden I was interested in Jason again. He was snarky and he was willing to put a lot on the line to do what needed to be done. Jason seemed to finally be an interesting character and then Ms, Chima killed him off. I really couldn't find a reason for his death. It didn't seem to add to the story or to really illustrate the horribleness that is war. Instead it felt like the author didn't know what to do with Jason and so she killed him. I would have liked to see some sort of redemption or really any other option. The death didn't seem to fit and I felt that I had wasted my time reading about the main character Jason only to have him die suddenly, unexpectedly, and purposelessly.
Another major issue was Linda and Leander. Did the author run out of ideas for them? Why would, supposedly loving parents and the leaders of the rebellion leave the last major stronghold for the resistance and then run off to Raven's Ghyll? Did they use the horde to help their friends and family? No. Did they stop the Roses from taking on Trinity by keeping them occupied at Raven's Ghyll? No. Was there any purpose whatsoever? Not that I could see. Linda and Leander disappeared and left children to defend for themselves and when they realized that none of the Roses were attacking them, they didn't think that they should go back to help their friends at all. It felt like the author wanted to kids to shine and so needed some type of excuse to push the parents away. It was poorly done and left me shaking my head.
Seph, was another problem. I thought it was interesting that she made him hooked on Flame. It made sense and it made for some decent tension in the story. However, he is easily cured and nothing ever comes from his addiction. He's healed, it's all over and he lives happily ever after with Madison the most powerful wizard/dragon. Too easy. If the author wanted to delve into the character and the stress and pressure he was under then she shouldn't have solved the issue so easily.
Finally, the last few pages were extremely disappointing. The author's quick wrap up of everything that would happen in the future appeared to be a convenient way for her to avoid telling the story.
The first two books were great. I enjoyed them. The characters were entertaining and the story was suspenseful. This last book did not even feel like it was written by the same author. It was one of the most disappointing series endings that I have yet read. I know that the author is now stating a 4th book will appear but after the disaster that was this book, I don't know if I will continue reading.
SPOILERS AHEAD....
Firstly, the two main characters were not very lovable this time around. Madison's entire storyline seemed fairly pointless. All of the drama and the tension was set up because Madison was acting like an idiot and for no other reason. She spends far too long with her family back home and I felt like I was waiting for her to return to Trinity the entire time and it wasn't until the last few pages that anything actually happened. Madison's storyline felt like it was there just to increase the length of the story. She was whiney and all it would have taken was a little bit of truthfulness on her part and all her problems would have been fine. Finally, in the end when Madison becomes the Dragon, it's just too easy. There could have been more tension and a better climax but instead she becomes the dragon, turns wizards into normal humans and even cures Seph of his addiction, all in just a few short paragraphs. It was too easy and it felt forced, like the author had run out of ideas and just needed to put something down on the page.
Jason, was another disappointment. He was an annoying character who seemed to always be trying to cause trouble and do whatever he wanted to do. For the first half of the book I couldn't stand him at all. Then, finally he seemed to turn over a new leaf after spending time with Madison and all of a sudden I was interested in Jason again. He was snarky and he was willing to put a lot on the line to do what needed to be done. Jason seemed to finally be an interesting character and then Ms, Chima killed him off. I really couldn't find a reason for his death. It didn't seem to add to the story or to really illustrate the horribleness that is war. Instead it felt like the author didn't know what to do with Jason and so she killed him. I would have liked to see some sort of redemption or really any other option. The death didn't seem to fit and I felt that I had wasted my time reading about the main character Jason only to have him die suddenly, unexpectedly, and purposelessly.
Another major issue was Linda and Leander. Did the author run out of ideas for them? Why would, supposedly loving parents and the leaders of the rebellion leave the last major stronghold for the resistance and then run off to Raven's Ghyll? Did they use the horde to help their friends and family? No. Did they stop the Roses from taking on Trinity by keeping them occupied at Raven's Ghyll? No. Was there any purpose whatsoever? Not that I could see. Linda and Leander disappeared and left children to defend for themselves and when they realized that none of the Roses were attacking them, they didn't think that they should go back to help their friends at all. It felt like the author wanted to kids to shine and so needed some type of excuse to push the parents away. It was poorly done and left me shaking my head.
Seph, was another problem. I thought it was interesting that she made him hooked on Flame. It made sense and it made for some decent tension in the story. However, he is easily cured and nothing ever comes from his addiction. He's healed, it's all over and he lives happily ever after with Madison the most powerful wizard/dragon. Too easy. If the author wanted to delve into the character and the stress and pressure he was under then she shouldn't have solved the issue so easily.
Finally, the last few pages were extremely disappointing. The author's quick wrap up of everything that would happen in the future appeared to be a convenient way for her to avoid telling the story.
The first two books were great. I enjoyed them. The characters were entertaining and the story was suspenseful. This last book did not even feel like it was written by the same author. It was one of the most disappointing series endings that I have yet read. I know that the author is now stating a 4th book will appear but after the disaster that was this book, I don't know if I will continue reading.
January 27, 2009
Independent reading project
The Dragon Heir
In The Warrior Heir trilogy written by Cinda Williams China the lives of Jack Swift, Seph McCauley, Madison Moss and Jason Haley are connected through life events that were struck in motion the day Jack realized he was a warrior. The 5 magical guilds were sorcerers, seers, warriors, enchanters and wizards. They were all gifted people who were born with Weirstones, a crystalline source of power that sits behind the heart.
In the beginning of the trilogy Jack is thrown into the magical world where he is forced to train for battle against the girl he loves. The wizard world dominated against the other guilds and made them do their biting. For centuries, power had been allocated between two houses of wizards (the white and red roses), through a series of tournaments. The wizard house that won the tournament won the ruling of the weir-the other magical guilds- until the next tournament was held. The wizards used warriors to fight their tournaments and the day Jack was used for the tournament, the tradition was broken and new rules were created.
In The Dragon Heir the new rules of the magical world needed to be implemented and the task to enforce them seemed to land on Jack, Seph, Jason and Madison. The readers are taken on a wild journey to understand love, independence, freedom and the depths to which someone will go for the person they love. The fight against the wizard oppression towards the non-wizard guilds is put the test as the war begins.
This epic tale will keep readers glued to the book, gripping the pages and turning them with an addiction unknown to most non-book lovers. I recommend this book for all teens that love magic and romance. This story is also good for young adults who enjoy the escape of a great book. Don’t read this book if you don’t have time because once you read it you can’t stop.
You start the trilogy from the first book The Warrior Heir, then The Wizard Heir and finally The Dragon Heir. By the time you reach The Dragon Heir the book is so addicting pealing your eyes off the book becomes a struggle. I recommend this novel because not only will it be rewarding but also introduces you to the world of guilds.
The Dragon Heir
In The Warrior Heir trilogy written by Cinda Williams China the lives of Jack Swift, Seph McCauley, Madison Moss and Jason Haley are connected through life events that were struck in motion the day Jack realized he was a warrior. The 5 magical guilds were sorcerers, seers, warriors, enchanters and wizards. They were all gifted people who were born with Weirstones, a crystalline source of power that sits behind the heart.
In the beginning of the trilogy Jack is thrown into the magical world where he is forced to train for battle against the girl he loves. The wizard world dominated against the other guilds and made them do their biting. For centuries, power had been allocated between two houses of wizards (the white and red roses), through a series of tournaments. The wizard house that won the tournament won the ruling of the weir-the other magical guilds- until the next tournament was held. The wizards used warriors to fight their tournaments and the day Jack was used for the tournament, the tradition was broken and new rules were created.
In The Dragon Heir the new rules of the magical world needed to be implemented and the task to enforce them seemed to land on Jack, Seph, Jason and Madison. The readers are taken on a wild journey to understand love, independence, freedom and the depths to which someone will go for the person they love. The fight against the wizard oppression towards the non-wizard guilds is put the test as the war begins.
This epic tale will keep readers glued to the book, gripping the pages and turning them with an addiction unknown to most non-book lovers. I recommend this book for all teens that love magic and romance. This story is also good for young adults who enjoy the escape of a great book. Don’t read this book if you don’t have time because once you read it you can’t stop.
You start the trilogy from the first book The Warrior Heir, then The Wizard Heir and finally The Dragon Heir. By the time you reach The Dragon Heir the book is so addicting pealing your eyes off the book becomes a struggle. I recommend this novel because not only will it be rewarding but also introduces you to the world of guilds.
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