After reading the first book in the Throne of Glass series, I became absolutely hooked! Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas is my new favorite book in the series.

TRIGGER WARNING: substance use, murder, gore, slavery

Warning: I promise not to reveal any spoilers for THIS BOOK, but if you haven’t read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, you’ll definitely want to skip this review until you have. Spoilers for earlier books in the series will be revealed.

She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak — but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth … a truth about her heritage that could change her life — and her future — forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength not only to fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

The king’s assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before.

This story took place in Wendlyn, a new setting for this series. A setting where magic hasn’t been eradicated, and the Fae have a kingdom. A kingdom ruled by Queen Maeve. The weather, scenery, customs, holidays, and rituals are completely different, and the scope of the world building in this series is absolutely incredible. The descriptions are vivid and beautiful.

In addition, the story ranges to other parts of Erilea, including Adarlan and the mysterious Ferian Gap.

There’s a range of characters involved in the telling of this story, and many of them are new. The perspective shifts between characters in different locations, but it never shifted in the middle of a chapter. Also, since first-person narration wasn’t involved, it was always clear who the chapter was following.

Celaena undergoes a huge transformation in this book, and the revelation of her heritage is just a small part of it. She deals with demons she hasn’t faced in the 10 years since Terrasen was taken over by Adarlan. Trauma in her past is revisited through flashbacks, which answered some questions I had, but explained the emotional distance that she works so hard to maintain.

Aedion is Celaena’s cousin, who we haven’t seen before. He works with the King of Adarlan in this story, and has no shortage of enemies. Apparently arrogance, snark, and swagger is part of the family genetic code. He’s the bad boy I couldn’t help but love.

Rowan is a brand new character that is introduced early on, and he’s such an interesting character. Initially, he wasn’t very likable, but he definitely grew on me as I read through the book further. He plays a huge role in this story, and in Celaena’s evolution.

Manon Blackbeak is another character that I probably shouldn’t have loved, but I did anyway. She’s an Ironteeth witch, and as I read her chapters, I loved her more and more. Like so many of the women in these books, she’s intelligent, fearless, and highly skilled at what she does (much of which involves killing or striking fear in the hearts of others). Even so, she wasn’t what I thought she’d be.

This is the kind of book that makes me feel excited to see where it goes from here. I was consistently blown away by the scope and enormity of the story, especially when I enjoyed the first one, but wasn’t sure whether I’d fall in love with the series.

The plot has broadened immensely, and went from fairly interesting to the kind of book I couldn’t put down. The story itself was unpredictable. It always felt like there was a huge plan at work, and we were only seeing bits and pieces. Each time I’ve finished a Throne of Glass book, I’m left wanting to start the next one … immediately. Which is no joke, because some of these are pretty big books. And even still, it never feels like it’s enough.

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 21