Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray Series: Storm Weaver #1
on June 3, 2025
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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RED QUEEN meets SHADOW AND BONE in this explosive start to a YA romantasy trilogy about dangerous magic, forbidden love, and a cut-throat competition for the throne in an empire where crowns are not inherited -- they're won.
The very day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire, Blaze's birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. She's been hidden away ever since with a dark secret: the same torrential power that branded her an outcast disappeared that fateful day. And sheโs not sure she wants it back.
When an unexpected invitation arrives for Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, to compete as future rulers of the empire, sheโs suddenly thrust into the limelight again -- and into battle. Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.
As Blaze explores her untapped power, she discovers the throne may be within her grasp. But in order to take it, sheโll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her, and find the courage to write her own.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Why did I read?
This YA fantasy touts a magical competition, elemental magic and compares it to Shadow and Bone — of course I was so there.
My thoughts:
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t quite the winner I wanted it to be.
I’m not sure if I disliked this more because I was also reading ANOTHER YA book where there was a competition and two princes and this was the inferior of the two… But there were times I thought I wanted to dnf this. I think the whole book felt very… Formulaic and predictable. I also thought the MC Blaze was a little dense. There were many incidences where I was like surely she’s put two and two together? No? Oh, okay.
There also seemed to be a lot of telling instead of showing and periods of what felt like info dumping especially in the beginning. However, there were aspects of the story and world that WERE interesting. I like the set up of the magic and their way of ranking power and rule. But even with the exciting ending (which is the only reason it’s above a 3 star), I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel. Sometimes I can still be convinced to continue a sub-par first book in a series if there’s enough of a hook for the plot or enough of a draw with a character that I’m invested in, but unfortunately, just not the case for me with this one.
In Short…
There were a few glimpses of a captivating fantasy story but they were too few, and many of them didn’t happen until I slogged through a slow and formulaic first half. If you are a big fan of elemental magic, you may have better luck with this than I did.
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