Audiobook Review: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Narrator: Elizabeth Evans

Audiobook Length: 12 hours 43 minutes

Celaena 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. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

Heir of Fire is the third novel in the Throne of Glass series. Each book keeps getting better and better and it felt that this is the novel where the series will really take off as a lot happens even though the pacing is a little slower. After the events of the previous story assassin Celaena Sardothien has left Adarlan and gone to Wendlyn on a mission to assassinate the king and Prince Galan Ashryver due to Chaol. She ends up not going through with it and instead is taken away by Prince Rowan Whithorn, a fae to Doranelle, a fae kingdom ruled by Queen Maeve. Along the way, they stop in Mistward where she must first prove herself to be allowed in Doranelle. The Celaena in this installment is a lot different than the one introduced in the first two novels where she is now more broken than before. She is dealing with the recent grief of Nehemia’s death and trying to figure out if there was a way she could have been saved.

In Celaena’s side of the story, she trains with Rowan in hopes to gain access to Doranelle. Throughout the novel, more details about Erilea and what happened to Celaena ten years ago are revealed. As she spends time with Rowan, readers get to learn more about his character where I can see why he is either loved or hated. Many readers love him and found him to be their favorite character while others did not like him as much. For me, I liked him, but I would not call him a favorite. I greatly enjoyed his growing relationship with Celaena and the friendship they formed. Celaena got to reveal more of her past and it was nice that Rowan was receptive to learning more about it. I liked that the two characters became closer without immediately jumping into a romance. While I love romances in stories, it felt refreshing to have the focus on their connection more than just “throwing” them together as a couple. Eventually, I could see maybe something forming more between them, but, for now, I loved the focus on their bond.

Back in Rifthold, readers catch up with Prince Dorian Halliard and Captain Chaol Westfold where the once best friends are drifting apart after events from the previous novel. While I can see why their stories had to separate, I hope that somehow, they come back together again as I greatly enjoyed the friendship between them in the other novels. The two of them have their own journeys in this novel which take them on different paths. With Celaena on one journey, Chaol on another, and Dorian on a different one, it is interesting how a story that began with the three of them teamed up together has now become one where they are all separated with their own missions. Dorian’s story deals with him trying to move on from Celaena, even though he is not fully ready, but still wants to be there for her as a friend. He meets healer, Sorscha, who had an infatuation with Dorian. As Dorian has magic, which he must keep hidden, Sorscha ends up helping him hide it which lead them to form a relationship with each other. This connection was sweet, but a little rushed for me. Unfortunately, nothing ever comes easy for Dorian as his journey continues to be filled with a lot of heartache and betrayals. Based off his ending in this story, I hope things begin to somehow work out for him.

This story introduces Celaena’s cousin and childhood best friend, warrior Aeidion Ashryver. His character has been through a lot in the last ten years and he was an intriguing new character to the series. He is fiercely determined to take down the King of Adarlan and return Aelin Ashryver Galathynius to the throne even though he is currently acting as a general in the King’s army.  As Chaol knows the truth about Aelin, he ends up revealing to Aeidion that Aelin is alive and the two of them end up forming an alliance. Another new addition is Manon Blackbeak, heir of the Blackbeak coven of the Ironteeth witches and leader of the Thirteen. The King of Adarlan wishes to expand his army in the form of witches, which play into his larger scheme of things. There is a lot that comes about with the King and I enjoyed that the readers get to learn more about his plans.

Overall, I loved how well this story set up the next story. There are some more deaths, there are more betrayals, and there is a lot of potential for many more events. The more this series goes on, the more I realize that it is very difficult to organize all my thoughts as the plot and characters keep expanding. I enjoy the direction that the series is going as it started as a fairly standard love triangle surrounding a stronger female lead. The novels have built up nicely on each other and I also enjoy how many of the novellas have begun to tie in and look forward to seeing how the rest fit in. The ending of this story is the most intense, so far, and I really cannot wait to get my hands on the fourth novel, Queen of Shadows!