The Heir Series

My brother recommended these books to me, so I suppose that he should really be the one to write the review. He doesn’t feel all that confident in his writing (yet), so you’ll have to put up with my version, yet again.

As far as fantasy for young adults goes, these books are some of the best I’ve read in a while. The stories are set in modern times, but with the twist that there are magical guilds living among us of which the Anaweir (those of us without any powers) are completely unaware. Each book focuses on a separate main character, with their stories interweaving without any kind of backtracking in the storyline, meaning that each novel furthers the chronology rather than rehashing things. I thought it was pretty creative, though you do tend to miss the previous characters that you had connected with. (They are still there, but not as well developed, becoming a little two-dimensional.)

While some may take issue with the use of magic in the story, I think it is done perfectly here. (Remember, though, that I usually don’t have issues with fictional magic and believe that it is a natural outgrowth of a healthy imagination, so those of you dead set against magic in any form will want to take my assessment with a grain of salt or reevaluate why you believe magic, and maybe even imagination, is inherently evil.) Ultimately, in each novel, the abilities of the characters and the guilds are seen as something that should be used for good. The message seems to be the age old adage that power corrupts, and that without the fear of something greater and more powerful than ourselves, human beings tend to get out of line.

While the novels are not overtly Christian, the themes tie in very nicely with our faith. Each character struggles to find purpose in life while dealing with difficult situations. They often seek guidance from those older and wiser than themselves. They value life and eschew violence except in self-defense.

I really enjoyed all three books, but I did have a few very slight issues with the writing itself. The only problem I had with the first book, The Warrior Heir, was that it was a little predictable (though, my brother disagrees with me completely, for what it’s worth). A good deal of the climax of the story was obvious to me a short ways into the novel. As I mentioned before, I also have a difficult time adjusting to the changing character focus–I missed Jack, and was not at all happy when the third book begins with a focus on Jason, who was a character that I wasn’t particularly fond of in the second book.

My only other issue was with the third book and is a problem that I’ve noticed with other young adult novels. The exposition and rising action seem to take FOREVER, even starting to drag a bit in places, but by the time you get to the climax, it is starting to feel like details are just getting glossed over. There are some pretty significant events in the climax that really do not get the emotional impact that they should because the pacing is off. Then the resolution just sort of zips by as if being told by a mother impatient to get through story time so that her child will finally go to sleep. I suspect that Chima was nearing the page limit set by her publisher and was eager to tie up all the loose ends quickly.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading all three books. Chima tells a wonderfully creative and imaginative tale that definitely kept me reading and has me hoping for more. Plus, for those who are interested in this sort of thing, there is a rather subtle allusion to Hamlet in chapter two of The Dragon Heir.

June 3, 2010 Posted in: fantasy, fiction, Young Adult