Okay technically I did receive this as an arc so thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for it HOWEVER, I did not read it until I received it in a subscription box so....there's that by 4.5/5 stars.

I CONSUMED this fantasy book. The love triangle-ish thing was meh, but I absolutely love love love Blaze's story and how she has to live under consequences of something she did which only makes life worse for her UNTIL she finds out how to excel and use her powers for good. I really liked the different magic elements in this, and there's enough political intrigue to set up the next book in the series. It was kind of a slow start, but then I was consumed and turning pages SO quickly.

I really enjoyed this book! I was swept away on a wild ride, right from the beginning.
The FMC is an outcast, forced to hide away for a storm she conjured at her birth. She’s a water wielded in. family line of fire wielders. Even with no magic to speak of, since it appears to have left her, she is seen as a pariah by all and never left her room… until the gods decided it was time for a change in power. Blaze is chosen by the gods to compete for a crown in a set of difficult trials. She has quite a lot to overcome since she hasn’t been to use her powers since she was born, and therefore has never trained. Her character growth, from naïveté to pure fierceness, was something worth cheering for.
I enjoyed the world building, which painted a clear picture of the power dynamics and how succession of power proceeds. The trials were entertaining and the training period provided the reader with some great character building. The magic system is what stood out the most to me; it was unique and fascinating. The love triangle was well done, as I enjoyed both love interests and saw the merits of each - but it’s actually more complicated. All of the side characters contributed a good mix of warmth and coldness as well.
I recommend this book to readers that enjoy reading books with trials, cool magic systems, and a lead character that fights hard to defeat the odds.
Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Group (via the Fierce Reads Team) and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely and are honest and my own.

thanks to netgalley and author/publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

✨✨✨✨ - 4.4 rounded to 4

𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵:
💣 violence: 6.5/10 (dueling, killing, graphic fight scenes, hit in the face by fireball, lots of gore)
🌶️ spice: 2/10 (kissing, nothing else I remember…?)
🤬 language: 5/10 (b**ch [used in a nickname], gods d*mned, p*ss, freak, wh*re)
➕ other content: 5/10 (grief, death of parent, <i>details</i> about injuries, derogatory name(s) for a group of people)
👩🏼 age rating: 14+

𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼:
↠ enemies-to-lovers
↠ trials
↠ competing for throne(s)
↠ love triangle (w/ two half-brothers)
↠ elemental powers
↠ found family
↠ romantasy

**spoilers ahead!!**


𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼:

blaze:
↠ she’s lwk relatable since she was trapped for 17 years in one place and I feel her 😭
↠ she was giving paedyn from powerless by telling her serf (slave) to call her blaze and not miss (but also I love that since they shouldn’t be treated as less <33)
↠ “’but I’m tired.’ ‘tough.’ ‘and I wanted to read my book.’” REALLL 😄
↠ she is kinda dumb tho like it was obvious some of the stuff was from one of the brothers, most likely fox, like read the signs babe

hal:
↠ bro what is his name, like ewww 😖
↠ guys, he smells like citrus/wood/earth, just like every other male 💀
↠ he’s legit so nice tho like how he treated blaze’s serf (lwk forgot her name oops) and how he didn’t want what happened to his mother to happen to her <33
↠ I thought I liked him, but then it turns out he used her to get into her rooms to be with his love

fox:
↠ he was kinda creepy like the things he was doing? *shudder* “where others look, I see… I see all of you.” 👀
↠ mr. tall dark and mysterious in the flesh tho 🤭
↠ I want him to give me gifts <33 😍


other people 😜:
↠ PREACH RIVER!! “…and we will embrace it, with open minds and closed mouths.” PERIODDD 🫡🙂‍↕️
↠ I totally called who the old man in the library was, like I won’t lie it was lwk obvious and idk how blaze didn’t realize, but main characters can be stupid ykkk? 😄
↠ brooo the cliffhanger with the old man at the end of chapter 47?? would’ve been a great ending to the book, esp since it’s a series so take the hint for the next book lauryn! 🤪
↠ also loved her grandma, like what a cutie 🩷 plus she’s like so strong mentally and physically strong like yes babe 💪


𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
↠ okay her writing?! its BEAUTIFUL 🤌✨ like the descriptions?! omgoodness I can picture what’s going on! I usually hate reading long descriptive paragraphs, but I will read these 🤭
↠ wait, so I’m still confused on what Eyes are like what do they do and what’s so special abt them? why were they separated from people who have the same ability as them??
↠ the water portals and the things you can do with them were giving kotlc with sophie and her teleporting
↠ okk so I usually don’t like reading abt like politics in books, but this one? I was so willing to read it bc it wasn’t like paragraphs long 😰 instead you got the info you need at the time and nothing extra 😊

𝓮𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:
**the copy I received was not finalized but these were some of the mistakes I caught**
↠ missing punctuation
↠ nothing else that I remember!

𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷:
this was a really good book! I loved how it was written and the pacing was great ✨😜 I would def rec this to anyone who enjoys romantasy with elemental powers, since the whole book is def based on the political system and how they choose the next person in power, but it was INTERESTING 🤗 add this to your tbr fs 💐



thanks for reading my review! 🫶🏼💜

3.5 stars

Thank you Macmillan, Roaring Brook Press, Lauryn Hamilton Murray and Netgalley for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I will start this review by admitting that I'm not the intended audience for this novel, since I've aged out of the YA genre quite some time ago. However, as someone who has read a ton of YA, I still think that I can add something valuable to the discussion of this book. Now, that we've got that disclaimer out of the way, let me try and sort out all my thoughts on this very long book.

This book felt very middle of the road. It didn't really blew me away in any point but it also never failed to entertain me. The writing was straightforward with some purpley turns of phrase sprinkled here and there; sufficient to credit this author with the 'good writing' badge. There was always something happening in the book and I cannot say it lacked action--yet, it felt repetitive and familiar all the same. Maybe I'm fatigued by the dark, broody love interest, as it has been a staple in YA fantasy ever since I can remember reading YA fantasy. Or maybe the plot followed too closely the usual narrative structure for books with trials in them.

Let us start with the characters. Our main character, Blaze, fits the archetype of young, naive protagonist who is discovering her magic. The twist is that everyone sees her as a curse because she created a flood as a baby-big whoop--therefore, we can add insecure and bullied to the mix too. All in all, we've read her before, but I still appreciated her journey towards acceptance and liked the inner healing she ended up accomplishing.

We get two love interests, the blonde prince and the brunette bastard. You can take a guess at who *actually* is the love interest. I'll give you 5 seconds. Yeah, you got it right? Well, let us just say his broody, inexplicable behavior made him feel like a 2-dimensional character. I think the author will improve him in the next instalment but it was hard to root for him when we get so little personality from his end. We know the archetype though so we can picture exactly why he's got the bipolarity between kind to the FMC and awful to everyone else nailed down.

As a consequence of my distaste for the broody MMC, the romance sort of fell flat for me. I think the author developed a good romantic pacing and I could see how she was trying to elevate the chemistry between those two, but for it to work, we need to see a lot more vulnerability from our MMC, which I hope she'll work on in the next instalment.

Now, the plot was fine. Action-packed, a lot of mysterious things happening, and a secret that could change our main character's worldview. Again, we've seen this before, but I think that the author did a decent enough job at keeping it entertaining. The trials were not very fun in my opinion, but I appreciated the intricacies of court life, the unveiling of a complex web of lies and the big reveal at the end. I do enjoy political coups, and I didn't think the political worldbuilding was complete madness which tends to happen in YA fantasy. All in all, the worldbuilding is good even if we don't get to see too much of it yet (book 2 will probably explore a lot more), and the plot points accomplished what they had to to keep me engaged.

What I hope the author focuses on in Book 2 is deepening the characters. I feel like that would have made a great difference in my appreciation for this book, and hope that with all that has been established in this volume, she can now focus on her character work. I am still on the fence on whether I will pick book 2 or not for now.

Overall, this was a well developed YA fantasy book that set up pretty well for the second instalment. Would recommend to those looking for YA books that are well paced despite the larger page count, and who just crave the classic sort of soft female main character who needs to believe in herself and accept who she is.

Ok... WOW... I am obsessed with ⚡🌊 Heir of Storms 🌪️✨ Also, how is it possible this is a debut novel? It is incredibly well written

This book completely swept me away like a raging storm. From the very first page, I knew I was in for a fast-paced, twisty ride filled with elemental magic, shocking reveals, and a heroine I couldn’t stop rooting for.

At its heart, Heir of Storms is a Chosen One story—but Lauryn Hamilton Murray gives us a fresh, unique twist. Our FMC starts off seemingly powerless, but her journey through trials and impossible choices proves she’s anything but. Her growth is layered with grief, sadness, feminine rage, and just the right amount of morally gray decisions that kept me on my toes. ⚡

What stood out most for me:
🌪️ The world building + magic system—so immersive and unlike anything I’ve read before.
💔 The portrayal of grief and loss—raw, real, and gut-wrenching.
❤️ The love triangle—SO well done, it had me torn in the best way.
👨‍👩‍👧 The family-first storyline that grounded all the magic and danger. I loved the relationship between the siblings
⚔️ The shocking, twisty reveals—every time I thought I knew what was coming, Murray hit me with another jaw-dropper.

And the quotes—I can’t stop thinking about these lines:
✨ “Where others look, I see. And I see you, Storm Weaver. I see all of you.”
✨ “I love when you say we.”
😭💖 They absolutely wrecked me.

The ending left me screaming because—WOW—so many unexpected things happened, and the way it all came together was just brilliant. I closed the book with about a million questions swirling in my head, and I cannot wait for the next book.

⚡🌊 If you love chosen one stories, elemental magic, trials, family bonds, a love triangle that makes your heart ache, and shocking twists that leave you gasping—this book needs to be at the top of your TBR.

I’m ready to dive back into the storm when book two arrives. 🌪️✨

Thank you, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Lauryn Hamilton Murray, and Netgalley, for this incredible ARC

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I love a good love triangle, and Heir of Storms does not disappoint. Lauryn Hamilton Murray has not disappointed, and I highly recommend this read!

This book reminded me a lot of 2010s YA fantasy, complete with chosen ones, a half-hearted loved triangle, and girls hating other girls for seemingly no reason. I generally enjoyed the book while I was actively reading it, but it fell apart for me as soon as I finished and spent some time thinking about it.

This book has quite a few… problematic… elements, for lack of a better words. There are some ableist comments that are never really addressed, along with your good ol’ fashioned slut shaming. Several of the girls seem to hate each other (including calling one girl a bitch with no real reason to have started introducing her that way) for petty jealousy reasons and nothing else. But the worst is the surface-level and troubling elements of the slavery. The enslaved people being somewhat indigenous coded and considered savage. There’s a decent amount of white saviorism vibes to it too. A lot of this is very surface level and isn’t particularly well handled, although I wonder if it may be better addressed in the next book.

I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be thinking with the romance. It’s a little bit of a love triangle, but also mostly not. There isn’t much to root for in either relationship. We see Fox being abusive and he literally enslave people, but… we’re supposed to like the idea of them getting together? And the prince just seems so enamored with her for no reason at all (even before we find out why) that it never feels like something worth getting excited about. The only real thing we get from either guy is “bad boy trope” and “prince charming trope.”

I was a little frustrated too about Blaze and Fox. You’d think she’d feel some kind of connection to him considering she’s labeled as a murderer for when her powers went out of control. I’d expect her to have some more curiosity or interest in him, or him to express more connection to her because of that. But all of that is mostly ignored. I guess the reader was just supposed to assume that was why he was interested in her, but we’re never told that on the page. Are we supposed to just like him because he gave Blaze a kitten even though he’s genuinely awful to everyone all the time and, again, someone who enslaves people?

Then… the trials. We’re deciding who should be the ruler based on… who can solve riddles and handle insults? I’m not convinced this is really the great system designed by the gods to get the best rulers. We obviously don’t always have the best rulers, but I expected a little more from the trials for something with such high stakes. I’d also expect more lead up to each trial instead of them being randomly dumped in somewhere between Blaze wandering around thinking about boys or whatever.

And finally… the names. Why. Why are we all named after fire or water or whatever. You CANNOT tell me that everybody in the whole kingdom is having the same variations of aquatic or earthly or whatever name. Please.

Again, I had a decently fun time while I was actually reading it. I’ll be interested in the sequel because the ending intrigued me. However, the next book has a lot to make up for in characterization, romance, worldbuilding, and addressing those problematic elements. This book had a lot of potential and I think the sequel could possibly make up for this one’s flaws. I hope?

Thanks to netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.
Yeah, since I am a little late with this review I listened to the audiobook.
This review is solely based on the main character, let me tell you, that I don't think I have read a book that depressed me so much as this book did. The main character, was so miserable all the time, feeling so sorry for herself, she was so negative, always whining for what happened when she was born when wasn't even her fault. Sounded like she was about to cry any moment. I did not enjoy it at all, I don't like sad characters, she also had no personality. I listened for 5 hours and 27 minutes, but I could not take feeling all this negativity from Blaze.

Blaze is born into a powerful family - the most powerful, flame-wielding family in the realm. But when her power manifests it is something more than power; it is completely devastating. She is the last Rain Singer, and upon her birth she unleashed a flood that resulted in the deaths of thousands of citizens. She's spent her life hidden away, afraid of her power, mysteriously unable to access more than the barest drizzle. But then she and her twin brother, Flint, are both chosen to compete as heirs to the throne, and she finds herself forced into the limelight. She will be forced to compete for her life against other competitors for the Aquatori throne, and she fears what will happen when they learn she is basically powerless. But as she endures training with the other competitors, she finds herself in the midst of new friends, possible romance, and an unlocking of the power she has shied away from for so long. Perhaps the throne isn't as far out of reach as she believed.

This was my cup of tea 100%. The characters - the friend group was great, the sibling moments were precious - the magic, the settings, the mythology, the romance?? I can't think of a single thing that I didn't enjoy about this. It was precisely what high-school!me would have devoured (and today we all learn that high-school!me and now!me have the same taste. Maturity is overrated, bla bla bla).

And can I just say? Fantastic resolution to the love triangle. The romance wasn't too intense either, which I super appreciated; this was a proper YA romance, the likes of which I haven't read in literally years.
I am so looking forward to the sequel to this, and to see where Murray goes from here! Her writing is enticing and lovely, and her character work is fantastic. Highly reccommend, especially for fans of THE SELECTION, SHADOW AND BONE, or THRONE OF GLASS.

I buddy-read this one with my friend who also got an ARC and it was so fun!

Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray is a fierce, addictive romantasy brimming with elemental magic, deadly trials, and intoxicating romance. Blaze, the Rain Singer born into a fire-wielding dynasty, has spent her life an outcast—until she’s thrust into a brutal competition where crowns aren’t inherited, but won. With two princes pulling at her heart, court intrigue threatening her every step, and a storm inside her waiting to break free, Blaze must claim her power before it consumes her. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and Shadow and Bone, this is a thrilling start to a series you won’t want to put down.

Heir of Storms will probably end up being one of my top reads for this year and I've had the pleasure of reading a lot of good books this year.

2.5 rounded up. This is a difficult one to write a review for because I don't really have any strong feelings about the book.

Positive:
1. I liked the twist relating to the romance because I REALLY didn't see that coming at all. That actually had me shocked and was really well plotted out throughout the book. I also liked that that happened because that means there wasn't really a true love triangle, which I am known to hate.
2. The ending of the book. I really liked how the book wrapped up and set up the next book. The last 70 pages were the best of the entire book and really put everything together.
3. Fox and Flint. These two were the highlight of the book for me. They had the most personality in the entire book and I was the most interested in the book when they were on page. (More Flint and Sheen pleaaaaaase)

Negatives:
1. The FMC had little to no personality, which made it incredibly difficult to believe that she had two highly eligible bachelors chasing after her (obviously the end fixed this a little bit, but the lack of personality still hindered it)
2. The magic system. I honestly was confused about the magic for a long time. It seemed to have no rules and was really difficult to grasp. It got even more wishy washy during the final battle with our FMC and the other Heir. Supposedly Blaze has to use her emotions for her powers, but that wasn't evident in that intense fight with Mariana.
3. Cole? What the heck? His heel turn was absolutely bizarre and definitely made no sense in context of what was happening earlier in the book. It was wholly unnecessary.
4. Besides the romantic twist, everything else was incredibly obvious. Especially who the old man in the library was.
5. Most of the book felt very meandery. A whole lot of nothing happened in over 400 pages. This book promised trials and delivered on nothing.

Overall it was just a very middle-ground fantasy that had difficulty keeping my attention for the duration of the story. I will be picking up the second book if I'm still interested in it when it comes out, but I am worried I won't remember much that happened in this generic book.

➸ 5 stars

“Here, crowns are not inherited—they are won.”

𓈀 𓄹𓂃 thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy!!

🌊 elemental magic
⚡️ a competition for the throne with trials
🌊 love triangle
⚡️ court intrigue and lore
🌊 secrets and twists

“But every trial, whatever form it may take, is designed to target weakness. To trick you. Break you. Victory is hard-fought. Play to win, by all means. But make no mistake, the real game begins when the winners take their thrones.”

okay wow, i LOVED this!!! this story had me hooked from the very beginning and enjoyed every second!!! the elemental magic system was so fun to read about and the entire trials and competitions had me utterly entertained!!! they’re definitely one of my favorite plot lines in young adult fantasy’s and i just had so much fun reading!!! the twists and turns were jaw dropping yet predictable at the same time and sue me but i ate it up!!!!

“To feel is to be alive, Blaze. And I swear to you that no matter what, it is better to feel everything than to feel nothing.”

i will say the characters were my FAVORITE. blaze’s development was AMAZING!!!! seeing her find and grasp a hold of her power, leads to control it (find herself after everything) was perfect!!! i also have to mention her relationship with flint; truly one of my favorite sibling dynamics i’ve read about!! i also have to put it out there that i ship flint and sheen THE HATE TO LOVE POTENTIAL IS SOOOO THERE!!!!

𓈀 𓄹𓂃

the love triangle was done SO WELL!!!! usually this trope has me pounding my head of the fucking table but this one was just different and i really like how it turned out!!

full review is posted on my goodreads!

I had such a fun time with this book. I think this book had so many elements i loved liked elemental magic, competiton and also siblings dynamics I also thought this book had a unique plot and i kept wanting to read it. I would only say this book had some minor pacing issues but i overally loved this book and am excited for book 2!!

I enjoyed the story immensely. The story is a great fantasy tale by the way. Blaze is a terrific character who doesn’t seem to realize how special that she really is. I love that this a easy page turner. I like that readers can relate with certain characters over certain topics. This I feel gives that real element effect. The plot is outstanding. It is an outstanding outline for such a special story. The dialogue is clear precise among the characters. Nothing was to wordy flamboyant with any of the words. I found so easy for the characters to lead me through their story. What a terrific story. I give this book two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

I have not had a YA fantasy grasp my attention this much since I read the Legendborn trilogy two years ago. Avatar the Last Airbender meets the Crowns of Nyaxia Novels by Carissa Broadbent. it is beautiful. please read.

Yes! I enjoyed this book so much. Once I was into it I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next by author!

A classic YA fantasy book that hits a lot of familiar tropes; girl who wants to fit in but doesn’t, boy who is her opposite and catches her eye, family that’s overprotective, etc.

I started the book with high hopes & very intrigued by the description, but it didn’t keep my attention and I didn’t end up finishing it

Rating 3 stars for what I did read because I do think that there are readers that will enjoy the story more than me!

“I am the girl who wove the storm that shook the world. And I’m coming for my crown.” “Never doubt the tides of Fortune whether they break or bind.“ “It wasn’t a question of your possessing power, but of unlocking it. The answer was always inside of you. You just had to find it.” A puppet master. A rain singer. An earth cleaver. And a deadly game for ultimate power. In this breathtaking debut YA romantasy— perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, The Red Queen, and Shadow & Bone, readers are swept into a vividly wrought world where elemental magic rules, bloodlines bind, and betrayal runs as deep as desire. At the center of it all is our fierce and unforgettable heroine Blaze, the last of her kind and an unlikely hero, thrust into a brutal series of trials where the stakes are nothing short of survival— and power. With secrets stitched into every alliance, and enemies lurking behind charming smiles, she must navigate a perilous game of politics, pretend romance, and personal reckoning. Fake dating? Check. Backstabbing? Absolutely. A soul-deep journey of empowerment wrapped in magic and heartbreak? Prepare yourself. And the ending? A ruthless, breath-stealing cliffhanger that will leave you clawing for the next book in the tantalizing Storm Weaver trilogy. Though marketed as YA, this novel transcends the category. As a notoriously selective reader (snob, because let’s call a spade… a spade) of the genre, I was wholly captivated, nay, SPELLBOUND by a fresh & original storyline and a cast of characters that feel heartbreakingly real. The elemental caste system is haunting, the world-building bloody and bold, and the romance, while age-appropriate, pulses with tension and longing that that you feel in your bones (and toes 🤭). For those who crave immersive magic, high-stakes intrigue, and raw, romantic ache— this is the start of a journey you won’t want to miss. Fans of the Ahriman series? You’ll feel right at home. Hamilton Murray has really set this trilogy off with a BLAZE-ing start. And I for one cannot wait to see what she delivers next. Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan publishers, and the author for a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest review.