I really enjoyed this book! It had all the great elements of a romantic fantasy, but definitely seemed more unique to me in the world building and plot. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre!

This book hooked me from the first line! The story is completely compelling with each character being likable and feeling life-like. Even though a storyline with trials has been done many of times, this book had a great balance between the trials and the overall plot with each mingling together to create an engaging plot line. There were times where I thought I knew what was going to happen and it go the complete opposite which made me never want to put the book down. In the next book I hope to see more romance between two characters since the two of them together was so good!!

Although I wanted to see more of Blaze's power since you saw the devastating power of the Earth Cleaver's and understand why he was so fear, but that sort of idea lacked in Blaze. I hope to see more powers like the devastating storm she summoned when she was first born. Also, I feel you could see the hatred against Blaze was understandable but there was never any displays of power that would continue such a deep hatred for the girl.

I would definitely recommend this, especially for a beginning to the fantasy genre within the young adult age group!!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan!

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC. I was really into this book!! The concept was awesome and all the diverse characters were super fun to read about. There were a couple things that held be back from a 5 star but overall I cant wait for a book 2.

I went in with a vague memory of the synopsis but I loved how we meet Blaze and her twin Flint; how we learn of her origins as the Storm Weaver. She is an awesome FMC. She's smart but still makes some rash decisions, brave but no more than any other character, and I love when the FMC is the underdog and isn't just immediately skilled at everything coming her way.

The games & trials aspect of this book was really cool. I loved the elemental magic system going on here and all the different characters you meet after she's been chosen as an heir. I do wish that there was a but more time spent with the training of each heir's powers. It seemed that the middle of the book with all the different heirs was more focused on the social aspects as opposed to how strong a warrior everyone was becoming. This really only bothered me towards later trials seeing as Blaze held zero control of any powers before headed into Cor Caval and ends up the reigning champ. I think it could have talked more about her training wins because it definitely focused a lot on what she couldn't do a lot.

OBSSESED with Fox. He was such a smug, morally grey, don't-know-whos-side-he's-on type of character. You can tell Haldyn was an MMC and then Fox shows up and you can't help but love him. His quips and secrets kept me turning the page to find out more about him and what he was getting into. Definitely my favorite character of the book.

The ending is absolutely a cliffhanger I wish I could solve right now with the next book in the series. I would say it felt a bit rushed in the last 50 or so pages for me. Everyone was so caught up in love triangles and secrets and then out of nowhere (even though the king was kind of sus the whole time) we have a very obvious villain pop up that wasn't really there to begin with. It didn't feel like there were higher/evil powers in the whole book and then all of the sudden bad guy out of nowhere.

All in all solid 4 stars maybe even 4.5 even though that's not an option. Really loved the characters and the concept. Can't wait to see where the series goes.

3 stars – Entertaining but Predictable
Heir of Storms is a fast-paced YA fantasy that kept me turning the pages, thanks to its engaging elemental magic system and classic tropes like the chosen one and magical trials. If you're a fan of those familiar themes, this book delivers them with energy and momentum.
That said, the story itself felt a bit flat. The plot was predictable, and I found myself guessing many of the twists before they happened. While the world-building had promise, it didn't quite go deep enough to make the story feel truly immersive or fresh.
Overall, it was an entertaining read that held my attention, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. A solid pick if you're looking for a quick, trope-filled fantasy fix—but don’t expect too many surprises.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing group for allowing me to ARC read this in exchange for an honest review.

Heir of Storms is Lauryn Hamilton Murray’s debut YA romantasy novel. This story follows Blaze, our FMC. When Blaze was born, she was a water wielder born into a fire wielder family. When she was born, she gave off a surge of power that flooded her town nearly killing everyone who lived there. Now Blaze and her twin brother Flint have been chosen to participate in trials to determine the next heirs. She must fight for her survival along with helping her brother.

This book was fantastic! Blaze was the type of FMC that I like. She is strong from the beginning and doesn’t take any crap from anyone. Over the course of the story she shows growth and development within herself and with her powers. I do like that the Lauryn didn’t take Blaze from 0 to 60 in her growth and it was more gradual. This way there was something to look forward to throughout the course of the story.

There were a couple of side characters that battled for the title of the MMC. There was Flint her twin brother. Then there was her 2 “love interests”: Fox and Prince Haldyn. Prince Haldyn appeared caring and trustworthy throughout the story. Then at the end, there was a twist thrown in that I never saw coming that involved Haldyn and Blaze. This twist twisted my feelings toward Haldyn. Then there was Fox. I’m pretty sure that Lauryn was attempting to portray him as a morally grey character. However, he wasn’t a true morally grey character. Yes, he was a little sketch and annoying; but I wouldn’t call him morally grey. He had too many redeeming qualities to be morally grey. I am really excited to see where the story goes with him in the second book.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of romance in this story, I still enjoyed the ride and am really looking forward to the second book. I liked the world building. I don’t think that it was over the top or too extreme. Keep in mind that it is a YA book.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book. I liked the writing and the story. It was pretty easy to follow along with and I liked the characters in the story. I am really looking forward to the second book in the series.

Tropes:
🔥Magic/Elemental powers
🌊Found family
🔥Trials
🌊Love triangle
🔥Chosen one
🌊Cliffhanger

Review submitted to Amazon
Review posted to GoodReads

The twists and turns in this gripped me from the very beginning and I was HOOKED. I couldn't put it down and was screaming at the end that I needed more.

The downsides to me were that there was limited character development outside of Blaze, which I anticipate we'll see more of in the rest of the series, and that it took a bit to get into the "story" since the first portion was so heavy on the worldbuilding. I think there was opportunity to worldbuild while advancing the plot along so the first 20%-ish missed the mark a little bit for me.

BUT. Everything else? Stellar. Superb. Zero notes. The romance, friendships, and magic system was so interesting and intriguing. I loved seeing Blaze come into her own and learn about how to be the best version of herself. Her relationship with her brothers were so good and wholesome. And she has a tiny, cute cat. Really, what more could you want?

I loved the trials, the way that magic was portrayed, and how the system was put together. All of it made a lot of logical sense and the magic system itself was really intriguing. I'm excited to see what comes next!

Genuinely, this is one of the BEST YA Fantasy novels I've read in a long time. Highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Macmillian/Roaring Brook Press via Netgalley and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

I honestly enjoyed Heir of Storms. It had an extensively interesting magic system and incredible worldbuilding and was overall an interesting read.

The worldbuilding was great—I appreciated learning about the five kingdoms/houses and their respective leaders and heirs. I wish we learned more about the Otherlands—for all of Blaze’s intrigue about them, she doesn’t explain much about their grandeur, nor does she explain who lives in the regions. We also don’t learn much outside of what Blaze has seen—as in she doesn’t describe much about the other kingdoms. I’ll chalk that up to her sheltered upbringing, and hope we will learn more in the coming books.

I usually hate hearing about history within novels—quite frankly it goes over my head sometimes and feels unnecessary. But I loved hearing the lore for the magic system, and I loved how Blaze learned about it too!

As for Blaze, I definitely didn’t love her, but I didn’t hate her either. I liked watching her growth from sheltered 17 year old to elemental powerhouse. She also grew emotionally, and we do see her become more confident over the course of the trials. Unfortunately, I do, feel like she falls victim to a few YA tropes—sheltered girl that loves to read, gets bullied, and isn’t like the other girls. Quite predictable. She was also too naive for my liking. When upset, she resorted to hiding under tables or storming off in rage. I couldn’t take those parts seriously.

All that being said, I really wish the romance was left out. I believe Blaze could’ve made for a much stronger FMC without the additional burden of a romantic partner. The romance was, to put it simply, weak. We get the stereotypical description of a love triangle. Typically, I loathe love triangles. But, honestly, there was no real basis behind this triangle, nor did I feel connected to the love interests. So I didn’t mind this one too much. One of the interests isn’t fleshed out. I can’t tell you much about him—apart from his stunning appearance, of course. There was so little chemistry between him and Blaze that I was surprised they were even friends. She claimed to be “falling for him” after a few conversations, queue my eyeroll, no shade. The other interest was definitely more interesting and fleshed out. Honestly, he wasn’t needed either, but at the very least, he progressed the plot.

Overall, it wasn’t the best book ever, but it was enjoyable. I could see younger audiences enjoying this book a lot, as it’s a fast-paced, exciting read that caters strongly to fantasy audiences.

* I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Blaze and her twin brother Flint are competing to become the next rulers of their kingdom, a high stakes competition that you don't volunteer for - you're divinely nominated and have to participate whether you want to or not. Unfortunately for Blaze, she lacks much training in using her magical powers because she's a waterworker who comes from a family of fire magic users. Blaze must master her powers, untangle political machinations, survive the competition, and also deal with her own emotions for her fellow competitors...

Overall, this was a solid rather than a stand-out book. I enjoyed the characters and the plot and worldbuilding were fine. As with many "Book One"s, I reserve judgement a little on the overall book until we see how things progress from the cliffhanger ending, but I definitely will want to pick up and read Book Two when it's available.

I thought that this was an entertaining read. It was a little predictable at times, and could feel a bit boilerplate in the character relationships and interactions, but the magic system and setting were pretty compelling which added a new layer to the story. I also though that Blaze (though the owner of a name I detest) was a pretty well-written character and it was interesting as the reader to watch her sort of come into her own. The pacing was solid, as was the world-building, though I didn't care much for the romantic aspect of the story (maybe it's just me but it felt like the love triangle just sort of fizzled out as the story progressed). I'm definitely interested in the next installment of this story as this was a really solid introduction to the world, plot and characters. I can't wait to get our physical copies in at my branch---they've got cool purple edges.

Blaze is born into a kingdom of fire manipulators, which she has no affinity for. On the day she was born, the world almost drowned, because her birth summoned rain storms. Everyone is afraid of her, so what little magic she can do is hidden, and she's never taught how to master it. Then she gets dragged into a magical competerion that she can't bow out of, to use the water powers she was never taught how to use. Unprepared is an understatement. She basically has to learn as she goes. And the more she displays her powers, the more people talk about how she almost killed everybody the day she was born. It's a weird but fine line between being feared and made fun of. I really liked the way that she was so unsure of herself and her powers in a place where everyone else thinks they're going to win the competition. I can't wait to see where the story is going with these and how things are going to resolve themselves.

You want trials? ✅ You want hidden powers? ✅ You want discoveries and betrayals? ✅

Blaze is born in a Kingdom of fire wielders but for some reason she wields storms instead. When she was born, it stormed endlessly and caused a huge catastrophe in the Kingdom. In this Kingdom, when an eclipse happens, it signals the passing of power to the next generation. The fire wielders, water wielders, earth wielders and wind wielders all compete to see who will lead each element’s kingdom next. When the eclipse occurred, Blaze was picked to compete to be next queen of the water wielders but how will she compete when she hasn’t been able to wield a storm since the great catastrophe?

I loved this book! The magic system and the kingdom got me hooked! Blaze is also a fun character to follow as she discovers her powers and the secrets of the kingdom and the elements! I can’t wait for the next book to see where this story goes! 🩵

Thank you to Netgalley and Fierce Reads for this ARC! 🫶🏻

It was alright. The story was very predictable. A much younger demographic that’s new to YA fantasy would enjoy this. Sadly, it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Overall, I thought this book was done well! The pacing wasn’t too fast or too slow, the characters were relatable and interesting, and the world-building was exquisite. The love triangle was interesting in the beginning, but it sort of fell off near the end of the book - I guess for a good reason though. I wasn’t expecting much on the trial scenes, as I’ve read a lot of books lately that have something similar. But I loved this refreshing take during the trials scenes - it was original, and you can feel the emotions Blaze (and sometimes the other characters) are going through. There were many twists and turns that I did not see coming, ending on a cliffhanger - I am curious to know what happens next!

Lauryn Hamilton Murray wrote this well and was engaged from the first page, it worked so well in this world and enjoyed the characters. This had that fantasy romance element that I was looking for and was engaged with what was happening. I enjoyed this as a forbidden lovers romance and am excited to read more from Lauryn Hamilton Murray. The characters had that overall feel that I was wanting and enjoyed the concept.

This one took me a while to get into but so worth getting through the initial learning curve!!

The different houses and powers all work together but oh the DRAMA. I was here for it. The twists at the end I only partially saw coming but made the book!!

This was a magical world, full of competition, tension, and drama. Blaze's entire life has been marked by disaster. Her birth resulted in a tragic storm that left thousands of people dead. Her magical gift disappeared that day. However, she and her twin brother are now forced to compete to be future rulers of the empire and she might need to find her magic to win.

I loved the world building and depth of the character building. The politics were woven intricately into the competition for the throne. It's not based on birthright, but rather on magical skill, which was interesting and brought a layer of tension and drama to the story. Blaze's story was emotional in a realistic manner and I found myself rooting for her to find her inner confidence and shine.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Murray’s world-building truly shines, painting vivid images of tempestuous skies, raging seas, and the delicate interplay between magic and nature. The magic system is imaginative and well-constructed, with clear rules and evocative consequences that keep you turning pages. The plot moves briskly, balancing political tension, heartfelt relationships, and edge-of-your-seat action. At times, though, the secondary characters don't get quite enough development, and a few plot threads feel underexplored, leaving you wishing for deeper resolution. The novel's emotional core—dealing with the weight of inheritance and the challenge of forging one’s own path—lands beautifully. The prose is engaging and accessible, with a lyrical quality that suits the elemental themes. It’s a satisfying read for fans of character-focused fantasy who don’t mind a few loose ends.

3.5⭐️
0🌶️

"Heir of Storms" is an engaging YA fantasy featuring trials, subtle political themes, elemental magic, captivating lore, and world-building. The story centers around a female main character who rises from being an outcast in the kingdom while uncovering the truths about her homeland and discovering her own identity and the power she possesses.

This first book feels more like a build-up for the second installment, yet it still offers plenty of action and a tension-filled romance that has yet to fully develop (I expect we will see more of Blaze and a certain mysterious heir in the next book).

In my opinion, the first 30% of the book was a bit slow. However, I highly recommend sticking with it—(this is significant, given that I usually stop reading by that point in other books. Something about this one urged me to keep going, and I’m glad I did); it turns into a gripping read that you won’t want to put down.

My only complaint is that I wished for more depth once the climaxes hit. It often felt like the story was building toward a significant moment, only for the chapter to end abruptly. When the next chapter began, the timeline had advanced, and the main character seemed to overlook the very thing we had been anticipating.

While I appreciated the slow reveal of secrets throughout the story, which kept the reader guessing along with the protagonist, I found that I could easily predict the revelations before she did. Many of the key moments that were meant to be shocking felt predictable, and I wished I could have experienced the same level of surprise as the main character.

(Also, while I loved Flint's brotherly affection for Blaze, I found something about him a bit annoying. I realize he’s a character that many will love, so I hope I’m not alone in my thoughts—but I stand by my opinion… sorry not sorry).

Despite these critiques, I really enjoyed this read, particularly the emotional and mental transformation the protagonist undergoes. This character development not only marks a crucial turning point for her but also allows us as readers to experience each painful and uplifting moment alongside her. I anticipate that while she will still be figuring herself out and facing uncertainty in the second book, she will evolve into someone formidable. I can’t wait for that moment.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I agree with many who believe that "Red Queen" fans will enjoy this story. While it provides similar "feelings" to "Red Queen" (in terms of vibes only), the storyline and many other aspects are quite different, offering a fresh perspective in the YA fantasy genre.

If you're looking for a book that features high-stakes competition, found family dynamics, elemental powers, secret lore, a hint of a love triangle, and some court/political intrigue, all while following a main character who must discover her voice and rise above the cruel labels imposed on her, since birth, by a fearful world and those (even some close to her) who wish to see her fail, then this book is definitely for you.

With all that said, thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press and Lauryn Hamilton Murray for this eARC in return of my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5/5 Stars

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book based off the synopsis but I was pleasantly surprised! I could not put this down and, even when I had to, I couldn't stop thinking about it. The plot was intriguing and sucked me in almost immediately. I need more of Fox in book 2 and 3 with all of his mystery and secrets. And the banter. There were several points where I thought I could guess what was happening, only to be proven wrong in the best of ways. I can't quite pinpoint what exactly Heir of Storms reminds me of but I can say that it felt new and unique mixed with preteen nostalgia of borrowing a book from the library and discovering the magic of a new favorite story.

Wow. Okay. I am having a hard time organizing my thoughts about this one. It was super easy to read. I just had surgery, so I was struggling to get back into reading, having a hard time focusing, stuff like that. And when I picked up this book, the story immediately drew me in.Buy bestselling books online

Blaze has a lot of guilt. She’s a twin child in a family with powerful fire magic, but she somehow has water magic. And not just water magic, but water magic that killed a ton of people on the day she was born.

I thought it was interesting that the book created this moment to focus on what might happen when babies are born with magic power. She had no understanding of what she was doing to anyone else. She was literally a baby. And yet, people died. It’s one of those things that maybe other magic-based fantasies skim past or overlook. It was interesting for this book to highlight that and make it a critical moment in Blaze’s life.

I loved the magic competition. Basically, the gods of the story world determine when it’s time to pass the crown to the next generation. When this happens, there’s an eclipse. Competitors with different types of magic fight for the top positions serving the emperor as kings or queens. They remain rulers of their own magic users and serve as advisors to the emperor. So that process begins and Blaze, of course, must compete.

The competition brings up some interesting magic rules and political intrigue. Blaze herself feels caught between the attention of two powerful guys. I wasn’t the biggest fan of either one of them, but I’m intrigued to see where the story goes. The conclusion of the book kind of makes it clear who the true love interest is, and I think I’m willing to see if he’s actually worthy of her.

Overall, I definitely see the comparisons to Red Queen and Shadow and Bone. There’s a lot of politics and magic, as well as at least one possible love interest who might turn out to be the villain? I will absolutely follow this series into the second book.