Cinda Williams 1st (first) Edition [Paperback(2007/2/27)]

This book was entertaining, but not particularly original, and very predictable. It is a YA fantasy novel, and it does not rise above that label. It becomes mildly cheesy at times, but its main flaw is its flat characters, especially Jack's friends. Although she provides descriptions of each of the characters, their actions and words don't match up. Chima tells us that Fitch is weird and proud of it, but his words and actions do not reflect that at all. The quotes are all charactorially generic as no one in the book has a unique voice.

My conclusion is that you should only buy this book if you have nothing better to read, in which case it is at least an entertaining read, or for the sake of its sequel, Wizard Heir, The, which is much better.

The warrior heir was a fantastic first book to what could have been a great series. Jack"s story is great at pulling you into a world of magic, the different guilds, who and what everyone is. It explains the plight and purpose of warriors.
Book 2 The Wizard Heir, was also very satisfying. We learn about Seph and meet Maddie, lots of wizards in the mix. There is good character building continuing. Great plots.
Book 3 The Dragon Heir, starts to slide a bit, but is overall consistent with the series and pretty decent. We learn about the history of wizard power, and using the ultimate power. Another battle of good and evil, but still a good read.
Book 4 The Enchanter. Meet Jonah. A child victim of the Brazil massacre, possibly orchestrated by wizards. His touch is deadly, he is an empath, and an assassin. Um, btw he used to be an enchanter? But that's as far as the title goes.
Book 5 The Sorcerer Heir. This book continues the story of Jonah and his friends and has nothing much to do with sorcerers. Except some side characters are sorcerers?
Basically, book 4 and 5 starts a completely different series and story line, but instead of finishing this series, they are just crammed in and made to fit. Except they really don't fit, and it feels extremely forced. As a result, both series books 1-3 and 4,5 could have been greatness, but ended up failing miserably and alienating readers.

An ordinary sixteen-year-old finds that he is not so ordinary after all. He finds that he is a pawn in a game played by magical people when he forgets to take his medicine one day. Jack was implanted with a warrior stone when he was an infant. The doctor who implanted him wanted to use him as a warrior in the power games that wizards play. Since those battles were always to the death, the wizards are finding themselves short of warriors leading to warriors being hunted.

Jack just learns that he is part of the magical world and learns that he is a target at the same time. Luckily, he has his Aunt Linda who is an Enchanter and various others who are protecting him and keeping him safe until he has had a chance to grow up.

This story was a well-written tale of a magical world that exists along side our normal world. Jack was an intriguing character who didn't want to follow the path laid out for him and found a way the change it.

The story was filled with action and even had some romance too.

Having tried this book and The Demon King, I feel comfortable saying that China’s writing just doesn’t work for me. This is reminiscent of Garth Mix’s Keys to the Kingdom series and Diana Wynne Jones’ The Homeward Bounders. But it’s not quite as well-paced as either. Nothing has happened in this book by the first eighty pages and there’s no hint of anything to come despite what the plot summary suggests. The cast is a bit bloated and often indistinguishable with too many similar or just flat characters. Reviews suggest that readers willing to stick with Chima through the duration of her series books will be rewarded but I’m not seeing enough appeal here for me to want to do that.

I listened to the audio book and that always colors my review because it's a voice, most books are better inside my head. I enjoyed this book. The beginning was pretty typical and not much meat or feeling. I just didn't really get into it until about the middle of the book and then it started to twist and turn a little and was harder to guess what was happening next. I wished that the characters could have had more of a voice. It seemed the author was trying to move the plot along for a younger reader but to get inside characters minds and find out how they feel is important to the feeling you get in a book as you read or your really don't care. So the story was a fun on if a bit done over. The bad guys were nasty and awful and really lead me to believe they were capable of anything.
There was some violence mostly implied not too detailed in most of the story. There was mention of death by being ripped apart and blood everywhere in two scenes. There was mild swearing and a could uses of deity. There was no sexual content.

"Just remember who you are... The world will try to change you into someone else. Don't let them. That's the best advice anyone can give you."

"The Warrior Heir is a contemporary fantasy and coming of age story. It is the classic tale of boy who finds out he has a gift and learning how to hone that gift. Jack is a likeable character, he is kind and a good friend. His family and friends have kept him safe his whole life but now he has to learn how to use his gift before he is discovered and possibly killed.

"You look like a boy who has eaten the fruit of the tree of knowledge and doesn't like the taste."

This is a dangerous world for Warriors as they are trained to be used in a battle to the death much like the roman gladiators were. If they win the house they fight for wins control of the land, magical items and the governing counsel, if they lose they die. I liked the idea of this magical almost medieval underworld right in the middle of today's society. The backstory of why the tournament came to be and the legend of how the guilds were established were new in interesting. I enjoyed a shout out to George R.R. Martin when they `Woke the Dragon' hehe.... Some of the book was predictable, I had already figured out a few of the big reveals long before they happened, especially who the other warrior was. But I was surprised by the resolution of the story overall.

This is a good book if you like fantasy and don't mind a few lulls to get to the end. Fantasy isn't my overall favorite genre so while I liked it, it wasn't the end all be all. I will give the next book in the series a read though because I am interested in the world and want to see what happens after the events at the end of the book.

I am reading this series after reading Chima's later works: "the seven realms" series so I am not entirely objective.

This book does have some serious yet basic debut novel/author flaws: Stock characters, weak transitions, times of stunted sentence structure and a deus ex machina ending so sudden I was alnost sure I had missed something , to list the greatest flaws. It fails to develop the characters or their motivation for being friends, which is highly necessary seeing how far Will and Fitch go to protect Jack, and often glosses over key realizations in an effort to return to the drama. As for the ending, everything is almost too neatly wrapped up in a few paragraphs that I was still left reeling and feeling a bit unfulfilled.

So then why 4stars?

Because despite these flaws the story did a marvelous job of pulling me in and keeping me interested once things really got off the ground. I was eager to know what was going to happen next and why this was all being done. I cpuld not not read and was loathe to put the book down. Despite weak background characters that did not inspire care, I was invested in Jack and Hastings and their relationship/story. I was captured by the magic of the realm and very interested in how Jack would manifest being part of 3 classes.

In all, this book has it's flaws but it also has it's merits and seeing how much better her storytelling gets, I think this does a good job of showing off her potential and her ability to grow.

To anyone who even sonewhat liked this , I suggest reading the seven realms series. Better characters, political intrigue and a deeper fleshed out romance that carries through 3.5 books without loosing it's...flash.

This book started off a bit slow. Jack would ignore obvious things and not question them (such as asking more about The Game, showing little to no curiosity to his being a wizard born/warrior made, and not seeming concerned about the fact his warrior soul MIGHT be called upon to fight forever) but as the story progressed, I forgave these things (even though it made Jack seem like a big ol' moron) because I ADORED Hastings character and the politics developing among the different guilds. Sometimes the world itself seemed under described as if Chima was content to let the reader to all the imagining with no illustrious descriptive passages, but it was still above average in the rest of the delivery. I found the over all novel generic and flat, which is sad since it's a popular series...

One of the interesting things about The Warrior Heir is that while it's contemporary fantasy, it reads to me like high fantasy. Some mix of the language and the world, not to mention the sword and sorcery, seems to match up with the subgenre more than your average contemporary fantasy.

When I started the book, I expected it to take me quite a long time. First of all, it's long (and the chapters are long too, which makes it hard to find a spot to break from reading). And there was something about the prologue that made me feel like it was going to be a struggle. But it wasn't. In fact, I found myself reading quite steadily through, looking forward to continuing. The pacing is excellent. Never did I wonder when we were going to get on to the next part, but also I never felt like the author was rushing to get to the next fight scene. I picked up the next two books before I was done. Note to people who are reluctant to pick up books in unfinished series, there are still two more unpublished books in the series, and they won't be published until the author's other series is complete. However, it is completely possible to read this as a standalone book.

The book also felt like it was accessible to both boy readers and girl readers.

Overall, not much surprised me, plot-wise, in the book. The big surprise was how much I enjoyed reading it.

Recommended for fans of: Contemporary fantasy in small town settings, sword and sorcery fantasy, books for boys, tight but long books.

Great book for tweens to twenties. It's fun, has some grim themes and scenes, lots of danger, a love angle, friendship, strong male and female characters, strong good and evil characters, enough moral quandaries to prevent it from being simplistic. It's well-written and well-edited. The plot was satisfying even though I saw most of the twists coming -- but I'm 55. Overall, I liked it and will probably read the rest of the series.

When I finished reading The Warrior Heir, I tried to gather my thoughts to review the book. One word pretty much summed it up for me: OK.
The plot was OK, the characterization was O, the setting was OK, the mythology behind the fantasy was OK. Serviceable and adequate, but nothing I got particularly enthralled with while reading. Then again I didn't get annoyed or frustrated with anything in the storyline either.
I wished for more character descriptions, because I didn't even know what Jack--the title character--looked like until nearly the end of the book. I liked the resolution to the main conflict, although the idea of two combatants-to-the-death deciding they can't kill each other was done much, much better in The Hunger Games.
I enjoyed how Jack didn't just jump right into his role as the warrior heir with joy. He felt anger, annoyance, fear, and hopelessness upon learning what being a warrior meant. Those were realistic emotions, although I did notice the author does a lot of telling rather than showing to let us see how the characters are feeling. I know "show, don't tell" is very important to some readers, so I thought I'd mention that this book has a lot of things like: "Jack was angry, he felt (fill in the blank)."
I saw the revelation of who Jack's opponent would be way before it was revealed.
The book ended with closure, no cliffhangers or loose plot threads. The other books are companions pieces if I understand correctly and not continuations of the story so reading in order or even reading all of them isn't necessary. I think I'll skip the other two books in this sequence, unless there's nothing else at the library I'm really interested in.

This is a great book for younger and older readers alike. It is easy enough to read for mid-grade levels yet good enough to hold the attention of older readers. In this first book of the Heir Chronicles we meet Jack, a high school soccer player who has no idea how drastically his life is about to change. He has been given medicine his entire life that dampens his warrior abilities. When he forgets to take his medicine ,his powers manifest and he is incredibly strong. Once the houses find out his location, each house begins trying to "recruit" him to fight to the death and shift the balance of power in their favor.

When I first read this book it reminded me of Harry Potter. The premise of the hidden abilities/identity of the main character and the entirely new world that they are thrust into are similar but that is where the similarities end. If you enjoy fantasy novels, this is one you shouldn't miss.

from Murphy's Library

Jackson Swift--best known as Jack--was a fairly normal boy, with the difference that some people took too much care for him, but he didn't know that there was anything too much caring at his age. The only strange thing in his life is that he needs to take medicine everyday. He needs, it's his only responsability!

That's where we begin your story, on the day Jack forgot to take it. This seems to unleash something that was inside Jack, an anormal force that he never knew he had--at least he didn't know until he sent his rival flying away in a fight. After that, we really got to the main story when Jack's aunt pays him a visit and take him to a road trip that unleashes the rest of this something else that was inside Jack, especially when he got in his hands a sword, and not any sword, but one that was mean to be his.

Jack then discovers about the White Rose and the Red Rose and his heritage is part of it all, with his being a Weirlind and his aunt a Enchanter. He is ruled by one of the wizarding house--the White and Red Rose thing--and maybe he is seriously in trouble, 'cause this new world he discovered has a tournament that is a little too dangerous.

The Warrior Heir is a good book, but I think it could have a better setup. The story have little bumps, times when I needed to stop and reread 'cause it got a littlle confusing. Jack is a good main character, but a little annoying, maybe because of his age.

Overall, it was a book that gave me reasons to read the second one in the trilogy, and that always a good thing.

I typically enjoy young adult fantasy. I very much enjoyed the "Seven Realms" series by the same author. I noticed 5th graders reading this series at school, so I thought I'd finally read it myself. I did not like it at all. For the record I do like HP, and Percy Jackson (written on same level) but this was clumsy and riddled with confusing happenstance. A lot of the things that happened to the main characters were so very accepted, despite being outlandish, that it just ruined the intrigue of the story for me. Oddly enough, when I read the descriptions of the other books in the series, I agree that I am interested. I want to know what happens to the characters and the town next. But, I just can't stand the pseudo-high-school engagements of the characters.

The story never really takes off until the last quarter of the book. And unfortunately you can see the plot twists from a mile away. Perhaps it would be more interesting if thebauthor had spent more time building up characters and the wizarding world. You get some hints but never a proper background.

Don't get me wrong, this was certainly an enjoyable read, but it was also an easy read. There isn't much thinking to be done while reading this book. Events unfold one after the other in a predictable manner. Even the big surprise toward the end was obvious. With all that said, I do love reading about the main character's training and the dangers he faces every day. His trainer and aunt were likable characters, and the quest to find the sword at the beginning of the book was entertaining. The fight between warriors that the entire book was building up to was a bit of a let down though. I also wish there was more history with the guilds, and more shown of the Red and White Rose clans. I thought that was what the book was about. I thought the Red of the White would get the boy and train him. It would be tough, but he would pull through it, and maybe even have a happy ending. That wasn't the plot at all. Instead it was about a pretty normal small town with a boy with special talent that gets trained to fight in "the game" between the Red and White Rose houses. The book ended with closure, so I don't feel the need to continue on in the series. Overall, this book was enjoyable, and would probably appeal to a YA audience.

Honestly, the beginning was boring & Confusing. I can totally relate to people who started the book, read 20 or so pages & never opened it again. I just kept reading it, hoping that it was as good as everyone said it was. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Far from it actually. Scenes in the book started to come to life around me, as if I had been sucked into the pages. The characters seemed like flesh and blood, behaving like most people would in those situations. The plot of the story reminds me of a roller coaster; it has it's ups & downs and very unexpected plot twists. And when you think the ride will finally level out, you're thrown into a final twist bigger than all the others. The ending was perfectly written so that you'd feel satisfied enough, yet still hungry for more. 4 1/2 stars would've been more accurate for lack of an exciting beginning, but I thought I may as well give it a 5. Highly recommended for all ages, but especially teens & Tweens.
~Samy

The Warrior Heir is an exciting fantasy from the middle to the end but if you're not a patient reader when it comes to begginnings then you may not like this book. At the first ninety to a hundred pages I absulutely hated this book. I planned on giving it a two-star review BUT as you read farther the suspence fills you up and you are staring at one great read. So do yourself a favor and try out "The Warrior Heir". You'll have fun - guarenteed!

Jack is just a normal sixteen-year-old boy... At least that's what HE thinks. The only thing thats different about him is the fact that he almost died as a baby and has a special heart surgeon: Dr.Longbranch come check up on him a certain amount of time per year. He has to take medicine for his condition but one day he forgets to take it. That day he has soccor tryouts and while scrimmaging he sends Garrette Lobeck, a rival into the net. He becomes faster, stronger and he feels better than he could ever imagine...
He knows that this is not ordinary, that the medicine he takes daily is enabling his inner strength... Soon Jack runs into a world of wizards, enchanters, and... WARRIORS.

Enjoy this book!

Okay, I freely admit that part of my distaste for this book is that I'm just too old for it. I'm a twenty-year-old guy, which probably puts me at least seven years outside the target audience. I only read it because my little sister had it in her bag during a long car ride and offered it. So perhaps I'm not the best person to give this a fair review.

But...come on. I'm not THAT old. Harry Potter was great fun. Narnia was entertaining. The Dark is Rising books were intriguing, the Prydain Chronicles were riveting, even those Percy Jackson books were halfway decent. But this was just...I dunno, blah.

Pretty typical set-up for contemporary YA fantasy. Secret underground group of people with spooooooky powers, shamelessly cribbed from various mythologies with little interest in the original legends. Protagonist is the stereotypical plucky male (as opposed to the stereotypical Strong Female. Oh, she's there too, but the camera loves average-boy). Now all of this would be fine if the author had done anything even halfway interesting with it. But...she didn't.

This book feels like Chima wrote it with big dollar signs in her eyes. It sticks to the formula so closely I could probably have sketched out the basic plotline from the first few chapters' evidence alone. Boring teenage hero is in high school with a bunch of stock characters ("bitchy ex-gf", "bullying rich boy", "strong-but-gentle best friend", and "mysterious loner girl" all make heavy-handed appearances). He's always taken some sort of medication but never wondered what's in it or if he'll ever get better and be able to stop. Inevitably, he forgets it this one day, and randomly starts showing off his super powers, whereupon the "mysterious aunt" shows up to show him the path to his dessssstiny, but a bunch of bad guys have shown up too, and they're all going after a sword that's been in a grave for a coupla generations, but no one ever knew where it was till now (I mean, how could they? That would have taken, hm, actually checking three graveyards).

Anyway. Gets sword. Finds Yoda. Proceeds to train. Gets threatened by EVIL BAD GUYS, all the while blowing off concerned best buds and pursuing relationship with mysterious chick who anyone with half a brain can see is totally...wooooops, better not let that one slip!

Basically, the whole story feels contrived and silly. Our hero might as well be popping into existence in the first chapter. He has all the depth of a blow-up kiddie pool, and the supporting characters, with the sorta-kinda exception of Aunt Feminist-Babe, have the personalities of sitcom extras. There's no control over the world Chima's created. It's all "then this happened, then this happened". The characters don't respond emotionally to anything. They just stand around and say "dude, that was weird, hyuk hyuk". Are they all high? Has someone dumped laughing gas over this whole freaking town? Or is this just the author cutting corners everywhere she can, avoiding giving anyone realistic complaints because they're tough to write?

No one in this book seems capable of thinking. They all just go through the motions like automatons.

But enough ranting. Suffice to say, I found this book infantile and poorly conceived, a mediocre effort from an author who could do better, but is perfectly willing to spout off substandard crap because she knows she's operating for a young audience, many of whom don't know to expect better. This is just my opinion, but...avoid this book. I won't say it's complete trash, it's not like it's painful to read. But it just doesn't go anywhere, or do anything, that will interest you on any level except for the most superficial.

This is a fast paced fantasy story in modern times. A baby boy whose life is saved only for the purpose of turning him into a gladiator to fight a waging war of wizards. He's surrounded by family and friends who try to keep him protected and shielded from his future. This book kept me going. I would have liked a bit more into the wizarding stuff but that's why I will continue with the next book the wizard heir. There is a lot of fighting and killing and blood. No language. There is a kiss or two but that about taps how much it goes into the romance department. There was a plot twist I saw coming but the ending was not predictable. Enjoyed it a lot.

Jack enjoys his normal life in Trinity, Ohio. He spends time with his best friends, goes to school, and is extremely excited about soccer tryouts. Jack is very healthy, despite the thick scar that resides above his heart and the medicine he has to take every day. Life is ordinary - until he forgets to take his medicine.

Soccer tryouts are a breeze. Jack has never felt so alive, and when his nemesis, Lobeck, gets in his way, Jack slams him into the goal - without touching him. Jack doesn't realize he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people, and when he sent Lobeck flying into the soccer net, the magic he released acted as a signal to others around him.

Jack, destined to be a wizard but born without his stone, was saved by a leader of the White Rose. The moment Jack's life was saved, his destiny changed. Now, with a warrior stone behind his heart, he is meant to fight for the White Rose in a magical tournament - if he survives until his magic fully manifests.

Jack is one of the last warriors and both the Red and the White houses want him to fight for them. Whichever house wins the fight-to-the-death tournament has the power to control the magical community.

In a world full of wizards, warriors, seers, sorcerers, and enchanters, Jack doesn't know who to trust. Nothing around him is as it seemed.

THE WARRIOR HEIR is the first in a trilogy by Cinda Williams Chima. The story contains many lovable characters, including Jack's two Anaweir (non-magical) best friends. Even though Fitch and Will don't have magical powers, they find a way to be instrumental in Jack's struggle for survival.

THE WARRIOR HEIR is a delightful fantasy. You'll definitely want to read the next two in the series, THE WIZARD HEIR and THE DRAGON HEIR.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

Jackson Swift (Jack) has always had a normal life in the small college town of Trinity, Ohio. The only difference between the 16-year-old and his fellow classmates has been the star-shaped scar on his chest and the medicine he is required to take daily. Strange events begin to take place, however, after Jack forgets to take his medicine one day. When a rival named Garrett Lobeck tries to start a fight with Jack during soccer tryouts, Jack defends himself --- sending Lobeck flying across the soccer field.

Then his strange but cool Aunt Linda pays an unexpected visit to Jack and his mother, Becka. Aunt Linda decides to take her nephew/godson on a road trip to look up some of their family's genealogy. Jack invites his loyal friends Will and Fitch to join the expedition. What is supposed to be a tedious fact-finding mission turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, when the three guys discover that Linda is being stalked by a man looking to steal a family heirloom. Jack suspects that there is more to his aunt's story, but decides to help her locate the sought-after heirloom. The three friends get more than they bargain for during a night of digging around an old cemetery when they are attacked shortly after Jack uncovers a medieval sword that contains remarkable powers.

The road trip changes everything for Jack, and the truth about his heritage is slowly revealed. His Aunt Linda is an Enchanter and Jack is Weirlind, a member of an underground society of magical people that has been ruled by the feuding wizarding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose for centuries. The feuding houses determine who rules the Weir and its magical artifacts by playing the Game, a deadly tournament in which each house sponsors a Warrior to fight for their supremacy. Unfortunately for Jack, he is unique even by Weir standards and is a prime target as each of the houses scout for a new player by any means necessary. Fortunately for Jack he has some help on his side, which includes his old friend, the knowledgeable caretaker Nicodemus Snowbeard, and the mysterious new assistant principal Mr. Hastings, who teaches Jack the ways of the Weir and how to use the powerful sword called Shadowslayer as defense against known and unforeseen enemies.

Soon Jack is off to England, where he is thrown into a high-stakes chase from Dr. Jessamine Longbranch --- a wicked person who helped saved his life years before ---- and the Roses. Perhaps the most daunting challenge of all for Jack will be remembering who he really is underneath it all.

THE WARRIOR HEIR is a thrilling fantasy set in the 21st century that seems to be different from some of the other wizard stories out there. While I did wish that the novel contained further information about the Weir and that some of the mentioned characters of Jefferson Street were included in the storyline a bit more, I did find the book to have a great mix of relationships, historical references, action (at times gory) and suspense. I would suggest having an extra copy on hand because you might find it disappearing temporarily from your bookshelf once your family and friends see it.

And good news for fans of the book: There is rumored to be a sequel to THE WARRIOR HEIR tentatively titled THE WIZARD HEIR.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle ([email protected])

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima was a story that left with me many questions, and not the normal...what's going to happen next? type of questions. This was a hard read for me to get in to, which is usually not the case with young adult material, let alone fantasy...I usually love everything about being taken into a different world, far away from reality, and normally I enjoy the vacation from reality so much I never want it to end. This was not the case for me with The Warrior Heir.

So I found myself wondering if I was just in a reading rut...I've found myself in those every once in a while and because I wasn't flying through the pages I may have just been expecting too much from a book that no matter what...because of my rut, just wasn't going to sustain my appetite for the unattaiable, I'm not sure. Cinda Williams Chima is a talented story teller, this I can say with absolute certainty. Her characters were fun and likeable when she wanted them to be, and awful and frustrating when she was going for that angle. She controlled the story, and the reader was only along for the ride...and it was a good ride, just not the best in my opinion. The main character, Jack, was a good character but hard for me to relate to. I'm not sure if it's just that as a female reader I find that I enjoy a strong female lead more than a male lead or what, but this is just one of the many quetions I was left pondering.

One of the supporting characters, Leander Hastings who becomes close to Jack as his teacher/mentor reached the top of my favorites list for characters in this novel. He was mysterious and I was never sure if Jack should be putting his trust in him so completely. But I think it was Leander's questionable nature that made him so interesting to me.

Jack's aunt Linda was another character I found myself liking. She was strong and formidable...a real source to be reckoned with, but she also left me frustrated at times when she was unable to reach the goals she was hoping to obtain. No one is perfect and I often found myself being unnecessarily harsh with my criticism of her lack of "perfection" while I was reading. I'm not sure why I expected so much from her, but I did nonetheless.

Despite this not making my top 10 favorites of all time, I must say that although the book was difficult for me to make my way through, the prologue of this story was excellent! The way Chima set up the story and tied up the prologue...I was shocked at how much I wanted to uncover the secrets and mysteries she laid out in only the first few pages of the novel. My dad always said, before you buy a book you're unsure about, sit down and read the first chapter or at least the first few pages to see if you find yourself interested. Now I know this is unfair for all books, some need more than a chapter to pull a reader in and this does not make them any less wonderful all the time, but if I tested my dad's theory on The Warrior Heir, I would have snatched the book from the shelf and run for the register to buy it. The prologue, like I said would pull any reader in right away, it was that good. So while this book was not a favorite of mine, I was glad I read it and I did enjoy it for the most part.

This was the first book in a trilogy and I did add the next two installments to my TBR list because I'd like to see if they are more appealing to me and also out of curiosity as to what happens to the characters I was introduced to. Maybe I'll fall in love with them and it'll be proof positive that the difficulty I had with this read could be chalked up to a reading rut like I thought. If that's the case I'm glad, and I"ll know that I just happened to pick up The Warrior Heir at the wrong time.

Jackson Swift (Jack) has always had a normal life in the small college town of Trinity, Ohio. The only difference between the 16-year-old and his fellow classmates has been the star-shaped scar on his chest and the medicine he is required to take daily. Strange events begin to take place, however, after Jack forgets to take his medicine one day. When a rival named Garrett Lobeck tries to start a fight with Jack during soccer tryouts, Jack defends himself --- sending Lobeck flying across the soccer field.

Then his strange but cool Aunt Linda pays an unexpected visit to Jack and his mother, Becka. Aunt Linda decides to take her nephew/godson on a road trip to look up some of their family's genealogy. Jack invites his loyal friends Will and Fitch to join the expedition. What is supposed to be a tedious fact-finding mission turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, when the three guys discover that Linda is being stalked by a man looking to steal a family heirloom. Jack suspects that there is more to his aunt's story, but decides to help her locate the sought-after heirloom. The three friends get more than they bargain for during a night of digging around an old cemetery when they are attacked shortly after Jack uncovers a medieval sword that contains remarkable powers.

The road trip changes everything for Jack, and the truth about his heritage is slowly revealed. His Aunt Linda is an Enchanter and Jack is Weirlind, a member of an underground society of magical people that has been ruled by the feuding wizarding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose for centuries. The feuding houses determine who rules the Weir and its magical artifacts by playing the Game, a deadly tournament in which each house sponsors a Warrior to fight for their supremacy. Unfortunately for Jack, he is unique even by Weir standards and is a prime target as each of the houses scout for a new player by any means necessary. Fortunately for Jack he has some help on his side, which includes his old friend, the knowledgeable caretaker Nicodemus Snowbeard, and the mysterious new assistant principal Mr. Hastings, who teaches Jack the ways of the Weir and how to use the powerful sword called Shadowslayer as defense against known and unforeseen enemies.

Soon Jack is off to England, where he is thrown into a high-stakes chase from Dr. Jessamine Longbranch --- a wicked person who helped saved his life years before ---- and the Roses. Perhaps the most daunting challenge of all for Jack will be remembering who he really is underneath it all.

THE WARRIOR HEIR is a thrilling fantasy set in the 21st century that seems to be different from some of the other wizard stories out there. While I did wish that the novel contained further information about the Weir and that some of the mentioned characters of Jefferson Street were included in the storyline a bit more, I did find the book to have a great mix of relationships, historical references, action (at times gory) and suspense. I would suggest having an extra copy on hand because you might find it disappearing temporarily from your bookshelf once your family and friends see it.

And good news for fans of the book: There is rumored to be a sequel to THE WARRIOR HEIR tentatively titled THE WIZARD HEIR.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle ([email protected])

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima was a story that left with me many questions, and not the normal...what's going to happen next? type of questions. This was a hard read for me to get in to, which is usually not the case with young adult material, let alone fantasy...I usually love everything about being taken into a different world, far away from reality, and normally I enjoy the vacation from reality so much I never want it to end. This was not the case for me with The Warrior Heir.

So I found myself wondering if I was just in a reading rut...I've found myself in those every once in a while and because I wasn't flying through the pages I may have just been expecting too much from a book that no matter what...because of my rut, just wasn't going to sustain my appetite for the unattaiable, I'm not sure. Cinda Williams Chima is a talented story teller, this I can say with absolute certainty. Her characters were fun and likeable when she wanted them to be, and awful and frustrating when she was going for that angle. She controlled the story, and the reader was only along for the ride...and it was a good ride, just not the best in my opinion. The main character, Jack, was a good character but hard for me to relate to. I'm not sure if it's just that as a female reader I find that I enjoy a strong female lead more than a male lead or what, but this is just one of the many quetions I was left pondering.

One of the supporting characters, Leander Hastings who becomes close to Jack as his teacher/mentor reached the top of my favorites list for characters in this novel. He was mysterious and I was never sure if Jack should be putting his trust in him so completely. But I think it was Leander's questionable nature that made him so interesting to me.

Jack's aunt Linda was another character I found myself liking. She was strong and formidable...a real source to be reckoned with, but she also left me frustrated at times when she was unable to reach the goals she was hoping to obtain. No one is perfect and I often found myself being unnecessarily harsh with my criticism of her lack of "perfection" while I was reading. I'm not sure why I expected so much from her, but I did nonetheless.

Despite this not making my top 10 favorites of all time, I must say that although the book was difficult for me to make my way through, the prologue of this story was excellent! The way Chima set up the story and tied up the prologue...I was shocked at how much I wanted to uncover the secrets and mysteries she laid out in only the first few pages of the novel. My dad always said, before you buy a book you're unsure about, sit down and read the first chapter or at least the first few pages to see if you find yourself interested. Now I know this is unfair for all books, some need more than a chapter to pull a reader in and this does not make them any less wonderful all the time, but if I tested my dad's theory on The Warrior Heir, I would have snatched the book from the shelf and run for the register to buy it. The prologue, like I said would pull any reader in right away, it was that good. So while this book was not a favorite of mine, I was glad I read it and I did enjoy it for the most part.

This was the first book in a trilogy and I did add the next two installments to my TBR list because I'd like to see if they are more appealing to me and also out of curiosity as to what happens to the characters I was introduced to. Maybe I'll fall in love with them and it'll be proof positive that the difficulty I had with this read could be chalked up to a reading rut like I thought. If that's the case I'm glad, and I"ll know that I just happened to pick up The Warrior Heir at the wrong time.

Jake was about as extraordinary as a toothbrush, so far as he could tell. The things he was most concerned about in life were making the soccer team, getting Ellen to like him, and not getting beaten up by Lobeck. The only ways he was different from his fellow classmates was that he 1) had to take medication every day because he'd had heart problems as a baby and 2) had an aunt who came and go as she pleased, couldn't be denied, and had a job that he couldn't quite figure out. That is, until he's sixteen and learns that not everyone is as they seem in his life.

It turns out, his doctor is a wizard, his aunt is an enchanter, his neighbors are all part of the magical world, and he is something of a mix between a wizard and a warrior. He was born meant to be a wizard, but was inexplicably born without the stone needed for his magic and needed to stay alive. Desperate, his aunt called the only person she knew of who could save him, Dr. Longbranch. And save him, she did, only not in the way Linda expected. Rather than provide him with a wizard stone, she gave him a warrior stone, with the intent of forcing him into a tournament for her when he was old enough. What Jake learns is that the wizards have oppressed the other magical people and their hopes rest on him.

The writing in this book doesn't quite flow the way I like. It's one of those things where I can't quite identify what bothers me, but I know there's something. I think it's just that the writing is slightly stiff, the descriptions not quite vivid enough. The characters themselves aren't the most complex or interesting either and I don't feel as connected to them as I'd like.

Even with these issues, I still enjoyed the book. It certainly won't be going into my top ten favorite series list (maybe I should actually make that list) but it is fun. And it has some great moments. Particularly in the finally battle between Jake and the other Warrior (whose name I will not reveal so as not to ruin anything), as well as in the warriors of the past.

The final lesson to take out of this: Trust no one. (At least not completely.)

The Warrior Heir is a thrilling fantasy set in the 21st century that seems to be different from some of the other wizard stories out there.

Have to admit though, that the first time I read the book, back when it was first released, I wasn't too keen on it. Didn't hate it, but definitely not one of my favorites. Now, however, after picking up this book years later, I find I have a new sense of admiration and respect for it.

While I did wish that the novel contained further information about the Weir and that some of the mentioned characters of Jefferson Street were included in the storyline a bit more, I did find the book to have a great mix of relationships, historical references, action and suspense. This book was fast paced with riveting action scenes, strong historical connections, and interesting twists. There were times I grew impatient with the book, but mostly because I was just dying to find out what would happen next.

Chima's storytelling, world building, and rich back-story are what make The Warrior Heir stand apart and hold its own in a sub-genre already overrun by powerful, goodhearted young teens with power at their fingertips.

Though, If I had to choose over some of Chima's other works, I prefer her Seven Realms books over the Heir series. Regardless of that however, Overall, I enjoyed The Warrior Heir. Although there were a few stumbles and patches of unevenness along the way, this is a phenomenal debut novel for Chima.

In this book by Cinda Chima, Jack, a sixteen-year-old boy from a small town in Ohio, discovers he has incredible abilities. He has been told his whole life to take medicine for his “heart condition”, but after he forgets to take his medicine one day, a surge of new energy he has never experienced before aids him in accidentally hurting a fellow soccer player during practice. Jack finds himself stronger and more agile than ever before, and he loves it… Until he finds himself being hunted down by strange men in suits. He finds out that he is a Weirland- a warrior in a magical society ruled by selfish warlocks. His newfound abilities launch him and those he loves into danger. Soon Jack realizes everything he once knew about himself and those around him to be only a mask for what’s truly going on in the world he once knew.
I, personally, really enjoyed this story. Chima creates loveable main characters, and an intriguing plot line. There are twists and turns with every chapter. Characters like Jack, Will, and Fitch remind me what it means to be a goofy teenager – even as they battle wizards that threaten to essentially enslave Jack. I especially enjoyed the somewhat blossoming romance between Jack and the ever-mysterious Ellen Stephenson (I’m a sucker for love – what can I say?).
Of course there were things I didn’t necessarily enjoy about the book. I felt certain characters, like Leesha Middleton and Garrett Lobeck, to be exceptionally annoying. Leesha always seemed to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and came off as a needy airhead. She did wind up being more independent and powerful than I had originally thought. Nonetheless, I found myself groaning every time she showed up. She wasn’t a loveable character in my opinion. As for Garrett Lobeck, the typical high-school jerk, I’d have to say the same goes for him as well. I found myself wanting Jack to beat him up several times. Jack did not disappoint with this desire.
Besides these likes and dislikes, I enjoyed the book fairly well. I feel like a teen that is interested in fantasy books would too. Overall, I give The Warrior Heir four stars. I found myself devouring the book once I started to read it, and now I have the rest of the series sitting on my bookshelf!

THE WARRIOR HEIR is like a cross between HARRY POTTER and THE HUNGER GAMES. And if that makes you wonder if this book was manufactured specifically to give book publicists wet dreams, consider this: HARRY POTTER #1 was first published in 1999, THE HUNGER GAMES was first published in 2008, and THE WARRIOR HEIR was published in 2006. It's not derivative at all, but, rather, a perfect bridge between the two books.

Like in HARRY POTTER, our hero Jack is a teenaged boy who finds out all of a sudden that he's a member of a secret, magical world. It's like THE HUNGER GAMES because that magical world is a grim and frightful place, and Jack's magic dooms him to a short, violent life of gladitorial combat.

I have to admit that I didn't like THE WARRIOR HEIR as much as I loved HARRY POTTER or THE HUNGER GAMES, but I did think it was pretty great. Jack is weak and ignorant at first, his powers suppressed. There's no Diagon Alley, no delicious reveal for Jack - instead, he finds himself flailing about in the dark, attacked by foes who far outmatch him. He's often angry, demanding, and resentful - but always likable. That's a feat all on its own.

Most of the novel takes place in a small town in Ohio, at Jack's high school. Everyday events like soccer practice and dating mix with the encroaching threat of the Roses, and the slow reveal of what, exactly, the Roses are and why they're so very mean.

The wizard world turns out to be horrifically dystopian. I found myself thinking there's no way that a system like the one Chima sets up could possibly survive for so long, that there must be enough decent people in the world - even wizards - to curb the violent excesses. My righteous fury kept me turning the pages, but also kept me from being completely immersed in the alternate reality.

The place where THE WARRIOR HEIR really fell short, for me, was in its conclusion. I won't say any more, just that the final events felt contrived in a way that didn't work for me at all. The book is set up in a way that you're really expecting Jack to pull a rabbit out of his hat at the end, and, personally, all I saw was sleight of hand.

Working my way backwards, I read the Seven Realms series first, and after recommending it to a dear, dear friend and hearing her rave about how much she loved it, I missed having a little Chima in my life! So I finally started The Warrior Heir and boy am I glad I did!

Jack may have to take medicine every day to stay alive, and he may have had heart surgery as a baby, but his life is still pretty unremarkable. Crushing on an unattainable girl, goofy friends, and soccer tryouts are his biggest concerns. Until his aunt Linda comes into town. When she convinces Jack and his two friends to come with her on a hunt for some genealogical hunt for information about their ancestors, Jack gets more information than he expected. When someone who can only be described as a wizard attacks them, Jack realizes there is more to his heritage than just heart disease.

Then he finds the sword. Jack was born a wizard, but he was born without a wizard stone: the stone that sits behind the heart and determines the kind of Weirlind you are (warrior, enchanterer, wizard, etc.). Without the stone, he would have died, so a wizard doctor implanted a new stone, but she did something unexpected. She gave him a Warrior stone, not a Wizard stone. Now, as an amalgamation of warrior and wizard, Jack is highly sought after to fight in the wizard tournaments. Unfortunately, the tournaments are a battle to the death. Jack's sleepy, peaceful, normal life will never be normal again.

You can definitely tell that this series came before the more sophisticated Seven Realms series, but it is still fantastic! From what I understand, the series is not an actual series, but more a group of companion novels set in the same world, which I don't mind (think Graceling!). Jack's story was definitely interesting, and the history behind the wizards and the other Weirlind are fascinating. I hope the following books in the series delve even more into the back story in addition to how it moves forward. I also like the idea of companion novels instead of a series for my students, because they don't have to read the rest of the series to enjoy the story.

The story itself is really mild and would be perfect for a high skilled middle school student. There are some wizardly clashes and the tournament, but it isn't particularly violent in a gratuitous way. This is a great new series either for Chima fans or newbies to fall in love with her writing. Most of all? It is a fun and exciting story. Jack is the kind of kid we all love and want to see triumph! And the supporting characters, like the magical folk all around his neighborhood who spent years protecting him, are fun too. You won't be sorry with more Chima in your life! It will just make you crave even more!

I loved The Shattered Realms books so decided to give her earlier works a try. Almost quit a few chapters in & had trouble keeping my interest. I enjoyed the ending as it was the resolution I was hoping for & I may continue with the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA book--from the beginning, the narrators are relateable and engaging, and I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. Chima's story of a small-town boy whose life is unexpectedly interrupted by magic is engrossing, and the rest of the book flows well as Jack not only comes to terms with his magical abilities and the dangers that he faces, but also with the realization that trust can't be given lightly and people often have more reasons and motivations than are first obvious. The story is well written and wraps up the loose ends and majority of questions introduced early on, while leaving an obvious door for the next book in the series. Perhaps the only criticism is that the end is too predictable--that being said, I still enjoyed reading through to the last page, and would definitely suggest this book for anyone who's a fan of fantasy.

Decent debut. Decent storyline. Writing bit stilted but appropriate for younger YA reader. Strange chapter sectioning (lumps different avenues of storylines together - several times). Hopeful for improvement in next installments.

This is a very entertaining story with an interresting plot line.(If you liked the "Percy Jackson" books you will like this one). I accidently stumbled across this while browsing a book store and picked it up because the cover looked good. I know they say you cant judge a book by its cover, but this time it worked.

The story takes place in modern times with wizzards, warriors, enchanters and more. These magical individuals live under the rule of the harsh Wizards Guild, with the rest of the world none the wiser to their existence. The rarest and most coveted of the "Weir" as they are called, is the warrior. The main character Jack is born a Wizard, but through extreme circumstances is made a Warrior. He remains unaware of his herritage, living life as any normal high school student. All this changes when his warrior powers begin to manifest and he finds himself persued by several wizards, each with their own agenda. As he trains and begins mastering his abilities he discovers his part as a pawn in an ancient battle for power, that could cost him his life.

This story is very well writen and will keep you turning the pages till the early morning hours.

Cinda Chima's book starts when 16-year old Jackson Swift forgets to take his medication.He soon realizes that he's not a regular guy and finds himself doing unintintional magic. His Aunt,an enchanter, teaches him about his family history and the two warring clubs, the Red and White Roses. Jack learns that he is weird even in Weirs(the name for those who do magic[a club]).He is born a wizard,but he has a warrior stone,making him a target for both the Red Rose and the White Rose.Both groups want to recruit him or kill him.And still he has to find time for school.The books pace starts out slow but eventually speeds up.This book is intended for teens,but anyone who can understand it will enjoy it. Cinda Chima's world is full of enchanters, warriors,wizards, seers,and sorccerors-a must read for all lovers of fantasy.