Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 455
Source: Bought
Summary
They called it the Thorn Hill Massacre—the brutal attack on a once-thriving Weir community. Though Jonah Kinlock lived through it, he did not emerge unscathed: like the other survivors, Jonah possesses unique magical gifts that set him apart from members of the mainline guilds. At seventeen, Jonah has become the deadliest assassin in Nightshade, a global network that hunts the undead. He is being groomed to succeed Gabriel Mandrake, the sorcerer, philanthropist, and ruthless music promoter who established the Thorn Hill Foundation, the public face of Nightshade. More and more, Jonah’s at odds with Gabriel’s tactics and choice of targets. Desperate to help his dying brother Kenzie, Jonah opens doors that Gabriel prefers to keep closed.
Emma Claire Greenwood grew up worlds away, raised by a grandfather who taught her music rather than magic. An unschooled wild child, she runs the streets until the night she finds her grandfather dying, gripping a note warning Emma that she might be in danger. The clue he leaves behind leads Emma into Jonah’s life—and a shared legacy of secrets and lingering questions.
Was Thorn Hill really a peaceful commune? Or was it, as the Wizard Guild claims, a hotbed of underguild terrorists? The Wizards’ suspicions grow when members of the mainline guilds start turning up dead. They blame Madison Moss and the Interguild Council, threatening the fragile peace brokered at Trinity.
Racing against time, Jonah and Emma work to uncover the truth about Thorn Hill, amid growing suspicion that whoever planned the Thorn Hill Massacre might strike again.
I'm a huge fan of the first Heir Chronicles trilogy. So, of course, I was excited and skeptical about a new book in the series. But, happily, my worries were unwarranted.
The book takes place months after The Dragon Heir. It starts a new story with new characters, but does trickle in some smaller plot points and characters from the previous books. And I think it does a good job expanding the series's world and mythology. I think that was the most successful part of the book. The plot was fine and I will get to the characters in a minute, but being back in the world was great.
And like I said, the plot was fine. It was in line with the series. But a little bit more gritter. The only thing I wasn't happy with was the ending. It was a cliffhanger. And though I prefer if books didn't end in cliffhanger, I don't usually mind if they do. But this one felt sudden and forced. It felt like there was another chapter or two. It felt like a cliffhanger for the sake of having a cliffhanger.
Now the characters. I liked Jonah. He was what you would expect. Maybe a little bit darker. And I expect he will get more developed in the next book. I wasn't a big fan of Emma on the other hand. She felt so uneven. She felt like a different character at the end than she was at the begin. And I don't mean that she developed or grew. I mean halfway through the book it felt like the author decided to make her a completely different character. I hope she finds her way in the next one. And the supporting characters were all so different and I want to see more of them.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It's a great continuation of the series. It crafts a new story, but still respects the original one. I recommend reading the first three books, well period, but also before reading this one. But in the end, I loved the book and look forward to the next one.
And like I said, the plot was fine. It was in line with the series. But a little bit more gritter. The only thing I wasn't happy with was the ending. It was a cliffhanger. And though I prefer if books didn't end in cliffhanger, I don't usually mind if they do. But this one felt sudden and forced. It felt like there was another chapter or two. It felt like a cliffhanger for the sake of having a cliffhanger.
Now the characters. I liked Jonah. He was what you would expect. Maybe a little bit darker. And I expect he will get more developed in the next book. I wasn't a big fan of Emma on the other hand. She felt so uneven. She felt like a different character at the end than she was at the begin. And I don't mean that she developed or grew. I mean halfway through the book it felt like the author decided to make her a completely different character. I hope she finds her way in the next one. And the supporting characters were all so different and I want to see more of them.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It's a great continuation of the series. It crafts a new story, but still respects the original one. I recommend reading the first three books, well period, but also before reading this one. But in the end, I loved the book and look forward to the next one.
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