Imalshen
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Joined: May 2007
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Location: Texas
Karma: 0 |  | Review of "The Wizard Heir"
« Thread Started on May 7, 2007, 7:33pm » | |
I finished reading "The Wizard Heir" today, and proceeded to write my overall response to the book, which I am going to post here, so be warned of a bit of plot discussion, but no major spoilers.
If you have a personal review to share, feel free to post it here too.
And please note that all other authors I mentioned I really do admire and respect, even if it may not sound like I do. Each and every one of them is a creative genius, I simply point out distinct features of their writing in comparison to Cinda's:
My Review:
I escaped from school as early as possible, hoping my friends could forgive me for abandoning them. I raced excitedly down the road, keeping the speed limit no matter how hard it was. If I got pulled over it would only mean a longer wait, and I had waited as long as I could.
The day was the first of May, and I was anticipating the sequel to a book I fell in love with more than a year earlier: The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima.
I pulled up to the first bookstore I saw and ran in, ignoring the people who stared at me curiously. Had they never seen an avid reader before? I immediately found the familiar black face of The Warrior Heir, but I saw nothing of its counterpart, with its fresh, bright green cover that would stand out across three blocks in this city. An assistant told me they had only just received a delivery of the book and it wouldn’t be available for nearly a week.
Undeterred, I drove an extra half mile to the next bookstore, my money ready in my hand. I would search every bookstore in San Antonio if I had to, but I was lucky. A single copy was sitting on the shelf, waiting for me, its unread pages calling to my very soul, as any good book should.
The Wizard Heir.
I lifted it gently, admiring the strange staff on the front, wondering if the “2” I could barely see inscribed on the amulet was a fluke or intended by the artist. Now the book was safely mine, and I spent every spare second I had-and admittedly a little more school time than was wise-savoring each page.
I finished the book mere minutes ago, and I can tell you know, it was well worth the wait.
Like The Warrior Heir, Chima’s newest work of art gives a refreshingly new view of magic, the classic story starter. We begin to see more of the underlying major plot of political warfare that was barely tapped into last spring, a power struggle that both contrasts and mirrors our own world. Not many people can practically restart a story with a new protagonist and setting, and weave it into what we the readers already know, but Chima does so with such spectacular ease it causes one to wonder why so many series stick to one point of view, thus limiting the richness and variety in the writer’s universe, something I, as an amateur writer, am guilty of.
Chima has a flawless balance of almost every element you can find in a good story. She has no qualms about scaring her readers, but isn’t so ruthlessly horrible that sensitive readers are afraid to finish the series or even the book, as is the tendency of authors like Rowling. The density of the individual and overall stories does not choke a casual reader like Herbert’s masterpiece Dune and while a careful reader can guess early on the identity of the Dragon and of Seph’s parents, it’s not a matter of clear and obvious assertion from page one as was found in Paolini’s Eldest, but a matter of educated guessing with the several plausible options.
Not to mention the diversity of Chima’s endless supply of characters, new and old. Any girl who tires of the stereotypical heroine will be pleased at the power and skill each female character that defines their personality and place in the story, though the men are by no means left plain in comparison. But what makes them stand out more than their magical powers ever could is how real the characters are, in emotion, thought process and personality. I personally was startled by the uncanny number of similarities Chima’s Joseph has to my own friend Joseph, from the curls and cleverness to his irresistible nature.
Living up to its predecessor and even surpassing its brilliance, The Wizard Heir has something for everyone to enjoy, from funny and unconventional romance to hair-raising situations and a surprisingly fitting happy ending. Readers can expect to close on the last page absolutely dying for next spring, when we can continue the story with The Dragon Heir, and beyond.
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