From Goodreads: Before he knew about the
Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio
town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has to take daily and the thick
scar above his heart set him apart from the other high schoolers. Then
one day Jack skips his medicine. Suddenly, he is stronger, fiercer, and
more confident than ever before. And it feels great - until he loses
control of his own strength and nearly kills another player during
soccer team tryouts. Soon, Jack learns the startling truth about
himself: he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical
people who live among us. At their helm sits the feuding houses of the
Red Rose and the White Rose, whose power is determined by playing The
Game - a magical tournament in which each house sponsors a warrior to
fight to the death. The winning house rules the Weir. As if his
bizarre heritage isn't enough, Jack finds out that he's not just another
member of Weirlind - he's one of the last of the warriors - at a time
when both houses are scouting for a player.
My Rating: 3 hearts
Thoughts on the Novel: Although I’d never checked it out, Cinda
Williams Chima’s The Heir Chronicles was
a fantasy series that I’d heard a lot about in the past. With the release of
the newest book in the series, The Sorcerer Heir, however, I figured I’d give
the first book, The Warrior Heir, a try.
Though I found The Warrior Heir to
be an okay novel and thought the worldbuilding was pretty solid, the story just
didn’t grip me. Not only was The Warrior Heir quite predictable, but its pacing
was slow and the characters were sort of boring. Ultimately, I think my younger
self would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
The Warrior Heir was released by Disney
Hyperion in April 2007.
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From Goodreads: Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever.
A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the
infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left
with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes
went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once
was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination,
ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their
fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more
than just scars - they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts,
and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called
the Young Elites. Teren Santoro works for the king.
As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young
Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the
Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may
possess the darkest secret of all. Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society.
This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the
Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover
someone with powers like they’ve never seen. Adelina wants to
believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the
lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a
very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all
certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A
vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to
cross her.
My Rating: 3.5 hearts
Thoughts on the Novel: While I still need to read the second and
third books in Marie Lu’s Legend series, I figured I’d give her newest series a
try in the meantime. Although it wasn’t what I expected (because I didn’t
realize that all the characters in the novel would be anti-heroes), I still
enjoyed The Young Elites due to its well-written beginning and ending. Little
happened in the middle, however, and the worldbuilding was very much neglected.
The Young Elites was released on October
7, 2014 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers.
