3.75 STARS!! Thank you NetGalley and MacMillian for providing thie eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a great debut fantasy novel and one that can easily be recommended for those just starting to dip their toes into the genre. There are a lot of great tropes represented, and the overall story/plot was matched with good pacing throughout. There were also some surprising takes on this like how common magic systems are used (like the 4 elements).

The FMC, although extremely sheltered, still had a little sass to her and figured out how to come out into her own and figure out who she was deep down. Without giving away any spoilers, there was plenty of grief, confusion, and big emotions that she had to deal with throughout this book.

Although there are many portions of the story that can be predictable, there were a couple of plot twists that I did not expect at all and I loved that. I think there were small issues here and there that I did not love (like annoying bully characters and some of their conversations), but not even to deter me from enjoying the overall story. Will definitely continue the series.


Some Tropes I loved
- Sibling Love (rather than rivalry)
- Found family
- Love Triangle
- Games & Trials
- Unique Twist on Magic System (elemental)
- Multiple Antagonists
- Witty Banter
- Political Scheming

This is the fantasy novel I was looking for. It was a trip that I didn’t want to return from. I was here to be entrained and it did not disappoint me.

“I have many names. Or rather, I am known by many. I don’t think of them as mine.”

Every quarter of a century a deadly competition for the most gifted young Etheri battle for the four thrones - a Choosing Rite.
This fast-paced, elemental-powered world was engaging, and enjoyable. The story had my feet kicking, my jaw hanging and my mind buzzing with its foreshadowing, plot twists, and slow-burn love stories. The ending - well, you need to read it for yourself to see.

“Watching history unfold feels very different from reading about it.”

Thank you to the Fierce Reads Team, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray.

4.25 stars
Heir of Storms really kept me locked in. However, there were a few plot holes, and the end really came out of nowhere. The plot was intriguing, though, even if it was a little predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.

1.5 stars. DNF'd at 50%/C25.

The synopsis promises so much and then quickly fails to deliver after an exciting beginning before falling into a gaping hole no one can climb out of.

Let me just start with the most egregious thing, any type of slavery as a world-building point needs to be handled with nuance and care especially with making the FMC a noble and the two love interest MMCs royals all of whom clearly benefit from this system. This novel definitely did not have any type of mindfulness about this. I also fall to see why slavery was added into the story to begin with other than feeling like it was written (poorly I might add) as a shock value for the sheltered and naive FMC to internally admonish the system but then do nothing externally about it. Oh, and I am not forgetting that one of the MMCs is one of the people that just cheerily goes rounding up slaves and the narrative was pushing how the FMC found him just so hot and confounding and "deary me who will I choose?!"

Let me move onto the characters, the cardboard my resident One Orange Braincell eats up has more dimension than those in this novel. They are so transparent. You have the somehow powerful but also powerless and inexperienced FMC that everyone hates because her birth caused a biblical flood, the "good boy" ray of sunshine love interest #1 who is heir to the throne, and then the aforementioned slaver "bad boy" love interest #2 who also cleaved the world in half when he was 13 and thus killed a bunch of people but everyone either loves him or hates him in equal measure (did I mention he is love interest #1's half bastard brother because of course he is). The rest of the cast is forgettable as they are just there to fill a trope checkbox or in the case of random eccentric old people, sage advice givers that allows the FMC to "aha!" her mental blocks within the next chapter with no real growth or work involved.

Now onto the world-building which was both intriguing but also frustratingly bland in some areas. It is like the author had a bunch of really cool ideas (minus the slavery obviously) but instead of taking the time to weave it together organically and think about how A would interact with B, it felt crammed together with no continuity and left lacking any real substance. Unfortunately the entire novel suffered for this, there was no heart in it and it felt empty.

The plot.... honestly I am not sure what to put here so I'll just summarize the 50% of the book I read. The FMC and her twin have their name day party or something, an eclipse happens which signals the trials in this world (aka leadership change that also doesn't make sense), they travel to the palace because both are now considered heirs to two separate kingdoms, a whole lot of vague training and parties that doesn't feel like it organically goes anywhere, and then the first trial that is over as quickly as it began and was obvious as to what it was going to be from the beginning (but somehow the FMC is shocked by it), and then the love triangle was quickly introduced followed by a kiss with love interest #1 that also had no essence to it due to the lack of real build up between them because all he's done is said some nice words to her and brought her flowers in a narrative that feels like it's trying to speedrun to the finish but can't even get off of the starting line.

All in all, I do not recommend this book.

Thank you Fierce Reads for the ARC after mentioning I loved Our Infinite Fates!

I ended up really enjoying Heir of Storms! I thought it was going to be the standard YA fantasy book with the usual love triangle happening. However, I am so glad I continued and finished the book. I really enjoyed the unexpected turns and the world-building of how the concept of heirs/kingdoms worked. I can't wait to continue this series!

“Never doubt the tides of fortune, whether they break or bind.”

Heir of Storms is a fast-paced romantic fantasy that follows Blaze, a seventeen-year-old girl with a past she would rather the world forgot. Generations of her family have been able to wield fire, cementing them as one of the most powerful families in the empire, but not Blaze. Her birth brought about the most devastating storm the world had ever seen—thousands perished. Since then, she has lived hidden away in her grandmother’s home while her twin brother, Flint, flaunts his gifts among the emperor’s court, but Blaze has been unable to summon another storm. When she and Flint are selected to compete as Heirs to become rulers within the empire, she has to learn how to wield her abilities, and fast. But things aren’t so simple when she finds herself caught between the attentions of the dazzling Crown Prince and a dangerous yet captivating Heir.

Lauryn Hamilton Murray’s novel was a carefully crafted blend of magic and romance that was reminiscent of the YA books I read in high school. The novel had a lot of the common YA fantasy tropes: an elemental magic based society, a chosen one, and a love triangle, but what I liked is that Heir of Storms adds a new spin. Every generation, during the Choosing, four Heirs are selected by the gods to compete for each elemental throne. I particularly liked that instead of one victor taking it all, there are four winners, which expanded on the trial aspect. The trials themselves were unique, with different aspects to challenge those who wielded different elements. I am not normally a fan of love triangles, but I found myself liking the characters and how this one came together. Each character was compelling and well formed. The relationships, whether they were romantic, platonic, or familial, were intricate and built from solid foundations. Each character has clear flaws, especially Blaze, who is rather sheltered, and I think that it is important for readers to see characters make mistakes and decisions that, while in a fantastical world, can still be relatable. There is a lot of room for them to grow, but their story isn’t done yet. Heir of Storms is the first novel in a trilogy, and I look forward to seeing how these characters develop and how the plot transforms during the next two books.

Heir of Storms is everything I want in a fantasy novel: high-stakes, a morally gray heroine with a storm inside her, and a world so rich it felt like I got swept into a political hurricane and forgot to come up for air. This book was a ride. Magic, betrayal, a heroine who is equal parts powerful and messy. Absolute chaos in the best way. She’s not here to play nice, and yet I found myself rooting for her even when she made devastating choices. The slow-burn tension between her and her reluctant ally had me flipping pages like my life depended on it.
The world-building is intense (in the best way), the slow-burn tension delivers, and that ending?? RUDE.

Tropes:

⚡ Morally gray FMC

🤝 Reluctant allies

🫂 Found family

🌪️ Hidden powers

💥 Political intrigue

Enter a world of elemental magic, inheritances of power, and dangerous trials to claim your crown. “Heir of Storms,” is an action-filled YA debut that has high stakes and a strong FMC. Blaze is born into a fierce family of fire wielders, however she is not like her kin. Upon her birth, she summons a storm so ferocious it nearly drowns the world. Since then, her devastating power always seems to be out of reach, and she is barely able to summon a light sprinkling of rain. As a seemingly powerless outsider within her own fire-wielding court, she is shocked when she is chosen as an Heir: powerful and talented youths from each elemental line chosen to compete for their respective crowns. Through trials of mind and body, Blaze discovers herself and the power that has existed within her all her life. Some plot points felt familiar or predictable, but I still really enjoyed delving into this story! This story also offers readers a forbidden attraction romance sub plot, but this is not the focus of the story, which I can appreciate. If you enjoyed “Shadow and Bone,” and “Avatar the Last Airbender,” I think you will really enjoy this book!

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for access to this eARC for review; all thoughts are my own.

Heir of Storms is the debut novel and first installment in author Lauryn Hamilton Murray's Storm Weaver trilogy. This story blends Romance, with elements of magic, and court intrigue, along with a who will she choose love triangle. This book has comparisons to Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and early works by Sarah J. Maas. Heir of Storms follows Blaze Harglade, a Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire of Ignitia.

Her birth unleashed a catastrophic storm that killed thousands, earning her the moniker "Storm Weaver" and a lifetime of ostracism. For seventeen years, Blaze has been hidden away, her water-based magic seemingly vanished, while her twin brother, Flint, is celebrated for his potent Flameborn abilities and expected to claim the throne of Ignitia through the Choosing Rite, a deadly competition to determine the rulers of the empire’s four elemental houses (fire, water, earth, and air).

When an unexpected invitation thrusts Blaze and Flint into the Golden Palace to compete for the Aquatori throne, Blaze must confront her suppressed powers, navigate a treacherous court filled with intrigue, and grapple with her growing feelings for two suitors: the charming Crown Prince and a mysterious, alluring newcomer who may be as dangerous as she is. As Blaze’s magic resurges and the stakes of the Choosing Rite escalate, she discovers that claiming the throne requires not only mastering her powers but also rewriting the narrative of her own identity.

Blaze is a fierce yet vulnerable heroine whose journey of self-discovery is the heart of the novel. Her backstory—marked by guilt over the storm she caused at birth and years of isolation—makes her instantly sympathetic. Her struggle to embrace her emotions as the key to unlocking her magic is a powerful metaphor for self-acceptance. Blaze’s wit and resilience shine through in her interactions, particularly in her banter with her suitors and her sibling dynamic with Flint, which is one of the novel’s strongest emotional anchors.

The sibling relationship between Blaze and Flint, as well as her younger brother, is a standout element. Their contrasting abilities and societal roles—Flint as the favored heir and Blaze as the reviled outcast—create tension, but also moments of tenderness that highlight their loyalty to each other. This dynamic adds depth to both characters and sets up intriguing possibilities for the trilogy’s future. Murray uses tropes like the chosen one, love triangle, and deadly competition effectively, but the lag between the three trials could have been tightened up a bit.

It should come as no shock or surprise that this book does end on a cliffhanger. The ending, along with the actual trials, were the best parts of this book. The villain was introduced early in the story, so readers should pay attention to the machinations and twists as the story progresses. The author uses unexpected twists that are both shocking and well-foreshadowed.

A submersible new Romantasy with elements that’ll keep you flipping those pages. Heir of Storms get a BLAZING 4.5

Heir of Storms has many of my favorite tropes, but they don't overshadow the uniqueness of this story. I know when a story keeps me up way too late into the night/morning, that it's a good one. This is a good one, y'all!

The title alone introduces the main theme, the protagonist's name is Blaze, and she's an Heir in Ostacre (continent), with "countries" unique by their "gifts/ representative colors/house emblems; Etheri".
EX: There's Red for Valburn (country), The Court of Flames. Queen Yvonne of the Ignitia. She wears a crown of golden flames. Each country has a representative which sits on the Crowned Council.

As expected in a first book, there is quite a bit of world building and backstory. And its intriguing! Blaze (FMC) is such a unique character and easily you want to cheer her on as she navigates so many obstacles thrown her way, and grows confidence as she learns more about her gift and overcomes challenges. Her gift is very unique and many fear, and for good reason. Hidden away for seventeen years, she's unexpectedly thrust into a completion to essentially become Ostacrian royalty, leader of her gifted Court, and a representative on the Crowned Council. The emotion invoked as she learns to control her gift was heartwarming.

There's characters you'll want to strangle, characters you'll really like, and characters who leave you guessing. I absolutely loved Blaze's grandmother, Lady Harglade of Valburn, (Leda Flameslinger; the name just sounds bada$$)

Without getting into too much detail, I still can't stop thinking about Blaze's younger brother, Renly. I feel like there is more to his story/character development as well. Ren supposedly is a "late bloomer" but I think there's going to be more on that in book 2 (I hope). Maybe I'm wrong, but that's going to be a lingering question for me.

Overall, this book delivered. I can't wait to get the physical copy to add to my shelves. I'd like to thank Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Book Press, and NetGalley for providing me an advanced ebook copy for review.

Our story follows Blaze, a 17 year old Rain Singer born into a family of fire welders. She’s spent her whole life hidden away until she is chosen to participate in a deadly set of trials to battle for the four thrones.

The story is gripping and the setting is immersive. Blaze’s relationship with her twin brother, Flint, was one of my favorite parts of the story. There is a love triangle, which I am usually not a fan of, but this book used the trope pretty well. This was the perfect YA fantasy read. I can’t wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press for providing an e-ARC.

3.75* Rounded up

Overall I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the rest of the series. The magic system here was fun, the use of elemental magic is always interesting to me and the way it was used in this book was clearly explained and made sense. I did see some of the reveals coming but I also was surprised by a couple of them. There is a love triangle but I found that it was not super cringey and I overall liked how it was handled. This is an engaging and fun YA fantasy to start off a series that features a strong female character finding her own way.

I received an eARC thanks to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press, all opinions are my own.

4.5/5 stars

I had a great time with Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray! I have become more cautious picking up YA books as I am no longer the demographic, and don't want that to heavily impact my review and rating of a book. But I am also a strong believer that there are many fantastic YA novels that can easily be adored by young adults and adults just the same. I think Heir of Storms is simply a book that can be enjoyed by all ages YA and up. A fun, powerful fantasy with a gripping story, you can't go wrong!

Heir of Storms starts out of the gate with a very gripping premise. A newborn baby with unexpected powers causes apocalyptic storms and flooding. We quickly transition to modern day where she doesn't have any power at all. The story then continues into a sweeping tale of court intrigue, trials of power, and a romantic dynamic that will keep you on your toes.

Despite hosting many popular fantasy tropes, like trials and two hot prince brothers, Heir of Storms managed not to feel stale or overdone. It was absolutely an easy page turner with fun banter, surprising twists, and drama until the very last page.

I will absolutely be picking up the second book when it releases. Hopefully that's sooner rather than later!

Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray is definitely one of the best YA Fantasy/Romantasy books of 2025. I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on a copy!

Right from the first chapter I knew I was going to love this book. I was immediately hooked by the characters and the plot. This book is very addictive, I was not able to put it down. I love fantasy books with magical powers and trials. The magic system in this book is elemental magic. Usually everyone from your family has the same powers but our FMC is a rare case. Her whole family had fire power and has water powers. Bases on their powers our characters get selected to compete in trials for the crown. This book has so much going on besides the trials. With the ending of this book I have lots of questions and I definitely will be reading book 2 when it comes out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray is a first person-POV YA fantasy. Blaze is the daughter of wielders of fire magic but her power is that of storms and she has previously unleashed a great one upon her kingdom. Loathed by everyone around her, it comes as a great surprise that she is in the running for Heir and has a chance to take the crown. But the two princes, Hal and Fox, are going to make things difficult.

There are a lot of familiar aspects here such as a tournament and a love triangle. What sets this apart for me is that the plot involves a competition for the crown itself instead of competing for the hand of a prince or the crown being a reward for something else that the main character has achieved. The prose is in a deep first person-POV and I did enjoy some of the turns of phrase as well as the use of names as something that hurts Blaze and makes it impossible to forget what her magic did in her grief. The tournament had a few interesting twists, such as the riddle and the second test being based on the elements of each Heir.

I do want to say something very clearly: there is nothing wrong with liking what you like and wanting to read the same thing over and over by new authors with new twists. As a long time romance reader, it does grate when people do knock that about the genre because that is a key reason why people keep coming back: we know how it will end, who the main character will end up with, and what makes it different is the parts and pieces that lead to the romance. I say all this because that is how I feel about the romance subplot in this book. I knew who Blaze was gonna pick the second he was introduced and I knew what kind of archetype he was going to be and that the other guy was probably not gonna be a threat. Readers unfamiliar with this set-up could have a lot of fun with it while readers who have a very strong preference for it will have a great time. I liked how it was written and I am a fan of this set-up, so I don’t have any issue reading it, but if someone is really, really hungry for a different kind of romance arc, this will probably not satisfy.

Content warning for mentions of enslavement and torture

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy from the 2010s and readers of fantasy who like tournaments and romance subplots

Heir of Storms is a solid start to a new YA romantasy series. I really liked the idea of Blaze being a Rain Singer in a fire-wielding family - it made her feel like an outsider from the start, and her journey through the Choosing Rite added a great mix of tension, magic, and personal growth. The world-building is strong, especially the concept of earning the crown through trials instead of inheritance.

There are definitely some familiar tropes and a few twists I saw coming, but the story still held my interest. The romance was present but didn’t take over, which I appreciated. While it does leave a lot open for the next book, I’m curious to see where the series goes from here!

5⭐️ 0-.5🌶️*
🖤YA Romantasy
🖤Forbidden Love
🖤A sprinkle of some morally grey action
🖤A plot twisting love triangle
🖤Feminine rage
🖤Dangerous Elemental Magic
🖤Cut-throat Trials for the crown
🖤Addresses Grief and Loss
🖤Incredible world building
🖤VAST Character development

The world building in this book should be taught in a class; the author does such an incredible job at weaving it into the story so as to keep you interested and engaged. The character development is on another level; so accurate and appropriate especially as a young woman going through the things she goes through in this story. The romantic portions of this book were perfect. Not too much to take away from the story; it fits the context of the story.
If you are a fan of books like The Cruel Prince, Once Upon a Broken Heart, Shadow and Bone, etc., you will absolutely LOVE this read.
*While I marked this read as zero 🌶️ there is still some pretty detailed kissing action. Just a heads up. 🖤
My one grievance is now I have to wait for who knows how long to get to read book two. 😆 I GOTTA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT 😆🖤

Thank you to Lauryn Hamilton Murray, macmillanchildrenspublishinggroup and netgalley for the gifted ARC 🖤

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while! I loved this romantasy so much. Blaze was an amazing character and her growth in this story was perfect. I loved watching her come into her power and I can’t wait to see where she goes in the next book.

I loved Blaze’s entire family too. Flint was extremely entertaining and I thought the way he looked out for Blaze was so cute.

Don’t even get me started on Fox. He was everything I look for in a morally grey character! There is literally nothing I would change about him.

The world building in this story was so enthralling. I’ve never seen a magic system quite like this one.

I’m very sad that now I’ll have to wait for book 2, but I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.

If you like romantasy with a unique magic system and morally grey characters, then this book is for you!

Blaze was born a Rain Singer into a powerful fire-wielding family, nearly destroying the world with a storm that vanished along with her magic. Years later, she’s called to compete for the throne, facing danger, romance, and the truth about her power.

I was hooked right from the start and didn’t want to put this book down. Even though trials can feel overdone in YA fantasy, I actually really liked how this one made them more political and tied to each house. I need the sequel immediately.

4.5 stars! Blaze's annoying tendency to have double standards removed the last half of a star, as did a few of the timeline bits. How could she believe every story told about Fox (the Earth Cleaver to her Storm Weaver) and be afraid of him, when she's gone through the same thing her whole life and resents people for it? Some of the timeline didn't hold up, or I simply missed it in the reading, but an extremly minor background character that seems to have been mentioned once is suddenly dead, but the character who cared for them doesn't seem overly shaken up, as if it happened eons ago, but that's not how it was made out to be in the book. I feel like I missed an important part, or it was skipped over? Two small things that didn't really detract from my absolute adoration of this book. Other than the weird timeline for that one bit, the world and characters felt fleshed out, with a well-thought-out magic system. Very Avatar, The Last Airbender style magic system, but the author seems to have put their own spin on it, which was enjoyable. The book seemed to flow really well, and the end didn't feel rushed, the way it can in a book like this. I think my favorite thing about Blaze and her journey is that it FELT like a journey. She had her ups and downs, but ultimately she had to come into her own sense of power (mental and magical) in her own time and had to learn to accept herself. It felt very relatable.

I'm almost sad I read the ARC, since now I have to wait extra long to read the next book!! I will definitely be frothing at the mouth for the next installment!