This was a soild ya fantasy! the characters were nicely developed and the twists were a lot of fun! definitely a book you want to just keep reading! i wasn’t in love with the names and that took some getting use to but easily overlooked! overall i really liked it and can’t wait for the next one!

This breathtaking YA Romantasy is bound to take the book world by storm! No pun intended. Heir of Storms follows Blaze, a Rain Singer (the last of her kind), born into a prominent fire-wielding family. Blaze's birth brought with it a storm the likes of which had never been seen. Due to the catastrophic nature of her birth, Blaze is one of the most hated people in the realm and has been sequestered her entire life to "keep her safe". That is, until she is chosen as an heir to the Aquatori throne. The only problem is that thrones are not inherited; they are won in high-stakes trials, meant to cut out the weakest links.
If you like:
Games and Trials
Elemental Magic
Political Schemes
Found Family
Love Triangle-ish (I can't explain without spoiling it!)
I highly encourage checking out Heir of Storm when it releases on June 03, 2025 (I'll be picking up the trophy for my shelf!!)

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauryn Hamilton Murray, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I went into this book not really knowing what it was about. The prologue immediately caught my interest, and it remained throughout my entire reading experience.

Heir of Storms follows Blaze, a seventeen-year-old girl who was born a Rain Singer, the last of her kind, into a fire-wielding family. Upon taking her first breath, her power summoned a devastating storm that almost drowned the world. It was the first and last appearance of her power. Yet, almost eighteen years later, she and her twin brother are chosen to compete as future rulers of the empire. It can only mean one thing - Blaze must reclaim her power, or risk being at the mercy of someone who hates her. In the meantime, she finds herself in a love triangle with two of the most unlikely suitors - the Crown Prince of the Empire and the Emperor's bastard son, who is also competing.

I have to say, after the first three chapters the pace of the story slowed. However, in the long run it more than made up for it. By the time the last page arrived, I was begging for more.

Elemental magic is one of my favorite magical systems, which means my expectations are always high. I am VERY happy to say I absolutely loved how Blaze's water power worked. It's so unique and genius and ugh I just really loved it.

The love triangle, too, was executed exceedingly well. I say this as someone who absolutely despises love triangles.

As with most YA books, this also is somewhat predictable, but there were a couple of twists I did NOT see coming that literally had me grip my kindle.

This is a strong debut book, and I look forward to reading more from the author in the upcoming years. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Roaring Book Press for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Author and Publisher for giving me a eARC of this book**

I saw this book cover and just knew it was gonna be amazing && let me just say Heir of Storm absolutely delivered. Blaze, born into a prominent family of fire-wielders, struggles with powers that don’t align with her family’s. I loved the twin dynamic: Blaze and her brother, Flint, both get chosen as Heirs to compete for a throne that isn’t inherited but won through a perilous trial every quarter of a century. This twisty premise, coupled with the “bastard prince” subplot and a world where rulers never grow old in power, kept me glued to the page.

I’m especially fascinated by how Blaze’s storm-based magic is fueled by her emotions. It adds raw energy to every scene—just one slip could cost her everything. Admittedly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of her name (a more feminine alternative would’ve suited my taste), and I wish Flint’s romantic preferences were toned down in favor of a singular love interest. But these quibbles don’t overshadow what’s genuinely captivating: the competition’s deadly stakes, the simmering palace intrigue, and the fact that I desperately wanted more romance for Blaze and Fox (maybe Book 2, please?).

Overall, Heir of Storm is a whirlwind of danger, family bonds, and a heroine finding her identity in a world that’s never fully accepted her. If you enjoy stories with fierce trials and a dash of forbidden magic, you’ll feel right at home. I’m beyond excited to see what Blaze and Flint face next, especially after that heart-stopping finale—here’s hoping the sequel brings even more heat (and more Fox!).

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC!

I can’t think of a nicer way to say this, so I’ll just say it – this book is average. It’s not bad; it’s not good; it’s exactly mid. It is unlikely I will think of it again after I submit this review as there was very little about it that captured my longterm attention. I’ll start with the plot: there is both too much and too little going on in this book. What I mean is that the worldbuilding is fairly busy if you stop to think about it – and it only gets busier as the book progresses – but most of it lacks proper set-up. Many times, I would ask “What are the Outerlands?”, “How exactly are Etheri different from Magi?”, “What are Rain Singers?”, “What’s with all the Courts?” I didn’t get substantive answers to any of these so I just shrugged them off after a while.

The surface-level worldbuilding is sadly not the only element dragging the book down. The tale is a patchwork of tropes we’ve all seen before: a girl with a dangerous power that is hidden away (see CARVE THE MARK, GIRL SERPENT THORN, etc.), trials (feels like every other book these days features one), etc. Additionally, almost every chapter starts with a dream the FMC experiences. Here’s the sad truth tho: Dreams. Are. Boring. No one wants to hear about them. Srsly, no one. Lastly, there were so many awkward smash cuts. A grand pronouncement would be made. There would be an appropriate cliffhanger – dun dun DUN – as the chapter abruptly ended. And then the following chapter would be a smash cut to a wildly inappropriate time in the future. I understand that sometimes this is done for dramatic effect, but it happened so often that it started to feel lazy – as if the author didn’t want to deal with hashing out the finer points of the fallout.

The characters didn’t help elevate the story either. None of them have a three-dimensional personality. Not Hal. Not Fox. Not Flint (who is completely insufferable). Not even Blaze (the FMC) whose entire personality revolves around her trauma and nothing more. Don’t get me wrong, my heartstrings were plucked for the girl but…. It’s not enough to sustain my interest in her for an entire book. There are several other reasons why it's hard to root for her: she rarely stands up for others and she is constantly getting saved (I lost track of how many times she fainted in the middle of a dangerous situation and was spirited away to safety by another.).

Ultimately, the narrative really only gets interesting around the 41% mark – chapter 20. And then sh*t goes completely bananas around the 80% mark – chapter 40.

(As a side note, I also didn’t love that there were slav…serfs in this book. It’s a weighty element that should be given proper attention and care, but instead felt like a throwaway here.)

The nostalgia for 2010s YA Fantasy hits hard with this book. This book is for people who want an overdue phone call from their 2010 YA book friends. It’s got elemental magic, the dreaded love triangle (ha!), a chosen one, trials, secrets, royal intrigue, spiteful girls (eye roll), and a good heroine.

Our FMC is Blaze (yup, the naming convention did not stay in 2010), and she’s on a journey of self-discovery. She’s an outlier water welder in a family of fire powers, who is suddenly thrust into a competition to be the ruler of the water welders. She’s faced with the challenge of learning how to use her powers and gain confidence. Not only that, she’s full of guilt for causing a storm that killed thousands when she was born. I appreciate that she grows from someone who wants to hide into someone who is determined, open to others, and embraces her potential.

This book is the first of a trilogy so I understand that the author couldn’t reveal everything about the world right away. However, there author did a great job with the world-building by describing this world in such a way that readers can actually imagine and picture this world. Because Blaze had been hidden away from much of her world, as she learns things so too do we learn things. We are truly seeing her world through her eyes, and she is the character that helps us become grounded in the world.

In terms of other characters being developed, I felt that quite a few of them were simply caricatures of a stereotype. I would have liked to see these side characters more fleshed out in terms of motives and desires. Perhaps in the next book.

As an adult reading this book, I don’t really buy into the idea that it’s best for teenagers to compete and rule their country. But, I don’t think this is that much of an issue as it’s a YA book. I just chuckle to think that a fifteen year old will be able to lead people much older. Speaking of this being a YA book, I think the language and writing of the book is perfectly suitable for young adults. The writing is accessible, at times pretty, and very easy to understand.

There are a few things I must mention and critique. First, this is a book with trials. I felt that one of the trials was completely silly and does not in any way show the true measure of a person. I was disappointed by this, and I’m sure people will understand what I mean when they read this. However, the other two trials I thought were appropriate.

Second, there are a few things that were introduced too late, mainly a large plot point and an important character. Because they were introduced too late, the second half of the book was filled with action and excitement, whereas the first half’s pacing was quite slow. If these things were introduced earlier, it would have allowed more development.

Despite these criticisms, I had fun with this book, and I look forward to the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for providing me with an eARC to review.

Rating: 3.5 stars

A good start to a new romantasy series! This book was very easy to read and follow and very difficult to put down. I really like the different plot points of the book and the possibility of a blossoming romance to come? Yes please.

My main critique is that a lot of the shifting from scene to scene felt very jilted and didn’t make sense so it felt like the continuity wasn’t really there. In my opinion there were a few scenes i would’ve liked to explore more that felt pretty surface level (telling and not showing). Overall, it just made me feel a little disconnected to the main character.

I do however think this is a very promising start and I will definitely be continuing on with this series!

Just finished "Heir of Storms" and I'm genuinely excited for this one to hit shelves in June! It follows Blaze, born with rain powers in a family of fire-wielders (talk about black sheep status). After her powers caused a deadly storm as a baby, she's been hidden away until she and her twin brother get unexpectedly thrown into a competition for the throne. The palace intrigue really sucked me in - watching Blaze navigate the politics while caught between the Crown Prince and this intriguing newcomer kept me turning pages way too late. I especially loved her journey from outcast to finding her own strength!

Does it use familiar fantasy elements? Sure - magical competitions and court schemes aren't exactly new territory. But the characters felt fresh and layered, and I found myself actually caring about what happened to them (even some of the side characters!). I'm definitely grabbing the sequel when it comes out! A solid 3.75/5 stars from me.

The Heir of Storms is the first in a series about a girl from a fire using family who is born with the power to make storms. In fact, her first storm, which occurred when she was born was devastatingly lethal for the entire kingdom. When she is seventeen, she and her fire using twin brother are called to a series of trials to determine new kings and queens of their respective powers. This book has all of the feels and carries the reader away in the very best way. There is romance, there is betrayal, there is suspense, there is adventure. Hopefully, the next book comes out soon!

I would recommend this book to older middle grades on up.

I received an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

6 stars. That is all. 😭♥️✨⭐️

Thank you SOOOO much to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and author Lauryn Hamilton Murray for an ARC of Heir of Storms. Publication date is June 3, 2025… trust me, this is one you do not want to miss.

This story completely swept me away. It follows Blaze, a Rain Singer born into a powerful family of fire wielders. She has been hidden away for 17 years after her birth caused a devastating storm that destroyed cities and took countless lives. Her twin brother, Flint, is an Heir to the Ignitia Throne, while Blaze is tied to the Aquatori Throne.

In this world, thrones aren’t inherited, they’re fought for in high-stakes, magical trials between four Heirs per throne, each representing a different elemental power. You’ll have to read to discover the other two thrones and what powers or elements they can wield!

I went in expecting something vaguely Hunger Games-esque, but Heir of Storms blew all my expectations out of the water (pun intended) 🌊⛈️The magic system is rich, the lore is intriguing, and the trials are completely original. Every piece of this world feels fresh and carefully crafted.

Blaze is one of the most compelling FMCs I’ve read about in a while and is such a powerful main character. She’s fierce and determined, but also raw and vulnerable in a way that felt so real. She displays so many emotions that I think a lot of women will relate to….feeling locked away or feeling like she can’t express what she’s really feeling. But as we learn, her emotions are actually her greatest strength. She grows so much over the course of the story and starts to find her place in this new, complex world she’s been thrust into.

I became so attached to not only Blaze, but the all of the characters. River, Ren, MOUSE (who completely stole my heart), Elva, Kai, Elaith, Hal, Spinner, even Fox. The evolution of Blaze’s relationship with her grandmother was beautifully done. And the history she uncovers about being the Storm Weaver and her connection with Fox… jaw. dropped. Especially that secret library visitor!

I NEED the second book ASAP. Blaze is ready to risk everything for the people she cares about, and I have to know what happens next 💛 I’m 100% along for the journey.

Things I ADORED about this book:
•The unique, immersive trial system
•A cmagic structure
•High-stakes political schemes/elemental battles
•Deep, powerful emotions
•So many twisty, shocking reveals
•An unexpected (potential) love interest with just the right amount of mystery and tension (is he good? evil? I need to know!)
•An incredible found family dynamic that made me feel all the things

This book has it ALL. I laughed, cried, gasped, and literally couldn’t put it down. Heir of Storms is an unforgettable ride from beginning to end, and I genuinely believe it’s going to be one of the biggest hits of the year. I am counting down the days until the sequel.

Romantasy fans, do yourselves a favor and add this to your list immediately. It’s magical, emotional, fierce, and so worth it 🫶🏻

This is a fast-paced, YA romantasy filled with dangerous magic, forbidden love, and a deadly competition for the throne. Blaze, a Rain Singer born into a powerful fire-wielding family, has spent 17 years in hiding after her storm-summoning birth nearly destroyed the empire. Now, she’s thrust into the spotlight, where she must battle for her place in a world that fears her.

This book delivers everything you’d want from the genre: a high-stakes tournament, swoony love interests, a found family vibe, and great banter.

While the characters and tropes feel familiar, the execution is strong, the pacing tight, and the writing emotional and engaging. A fun, compelling start to a trilogy that reminded me just how enjoyable YA can be.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

4 stars

This was a solid start to a YA fantasy trilogy! If you're a fan of Red Queen and Shadow and Bone, you'll definitely notice the comparisons, but it doesn’t feel like a copy-paste of those stories. It definitely has those familiar YA fantasy tropes, but delivers them in a way that still feels fun and engaging. The world building was seamless, with an interesting elemental magic system that avoided heavy info-dumping.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pacing. It held steady throughout, keeping me invested. Around the 50% mark, I’ll admit I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy the romance plot, but what the author did in the latter half completely changed my mind.

Now, the last 30% was when I knew I was definitely going to pick up book 2!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this e-ARC!

First, I’d like to thank NetGalley, Lauryn Hamilton Murray, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read Heir of Storms in exchange for my honest review.

WOW—just wow! I absolutely loved this book! From the richly imagined magic system to the incredible world-building and unforgettable characters, Heir of Storms completely swept me away. I didn’t see that ending coming, and it left me reeling in the best way.

Blaze’s journey was such a powerful one—watching her grow from a sheltered, isolated girl into someone who finds inner strength, real friendships, and purpose was so rewarding. Her grandmother’s words, "Remember who you are," resonated throughout the story and perfectly encapsulated Blaze’s transformation. That theme carried the emotional weight of the story beautifully.

I 100% recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy—it’s gripping, magical, and filled with heart!

Oh. My. God. Literally I am obsessed with this book. I know it’s only April, but so far this is probably my favorite or for sure top books of the year, I just know it. Lauryn wove together a beautiful magic system, the world building was perfect, and the characters were well developed. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen I was surprised. I can’t wait for a second book in this series and knowing this is her debut book????? Are you KIDDING ME. Lauryn has an incredibly bright future ahead and I’m a fan for sure.

This was a great book for world building. Lots of characters to follow and fall in love with. Emotional. Ya romantasy. Good read.

very well written romantasy with some awesome ideas. the characters were epically done and the twists were quite subtle, often hidden behind other options. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

This was an absolutely lovely debute novel that I think the author should be incredibly proud of! The world building was wonderful with a plot that unfolded at a steady pace. Perfect to keep you invested in Blaze's story without it becoming overwhelming. The elemental system while familiar was presented in a way that still felt new with maybe a bit of nostalgia. Overall this was most definitely a page turner and I look forwards to when future books come out!

4 Stars ⭐️

Heir of Storms was such a pleasant surprise!! I flew through it and found myself really drawn into the world and Blaze’s journey.

Blaze is a Rain Singer, born into a fire-wielding family—which, as you can imagine, creates a lot of tension. Especially since her powers triggered a massive storm that left thousands dead, turning her into a sort of living curse. Her character arc—from misunderstood outcast to someone slowly stepping into her power—was probably my favorite part.

The elemental magic system is familiar (fire, water, air, earth, light), but still fun. The world building had just enough detail to keep me intrigued without being overwhelming. I do think there’s potential for things to grow in complexity as the series continues.

For a debut novel, the writing flows nicely, the pacing kept me turning pages, and the setup for future books is super intriguing. This gave Throne of Glass x Red Queen x Powerless vibes!! Think magic competitions, ancient legacies, palace drama, and a determined FMC. I’ll definitely be picking up book two when it comes out.

<i> Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this e-ARC! <i>

Heir of Storms was not for me. I still want to start with some of the positives as I do think there is an audience for this book.
If you liked Powerless by Lauren Roberts you’ll probably like this. This story follows a girl who has undeservedly earned a reputation as a murderer as she discovers who she is and what the world may need from her. The magic systems is based on the typical elements (fire, water, earth, air) as well as light. There is some (minimal) political intrigue, and though the world is small in this installment it has potential to be a complex and interesting world in the future books. People who are just hungry for the next romantasy and enjoy a more formulaic book may enjoy this. I also think it is important to note that this is a debut author, so some of my gripes to come may be remedied in future books as writing is hard and can take time to craft.
So why the low rating?
1. It was painfully repetitive. I understand this book is YA, but YA readers do not need to be reminded about the world a million times. They are intelligent and need to hone their reading skills. For example, the prologue is pointless. Everything we learn in the prologue is explained in the first chapter. This book is in first person, and if the prologue was in third person to show us the world’s reaction to what happened, it would have been really interesting. Instead it felt like the author didn’t trust the reader to understand what was happening.
2. This may not be a deal breaker for many, but I couldn’t get over the naming conventions. Our main character and her brother are from the Fire wielding family and their names are Blaze and Flint. Everyone is named like this. It isn’t a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but I found it incredibly distracting.
3. It was predictable. This may be a pro for a lot of people, but I want to be on the edge of my seat. From pretty early on I was able to guess who the bad guy was, who the love interest was, and what the events of the book would be.
4. Somethings just didn’t make sense. Without spoilers are times at the party in the beginning people (Ember) should not be where they are. There is also a plot point with emotions that feels unlikely to me.
5. I’m so over girl hate in books. Yes, to be fair, Blaze (the MFC) does interact with other girls just fine, but there are two that share animosity with her for seemingly no reason. One of these characters is from the water group, and she is referred to as “fish bitch” more than once. It didn’t add anything to the story and felt very early 2000s. With this, we are told calling this group “fish” is derogatory, yet it is done constantly and that just felt…icky.
6. Blaze pretends to make decisions, but really she just does what she is told the whole book. She isn’t moving through the story or changing events. Everything is just happening by to her. I’m not a fan of that.
7. This was such a small part of the book, but at one point Blaze equates being disabled with being damaged. it isn’t something that is ever addressed or that she learns from. This is very harmful to the disability community, even just in passing.

Thank you netgally for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and Roaring Book Press @macmillanusa OMG!!!!! I absolutely loved this book🔥❤️🔥. This book included magic, love, and competition. Those three things alone made this book a page-turner. I had trouble putting it down. It stuck with me so much that I even dreamed about it😂.

This book was about a teenager named Blaze that is a Rain Singer. She literally can make it rain😁 which she did when she was born. It rained so much on the day of her birth that she actually flooded the kingdom. This caused great chaos and caused her to be an outcast because so many people perished. She was hidden away after that day and since that day she hasn't been able to make it rain the same way. Blaze and her brother, Flint, are eventually invited to the Golden Palace to compete to be future rulers. This is where the story gets really exciting. She discovers her powers and tries to change the opinion of others about her and her gift.

This book includes fighting and a few curse words here and there, so I would definitely suggest no one under 15 read this book. The author did an excellent job with world building and giving great detail with the main characters. This author has an easy to read style that flows beautifully. Of course, I had to give this amazing book 5⭐️. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

#netgalley #HeirOfStorms#roaringbookpress #macmillanus #laurynhamiltonmurray #arcreview #bookstagram