I received an ARC copy of this via NetGalley, and I will now be hunting and hoping for special editions of this book. Wow is the only way I can come up with to describe how I’m feeling after finishing.

Heir of Storms follows Blaze and other heirs through a series of three trials to determine who will be the next King/Queen of an elemental group.

Heir of Storms, to me, felt very much as if Divergent met Avatar: The Last Air Bender. I was sucked in from the beginning, and found myself audibly gasping (in good ways) throughout the story.

The characters were great, and I would love a prequel to get more history of some (iykyk). The magic system was a lot of fun and very avatar-esque.

My only complaint about this is some stuff that occurred felt too convenient to feel organic towards the first 25-50% of the story. This did not take away any enjoyment for me.

This is a book that I would easily recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

A heavy romantasy with a few nice twists!

Thank you to Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for an eARC!

Blaze is born into a highly prestigious and powerful fire elemental family... except when she was born, she flooded the world with a storm, making her a Rain Singer - a rare, water elemental.

She and her brother Flint are called upon as Heirs to compete to win the crown of their element to rule. Alongside earth and wind elementals, Blaze struggles to prove to both everyone and herself who she truly is and vows to write her own story.


Interesting take on an elements-focused story where each elemental can affect their element in various ways (for example, water has simmering, wave control, and ice creation). The four elemental kings/queens are ruled by an emperor of Light.

There's romance between the main protagonist Blaze and other main characters as well as fierce rivalry with some of the other competing Heirs.

What I Loved:
- strong familial relationships including between brother and sister
- portrayal of handling grief
- slightly unique take on fantasy with element-based powers
- world-building with how the magic works and its restrictions
- interesting ending twists leaving me ready for book #2


Definitely recommend for fans of survival tournaments and main female protagonist growing into her own powers and emotions

3.75⭐️
First, I would like to extend a thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press and author, Lauryn Hamilton Murray for providing me with an early copy of this book.

~ Blaze, the last Storm Weaver has spent her life hidden away. Hated by all for gifts she once possessed, she has always felt like she doesn’t belong. When the Gods choose her as a potential heir to a throne to compete in a dangerous competition, Blaze must not only face those she has been hiding from her entire life but search within and strive to become who she was always meant to be.~

Although this book did have its fun and unique moments that I enjoyed- at times, it also felt like I was reading other books all rolled into one. It had a Hunger Games, Last Airbender, even a Powerless feel that I couldn’t help but draw from and visualize while reading this story. The writing itself was cohesive, it was well paced and I had no trouble following along. It had a good world and magic system and the author is very talented, especially for such a young age.

The characters were likable, easy to root for but I would have loved to see more development for both the main and secondary characters and to have learned more about the FMC’s backstory, her powers and just how strong she actually was. There had been so much talk about her being dangerous but this side was never shown and felt somewhat anticlimactic.

Overall, this was a fun, quick read with all of the potential to grow into a unique and wonderful series. I am looking forward to the next book and seeing where the story goes!

This is an ARC from NetGalley. This gives a strong Shadow of Bones/Hunger Game with a mix of Game of Thrones vibes, but brought its own spin. This fantasy is definitely YA with trails, love triangles, and magic factions. Overall, this was entertaining and kept great pacing. It didn't over complicate the storyline and set itself up for a nice for a series. I would continue with the next book. #netgalley #heirofstorms #ya #fantasy #trails #magic

The cover is what pulled me in to start with and why I asked for the ARC.
Then I read the prologue and it sucked me in- I had to know what was going to happen.
It got to a point in the book where I did not want to put it down and that's when I know its a good book! I truly enjoyed this book and I have to know what happens next! This is on my list of favorite books of 2025!!!!

3✨ for an heir of storms. This one missed the mark for me a bit. I didn’t connect with the characters and I felt like the story was very predictable. I was very hung up on a few things that seemed so impractical, such as the idea of electing teenagers to be rulers of regions based on their special elemental skills (which they were still learning) and not on anything else. Blaze as an FMC was very meek and always needed saving and I was hoping for some major character growth but it was minor at best. Overall, I think it’s unlikely I’ll be continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s publishing group for the ARC!

On the day Blaze Harglade was born, she brought with her a devastating storm that left thousands in the realm dead. Blaze is born a Rain Singer into a long line of fire-wielders. In order to protect Blaze from those who lost loved ones and would see her dead, she has been hidden away for the last seventeen years. Following her 17th name day, Blaze and her twin brother Flint, are required to come to the palace to be a part of the trials that are carried out to choose future rulers of the realm. Unfortunately for Blaze, she hasn’t been able to manifest her powers after that fateful storm. Now Blaze must try to find a way to summon her Rain Singer power, deal with being at court, watch out for enemies on all sides, and navigate the feelings she has for Prince Hal.

Heir of Storms is a fun, addictive YA Romantasy and the first book in a trilogy series. I love books that deal with elemental magic, and Heir of Storms has an intriguing take on it. The fact that Blaze was born into a fire-wielding family, with a completely different type of magic was a great twist. And I enjoyed the reveal of how her connection to her power is different from that of the other wielders.

Blaze’s character follows the path that most fantasy FMC characters follow, but I think she had a lot of personal growth throughout the story. I liked that Murray gave her a wide range of emotions, and a touch of vindictiveness toward some of the more unsavory characters, once she started getting a stronger hold on her powers. I also felt like most of the side characters worked well in the story, with Flint and Fox being my favorite.

I am always up for any book that has trials, and I thought this was a great take on it. Having the different courts compete in trials for the chance to be the next to wear the crown, instead of being born into inheriting the crown, was the perfect way to bring drama, rivalries, and political intrigue to the story.

The end of the book is done really well, and even though I knew what was coming, it was the perfect cliffhanger to lead into the second book. I am excited to see where the story goes, and how Murray continues to reveal more about Blaze’s Rain Singer powers.

I would highly recommend Heir of Storms if you are a fan of YA Fantasy with elemental magic, emerging powers, complicated love interests, court intrigue, and plots for power and control.

I absolutely loved this book, I could not set it down I enjoyed it so much.

I have already personally pre ordered the book and plan on buying a few of my friends the book along with recommending it to a few other people I know

Seriously if you have the chance to read this book do it.

Thank you Netgalley Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press for the arc

Thank you, NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press, for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a very enjoyable book, though it was fairly predictable it was still satisfying.

I liked most of the characters, not just the mains, but the side characters as well. The author did a really good job of making everyone stand out in some way or another. I thought the worldbuilding tied in effortlessly to the story, and the pacing was fairly even. I did get a lot of beats from Red Queen, not 1:1, but you could definitely see the inspiration.

I have nitpicks, but overall, it's a solid book. 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! Wow I could not put this book down, I haven’t had a fantasy consume me this much in a while! I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. The magic system and world building is unique. I love a good trial in a fantasy read and this book did not disappoint. The characters have a lot of depth and unique qualities. I can’t wait to see where this series goes with the romance, the tension is so good in this book already. The only reason this book is 4 stars is because at some points I felt like it was pretty predictable. The cliff hanger at the end has me itching for the next book release in this trilogy!

Almost gave 3 stars due to my anger of it being a unfinished series but I know that's not fair but omg 😭

Thank you net galley.

Thank you NetGalley, publishers, and Author for this e-ARC to review.

I had many different thoughts reading this novel. The beginning plot was awkwardly paced. The first chapter it went right into the party of the Heirs but getting there felt tedious. I had a hard time getting through the first few chapters. After that, the book heavily slowed down and was a little boring. I was hoping the training would be more exciting or more action but it was talked about very quick and suddenly she had somewhat of a grip of each new power she discovered when she read one book about her powers. I wish I saw more of the background characters. The (fake) "romance" between Hal and Blaze for me personally, was a bad plot point. It felt random and I did not like how that played out. Things started getting better once Fox came in and the plot started moving quickly. I did enjoy the tension and romance between them. The mean girls, Ember and Marina, I wish we saw more of. I liked her brother Blaze, and his loss was tragic. There was little movement of Blaze's character development, I hope to see more in the next book. I started liking it more towards the end and I am looking forward to the next one.

I’m glad I was able to read this book as I haven’t read any fantasy books that weren’t previously recommended to me, or already popular on the internet. This book was good in my opinion, especially for being a debut novel. The world building was very cohesive and I was able to understand the setting of the story. The central mystery was also intriguing and implemented in a more unique way than other similar books I’ve read. That being said, the concepts as a whole weren’t entirely original, though they definitely didn’t claim to be as the description compared it to both Red Queen and Shadow and Bone. I think the inspiration was definitely used appropriately, because nothing felt entirely recycled. The trials, in my opinion, felt like they were put there for plot purposes and that was it. They didn’t feel super high stakes and didn’t add much to the core idea of the story. The romance was also non-existent in my opinion. I liked the characters enough to keep reading and stay engaged but if I was reading this solely for it having romance, it wouldn’t have stuck out to me at all. I do plan on continuing the series as the books are released, and I definitely see this author improving with time (she’s only 23!) so I hope to see her gain the same traction as other young YA authors.

I really loved this book. It moves at a fast pace and I found myself not wanting to finish it so I could savor it, but also needing to get to the end to find out more. How am I supposed to wait for book 2?! I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

I loved the characters, they all had their own personality. And the world building is easy to follow. The romance is perfectly balanced, I was immediately drawn in on a particular character when he was introduced, and loved his interactions with Blaze.

This novel was an enjoyable read. This novel had several plot twists, many of them unexpected, which drew my interest and I look forward to reading the next novel in the series. There is character development with Blaze, who begins as a lady hidden from the world, blamed for a gift she doesn’t quite want, and now is chosen to fight for a crown. Blaze must develop her abilities and figure out what triggers them, navigate the political court, and try to figure out the motives of two brothers. Blaze goes from a shy girl into a more confident woman who wields great power. The plot weaves a story of the past, which now comes into play and even more dangers lie ahead. I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was an advanced copy given by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Blaze was born and was so powerful that a huge storm happened. This is what she’s associated with: the destruction that followed. She’s been kept away from the world, living with her grandmother, twin brother, and 6 year old brother, whose birth caused his mother to die and his father to abandon his children due to grief. On her and her brother’s 17th birthday, the family is hosting a party for the other kingdom’s to attend. Every other kingdom has a power: Fire, wind, water, and earth.

After this event, Blaze is unexpectedly selected by the gods to compete to be the heir of the Aquatori, the water kingdom. She meets enemies and friends through this experience. She also experienced conflicting attractions for two brothers. Usually I don’t enjoy a love triangle, but this one was okay. I liked the characters and loved Blaze’s relationship with her family. I appreciated Blaze’s character development.

I stayed up til 2 am reading and would 100% pick up the second book!

I very much enjoyed this book, however I found a lot of errors and the many run-on sentences drove me crazy. Some of the sentences were so long, they were entire paragraphs. I just hope that these get fixed during editing before publication. I enjoyed the content of the book very much once I made myself look past the errors.

This book was so good! It kept me hooked and intrigued the whole time! Some of it was a bit predictable, but not in a bad way. Overall, I can’t wait for the rest of the series! It reminded me of a combination of parts of a few series that I really enjoyed: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Fourth Wing (without the dragons).

4.5 ⭐️!! i had so much fun with this book! i was hooked from the beginning to the end, and this is the kind of YA i’ve been wanting forever 😭
the world was so interesting, and the power system and lore behind the story was equally great. there’s the usual trials, but i honestly really found myself liking these a lot more than the others i’ve come across. super well written, and very fast paced!!

SPOILERS 🫣🫣🫣

hal had me so mad!! 😭 who does he think he is..
i was honestly just more thankful that fox was the main love interest, and he’s the first love interest i’ve read in a while that i actually like 😭🙏FINALLY!!!!!!
i really liked blaze, and i thought that her powers being tied to her emotions was super cool and a great way of navigating her grief.
ENDING WAS CRAZY!!! 😭 wbk balen was evil tho cmon now

SPOILERS OVER ⛓️‍💥⛓️‍💥

all in all, this was a book that genuinely had me gripped
from start to finish and i hope it gets its flowers once it releases! it surely deserves it 😍🙌

thank you to netgalley and macmillan children’s publishing group for blessing me with my very first arc 🥹🥹!!

I throughly enjoyed this YA romantasy!
The world building was unique. The magic system very well done. I liked learning about the different groups of people. I feel like this book could have been quite a bit longer and I would have happily kept reading.

The only thing I would say that was meh was the romance. Each “love interest” didn’t really appear much in the book. Fox seemed cruel at times and I’m not sure how I feel about him.

Blaze is a storm singer. When she was born she created a devastating flood that killed thousands. She’s hated and feared for it. Her family is primarily fire singers her twin brother included. A day after they both turn 17 an eclipse comes foretelling the start of new chosen kings and queens of each element (fire, water, wind, and earth.) Although in order to become the king/queen each heir has to complete three trials against three other heirs. Once in the capital Blaze meets the crown prince who she treats her with unknown kindness. She also meets the Earth Mover who is also notorious for creating a rift and killing more people than even Blaze. She’s oddly pulled towards him, while becoming entangled into a mystery of magic and power.

I can’t wait for the sequel! I was definitely pulled in and loved this. Lots of questions I need answered!



Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s publishing group for the arc.
I was given an arc and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

“I am the girl who wove the storm that shook the world. And I’m coming for my crown.”

Blaze, a water wielder/Rain Singer, is born into a family of fire wielders. On the night of her birth she summons a storm that floods the lands and kills thousands. As she gets older she believes her powers to be gone. An eclipse happens right after her 17th birthday and her and her twin brother Flint are invited to participate in the Choosing Rite, a competition for the 4 elemental thrones.

✨Crowns are not inherited they are won.

The writing style and pacing are perfect. It sucks you right in and you feel like you are right there watching a movie. I read to 10% in one sitting and then stayed up way past my bedtime to finish the rest of the book in the next sitting.

If you’re a nostaligic YA fantasy fan you are going to LOVE this. This book gives 2010 YA vibes in all the best ways.

This is a true YA, so there is no spice, but there is great tension and slow burn! Our main male characters are Fox and Prince Hal. and while there is a love triangle, all is not what it seems. Our main female lead grows through the book as she learns to be more confident in herself and what she can do.

You will love this book if you enjoy books that have

✨Elemental Magic
✨Forbidden Love
✨Trials for the crown
✨Love triangle—sort of, but not typical…don’t want to spoil
✨Strong sibling bonds
✨Grief/loss
✨Political intrigue
✨Self discovery
✨Tension
✨Slow burn romance

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the eArc. All opinions are my own.

This is the author’s debut novel (AMAZING!), and this book is the first in a trilogy. I am so exicted for the next two books to see how this story plays out! Sign me up for all her books please because this one was fantastic.

Here are some of my fave quotes from the story:

✨“I have many names. Or rather, I am known by many. I don’t think of them as mine. My names belong to the people who use them.”

✨“Some see emotion as a hindrance rather than a strength, but that is because they forget how powerful emotions can be….To feel is to be alive.”

✨“Sometimes we must lose our footing in order to find our balance.”