The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles Series #1)

by Cinda Williams Chima

Overview

A teen from Ohio discovers he's the last in a long line of magical warriors chosen to fight to the death.

Before he knew about the Roses, sixteen-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small town of Trinity, Ohio. 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 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 living among us. At the head of this magical society sit 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.

As if his bizarre magical heritage wasn'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. Can he learn to control his magic and fight off the Wizards who would claim him? Find out in the first book in the epic Heir Chronicles series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423136194
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/17/2009
Series:	Heir Chronicles Series , #1
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	118,887
Lexile:	730L (what's this?)
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima grew up with talking animals and kick-butt Barbies. She began writing poetry and stories in third grade and novels in junior high school. These days she writes fantasy fiction for teens of all ages. Her Heir Chronicles contemporary fantasy series includes The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, The Enchanter Heir, and The Sorcerer Heir.

Her high fantasy Seven Realms series launched with The Demon King, followed by The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown; she is also the author of the Shattered Realms series, including Flamecaster, Shadowcaster, Stormcaster, and Deathcaster, among other works. She lives in Ohio with her family, and invites you to visit her online at cindachima.com.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5-9-An apparently ordinary 16-year-old boy turns out to have magical powers that make him a target of a covert society of wizards, enchanters, and warriors called "the Weir." Jack's small-town world in Ohio begins to unravel when he starts to unleash unintentional bursts of wizardry. When he recovers a powerful sword from an ancestor's grave, he begins to realize how different he really is. A battle with a wizard and some magic-laced conflicts at his high school keep the pages turning while the truth about Jack's destiny slowly emerges. The scene switches to Great Britain, where he learns that he must participate in a duel to the death against a mysterious opponent. Many details about the Weir are initially hidden from readers, as well as from Jack, so the gradual revelations about the society are involving and often surprising. Jack makes a fairly convincing hero. He is disbelieving at first and reluctant throughout, but ultimately finds a way to utilize his new powers without sacrificing his honor or basic decency. An appealing mixture of supporting characters includes relatives with various magical abilities, a couple of nonmagical but loyal friends, and an engaging assortment of villains. Occasional plot developments are unconvincing, as when Jack's protective aunt, an enchanter, takes him straight into the clutches of a wizard who clearly wants the young warrior in her power. For the most part, though, the teen's unavoidable involvement in the intricate world of the Weir is suspenseful and entertaining.-Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Ordinary youth unearths a mysterious artifact, discovers his secret heritage and becomes the pivotal figure in an epic battle between Good and Evil. The hero this time is Jack Swift, average Ohio teenager, until one day he skips his dose of "heart medication" and nearly kills a classmate. Suddenly sinister dark strangers are in pursuit, and Jack frantically attempts to master a magical sword and his warrior powers, in a centuries-long wizards' game in which Jack is both pawn and prize. Chima's writing is graceful, if cliched, with an acute ear for the rhythms of Midwestern small towns. Jack is a likable fellow, but his confusing muddle of friends, family, allies and enemies are mostly shallow stereotypes issued directly from central casting, each with the requisite Deep Dark Secret awaiting dramatic revelation. While the plot draws heavily on standard fantasy tropes, they are skillfully rendered, building to a predictable but well-scripted showdown and a genuinely unexpected climactic twist. A competent, unexceptionable addition to teen fantasy shelves; the sort of thing you'll like if you really like that sort of thing. (Fantasy. YA)

Kirkus Reviews

"Twists and turns abound in this remarkable, nearly flawless debut novel that mixes a young man's coming-of-age with fantasy and adventure. Fast paced and brilliantly plotted."—VOYA

"Fans of action/adventure fantasy, and even videogames will find this an absorbing read."—BCCB

"The story cleverly entwines ancient magic and contemporary adolescence in a coming-of-age story that works on both levels."—KLIATT

From the Publisher

Jack Swift is a typical 16-year-old in small-town Ohio, hoping to make the soccer team and catch the eye of a cute new girl. But his life is turned upside down when he learns that he is a Weirlind, a warrior possessing magical powers, and that the feuding houses of Roses desire to recruit him for their life-and-death game of warriors. Robert Ramirez portrays Jack’s strength with intensity, but his forceful delivery leaves little room for Jack’s youthful sensitivity and confusion. Ramirez’s awkward British accents are distracting, but his more straightforward voices allow the provocative story line to unfold. The intricate intertwining of magical and everyday worlds provides depth to this worthwhile fantasy. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

APR/MAY 07 - AudioFile