Book Review: The Enchanter Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Title: The Enchanter Heir
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Pages: 458
Genre: Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5
Source: Netgalley

For those of you who haven’t read any of Ms. Chima’s books, this is the 4^th book in The Heir Chronicles and is a spinoff from the original trilogy.

The Thorn Hill Massacre killed thousands of Weir [magical people] and only a few hundred children lived. The survivors, also known as the savants, each had a magical trait that made them unique. Jonah Kinlock, a  savant, also had such a magical trait: the ability to kill by touch.

Emma Claire Greenwood always thought she was a normal, everyday girl. But when she realizes she is a savant, everything changes. Now the Weir are restless over killings occurring in Trinity, Ohio, leaving only one explanation: the murderers of Thorn Hill were killing the Weir in Trinity. Only Jonah and Emma have the power to save the Weir, but doing that might be suicidal.

Jonah and Emma are both intriguing characters to read about. Jonah is kind and careful. He knows that one wrong touch, and someone he loves will die.  Emma is practically the opposite - brash and headstrong. I have to say that Jonah is the better character because it is easier to see how he reacts to the new alterations in his life. Emma is also an entertaining character, but her life and emotions seem artificial when compared to Jonah’s.

Honestly speaking, I can’t really say this book met the expectations that I had. The characters were good, but while I was reading, I didn’t really get what the point of this book was. It seemed as if there was no real focus, a problem that continues throughout the story.

But on the other hand, it was fun reading the romantic plot. You have Emma, who is undeniably attracted to Jonah. And then you have Jonah who likes Emma but is too afraid of his own body – literally- to do anything. It was amusing to read how the two characters were going to solve that dilemma. Also the feelings between the hero and the heroine were well expressed. Additionally, the romance continued to  build up throughout the whole book, which I enjoyed.

My favorite part of this whole story would be how the author builds up a whole different world from the one introduced in the previous three books. It was fascinating to read about how the characters of this book interacted with the characters from the past books.

In general, ‘The Enchanter Heir’ was a magical read that I found interesting. I recommend this book to people ages 12+ because there was a bit of violence. If you like books that have to do with magic, then this is one that you will want to try out. The previous three books in this series are ‘The Warrior Heir’, ‘The Wizard Heir’ and ‘The Dragon Heir’ respectively. Reading the series in order would help the flow of ideas and would make the books easier to understand.