This review contains spoilers for The Tethered Mage. If you’re looking to start with the first book in the series, read our review here.
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After the events that transpired in Ardence, Amalia Cornaro is back in Raverra with Zaira, the fire warlock she’s been tethered to–but now that she’s proven herself politically and been forced to rethink Raverra’s laws regarding the Falcon system, it’s time for her to (reluctantly) enter Raverran politics. A war is brewing across the border in Vaskandar, and the Witch Lords who rule there are preparing for a rare Conclave. And when a Witch Lord courting Amalia gives her the chance to be the first Raverran in history to attend the Conclave, it’s up to her to try to convince the Witch Lords not to invade the Serene Empire.
I’ve been dying to get my hands on The Defiant Heir since I finished The Tethered Mage months and months ago, and my desperation was renewed when we read the book for the Girls in Capes Book Club back in February. My expectations were extremely high–and the book went in a totally different direction from what I expected. In the best possible way.
We last saw Amalia and Zaira back in Ardence after uncovering a political conspiracy involving kidnapping children and imprisoning them in some kind of sewer as well as straight up murdering a duke in his own home. When I saw that The Defiant Heir would focus much more on the tensions with Vaskandar, I got extremely excited, especially because one of my favorite characters from The Tethered Mage was the human trash Prince Ruven. (Don’t judge me.)
The two women’s trip into Vaskandar is everything I hoped for and much more. Balancing political intrigue and fantasy action, Amalia and Zaira accomplish quite a bit during their journey, meeting tons of people with a breadth of experiences that develops Amalia’s character quite a bit. One character who adds a ton to the story is the Crow Lord, Kathe, whom Amalia meets at a party and rather brilliantly talks her into asking to court him.
There’s a lot to be said about the relationship that forms between Amalia and Kathe, especially with Marcello still floating around in the Serene Empire, but even more delightful is the relationship between Zaira and Terika, another Falcon who lives in the mews. I had a few concerns while reading The Defiant Heir that Zaira was turning out to be a stereotypically promiscuous bi, but the development of the relationship between her and Terika gave her character a lot more depth. As she was previously, Zaira is mostly grumpy and outrageously flirtatious, but as Amalia learns more about the relationship between the two, the complexities of Zaira’s personality become more clear–like the fact that Zaira is way more bluster than action.
Readers will also enjoy the journey into Callamorne, the birthplace of Amalia’s deceased father and the nation her grandmother rules with an iron fist. Callamorne is a warrior state, and the image of Warrior Grandma was absolutely delightful. It’s also fascinating to learn of the complex relationship between Vaskandar and Callamorne, with the somewhat unexpected reveal that the Callamorne royal family–and therefore Amalia–contains Vaskandar blood.
Reading The Defiant Heir made me feel strangely like Amalia’s proud mom. Not in the sense that I felt like La Contessa (unfortunately), but more in the sense of feeling incredibly proud to watch her develop and grow into a more aware and more mature person. While the door is still open to additional changes–her relationship with Marcello is unresolved, as is her relationship with Kathe–I really appreciated the fact that she seems to be seriously considering her duties to Raverra and what that means in regards to her personal choices.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this series for fantasy readers, especially adult readers who loved the Tamora Pierce books as a kid. The Defiant Heir introduces readers to two new, distinct cultures in a beautifully crafted universe. The conclusion of the Swords and Fire trilogy is expected in April 2019, but don’t hesitate to pick up this fantastic series now.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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