Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Warrior Heir
The Warrior Heir
The Warrior Heir
Audiobook12 hours

The Warrior Heir

Written by Cinda Williams Chima

Narrated by Robert Ramirez

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

Author Cinda Williams Chima perfectly weaves fantasy elements into the life of a typical American teenager is this stunning novel that was a Book Sense Summer Pick and was named to VOYA's Best Science Fiction, Fantasy Horror List. Jack Swift thinks he's a regular 16-year-old, but he's about to learn that's not true. In fact, he is descended from an ancient line of magical warriors who are raised for one purpose-to fight another warrior to the death. "Hard to imagine it being any better written ."-VOYA
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 10, 2012
ISBN9781436142625
The Warrior Heir
Author

Cinda Williams Chima

New York Times 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. Chima’s high fantasy Seven Realms series launched with The Demon King (2009), followed by The Exiled Queen (2010) The Gray Wolf Throne (2011) and The Crimson Crown (2012).

Related to The Warrior Heir

Titles in the series (5)

View More

Related audiobooks

Children's Fantasy & Magic For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Warrior Heir

Rating: 3.9636723645970937 out of 5 stars
4/5

757 ratings63 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I absolutely love the book series! Such an amazing book. But the narrator of the audiobook for Warrior Heir audibly swallows quite often. It is very off-putting.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Great story. Good narrator but the audiobook badly needs an edit. You can hear the narrator swallow repeatedly and there's one chapter where you will here 'action' in the background.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    though the book was written almost a decade ago, it is still a very entertaining book and I would definitely recommend it to my middle school students. however if you are doing just the audio version the timing of the reader is somewhat lackluster. very little and fraction is given within the breeding and I almost felt a disconnect between the story and the audiobook. though the story is definitely five stars the audiobook version is only 3.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is the first time I read Cinda Williams Chima and I was not expecting an action packed book. As an urban fantasy released in 2006, this a solid first book in a series. I enjoyed it and from what I heard her writing expanded over the years so I’m looking forward her next books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I got this book back when it was first released, and it was the very first book that I have ever read cover to cover. I fell in love with the characters & I related to Seph on so many levels. I love the suspense and drama of the book. The authors imagination is amazing. You are on the edge of your seat after the first chapter.

    Read this book with an intense movie score soundtrack on shuffle and allow your mind to see what’s happening! You won’t be disappointed
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Update: This was even better the second time around. I didn't find it slow at all.

    This was a pretty good YA story. It wasn't complicated and it was an easy read. The first half of the story was a little slow going, but things really picked up during the second half. I thought Jack was a likable character. He was thrown into his situation unaware of his magical abilities, but he did a great job handling it. He showed signs of maturity without becoming a brat, which was refreshing. I'm looking forward to the next book.

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The characters were great, and I liked much of the plot, but struggled to swallow the premise.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a really great adventure that stands out among YA fantasy, maybe just because it's not focusing on some stupid romance. The world is original and interesting and the characters, while perhaps not incredibly deep, are still cool, as is the plot itself. Satisfying plot twists, though perhaps the ending is a little too happy and put together...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An ordinary sixteen-year-old finds that he is not so ordinary after all. He finds that he is a pawn in a game played by magical people when he forgets to take his medicine one day. Jack was implanted with a warrior stone when he was an infant. The doctor who implanted him wanted to use him as a warrior in the power games that wizards play. Since those battles were always to the death, the wizards are finding themselves short of warriors leading to warriors being hunted. Jack just learns that he is part of the magical world and learns that he is a target at the same time. Luckily, he has his Aunt Linda who is an Enchanter and various others who are protecting him and keeping him safe until he has had a chance to grow up.This story was a well-written tale of a magical world that exists along side our normal world. Jack was an intriguing character who didn't want to follow the path laid out for him and found a way the change it. The story was filled with action and even had some romance too.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great story, and a strong start to a powerful trilogy! A must read for any magic/fantasy lover
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good story about magic, and wizards and growing up. But the best part is the interesting system and power struggles Cinda Williams Chima has conceived.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an excellent book, with deep characterization and a nicely woven plotline. I especially liked the way Chima wove the world of sorcery under, around, and over our world. It could have been more elaborate, but it was well worth my time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have had this book on my to be read pile forever and was excited to finally get to read it. It was a quick read and a decent story. I had some trouble engaging with the characters and thought the plot was okay but not great.This was a decent story about a modern day teen, Jack, who finds out he is the heir to magical warrior powers. He ends up drawn into the political machinations of modern day wizards and enchanters.This is very much one of those classic types of fantasy where a character in a modern day world finds out they have magical powers that tie back to centuries old magic. It wasn't all that unique but it was decently done. The story was fairly engaging and it was interesting to watch Jack unravel the mysteries of his power.I personally don't plan on reading more of this series, I just didn’t find the setting or idea all that engaging and I had some trouble relating to the characters as well. This story is self-contained and wraps up nicely. I think middle grade/teen boys might enjoy this series a bit more than I did.Overall a decent fantasy story. The storyline is pretty typical of a number of middle grade/YA books where a young person in our world finds out they have strange powers and get embroiled in ancient politics. I think middle grade/YA boys who love fantasy will enjoy this more than I did. I don’t plan on reading future books in this series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My Opinion: I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.Jack Swift is just going about his normal life in a small town in Ohio, minding his own business, when he forgets to take his heart medicine and his life is changed forever. Jack finds out that there is a whole world of magic out there, and because he was born a warrior heir, he is being sought out by two warring factions of magicians and witches, the Red Rose House and the White Rose House. Warrior heirs are very rare so as soon as he is made known to the magic world, he is in grave danger, since the Houses don't exactly ask nicely for him to fight for them. The worst part is that since his mother and his aunt have shielded him from this world, he has no idea how to fight (he finds a magic sword which was passed down to him and which he has no idea how to use). He has to learn very fast though and gets help from strategically based people in his small town who, as it turns out, have been watching over him for years and who are ready to help him out now. My favorite relationship in the book is the one that Jack has with his two non-magical friends, Fitch and Will. Even though they don't possess magic, when Jack is forced to go on the run following a class trip to London, they go along with him, risking their lives and jumping feet first into a very scary unknown future, because they refuse to let Jack fight this battle alone. For me personally the beginning was a bit slow, and it took me a while to really get into it. but I'm glad I didn't give up on it. The rest of the story was very action packed and filled with adventure, and I really liked the boys and their aunt, and the boys' friend and Jack's former girlfriend, Leesha, who helps out as well, but I wasn't quite as fond of the new girl in school, Ellen Stephenson, who catches Jack's eye, because as I read on I found out that I am strongly "Team Leesha"!I thought the pacing was a tiny bit off, moving quickly when Jack and company were fighting, but moving more slowly when they weren't, but it wasn't off enough to keep me from enjoying the book. I've read some other reviews for this book that mention teenage boys who really liked the book and even though they weren't big readers, they finished this book and gave it an A+, which is a huge recommendation! I plan on giving it to my son to read when he gets a little bit older based on these reviews because I'm always looking for books that appeal to teenage and pre-teen boys, so thank you very much for that Ms. Chima!In summary, I thought this book started a bit slow but it more than made up for that in the end. Jack was a very likable character who fought against his destiny, but in the end, like all heroes, he accepted his fate and did what was required. I recommend this book to all teenage readers and lovers of YA fantasy books that deal with magic and witches and all of that fun stuff! I give this book an enthusiastic 5 stars because any book that has mature adults, young adults, and teens reading it and enjoying it deserves 5 stars :D1
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    fantasy set in modern day ohio, with 16 y/o main character, who turns out to be a warrior and maybe a wizard. Good characters; lots of action and surprises.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book started off very slowly. It took me a little bit over half the book to get into the story. Maybe it was just me and the timing wasn’t right. I read about 30% of the book a month ago, but I couldn’t go on because it just bored me to death. So, I put the book on hold, read three other books, and went back to continue the series. It started picking up after that. The characters became more real and I started understanding the story world and the terms used. This book gets four stars because the second half of the book immensely made up for the lackadaisical start. The action-filled scenes were very well-written and the characters were very well-developed. I’d recommend this book to you if you’re willing to push through the lacking beginning and enjoy the rest of the book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The first book in the Heir Chronicles. Sixteen year-old Jack Swift lives with the after effects of a heart operation as a baby, meaning he has to take medicine on a daily basis. One day he forgets to take his medicine and finds that he feels fantastic. His new strength suits him just fine - until he almost kills someone. The truth soon unfolds; Jack unwittingly belongs to underground society of magical people who live among us, the Weirlind. Soon Jack finds he must compete in a tournament to the death, put forward as a warrior to fight for one of two warring wizard houses. A good story, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Chima's other series 'The Demon King'.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The book provides an exciting into another world lurking just outside our view. This book offers a different take on the world of wizards than has been offered in other recent young adult literature. Mr. Parks
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    At 16, Jack learns that he is Weirlind, descended from an ancient group of magical people--specifically, Jack is a born Wizard who was given the heart-stone of a Warrior. Warriors are forced to participate in a fight to the death by Wizards as a means of deciding which Wizard family gets to control the rest of the magical population; thus Jack soon finds himself fighting for his life. This was a pretty good book with plenty of interesting mythology, but the pace was often plodding and there was too much build-up to the relatively short fight-to-the-death. I would have liked less explanation and more action.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't your typical magic, wizards, and flaming swords story. The war of the roses still rages on but with wizards. The wizards are almost the villains as they use warriors to fight to the death in an arena to determine which house, the house of the Red Rose or White Rose, holds the council seat. The legend behind the five guilds, each guild having a special stone planted behind the heart, and wizards using warriors to do their bidding was all very creative, new, and refreshing! I even appreciated that the story was set in Ohio, and Pittsburgh is mentioned. I couldn’t stop reading and I was excited to learn more about Jack Swift, the warrior heir.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    THE WARRIOR HEIR is like a cross between HARRY POTTER and THE HUNGER GAMES. And if that makes you wonder if this book was manufactured specifically to give book publicists wet dreams, consider this: HARRY POTTER #1 was first published in 1999, THE HUNGER GAMES was first published in 2008, and THE WARRIOR HEIR was published in 2006. It's not derivative at all, but, rather, a perfect bridge between the two books.

    Like in HARRY POTTER, our hero Jack is a teenaged boy who finds out all of a sudden that he's a member of a secret, magical world. It's like THE HUNGER GAMES because that magical world is a grim and frightful place, and Jack's magic dooms him to a short, violent life of gladitorial combat.

    I have to admit that I didn't like THE WARRIOR HEIR as much as I loved HARRY POTTER or THE HUNGER GAMES, but I did think it was pretty great. Jack is weak and ignorant at first, his powers suppressed. There's no Diagon Alley, no delicious reveal for Jack - instead, he finds himself flailing about in the dark, attacked by foes who far outmatch him. He's often angry, demanding, and resentful - but always likable. That's a feat all on its own.

    Most of the novel takes place in a small town in Ohio, at Jack's high school. Everyday events like soccer practice and dating mix with the encroaching threat of the Roses, and the slow reveal of what, exactly, the Roses are and why they're so very mean.

    The wizard world turns out to be horrifically dystopian. I found myself thinking there's no way that a system like the one Chima sets up could possibly survive for so long, that there must be enough decent people in the world - even wizards - to curb the violent excesses. My righteous fury kept me turning the pages, but kept me from being completely immersed in the alternate reality.

    The place where THE WARRIOR HEIR really fell short, for me, was in its conclusion. I won't say any more, just that the final events felt contrived in a way that didn't work for me at all. The book is set up in a way that you're really expecting Jack to pull a rabbit out of his hat at the end, and, personally, all I saw was sleight of hand.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    3.5 stars.

    I liked this book despite reading lots of books that have the same basic plotline:

    Hey! I'm a teenager. I've just found out that I'm a __________. People are after me! I better figure out to use my (insert cool weapon and/or power) so I can take down the (insert bad guys)!

    So, really, the author must've done a pretty good job of writing a good story and a fast read or I would not like it as much as I did/do! I will read the next two in the trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic series, well written and a great story. Jack and friends/family are a welcome addition to the genre. Another coming of age/oh by the way you're a wizard (cough warrior" cough) with an interesting twist. Chima has created a "believeable fantasy" in Trinity, Ohio...
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    this book was good. it had some unique parts to it that has not been played out in the young adult fantasy books. it was kinda boring in some parts but would pick back up.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Tense and exciting adventure piting warriors against wizards. Compelling reading for young teens. Two thumbs up!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an enjoyable book. Plot and characters well developed and believable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love Cinda Williams Chima, but I was a little disappointed in this book. While the story was engaging, the writing feel flat for me. I prefer her later books - specifically the 7 Realms series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Review by: Soccergirl Wizards. Enchanter. Warrior. When men start fallowing jack around on a vacation with his aunt, his life is turned upside-down. Soon both of the roses are after him, and with a upcoming tournament everything is on the line.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Jack lead a life filled with ordinary, granted there were bullies who picked on him in school but they were pretty ordinary. His life changes when he forgets to take his daily medicine and suddenly he's stronger and faster. But he nearly kills someone and it's the start of an adventure.He's actually a member of the Weirlind, an underground society of people with magical powers. He's a warrior, one of the few left and the wizards want him dead or fighting for them. He just wants to live.I did like the story and the characters, they're interesting and the interweaving of magical and mundane is quite a lot of fun and his friends stand by him well. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I found this book in a sack my sister bought from the library and I'm so glad I picked it up to read. I read it once and was satisfied and then was excited to find out there was a second and then third in the story. It has, what I think, is an original take on magic with it being held in a stone that sits behind the heart. It was a wonderful and exciting story of how a teenage boy finds out he is part of this magical world and winds up actually being a key player in what is called The Game.