Thursday, October 9, 2014

The World of Weir Blog Tour + Giveaway: Reasons to Read The Heir Chronicles


I'm hugely excited today to be a part of the World of Weir Blog Tour, a five week long event celebrating Cinda Williams Chima's The Heir Chronicles as we count down the days until the fifth and final installment releases on October 21st. For those of you who have yet to experience this series, the Weir are those with magical gifts and abilities, and each week of this tour focuses on one of the five magical guilds into which they fit. You don't want to miss out on all the amazing posts and giveaways, so be sure and check the bottom of the post for all the tour details!

For years I avoided the fantasy genre at all costs, thinking, for reasons I can’t fully explain, that it wasn’t going to be one that worked for me. Last year though I began hesitantly picking up a few YA fantasy books, and what happened you ask? Well, I fell madly in love. Deeply in love. Obsessively in love. So it was with great pleasure that I dove into The Heir Chronicles, and quite unsurprisingly, found a new series to fangirl over.

I thought it might be fun to highlight for all of you a few of the reasons this series is so successful for me, that way those of you who enjoy the same things can feel confident in picking these books up and giving them a try!

1. Male protagonists –  Male protagonists are a bit like the unicorn of YA fiction: Rare, fabled and elusive, with rumors and sightings popping up every now and then before they're swallowed up by a female-dominated genre. (This is in no way a slam on female protagonists, I love them and never tire of them, it’s just fun to experience something different!) Each book in the Heir Chronicles follows a young man as he either discovers or explores his supernatural abilities, and Ms. Chima delights with each and every one of them.

2. Familiar Fantasy – This is what I’m calling fantasy books that are grounded in the reality of our world – books like The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas or Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling that introduce us to our protagonists in a world that makes complete sense before dazzling us with the fantastical elements. For those readers like me who sometimes shy away from high fantasy for fear of being overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the worlds and all the creatures and beings that inhabit them, this type of fantasy is a comfort; a way for us to experience sorcery, magic and epic battles without wandering in a haze of confusion until we can fully acclimate ourselves.

3. Friends and Family – Apparently I’m on a bit of an alliteration kick today, but let’s just go with it okay? I’m someone who loves stories rich with secondary characters; siblings, friends, parents and extended family who surround the protagonist and either provide them with emotional support or act as a foil for their character. Ms. Chima surrounds her young men with a number of close friends and family, ensuring that while they have moments of isolation where they must rely on themselves to solve their problems, they also have people to turn to when a burden is too great to bear on their own.

I feel fairly confident in saying that if you like the above, you’ll enjoy what Cinda Williams Chima brings to the YA fantasy table, so I hope you add the Heir Chronicles to your to-be read lists!

• • • • • • • • • • •

THE HEIR CHRONICLES


The Heir Chronicles series will keep readers glued to their seats through riveting fight scenes, deadly political machinations, burgeoning romance, and the unfolding intrigues of a contemporary magical world.

The Sorcerer Heir is a self-contained story accessible to readers just discovering the Heir series, but loyal fans will be rewarded by visits from beloved (and lovingly reviled) characters.


Series order:
The Warrior Heir
The Wizard Heir
The Dragon Heir
The Enchanter Heir
The Sorcerer Heir


Praise for the series:
"Chima offers a pitch-perfect blend of high fantasy and small-town reality..." –The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

"Chima uses her pen like a wand and crafts a wonderfully rich web of magic, while thankfully leaving some dangling threads for subsequent tales." –VOYA  (starred review)

"A smoldering story soaked in tears, sweat and blood, constantly threatening to blaze into an inferno. Spellbinding."  –Kirkus Reviews  (starred review)

• • • • • • • • • • • 

THE SORCERER HEIR


The can’t-miss finale to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series.

The delicate peace between Wizards and the underguilds (Warriors, Seers, Enchanters, and Sorcerers) still holds by the thinnest of threads, but powerful forces inside and outside the guilds threaten to sever it completely. Old friends and foes return as new threats arise in this stunning and revelatory conclusion to the beloved and bestselling Heir Chronicles series.

The Sorcerer Heir is a self-contained story, accessible to readers just discovering the Heir series, but loyal fans will be rewarded by visits from characters they love (and love to hate) from the earlier installments. Readers will be glued to their seats through riveting fight scenes, deadly political machinations, burgeoning romance, and the unfolding intrigues of a contemporary magical world.



 • • • • • • • • • • •

CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA


Cinda Williams Chima is the New York Times bestselling author of The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, The Dragon Heir, The Enchanter Heir, and the four books of the Seven Realms series: The Demon King, The Exiled Queen, The Gray Wolf Throne, and The Crimson Crown. Cinda is a graduate of The University of Akron and Case Western Reserve University. She lives in Ohio with her family.


• • • • • • • • • • •

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY


Thanks to the amazingly generous team at Disney Hyperion, I have a complete set of The Heir Chronicles to give away today! To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only.
WEEK 1:  THE WARRIORS September 14 – September 20
WEEK 2: THE WIZARDS September 21 –  September 27
WEEK 3: THE SEERS September 28 – October 4
WEEK 4:  THE ENCHANTERS October 5 – October 11
WEEK 5:  THE SORCERERS October 12 – October 18

42 comments:

  1. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas and A Song of Ice and Fire by George rR Martin I love epic ness

    ReplyDelete
  2. Any of the Thomas Covenant novels by Stephen R. Donaldson. They are from quite awhile ago, and are Adult Fantasy. Thank-you for this stellar giveaway. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unanswerable Question. Harry Potter,The Infernal Devices,The Iron Fey, The Chronicles of Narnia,The Mortal Instruments just to name a few.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Girl of Fire and Thorns, ooohhh, and The Winner's Curse

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's a hard one. There have been so many that I have really enjoyed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm with Rain Jeys on this one...

    The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I haven't read this series yet, Jenny, but I've heard lots of good things about it. So, it's good to see that you agree with everybody else. And yes, series with a male MC are rare, and I especially like that this one is a fantasy. I'll try to find a copy of the first book in my library and check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I hadn't heard about this series before and it sounds quite interesting and since I've been in a very fantasy propicious mood, I think I ought to give these books a chance!
    Thank you for putting them in my radar, Jenny!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ah! Jenny! This is yet another series that I haven't started, but I really want to.If this is anything like The Burning Sky then I know for certain that I will love it. It's probably my favorite YA fantasy series along with The Grisha trilogy.
    Thanks for sharing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I agree, I love this series (and all of Chima's fantasy writing)! I'm also a big fan of fantasy that's grounded in reality (loving The Burning Sky books too). So glad you're also enjoying this series! I just got my copy of The Sorcerer Heir and I can't wait to read it. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've seen this series around (gorgeous covers) and have been curious about them. I love the fact that they feature male pov and that they are grounded in reality in the fantasy/worldbuilding department. Thanks for the wonderful post Jenny and giveaway!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I avoided fantasy for a really long time as well Jenny for some of the same reasons. I do like it now but sometimes it can still be hard for me to really get into it.

    I think all the reasons you highlighted though are all great ones to give this series a try!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I have so many favorites but the first to mind is Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have to say Tolkein is still my favorite fantasy series author. I have had this series on my TBR for three years or more and I still haven't gotten around to it. What is wrong with me? It sounds fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Fabulous post, Jenny! Asma did a similar one, comparing the books to some other great reads. I'm really curious about reading Chima's books—one day!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've seen this series around for quite a few years but never really picked them up. I'm on board with all of your reasons to try this series so I'll have to find a copy of these to get started.

    ReplyDelete
  19. That good? Now I am scared, I always get so disappointed

    ReplyDelete
  20. I don't mind the female protag because before it was mostly male in the fantasy realm. :) I do like that the family is a part of the book. Sometimes they are absent. Right now I have to say I'm enjoying His Fair Assassin trilogy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I LOVE when there's a strong family element! And CWC writes family (whatever kind it happens to be) so well.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Pick any Terry Brooks Shannara book and that's my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The Crimson Crown! It contains everything I love and a good ending for an amazing series. -Valerie Lopez

    ReplyDelete
  24. this series sounds awesome!!! I'd have to go w/ The Harper Hall Trilogy by Anne McCaffery :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. If you haven't read it... well just go read it.

    ReplyDelete
  26. SEVEN REALMS by CINDA WILLIAMS CHIMA

    ReplyDelete
  27. I've also been one who has been recently converted to fantasy (for me, this past year) and I'm like OMG I CANNOT GET ENOUGH. Your reasons are VERY VERY compelling. Taking a look at this series for sure! I also hear good things about her other series! Also, you reminded me that I have The Burning Sky to read!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks for the giveaway! I've been looking for some more fantasy to read.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I love Harry Potter, but Eragon by Christopher Paolini is probably my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Harry Potter series, & Narnia series!!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. The Belgariad series by David Eddings

    ReplyDelete
  32. Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra series and anything by Anne Bishop!

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  33. My favorite fantasy is Lord of the Rings

    ReplyDelete
  34. I love a lot of fantasy novels, but one of my favorite series is The Mortal Instruments.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Holy cow, Jenny . . . if you liked this series, you MUST check out her Seven Realms series. It's one of my all time favorite YA fantasy series, and YA fantasy is my favorite YA genre. Anyway, I was thrilled when I found out that Chima was writing more books in the Heir Chronicles, and I cannot wait for this one ;)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Maybe Harry Potter, and love too Brandon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman books

    ReplyDelete
  37. I haven't read this series, but I really want to. I think it's on my to-read list on Goodreads, but I'm not entirely sure, but it will be today if it isn't already!

    ReplyDelete