The Warrior Heir (Heir Series #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

From the Publisher

Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small Ohio town of Trinity. 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 of his own strength 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 who live 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. The winning house rules the Weir. As if his bizarre magical heritage isn’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. Jack’s performance on the soccer field has alerted the entire magical community to the fact that he’s in Trinity. And until one of the houses is declared Jack’s official sponsor, they’ll stop at nothing to get Jack to fight for them.

Jeanna Sciarrotta - Children's Literature

Young adult fiction meets the fantasy world in this thought provoking new novel. Sixteen-year-old Jack Swift thinks he has a heart condition that warrants him swallowing a spoonful of blue medicine every morning, until one day he forgets, and his world is turned upside down. Soon Jack finds out from his quirky aunt that he is not really sick at all, but special. He is one of the last remaining Warriors in an ancient underground society known as the Weirlind. Amidst the everyday struggle of high school, girls, soccer practice, and just plain teenage life, Jack must train for the ultimate fight between the ever-feuding houses of the Red and White Roses—a fight to the death. In this novel Cinda Williams Chima brings to life the clash of magic and the ordinary in an intricate web of literary genius that most authors would need an entire series to create. 2006, Hyperion Books, Ages 13 up.

MelissaMoore - VOYA

Jack is a typical sixteen-year-old-good friend, average soccer player, living in Ohio with his mom who works too much. When he skips his medicine one day, the unthinkable happens: Jack is much stronger and faster and feels as if he is truly alive. Only now there are wizards coming out of the woodwork, seeking alternately to woo and kill Jack. Because of the stone implanted in his chest during infancy, Jack is a warrior expected to duel to the death on behalf of one of the wizarding houses. Quicker than he would like, training begins for the most momentous event in his young life, and Jack must decide whom he will serve and how he will survive. 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, Jack's journey is physical, mental, and emotional as he discovers his own identity and makes tough choices that impact others. Original, well-drawn characters are frequently revealed to be more than they appear, and Chima's writing richly portrays the mounting tension as Jack's options are methodically taken away. Readers of all ages will find in Jack a hero, who seeks above all to make the right choices regardless of the cost to himself (reminiscent of Harry Potter and Frodo Baggins). The resolution is clean but not idealized and fortunately leaves the door open for a sequel. VOYA CODES: 5Q 5P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Hyperion, 426p., Ages 11 to 18.

School Library Journal

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.

Kirkus Reviews

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)

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