Heir of Storms Book Review

Check out my review of Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray, a young adult romantasy featuring dueling royal heirs with elemental powers with a clever heroine at the core.

The cover of the book Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray is on the screen of an iPad.

I've long been a big fan of fantasy and adventure novels that feature scrappy heroines who can grow through trials, so of course romantasy would be a genre I keep heavily in my rotation.

While Fourth Wing and the ACOTAR series are strong favorites of mine, I was thrilled to discover a new young adult series, Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray, that tones both the romance and violence down several notches so that I could feel comfortable sharing a book with my kids.

This was such a fun summer read and if you're looking for a new series to start, I highly recommend giving this a go!

Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.

If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.

Summary of Heir of Storms

The day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the empire’s most esteemed fire-wielding families, her birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. Ever since, Blaze has lived hidden away with a dangerous secret: the outcast born with a torrential power can only summon a drizzle. Exiled and powerless, she’s never felt that she belongs.

When Blaze and her brother are suddenly invited to join the trials for the empire’s thrones, she’s forced into the spotlight—and into battle. Threats abound at the palace, where two suitors vie for Blaze’s attention: the enchanting crown prince and a mysterious, alluring newcomer.

As Blaze struggles to reconnect with her long-dormant abilities, she discovers that still waters run deeper than she could have ever imagined. As sinister secrets come to light and the fight for the thrones turns allies into rivals, Blaze must find the courage to embrace her Rain Singer identity and reclaim her power.

I am the girl who wove the storm that shook the world. And I’m coming for my crown.

The cover of the book Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray.

Book Stats

Published: June 3, 2025
Pages: 410
Genre: Teen and Young Adult Fantasy
Get Your Copy: Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook

What I Liked

Here's what I would tell my best friend about the book:

Fun World Building: Fantasy readers love a creative world to escape to in their reading sessions and this one does not disappoint. The main characters are given elemental powers for earth, wind, fire, and water and need to use their gifts to compete for their respective thrones. I thoroughly enjoyed watching their powers develop and the unique ways they were applied in competition.
Easy to Follow Politics: Any time fantasy books involve battling for power over the realm, some level of politics will be involved. This story was easy to keep up with and not overburdened by deep levels of intrigue unlike other fantasy stories I've read this year (glaring at you Onyx Storm.)
Relatable Teen Hero: Blaze Harglade faces one of the most universally relatable teen challenges -- not fitting in and a lack of understanding of who she is. Watching her discover both her place and power was fun to watch as a mom of two teen girls finding their own ways in the world, too.
Inspired By but Not Copied: There are very similar plot points in this as compared to other epic fantasy novels like Powerless and Hunger Games but it wasn't so close as to be distracting. I was relieved to see several creative divergences from how those other stories played out. This novel definitely sets up a story arc that will carry on into the next book of the series and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.
Action Packed but Not Too Violent: There is plenty of death and injury in this adventurous tale but I did not feel that it was ever overly intense or vividly graphic in nature.

What I Didn't Like

Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.

I truly enjoyed my reading time but somewhere along the line I found myself a little annoyed by the names of the characters in the book. They felt a little too cutesy in reference to their assigned elemental power and it bordered Disney Character naming to me.

I would have preferred less descriptive names but the upside is it is easy to remember who has which power as you go through the story!

Favorite Quotes

"I told her that true courage is born from great fear."

"Sometimes we must claim our accidents. Intention can define you. And better to appear wilfull than witless, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm not much interested in glory, or status. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in power. Because I know what it is to feel powerful, and I know what it is to feel powerlss, and I know which I'd choose, every time."

How Spicy Is It?

🌶️: Heir of Storms rates a Level 1 on my spicy books rating scale. Intimate connections are hinted at but nothing much happens on page.

Content Warnings

Death and grief are a predominant part of the plot set-up.

There are some significant injuries during battles with some fairly grotesque descriptions of magical attacks but they are brief and easy to skim if that bothers you.

Overall Score

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I give Heir of Storms four stars on my star rating scale but it came reaaallly close to being a 5-star read because I'm excited to check out the next book in the series.

This was a perfect summertime escape, especially with the water element powers that make up so much of the book. Lauryn Hamilton Murray is definitely an author to keep on your watch list, it will be fun to watch where she goes next!