The Heir Chronicles
The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima currently consists of three books, The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, and The Dragon Heir, with two additional sequels yet unpublished.
The Warrior Heir follows Jack Swift, who is set apart only by his scar and the medicine he always, always must take. And then one day, he doesn't, leading to a sudden surge of unexpected power that nearly kills someone during soccer tryouts. Soon, he is caught up between the Roses, rival houses whose struggle for superiority entails a fight to the death. Specifically, Jack's.
Seph Mc Cauley takes the stage in The Wizard Heir. A Walking Disaster Area unable to control his powers, being enrolled in the Haves seems like a dream come true. He is, of course, wrong. While he is offered training to learn how to use his magic and entrance into a mysterious guild of wizards, the offer does not come without strings.
In The Dragon Heir, Trinity finds itself under siege. Everyone but Jason Haley has a part to play, or so he feels. Then he finds a huge opal called the Dragonheart, which leaves him awash in power. Power that not only he feels, as the talisman calls out to lure Madison Moss into delivering it to Trinity's enemies.
See also The Seven Realms Series for the author's ongoing High Fantasy book series.
- Action Girl: Ellen and Carrie.
- Alliterative Name: Madison Moss.
- Anti-Magic: Madison does this.
- Better to Die Than Be Killed: More specifically, better to be slowly poisoned by a Wizard graffe than be taken by the White Rose, forced to enter a deadly tournament and maybe die, and be forced into a breeding program if you end up surviving.
- Boarding School of Horrors: Seph attends one.
- Child-Hater: Jessamine.
- Color Coded for Your Convenience: All different types of magic users are associated with a certain color. They are as follows:
- Wizards: Gold
- Enchanters: Purple
- Sorcerers: Green
- Warriors: Blue
- Soothsayers: Red
- Combat by Champion: How the Roses vie for supremacy.
- Daddy's Little Villain: Devereaux D'Orsay is a male example.
- Evil Brit: Jessamine Longbranch.
- Fantastic Racism: A lot of Wizard-supremacy goes around.
- Goth: Fitch's girlfriend Alison, who is also something of a Granola Girl.
- Great Big Book of Everything: The Weirbooks are this.
- Hot Guys Are Bastards: Members of the Lobeck family are "known for their good looks, bad habits, and a talent for violence."
- I Call It Vera: Swords are named more than once.
- I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Madison has this type of appeal for Seph.
- Involuntary Battle to the Death: The Game becomes this.
- Lap Pillow: Leesha to Jack, although she's being more mocking than tender.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: With magic, of course.
- Last-Name Basis: Almost everybody calls Harmon Fitch just plain Fitch.
- Let's You and Him Fight: The Roses' plan for Jack and Ellen.
- Massive-Numbered Siblings: The Fitch family.
- Masquerade: Most Anaweir are entirely oblivious to magic.
- Muggles: Called "anaweir".
- New Old Flame: Hastings and Linda have romantic history that the events of the book dredge back up.
- New Transfer Student: Ellen.
- Ordinary High School Student: Jack.
- Parental Abandonment: Seph is an orphan.
- Posthumous Character: Susannah, who is also The Lost Lenore to Hastings.
- Really Seven Hundred Years Old: A lot of Wizards are.
- Redheaded Hero: Jack.
- Rotating Protagonist: The main character is never the same twice.
- "Take That!" Kiss: Leesha gives one to Jack while he's immobilized.
- Tomboy: Carrie.
- Trilogy Creep: Two additional sequels have been confirmed.
- Tyke Bomb: A favorite strategy of the Roses is to kidnap very young warriors and train them intensively.
- Walking Disaster Area: Seph is one.
- Wicked Cultured: The Roses are a highly elegant and sophisticated aristocracy.