Cinda Williams Chima.  The Warrior Heir
Hyperion  $16.99  ISBN 0-7868-3916-3  426 pg.
Reviewed by Melissa, Age 13

Jackson Swift is sixteen years old and leads a normal life. He goes to high school, has a couple best friends and he has a crush on a girl. He lives in the small town of Trinity, Ohio. He had a heart surgery when he was very young, but the only thing to remember that surgery by was the star-shaped scar just beneath his breastbone. He was told to take medicine for his condition, everyday of his life. Things start to get hairy when he forgets to take his medicine and tries out for the soccer team. He ends up blowing another player clear off the field. Not even Jack knows how that happened. All he knows is that that was the beginning of a war, rekindled.

Two feuding houses, the White Rose and the Red Rose, and the only way to settle this fight over the head of houses is to arrange a tournament. There are two warriors, with each warrior representing a house. The only problem is, Jack is one of the only warriors left, and he doesn't even know it. The two houses are composed of wizards and they will stop at nothing to get him to fight on their side; whether he likes it or not.

This was a book that I looked forward to reading. In my spare time at home, I never could wait to dive into the world of Jackson Swift. I will even go as far as saying that this book is good competition to Harry Potter. The story line kept you captivated, and the characters were mesmerizing, because of the way they were described. They all seemed so real, and the fairy tale, actually kept me wary of magic.

I would recommend this book for thirteen year olds and up. It is very descriptive, especially when it comes to the battlefield. It’s a wonderful way to bring wizardry, and the blood lust of war alive. This novel is totally deserving of five stars. I really enjoyed it, but a word of advice to the author: there had better be a sequel!