Heir of Fire

Whereas Part I of Heir of Fire focuses on Celaena’s struggle with depression and isolation, Part II centers around her recovery from forming stronger relationships to embracing her identity as Aelin. This shift is reflected in the title “Heir of Fire,” which echoes her previous role as the “Heir of Ash.” Her journey is paralleled by other characters who also work toward claiming their own power and agency. In Chapter 39, for example, the narrative states:

[Celaena had] awoken that morning feeling…clear. The grief and pain were still there, writhing inside her, but for the first time in a long while, she felt as though she could see. As though she could breathe (334).

She explains, “There is this [...] despair and hatred and rage that lives and breathes inside me. [...] For the past ten years, I have worked every day, every hour, to keep that monster locked up” (372). However, in contrast to Part I, where Celaena attempted Staying in Control of her darker impulses out of fear, Part II depicts her starting to process her trauma, eventually leading her to truly control her magic. The battle with the Valg princes at Mistward makes this growth in confidence especially evident. While they are attacking Celaena with visions of her worst fears, Rowan notes that “the creatures fed on despair and pain and terror. But what if—what if the victim let go of those fears? What if the victim walked through them—embraced them?” (470). Celaena is able to reach Redemption Through Self-Acceptance, thus symbolically gaining freedom from mastering her emotions.

The battle also cements Rowan and Celaena’s friendship. The latter officially claims Rowan as a friend “with every ember left in her shredded heart” (426), a metaphor that highlights the connection between Celaena’s state of mind, her magic, and the natural world encompassed by her Fireheart nickname. Additionally, the narrative foreshadows Celaena and Rowan’s unconditional partnership by likening their magical powers to “Ice and fire. Frost and embers. Locked in a battle, pushing and pulling” (359). This is further established by the symbolism of the carranam, a magical bond dependent on complete trust and support.

Furthermore, the battle is pivotal in the narrative, as the event signals Aelin’s return and her willingness to defeat the king. This builds into the theme of Oppression Versus Freedom, with Celaena declaring that she would:

[F]ill the world with [...] her light—her gift. She would light up the darkness, so brightly that all who were lost or wounded or broken would find their way to it, a beacon for those who still dwelled in that abyss. It would not take a monster to destroy a monster—but light, light to drive out darkness (467).

This idea is further developed by the contrast between Celaena and the king’s responses to the mines of Endovier. While Celaena plans to free the enslaved people working in the mines, the king represses an uprising through genocide. His actions heighten the narrative stakes and build up toward their climactic confrontation.

On the other hand, some other characters are also leaning more and more into their identities. Chaol, for instance, is encouraged by both Aedion and Dorian to pick a side. As Aedion points out, “the fact remains, Captain, that you have not picked a side because you are still a boy, and you are still afraid [...] of losing whatever dream it is you’re clinging to” (349-50). Chaol’s weakness is his indecisiveness, as he is torn between his loyalty to Dorian and his desire to fight injustice, and this foreshadows the resolution of his crisis of conscience at the end of the book.

Finally, Manon’s character also gains maturity and empathy thanks to her bond with Abraxos. Her violent reaction to the wyvern getting whipped echoes Celaena’s response to Rowan threatening to whip her in Chapter 21. The parallel places the two characters on an equal moral standing, thus suggesting that they will eventually fight on the same side. It also foreshadows the ending, with Celaena threatening Maeve when the latter has Rowan whipped. As for Manon, although she is still unable to name her feelings, she is becoming more aware of her love for Abraxos and her coven. When the Thirteen declare their unconditional loyalty to her, Manon experiences “that same feeling she’d gotten when Iskra whipped Abraxos—that thing she couldn’t describe, but it blinded her” (382).