Heir of Fire

Rowan Whitethorn is a powerful Fae prince who has been in Maeve’s service for centuries. He can control ice and wind and shift into a hawk. He is described as “tall, broad-shouldered, [with] silver hair, [pine-green eyes,] pointed ears and slightly elongated canines” (11). He also has a tattoo “etched down the left side of his harsh face [...], starting at his temple [and flowing] over his jaw and down his neck” (11-12). The tattoo represents the tragic fate of his mate, Lyria, who was killed by invaders while Rowan was away fighting on one of Maeve’s campaigns. Rowan has been blaming himself since, but after learning about Celaena’s past as an enslaved person, he makes her an offer:

‘Maybe we could find the way back together.’

[...]

She studied the scarred, callused palm, then the tattooed face, full of a grim sort of hope. Someone who might—who did understand what it was like to be crippled at your very core, someone who was still climbing inch by inch out of that abyss. Perhaps they would never get out of it, perhaps they would never be whole again, but…‘Together,’ she said, and took his outstretched hand (302-04).

Although they have been at odds since they met because Rowan despised what he knew of Celaena, their bargain marks a pivotal moment in their relationship. Celaena later claims him as a friend, and Rowan becomes increasingly protective of her. At the end of the book, she breaks the Blood Oath that binds him to Maeve, and Rowan chooses to swear a new oath to Aelin. He thus becomes “the first member of her court—the court that would change the world. The court that would rebuild it” (560), which announces the following book in the series, Queen of Shadows.

Dorian Havilliard is the prince of Adarlan. Despite being the evil king’s son, he is kind, brave, and loyal. He supports Celaena even when he learns her true identity as Aelin, which may end up being a threat to his position. His only other friend is Chaol, but their relationship suffered when, at the end of Crown of Midnight, the latter sent Celaena away to Wendlyn. Throughout the novel, Dorian struggles to find his place in the world. Indeed, the king has banned magic under penalty of death, so Dorian’s newly discovered magical abilities could get him killed if he cannot learn to control them.

Despite his isolation, Dorian falls in love with Sorscha, a healer who works at the castle and helps him inhibit his magic. At the end of the book, when the king reveals that Sorscha is a spy for the rebels and kills her, Dorian sacrifices himself by revealing his magic to his father and helping Chaol escape.

Manon is an Ironteeth witch and the heir to the Blackbeak clan, whose matron is her grandmother. Ironteeth witches look human but are magical creatures with retractable iron teeth and claws. Their main purpose is hunting down and destroying the peaceful Crochan witches until the king asks them to serve him in exchange for wyverns.

Manon leads a coven known as the Thirteen, known for their ruthlessness and efficiency. The Thirteen also comprises Asterin (her Second), Sorrel (her Third), Vesta, Faline, Fallon, Edda, Briar, Thea, Kaya, Linnea, Ghislaine, and Imogen. Manon is described as very strong and beautiful, with “moon-white hair, alabaster skin, and burnt-gold eyes” (66), and she wears a distinctive red cloak.

At first, Manon is as cruel and hot-blooded as the other Ironteeth witches, but throughout the story, she challenges the status quo more and more. She learns to be more empathetic thanks to her bond with her wyvern, Abraxos, whom she initially chooses because he is as smart and vicious a warrior as she is. However, she realizes he is more gentle and compassionate than she thought, eventually leading her to save another witch’s life rather than let her die. Manon becomes more emotionally attuned throughout the story, foreshadowing her eventual rebellion against her grandmother in Queen of Shadows.

Chaol is the king’s captain of the guards and used to be Dorian’s closest friend before he sent Celaena away to protect her, thus causing a rift between the two young men. However, Chaol remains extremely loyal to Dorian and prioritizes the prince’s safety in every decision he makes throughout the novel. For instance, he chooses not to tell Dorian about Celaena’s true identity, fearing that the king might harm the prince to get that information.

When he realizes the king’s sinister goals, Chaol reluctantly befriends Aedion and starts working with the rebels. Thus, he seemingly supports Celaena/Aelin while claiming to serve Dorian, leading Aedion and the prince to pressure him to pick a side. Despite wanting to remain neutral, Chaol eventually renounces his duty and takes a new oath that “he would see that [prosperous] world reborn, even if it took his last breath. Even if he had no name now, no position or title save Oath-Breaker, Traitor, Liar” (556).

Aedion is Celaena’s cousin, and they grew up together in Terrasen before Aelin’s parents were murdered. He is depicted as cunning, brave, brash, and extremely loyal to Aelin, his true queen. He is also half-Fae, which imbues him with sharper senses than humans and enables him to sidestep the king’s attempt to put him under his control with an enchanted ring.

Aedion is described as:

[T]owering and heavily muscled, [...] every inch the warrior rumor claimed him to be. [...] A white wolf pelt was slung across his broad shoulders, and a round shield had been strapped to his back—along with an ancient-looking sword. [His eyes] were Celaena’s eyes. Ashryver eyes. A stunning turquoise with a core of gold as bright as their hair. Their hair—even the shade of it was the same. They could have been twins, if Aedion weren’t twenty-four and tanned from years in the snow-bright mountains of Terrasen (21).

Aedion has been serving the king as a general since the fall of Terrasen. Although he appears to fight against the rebels and dishonor his legacy by carrying the Sword of Orynth, Aedion is a double agent. He and his élite team of soldiers, known as the Bane, have been working with the rebels to undermine the king. When he learns that his cousin is still alive, Aedion starts working with Chaol secretly to prepare for her return and the upcoming conflict with the Adarlan forces. At the end of the book, he identifies himself as a rebel to help Chaol escape, and the king takes him prisoner.