🦇 Heir Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite fantasy book?❓

🦇 An orphan. An outcast. A prince. And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.
An old tragedy fuels Aiz's need for vengeance, while love of her people that propels her. Sirsha agrees to use her magic to hunt a killer who is murdering children across the Martial Empire. And Quil is the Empire's crown prince, though he's loath to take the throne. Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of these three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.

💜 *Insert a plethora of creative curses here* For fig's sake. I can't even begin to describe the pure AWE I have, not only for this story, but for Sabaa Tahir, fantasy and Muslim-American literary goddess, in general. I honestly can't think of a story I've read that was so well intertwined, so fully conceptualized, while respecting roots of the series that came before it. Earlier this year, I had the fortune to read The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab, which continued her Shades of Magic series. Reading Heir sparked that same feeling; the sensation of returning home after a long journey through other vast worlds. I'm grateful that Penguin Teen hosted the Ember in the Ashes read-along this summer. While Heir introduces us to new characters, 20 years after the Ember in the Ashes series ends, each mention and emergence of a familiar character provided a sweet taste of nostalgia I didn't know I needed. These books have seeped themselves deep within my marrow since 2015, and Sabaa Tahir has been on my favorite/auto-buy author for just as long. She's the first Muslim-American to win the National Book Award for Young People's Literature; a feat that gives me hope and inspiration as a Muslim-American writer.

💜 Reading Heir, you can see how much Tahir's prose has flourished over the past decade. Despite stepping back into this familiar world, it's richer, more vivid. The action is just as intense and ruthless, the characters undeniably unique. The underlying themes resonate deeply. I loved every nod to South Asian, Pakistani, and Islamic culture. It's always the five-star book reviews I struggle with the most. I could talk about this story for hours, but I'd spoil so much that I want you to experience for yourself.

💙 Don't worry: if you haven't read the An Ember in the Ashes quartet, you can still enjoy Heir. The three main characters have their own vivid story to tell, and while there are mentions of many beloved characters from the original series, they're supporting cast to Aiz, Sirsha, and Quil. I will say that the first part of the story took a moment to adjust to, and there's the lingering question of HOW these characters are connected, but once you realize how the breadcrumbs were laid out for you, you'll realize the execution is FLAWLESS. The fast pace keeps you on your toes, the ever-growing tension driving you to the last page. As for the underlying romantic story, AH! It was perfectly built, the sass and chemistry playful without stealing from the main plot, yet heart-wrenching; that kind of painful that keeps you invested long-term. OH! And can we talk about our villain? That BUILD?! I love a villain with reason--a character who doesn't realize they're the villain at all, someone with a mission that goes about it in all the wrong ways. This story had EVERYTHING and then some. I'll be recommending it for the next 20 years.

🦇 Recommended for fans of The Red Queen series, The Lunar Chronicle series, and The Throne of Glass series.

✨ The Vibes ✨
🫀First in a Duology
✨ Young Adult High Fantasy/Romantasy
👑 Political Intrigue
⛏ Enemies to Lovers
💓 Found Family
👁 Multi POV

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #Heir

💬 Quotes
❝ Get what you need. Forget the rest. ❞
❝ "You are a daughter of the evening star. You are not meant to be caged." ❞
❝ “I give my heart unto her keeping, a gift with no compare.” ❞
❝ "The past will distract you from the now. And it’s the now that matters.” ❞
❝ “You seek to understand the fibers that make the world,” Loli Temba said, “but not your own pain, nor that of others. You’d be better served understanding the latter.” ❞
❝ He looked at her like her secrets were the sea, and he was at home in dark water. ❞
❝ “Quil—” His name rolled off her tongue, a prayer. “Please—” “Mmm,” he said. “You should say that more, Sirsha. I’d give you whatever you wanted.” ❞
❝ “Care about yourself as much as you care about those you love. As much as— as we care about you.” ❞
❝ Sirsha grabbed his hand, wishing she could articulate the desire suffusing her, something more than I need you and I wish I didn’t. ❞

I really enjoyed the An Ember in the Ashes series and it was great to jump back into that world! I look forward to reading more from Sabaa Tahir.

As a writer, I tend to keep Sabaa Tahir's work on a special shelf: my toolbox shelf.
Every writer has one. It's full of books we love, books that have great uses of craft, books that might even be craft books themselves.
I think HEIR will fit nicely next to the other books I love to learn from.
In HEIR we follow the stories of Quil, Sirscha, and Aiz as we return to the world of EMBER IN THE ASHES, 20 years after the events of the original quartet.
As usual, Sabaa Tahir's world building is perfection. But if you read the original quartet, you might find the opening sort of slowly paced as you are already familiar with the world and the fallout of Nightbringer's actions. I admit, I struggled to get through the first few chapters, but I promise you it is rewarding to do so.
From here on, there will be spoilers and craft discussions:
Once we get to the invasion we've been firmly introduced to Aiz, a devout follower of Mother Div from Kegar, a country that is so poor and broken that it must raid the countries nearby in order to feed its people. Aiz fails to assassinate the tyrant leading her country further into ruin and finds herself, and her friends, in jail for some time.
Aiz has a WHOLE journey in prison, and this is before we've even jumped into the main problem of the book proper.
We get to see Aiz fall, find her faith, and rise again. But I think astute readers will be immediately suspicious of Mother Div's sudden interest in Aiz. I know I was. Mother Div has some incredibly strong Keenan vibes.
Something about Div's voice reminds me of the Nightbringer, smooth, desperate, determined, hungry. When Aiz escapes prison and finds her way to the tribal lands, I think Div really begins to come off the page (which is funny, because she's been bound to a book). Aiz asks Laia, who is now Kehanni of Tribe Saif and mother to Elias's children, to find the missing 9th Sacred Tale of Mother Div, but it takes time.
And in this time, Div's impatience seeps out into Aiz. We really get to watch as the emotions overwhelm Aiz and confuse her as she fights down something she believes is coming from her. But we also get to witness some amazing characterizations in that Aiz twists her own personality to justify stealing and sacrificing in order to achieve her goals.
Then we have Sirscha, banished from the Jaduna for an unspeakable act and forbidden from using her tracking magic. Elias comes to her and makes her swear a sacred Jaduna oath to track down a killer, which forces her to begin using her magic in a way that might alert her tribe.
Sirscha has a great character journey as well. She battles with her past mistakes, her own family, and evolving feelings for Quil, the Prince of the Empire. She has secrets to keep for good reasons and learns to trust in others as much as in herself.
I really loved learning about the Jaduna through Sirscha's points of view. It all gets shown through memories and trinkets rather than encyclopedic entries and it helped to connect to the Sirscha’s emotions more than a few diary like lines at the beginning of the chapters could have.
Quil has less of a change, I feel. His story is grand, involving losing love, finding it again, and working through his trauma, and it is a solidly presented tale, but he undergoes less of a change than the other main viewpoint characters. At the end, he is still the crown prince and still wants revenge for the fall of the Empire and the murder of his loved ones. Something we'll hopefully get to see him achieve in the next book.
The world building was mixed for me. I am familiar with the world from the EMBER IN THE ASHES QUARTET and so some of the information felt repetitive, but if this is your first dive into the world then buckle up because you are in for some solid understanding and visuals.
Once the ball got rolling it never felt like it stopped. There was a lot to follow: Quil and Sirscha's budding relationship, Sirscha's friendship with Quil, Sufiyan, and Arelia, Quil and Sufiyan's joint trauma at the death of Ruh, Aiz's determinations n to save her people, Aiz's relationship with Mother Div, the traps, the ambushes, the plans.
And almost all of it gets wrapped up. Almost. Add it to your TBR now, readers. And you too, writers. You’re going to love this.

Note: book finished, reviewing in progress and incoming. I appreciate the patience and the opportunity!

I am currently very physically ill and not able to read very much or some days even at all. I apologise to anyone this review might inconvenience, but I thought I might do a placeholder until I am well and can finish reading and write a proper review. I didn’t want it to potentially expire before I could post something. I will edit this when I am well enough to read again. Again I am sorry and hope this doesn’t affect my standing.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy! You can pick up Heir on October 1, 2024.

WOW. What an absolutely fantastic story, both as its own entry and as a continuation of the Ember in the Ashes quartet. I absolutely loved how Sabaa Tahir expanded this world, incorporated new magic systems, and introduced us to new characters who I was equally invested in. Admittedly, in a multi-POV book, it's easy to feel tempted to skip certain POVs because you're more invested in other storylines. But I was HOOKED on Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha for the entire book.

I haven't had an audible, gasp-out-loud moment in a book in AGES, but Heir had me screaming and theorizing and doing the most when I figured out a major plot twist halfway through. It's truly a testament to Sabaa's writing how I didn't see it coming but it still made sense in the broader context of the story.

I loved (and mourned) the cameos from the previous series, and I do think that reading the quartet set me up for more emotional damage in Heir. But this story can also absolutely be read on its own, and I'm just to unbelievably excited to see where Sabaa takes it next.

10/10 fantasy story, and will recommend to anyone and everyone I know.

Look, I was desperately trying to finish AEITA series before I read this ARC, but it just didn't happen. I'm about halfway through A Reaper at the Gates, but only had five days left to read this ARC. So, I did.

With that being said, if you haven't read AEITA series, you don't really need too, but it is nice to see all our beloved characters later on. I would suggest finishing that series first because even only 3/4 of the way through I was making tons of connections and had lots of prior knowledge that made reading easier.

Also, I am totally enjoying AEITA series, but this book was so much better. I got to a point where I couldn't put it down. I am so much more invested in this story than I thought I would be. Again, I think this is because I'm already familiar with aide characters, the world, and the history.

Quil, Sirsha, and even Aiz are all characters that are easy to care about, be angry with, side with or against. Their character development arcs were amazingly thought out and they can't wait to revisit these characters in book #2.

Tried hard to keep this spoiler free. So basically, my review is just a recommendation to read AEITA and then immediately buy this and read it.

Also, beware the cliffhanger. Definitely a rough one that leaves me craving the next book 🤣

Thank you to Netgally, the publisher, and Saba Tahir for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Heir" by Sabaa Tahir is a masterful blend of high-stakes action, political intrigue, and resonant emotional arcs. As the sequel to "An Ember in the Ashes," it follows protagonists navigating a world on the brink of war. Tahir's multifaceted characters and their personal struggles add depth to the thrilling narrative. Her lyrical prose paints vivid scenes, balancing action and introspection. The novel explores themes of identity, loyalty, and sacrifice, making it compelling for both new and returning readers. "Heir" is a testament to Tahir's storytelling prowess, offering a riveting and emotionally charged experience.

I have not read Ember in the Ashes, yet, but I understand that this can be read without it. I don't know how much it would have changed my review of this book. I struggled in some places with this book, feeling a little lost. When some things came to light, the book was basically over and then I wondered why we still had another ten chapters or so to go. The last bits felt long to be long.

I did like the world, it's very immersive, and the characters are distinct with their own driving forces for how they do what they do. I did find one of the MCs to be insufferable toward the end because, again, the last several chapters were not necessary for them. I will read Ember in the Ashes because I've heard it's quite good and many people seem to enjoy it more than this installment of the same world. Kind of a standalone duology prequel. Not bad, but not as good as I had hoped it would be.

Quil's place in the book confused me for awhile, until we got toward the end. I thought I had missed something but it was intentional it looks like from others' comments. Sirsha is someone I'd like to see more of and be more like. Aiz is on a revenge quest and she'll do anything to follow through.

Book Review
Heir by Sabaa Tahir

Tropes
Magic and technology
Rich vs Poor
Found family
Loyalty of friends
Duty vs dreams
Ships, small villages, castles and cross country travel
Curses bound in history and religion

Characters
Quil- he doesnt want to be Emperor
Aiz - she wants more for her people and is driven by a need to justice and revenge
Sir’s ha- bounty hunter who uses her magic to hunt evil

Why is Feels Familiar
📚Same workd as Ember in the Ashes Series but in the future and can be read as a standalone

Overall
Tahir gives readers a book to fill the void left when the Embers in the Ashes series ended. It takes place slightly in the future or where EITA series left off. This book offers readers an epic adventure and a journey of self growth , strong friendships, magic , secrecy and soo much more.
Only downsides for me 1)The timelines werent quite clear and it took me a bit to figure out- I prefer when the chapters indicate changes and 2) the Ending was climactic but not really an ending- felt like ugh no not again… didn’t we just do this?

Thanks to @netgalley and Penguin Young Readers group for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Such a good story! The beginning was a little slow with a lot of characters to meet, but it wasn't long before I was totally absorbed and couldn't put it down!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review

I received an early review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sabaa is back! I can’t explain the excitement I felt when this book was announced and that we call could return to the world of Ember.

This book has three main POVs with Quil, Sirsha, and Aiz. Quil, Marcus Farrar’s son and Empress Helene Aquilla’s nephew, is heir to the throne of the Martial Empire and couldn’t want anything less; he is sent on a mission to help save the Empire from the Kegari attacks. Sirsha, a Jaduna outcast, makes a blood oath to find a killer. And lastly with a POV in the past, Aiz, a Kegari orphan, set to save her people from destruction by going on a mission to find Mother Div’s trapped soul.

These three unlikely characters cross paths as their missions collide. I don’t specially loved Quil and the gang. Getting to meet Laia and Elias’s kids felt so nostalgic. And of course, Sabaa can’t help to end her book with you hanging on the edge of a cliff with 1 finger. I couldn’t believe the end and further can’t believe we’ll only get one more book. It might be time to circle back to Ember.

I’ve always enjoyed Sabaa Tahir’s writing and character development. She also is known to just kill and destroy your heart in the process, which I honestly love. You can’t get too comfortable with her books and it makes me come crawling back for more each time

Ok, yeah I get the Sabaa Tahir hype. I haven’t read the Ember in the Ashes series (I’m sure after this I will), and I still was able to follow the book just fine. I’m sure the prior knowledge would help, but I really loved this even without it.

We follow 3 main characters; Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha, with their own objectives and how their stories overlap and weave together. Once these characters plotlines started mixing together, I was really hooked. There’s also a lovable cast of side characters that I was invested in from evil sisters to bad ass engineer cousins.

Usually high fantasy scares me, (because what is a Tel Ilessi or Mother Div) but I had no troubles keeping up, in fact anytime I sat down to read this I ended up binging chapters. I really loved that the author didn’t make things too easy for the characters and though the end left me very distressed, I know I’ll just be reading AEITA series while I wait for book two.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Heir by Sabaa Tahir is a third person multi-POV YA romantic epic fantasy set in the same world as An Ember in the Ashes. Aiz, a windweaver, is put in prison after attempting to kill her commander and stealing a valuable book from him. Quil is the prince of an empire who doesn’t want to take the throne and Sirsha has been disowned by her people and takes whatever job comes her way.

I actually haven’t read An Ember in the Ashes yet. It’s been on my TBR for years and I know Sabaa Tahir is a much beloved YA writer, so when I saw Heir on NetGalley, I wanted to give it a shot. While certain details might make even more sense if I had read AEITA first, I felt that everything that needed to be explained was given enough detail where I could fit the pieces together even if it took a little bit. I wouldn’t say it was any more confusing coming in totally blind than some adult fantasies I’ve read, so if Heir’s premise sounds more appealing, I wouldn’t say a reader needs to read AEITA first.

My favorite POV to read was Sirsha’s. I love a young woman who knows her value and has a bit of snark to her but also isn’t afraid to use all of her skills to get what she wants. Her chapters have some of the most romantic moments as well and I love a romantic fantasy. I think what I really loved about Sirsha as a character was how alive and passionate she felt. The other POV characters also carry those qualities, but Sirsha hit just right for me.

The worldbuilding was very interesting. The way the windweavers are explained in the opening chapters immediately grabbed my attention and made me more curious about how the magic system works because it’s kind of like bending from Avatar: The Last Airbender and kind of something else because of the engines and machines. There’s a roughly early 1900’s feel on top of a big world with multiple groups and empires that I think will satisfy readers who love more expansive worldbuilding.

I would recommend this to fans of YA epic fantasy with multiple POV characters, readers of YA romantic fantasy who love a good love triangle, and those who loved An Ember in the Ashes and wanted more of the world

Man....I did not expect to struggle to get through this as much as I did.

I will say that the writing is still so exquisite and the world-building phenomenal. But there was just...a lack of connection to this book and these characters, a lack of care for them. The original series had such an important and meaningful journey that I felt this one lacked. And having to battle through so much of Aiz's point of view really hindered the enjoyment in reading this book. Every time I got to her chapters I would put the book down because I just did not want to deal with her, which made for an incredibly sluggish reading process.

Seeing the snippets of Leia and Elias were wonderful, though. Seeing old characters in new books always feels like home.

Content Warning: violence, death, death of children, war

This is a spin-off of the An Ember in the Ashes series – which was really amazing, but I never read the last book and not because I didn’t want to, but life happened and I kept meaning to get to it. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to read Heir. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ The story-telling and world building is amazing which is nothing less than I expected from this author. I liked how the Kegars had sails (aircrafts) that they built to fly! Helene, Elias and Laia make an appearance which is wonderful because it just brought me back to the Ember series and how much I loved these characters. But now they are older, with Helene being guardian to her nephew, Quil and Elias and Laia having kids together.

+ There are a few characters in this book and they are fun to get to know. Quil is Helene’s nephew and heir to the empire but I think my favorite was Sirsha who is a tracker. She’s tracking down an evil presence, she’s quick on her feet, has lots of personality and there is a romance between her and Quil. And then there is Aiz who is someone I was fascinated with in the beginning and then the story reveals her intentions, actions and her past and let’s just say she’s a very complicated character.

+ I did enjoy the second half of this book more than the beginning but that’s probably because of there is so much action and things being revealed in the second half.

Dislikes:

~ I don’t dislike that this is in the book because it is what shapes the villain but many children are sacrificed in this story and it’s heartbreaking (as it should be) and the author does an amazing job at writing this book that I hate the villain so much.

My Thoughts:

I do wish I finished the Ember series or even re-read the whole thing before reading this one but I think I found my footing in this story even though I didn’t finish the Ember series. I loved the new characters like Quil, Sirsha, Ruh and Sufi. I also loved seeing Helene, Elias and Laia in this book. The writing is fantastic as always and the world-building is detailed and expanded. This book made me feel so many emotions and it’s a dark story but so compelling. This is shaping up to be a really good spin-off and I can’t wait to see what happens in the conclusion!

Sabaa Tagir can create a whole world you can completely get lost in. I loved revisiting some beloved characters and all the new ones. This is a must for anyone who loved the Ember in the Ashes series!

I WILL NOT BE THE SAME.

This is one of those books that has altered my brain chemistry. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I feel like I won’t even do this review justice because of how phenomenal the entire book is.

I loved being back in this world and I loved getting to see my favorites from An Ember in the Ashes (highly recommend reading that series first!!). I loved all of the new characters. It’s a complex and diverse cast where this is not one weak point. Every single POV was engaging. I slowly devoured this because I wanted to savor it but also needed to know what was going to happen next.

And oh boy were there TWISTS. I was left staring into space multiple times while also flipping pages back and forth to make sure I had grasped what the heck just happened. Sabaa Tahir is an incredible writer and the wait for this book was worth it and more.

Also, ROMANCE. Good heavens it SENT ME. Every little lingering moment and touch and soft glance and heated exchange. It was an effortlessly created slow burn. I am obsessed.

There’s so many moments I would love to highlight that have engraved themselves on my soul. The deep, heart wrenching themes and the small pockets of joy. Handling what life has handed you with the strength to take the next step forward. This is one story that I will be thinking about for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy + Romance
Language: low
Romance: very vague open/fade to black
Violence: high
Content Warnings: loss of life and war themes, torture and kidnapping, weapons of mass destruction

An incredible continuation to the ember series. I have nothing bad to say about this book...I can't think of one single thing. it was perfect

Thank you Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I am obsessed with this world and Sabaa Tahir's writing! If you haven't read the Ember in an Ashes series I highly recommend you read that before reading this book!

Quil and friends are so much fun to read about the way the story was written and the individual character arcs was fantastic! This is a multi POV books with plot lines that interconnect. The individual characters plot lines all came together to form what I can only describe as a plot spider web which lead to a very involved very thought out story line! Sabaa's talent in writing is truly impressive!

There where multiple parts of this story that made my heart hurt for the characters, some that made me mad (at certain people) and others that were heart warming and beautiful!

I absolutely loved this book and was so happy to be back in the world getting to see some of my favorite fiction characters again!

Well, I always seem to forget that when you open up a Sabaa Tahir book, you need to be ready to smile, cry, and scream "WHAT?!" in equal measure. In other words, I loved it, as expected.

What a great start to a duology! The characters jump off the page and you can't help but be on board for every decision they make, good or bad, and want the best for them even when they are making horrible choices for themselves. Also have to give it up for Elias managing to continue messing with people's lives even when he isn't the main character of the story (though I still love him). While Heir takes a little while to fully get going, once the main trio's storylines start to overlap, it's nonstop from there, and each side character also merits even further examination. I really hope that the second book allows us more time with Sufiyan, Arelia, Tas, and Cero, who prove equally as compelling as Quil, Aiz, and Sirsha. Sirsha definitely stands out as my favorite among the new trio with her prickly ways, and I especially loved seeing her interactions with every character and her longing for connection even as she firmly tried to put space between her and everyone else.

To say too much about the romance would delve too much into spoilers, but I will say that the romance really sings and I can't wait to see how its further complicated in the next book.

Above all else though, it's impossible not to praise the writing. Sabaa Tahir manages to infuse every chapter with some of the best dialogue and most piercing prose that you can imagine. I would happily read a phone book if she was the one who wrote it.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.