While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the arc.

Expected nothing less than heartache and that's exactly what I got. This is a great continuation of the Embers universe (which I highly suggest reading before this) and I'm so excited to see where the rest of the story goes. I loved being back in this universe.

"Heir" by Sabaa Tahir is a masterful return to the world introduced in "An Ember in the Ashes," set two decades later. This novel seamlessly intertwines the lives of three protagonists: Aiz, an orphan from Kegar driven by vengeance; Sirsha, a banished tracker with elemental magic on a mission to hunt down a child murderer; and Quil, the reluctant crown prince of the Martial Empire, grappling with his dark lineage as a new threat looms over his realm. Tahir's intricate world-building and nuanced character development create a compelling narrative that explores themes of power, legacy, and the moral complexities of leadership.

While "Heir" stands strong on its own, I found myself wishing I had revisited "An Ember in the Ashes" before diving into this installment. Familiarity with the original series enriches the reading experience, offering deeper insights into the world and its characters. However, newcomers can still appreciate the story, as Tahir provides sufficient context.

The plot is both expansive and intimate, delving deep into each character's personal struggles while maintaining a broader commentary on societal structures. "Heir" stands as a testament to Tahir's storytelling prowess, offering a fresh yet familiar journey that will captivate both new readers and longtime fans of the series.

A fantastic start to a new series. I've always been a fan of Sabaa Tahir's writing and am so excited to read this new series from her!

Heir is the spin-off of Tahir's popular Ember in the Ashes series (you don't necessarily need to have read those first to read this, but as an Ember fan I did appreciate the nods to that series) and the opener to a duology. Heir follows a set of young people in the same universe, and in the tradition of that series, it's a multi-POV exploration of this world, but there is a larger cast of characters here and Tahir utilizes a 3rd-person style.

Even though there are a ton of characters, the story was still relatively easy to follow because Tahir does a great job developing their unique personalities and backstories. We meet Aiz, a vengeful orphan, contract killer Sirsha, and reluctant heir to the throne Quil, as well as various other characters in the periphery. Arguably, this book is more character-driven than the Ember books, with a lot of the focus being on the characters dealing with internal conflicts, and of course they appear so different at first but then their paths cross in an unexpected but also satisfying way. Since this is the opener to a duology, the characters' all dealing with their own stuff sets the stage for a potentially action-packed sequel. There is a little romance as well which was a nice touch but something that also exposed the flaws in some of the major players. Tahir also expands upon this universe a bit, explaining further the social hierarchy and also establishing the religious belief system.

Though a fundamentally different story than that presented in the Ember series, Heir was a great foray back into that world.

4.5 but rounding up to 5! Only knocked it down slightly because the start was a little slow for me, and I felt like some adventures were glossed or explained rather than written out, and I wish we got to see them happen.

Wow, this book revamped my love for this universe. I dropped off a bit at the end of the Ember quartet, the last 2 books weren't my favorite, but being back in this universe with this new generation of characters and seeing how the world has grown was so unexpectedly fun. It was also so cool to see how the characters we know and love have developed, and their lives aren't "perfect" like we'd maybe hope. It felt realistic and grounded.

Quil is my favorite type of male protagonist. He's a great mix of Helene and Elias, brooding but has a sense of humor and carries a sense of duty that weighs him down. I'm a sucker for these characters and he didn't disappoint.

There are some unexpected twists, the ending left me SHOOK, and this series's romance is so fun. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to PenguinTeen for sending me an ARC to read!

I loves the action in this book but the wordiness did have me take pause. I do look forward to seeing where this story goes.

I read this book before I ever finished the Torch in the Night series. I loved this story and I felt deeply invested in the characters, even if I didn't get the ties back to the original series. The world building allows you to feel like you can be immersed in the story.

Thanks to Penguin and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

I really loved Sabaa Tahir's first series, Ember in the Ashes, and I can't describe how happy I was to see that Heir is a sort of next generation duology, focused on the children of the main characters from the first series. The kids are fine, but the Empire isn't and it sends them on wild chases through the different parts of the world, hunting someone who is killing children as the Empire comes under attack. While it's great to see Laia and Elias (and Helene) again, the real focus is on Quil and Sirsha as they learn to trust each other and lead their friends to saving the Empire. I loved the pacing of this novel and how the characters were developed. It was a bit tricky to realize that some chapters were clearly flashbacks, but the world building is fantastic and I can't wait for the second book!

I absolutely loved Heir! Set two decades after An Ember in the Ashes, this book delivers everything I wanted—rich world-building, morally complex characters, and an emotionally gripping story. Quil, Sirsha, and Aiz each bring unique perspectives, making their intertwining fates impossible to put down. The political intrigue, magic, and high stakes had me hooked from start to finish. Tahir once again proves she’s a master of storytelling!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⚔️ Political Intrigue | 🔥 Magic & Destiny | ❤️ Emotional Depth

Heir is a compelling and complex novel that weaves together multiple perspectives to tell its story. The writing is undoubtedly excellent, drawing readers in with rich detail and strong character development. The shifts between different characters' POVs can be difficult to keep track of, but for those who enjoy a multi-layered narrative, this may be a rewarding read. Although I wasn't able to finish it due to the challenges of following the various points of view, I found the storyline to be very interesting and would consider picking it up again in the future.

Amazing! Heir by Sabaa Tahir is the first in a YA fantasy duology that follows multiple perspectives as they hunt a ruthless killer. Aiz is angry, living her life in the Kegari slums, watching as the elite send their children to die in a war no one wants to fight and the rest starve. Quil is the crown prince of the Martial Empire, the nephew of the venerated empress, but the throne is the last thing he wants. He would rather be in the plains with his cousins. Sirsha has magic that she can use to track down anyone. When she’s asked to hunt the killer of a man’s son, she agrees, but it may cost more than she bargained for. These individual threads bind together to create an unputdownable story.

The story opens with Aiz. She is an interesting one to follow. She is an orphan raised by the Sisters who believe the Mother will return one day to take them home. After an encounter with their leader goes sour, Aiz and those she loves are placed under arrest and tortured. It is during their prison stay that Aiz begins to hear the Mother and channel her power. Now believing she is on a divine mission to save her people, Aiz sets out to cross the Martial Empire following the voice. Aiz is naive, brash, stubborn, and her devout belief could get herself or her found family killed. Yet her storyline is fascinating and drew me in quickly.

Quil and Sirsha kind of go hand in hand. Quil is the reluctant heir to the throne. He knows that power corrupts, and since his father was the emperor that was taken down in the war, he’s afraid his fate will be the same. It isn’t until he nearly loses everything that he realizes what it means to be a good leader and that he will make one. Sirsha isn’t supposed to use her power, she’s been forbidden and outcast by her family. Yet it is how she makes a living. Teaming up with Quil and his friends was a happy accident. They are hunting the same thing after all.

The plot is two fold. We follow Aiz’s story as she crosses the desert into the Martial Empire. Her need for revenge drives her, and as her story unfolds, you will see how it connects to Quil and Sirsha. Quil’s story begins with an attack that brings the capital to its knees. Who is behind the attack? What is brutally murdering innocents in the kingdom? Somehow they are connected, Quil is sure of it, but the real question is how.

I loved every word from start to finish. Seriously, I could not read it fast enough. Set in the same world as Tahir’s Ember Quartet, the story is full of references to the war that stabilized their country. Having never read it, I didn’t really put it together until the empress was introduced. That said, I did not struggle to understand what was going on and found myself completely engrossed in the story. If anything, this just made me want to go back and devour Ember 😂 If you are a fan of epic fantasy or enjoyed the origin series, I highly recommend it.

Audiobook Note: While I had an eARC of this book, I was also blessed with an ALC, and I could not have been happier. The narrators are fantastic. There are five, one for each point of view. I had no problem keeping track of who was who. The narrators breathed life and so much emotion into the story. If you are a listener, I’d go this route.

Yes. Absolutely yes. All the stars. No notes. No nothing. No words. What are words? Gosh I loved this one. So much. More please.

Sabaa Tahir my beloved. I could probably write an entire manuscript about how much I love Sabaa's books, but this review should probably focus on Heir, so I'll try to do that.

There are no words to describe how much fun I had with Heir. Strong women!!!! STRONG!!! Women!!! That's exactly what you'll find inside Heir's pages, complete with cameos and situations reminiscent of some of the author's earlier works. It's incredibly refreshing to see such well crafted storytelling that doesn't compromise world building, and I think this is something that the author has always excelled at.

I've raved about this book for months on social media and to my friends, but there are truly no words to describe how excellent this story was.
All my thanks to both Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

I will literally read anything Sabaa Tahir writes! This was such a phenomenal, gripping book and I can’t recommend it enough. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the sequel!

SABAAAAAAAAAAAA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SOUL? Sabaa Tahir writes with like a pen from God saying here give them gifts and spread the word! She gives you outcasts which everyone loves, a DEITY which everyone wants to hate, and found love/family which every need in their life. I can't i read this and survived honestly i was scared. I personally love the multiple POVs s please keep that. Great introduction to a new series and I can't wait to read more! Thank you, Sabaa, PENGUIN group, and Netgalley!

I loved being back in this world again. You don't have to read the Ember in the Ashes series of Tahir's but it definitely will enrich the storyline.

In this duology, the plot focuses on several factions of people who are trying to find a way to all survive in a kingdom that has limited resources. One group of people wants something that the other people have and are willing to kill to get that resource. No matter who gets in their way, they will not stray from the goal.

In the background, you meet several characters whose lives are woven together over time during this book. It takes a little while to see the connections between them all but it's cleverly done and everything has a purpose to the storyline. I know some reviewers seemed frustrated with the slow start. But you just have to be patient with the story building and setup. It will be worth it.

The story has creatures, magic and romance. It also has heartlessness, evil and a large quantity of violence. The end of the first book leaves you wanting more but it isn't a horribly painful cliffhanger like some books give you. That said, I look forward to book two and seeing how the author wraps up this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I generally don’t like when people hype something up too much because it sets high expectations that are difficult to meet, but let me say that I finished this book a while ago and have not stopped thinking about it.

This novel is set in the same realm as An Ember in the Ashes series and I would recommend reading the books in that series before reading this one as this is set twenty years in the future. It is another multi-POV and Sabaa skillfully weaves them together in a way that leaves you gripping the edges of your pages.

The novel follows an orphan, an exilee and a royal heir as they try and navigate their places in a world that sends them tests every step of the way. True to her style, Sabaa takes you through a multitude of emotions while delivering a fantastical plot.

Sabaa Tahir once again has proven why she’s a superb author and I cannot wait for the second book in this duology.

Quil, Crown Prince of the Martial Empire, has never wanted to rule, but that is the destiny laid out for him as soon as his Aunt Helene steps down as empress. When the Empire comes under attack by a brutal new enemy, Quil and two of his friends escape with the aid of outcast Jaduna tracker Sirsha along the way. They agree to travel together for a time to protect each other as the Martials seek out aid, but Sirsha has a quest of her own – she has been hired to track a vicious child murderer who is leaving a trail of carnage across the empire. Meanwhile in the slums of Kegar, Aiz has grown up in poverty and suffering and when given the opportunity to gain power that will not only allow her to seek vengeance for an old score but also help her people, she seizes it, unknowing of the true cost behind her choice and what it will demand from her. As conflict unfolds across the Empire, Quil, Sirsha and Aiz’s paths and stories are about to cross and more is at stake than they realize.

When I heard there was going to be a spinoff duology for the Ember quartet, I was quite skeptical, as I usually am of spinoffs and novellas, especially for hugely popular series like this one.

This review is over three months overdue, but it took me forever to be able to put my thoughts into words for this book. I read An Ember in the Ashes for the first time in 2016, and it’s so amazing to be able to come back to this world and a new story nearly ten years later.

Usually, with any book from one of my favourite authors, I would binge read it in under a day, but I took my time with Heir on purpose. It was so lovely to not only return to this world but delve into the countries and kingdoms beyond the Martial Empire where much of the Ember Quartet took place. The expansion on the world building and new lore about the various cultures was undoubtedly my favourite aspect of this book, right alongside the plot itself.

While strictly speaking, it’s not necessary to have read Ember to understand this, there would be a lot of context missing and it would be a different reading experience altogether. Following the second generation, so to speak, was interesting as was the new antagonist.

Unfortunately, I did have to drop my rating by half a star for how ridiculously predictable one of the crucial story arcs became after a point. The moment it became clear that there were actually two timelines involved, it gave away a huge chunk of the plot and it would have been better to reveal this at a later stage.

This was a strong narrative and the pacing was excellent. Coming back to a world and characters after a long break is something I tend to find difficult as a reader in most cases, because I rarely have the time to reread anything, but in this case, I didn’t need to. I remembered more than I thought, and the story had enough context for me to piece together what I didn’t. It had me completely hooked right from the first chapter and it was so hard to put this down and take breaks! Sabaa Tahir definitely hasn’t lost her touch writing fantasy!

New characters in a familiar setting and even among familiar characters is always a risk in spin offs, but as far as Aiz, Quil and Sirsha went, this was handled beautifully. Though their various links to the characters from Ember were revealed pretty early on, their arcs very much stood on their own.

I honestly wasn’t particularly happy that the original characters played such major roles in this book because I felt like Ember had tied off things neatly and there was no need to open up that story again. Still, objectively speaking, it was all quite well done and no character reappearance was unnecessary to the plot – and it was great to see where they all were in their lives after 20 years.

It’s hard to say much without spoilers here, but I do want to talk about Aiz for a minute. When her initial arc was introduced, she was quite a sympathetic character, and I generally rather enjoy morally grey MCs, but as the story progressed that fell away by the page and she became just plain insufferable. The final chapters, in my opinion, definitely seemed to lean in the direction of a possible redemption arc for Aiz which I’m so not happy about. With everything that was revealed about her, it’ll be a hard sell for most of the main characters to even remotely get along with her.

Quil and Sirsha were fun characters to follow and I really enjoyed Sirsha’s journey in particular. Quil had a very strong arc and I thought the weight he carried as Marcus’ son and not wanting to be like him was very well portrayed. The romance was cute and written in that way I prefer for fantasy, there but not taking over the plot.

My, but that was an emotional rollercoaster! I have no idea what to think after that ending, I actually went back to read it again to try and come up with ideas of what might happen next. I had cautiously high expectations for Heir, and it exceeded all of them!

I’m very glad I decided to read this book and even gladder for the ARC – I certainly couldn’t have waited until my library got a copy with how great the early reviews all were! I’m counting down the days until the sequel is here, hopefully it won’t be too long a wait! If you enjoyed the Ember Quartet, Heir is a must read! Highly recommended!

Truly amazing! Do NOT read at the same time as other books. It will ruin them because Heir is just that good. The pacing is perfect for the book itself and for the star of a killer duology. These characters are already so dear to me and I could not be more invested in this story as a whole.

Thank you Sabaa Tahir, Penguin Group, and NetGalley for my advanced review copy! My opinions are my own. Heir is out now!

Plot - 5
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 5
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 5