Sabaa Tahir created a work of art! I immediately requested to read this because one of sounds absolutely amazing and two I’m a fan of Tahiti’s writing style. If you haven’t read the An Ember in the Ashes series, I’d highly recommend it. You can read this without but you’ll have a deeper understanding and foundation of this story. This story takes place 20 years after Ember.

This story starts off slow but that’s mainly due to the world building, the foundation they are starting to create and simply to draw you into the story itself. You’ll definitely get to a point where you aren’t able to put it down and you’ll start to get invested into the characters themselves. Prepare to get your heart ripped out of your chest while somehow still holding onto hope and the goodness of humanity. Tahir surprises us with the new unexpected once again and I couldn’t be happier.

You’ll get:
Adventure
Romance
Swoon worthy vibes
Hilarious banter

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC!

I love all of Sabaa Tahir's books, including this one. The pacing and world-building are excellent. Quil (Helene Aquilla's nephew and heir), Sirsha (a tracker), and Aiz (who wants to free her people and their savior figure) are all vivid characters with clear goals. The story is brilliantly constructed, and I'd be giving a lot away if I explained in detail how their stories fit together. Sometimes, I find books with multiple POVs tedious, but not this one. Almost every POV chapter ends on a cliffhanger, which made me want to read more and made it easy to remember what happened in each storyline as they switched.

This will be probably be the beginning of a new series that I'd love to read. It's set a generation after the Ember Quartet, but it's probably best if you read the Ember Quartet first. As I mentioned earlier, Quil is the nephew and heir of Empress Helene Aquilla, a main character from the Ember Quartet. Laia, Laia's mom, and Elias are also important secondary characters in this book.

I love when magic systems work like physics does in our world. There are laws of magic here that are magical versions of Newton's laws of motion and the conservation of matter/energy.

I will start by saying I did very much enjoy this book. The three main character POVs are compelling (for the most part) and I love the dynamics between the characters. Tahir knows how to put together an emotional and adventurous story, and it is very cool to see the expansion of the world that featured in the Ember in the Ashes quartet.

The pacing in the early part of the book was a little slow, though things pick up as our main characters find each other. Keeping in mind this is YA, I did find that the way the POVs were arranged, it made it a little too easy to guess the big reveal regarding one of the characters, which made it less satisfying once the narration caught up. I also found that while said character was well described and motivated in early POVs, their motivation and actions become very one dimensional and lose some of the nuance. I also found the writing somewhat repetitive at times, in ways that were distracting from the story, though this was less of an issue as the pace of the story picked up.

Finally, while I recognized the author, I did not realize at first that this book was set in the same world as her previous series - nothing in the description or marketing indicates such. While I don't think you HAVE to have read the previous series to enjoy this one, there are some things about the world building that are not as well explained and assume the reader is familiar. Not making this clear on the summary does a huge disservice to the book and the reader, as folks might percieve the book poorly if they don't have a reference point.

Overally, while not as strong as her previous series, I find the characters interesting and I am invested in seeing what happens next.

SABAA TAHIR IS MY QUEEN AND I WILL FOLLOW HER ANYWHERE. EVERYWHERE.

The way this book is a perfect, immaculate, incredibly done follow up to a perfect quartet. I never thought the Ember world could expand and be built upon and Sabaa just laughed in my face.

This book is INCREDIBLE. The fact that you don't need to have read or reread the original quartet for it to eat your heart is insane. But every moment of this book is amazing. Every chapter made me gasp.

This is truly a masterpiece.e Sabaa Tahir is one our time's best writers, and she deserves EVERY ACCOLADE THAT EXISTS.

Heir is a beautifully written high fantasy set in a familiar, beloved world, but introduces an entirely new story and a fresh set of characters to fall in love with.

I appreciated the fast pacing of the story. Sabaa Tahir's writing style is beautiful, intricately weaving a narrative filled with many twists and plenty of magic while still paying attention to small details. This book is sure to evoke strong emotions in its readers, especially those who loved An Ember in the Ashes. The fast pace will have you giggling and kicking your feet one moment, and your heart pounding with anticipation the next.

I was so excited to dive back into the world Sabaa Tahir first created with "An Ember in the Ashes", one of my all time favorite series. "Heir" does a really nice job recapturing the magic and expanding the story into the next generation. It was a bit overwhelming in the beginning, trying to follow so many new characters and remember connections back to the original story, but there's a point about a third of the way through where this new story really clicks and makes much more sense. By the end, I loved the new POV characters and the cliffhanger left me desperately wanting to know what comes next. There are some minor characters I wish had more to do; such a large cast and limited time to spend with each character left some untapped potential that I hope will be explored further in the follow-ups. I'm eager to see what comes next!

I’d call this 4.5 stars, but because it was Sabaa and she always has the ability to both surprise me and draw me towards even the characters I don’t want to like, she’s getting the round up.

I’ll start with what I felt was lacking: namely, we didn’t know how the magic worked (I’m specifically talking about the groups where magic is accepted and trained up like Kegar or the Jaduna); there’s a big question mark left for one character’s backstory and I think that really works against us; and I feel like we didn’t quite get enough of the Quil/Sufiyan/Arelia/Sirsha dynamic with all four of them interacting. I also wanted more Helene, selfishly, but that’s because she was my favorite in the first series.

But other than that, when I tell you I was bamboozled by not one but two major twists that come up…

As always, Sabaa really digs into the (righteous!) decisions that lead people into villainy. Into how people can become tools to their own decisions. And of course how no one is ever safe.

After years of waiting to be back in the world of An Ember in the Ashes , Heir did not disappoint. Sabaa is excellent at weaving complex characters and emotions into these stories with twists and turns that make my heart drop (for good and for bad). I loved and looked forward to seeing old favorites make appearances. Heir is told from multiple points of view, and while I normally don't like multiple POVs, I found myself immersed in each chapter. The flow of each POV was seamless and well done. I'd encourage anyone who loves An Ember in the Ashes to pick up Heir, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment. Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is exactly what fans of An Ember in the Ashes series needs in their lives. Let me tell y'all... I shrieked out of pure excitement on the first page of chapter two when I realized that Heir would have characters we know and love from the previous series. There is an entirely new set of characters and story lines in this book as well, which keeps it fresh and exciting. I personally feel that reading An Ember in the Ashes series is a prerequisite to reading Heir. You will have all of the knowledge needed and the story will make so much more sense than if you go into it blind. Hands down a 5 star book, and I will be recommending this book over and over again to readers!

Thank you to Netgally, Penguin Group, and Sabaa Tahir for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Heir is one of my most anticipated 2024 releases, and it did not disappoint! There are so many twists and turns in this book, some of which I saw coming, while others caught me by surprise.

Heir takes place roughly 20 years after the An Ember in the Ashes series, and has three main POVs. Aiz comes from a poor country and wants to help her people, Sirsha is a banished assassin/hunter, and Quil is the crown prince and nephew to some important characters in AEITA. I really enjoyed reading from all three of these characters and seeing them eventually meet and interact with each other further into the story! The supporting characters are amazing as well, and we even get an occasional POV chapter from them (I'm really hoping we get more Cero chapters in book 2).

As mentioned, this book takes place in the same world as AEITA, and while you don't have to read that series first, I would still recommend it. I have not read AEITA, and I felt it took me longer to understand the world/magic system then usual (I'm still not sure if I fully understand it - I feel like this book could benefit from a glossary). There will also be spoilers for the previous series in here, as pervious events and characters and discussed. The author does a good job at summarizing these parts, but I think I would have gotten more out of the story if I had read AEITA first.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to book 2!

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for providing me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I received an ARC from NetGalley.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this novel has characters from Sanaa’s first novel Ember in the Ashes. My favorite characters were back. I thought it was a standalone, but they all connect on some level.

The book starts with action and magic, which I love. I can see the scenes playing in my head. I love Sanaa’s writing and she hasn’t disappointed me yet.

The following is a review for Heir, which I received from NetGalley.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. I felt it had a bit of a slow start, but once it took off I was very intreigued. The story is from multiple perspectives so I had to get accustomed to that. Stories I have read with multiple perspectives have only had two characters and jump back and forth, so with this story I had to make more of an effort to check which character was speaking in this chapter.

I found the story compelling, interesting and unique. I feel like this a rather short review because I dont have anything bad to say. I enjoyed the story and was excited to get back to the book at the end of the day. I'm excited to get to continue the story through the next book.

I also love a good duology. It gives you enough time to experience a world and get to explore the story without being overwhelming.

I really loved the ember in the Ashes quarter so I had really high expectations for this book. I found first 40% felt like a chore. I know that happens with world building but even the middle of book did not really keep me interested. However, I did love the end! I felt like by that point I had really connected with the characters and was finally invested. I am definitely going to read next book as well. I think I would have enjoyed this more as an audiobook to get more immersed and more interested. I would say this was a solid 3 to 3.5 star read and would recommend it for anyone who is a fan of ember in the Ashes.

Oh. My. Goodness.
This book took me places. I’ll start by saying I LOVE the Ember in the Ashes series. It is honestly one of the best works of fiction I have ever read. That being said, Heir was incredibly slow to start for me and I was a bit disappointed given how much I love the previous series. But when I tell you that the story shifted and picked up midway, it was epic. my jaw dropped at some of the twists. The story gave me chills both from being extremely creepy and extremely well written. I cannot wait for everyone to experience the treat that is Heir, and I will be holding my breath until the second book comes out!
Thank you NetGalley, Sabaa Tahir, and the publisher for this amazing ARC in exchange for my honest review!

No one knows how to split my opinion like Sabaa Tahir. I'm somehow torn between giving this three stars and five stars. Just like with the original series, there were parts I loved and parts I found a bit dull.

Sabaa Tahir's YA fantasy is better than most adult fantasy I've read. Her Helene POV chapters in the An Ember in the Ashes tetralogy are masterful, hands down some of the character work of any book I've ever picked up.

Tahir knows how to pull you into a story. She makes the stakes high and continues to raise them. She makes her characters SUFFER. Her writing is propulsive and vivid. And yet...there's always something holding me back from loving her books as a whole.

Helene's POV chapters in EITA may have been the best fantasy reading I did in all of 2023, but I can't say I loved those novels in their entirety. Elias' POV was great in Book 1 but grew lackluster in subsequent books (the Dream Catcher storyline was a snooze). And I never warmed to Laia as she accumulated more and more powers and remained a bland good girl.

I have a similar issue with this book. I loved the Quil chapters and really liked the Sirsha chapters. Though I found their attraction a little instant, I enjoyed reading about their blossoming romance, and I was always engaged and emotionally invested in their stories.

I have a soft spot for Quil after reading the original series, though he spent the majority of those novels gestating and serving as political pawn while still in the womb. So many people killed and died just to ensure he was born. He wound up exactly as good and deserving and sheltered and flawed as I hoped he'd be. He is the child I thought Helene would raise: not perfect but always trying. He could have easily wound up a boring cinnamon roll lacking an interior life like Oak in The Prisoner’s Throne and he did not.

But here's the problem with this book: The Aiz POV chapters. I truly could not have cared less. I felt my interest in the story come to a screeching halt every time we shifted to her POV. These chapters were only made enjoyable when OG characters or their descendants popped up. Even if the way things all came together was rather clever, it still didn't make having to suffer through 1/3rd of the story being from her perspective worth it.

I can't say the Aiz parts were flat out awful, because Sabaa's prose and character voice is very good even when the story itself is lackluster, but the temptation to skim was ever-present in her sections.

That said...I still really enjoyed this. I've read some disappointing books from favorite authors this year and this isn't one of them. I am a huge Helene Aquilla fan—she is one of my favorite fictional characters ever. I loved the way she was written in this (though she wasn't in it much, and I am a big baby and still can't bear to read about her f**king anyone who isn't Avitas Harper).

I can't wait for book 2. Sabaa got me with that cliffhanger.

What an extraordinary book!

If you are looking for a heartfelt & full of action read this is it! You will not be able to put this book down. The reader gets to experience a magnificent story from the eyes of three different characters. The author does an amazing job at story telling and world building. I was emotionally invested with all of the characters from the very beginning. It was a rollercoaster that I would ride over and over again! I seriously cannot wait to get the next book & for everyone to read this.

I will forever recommend this book!

Slammed through this. Love the return to a world I deeply enjoyed, and the complications that the next generation encounters. Looking forward to devouring the next installment!

TW: war, violence, starvation, sibling loss, child loss, torture, imprisonment, death of children, classism.

I'm over here just still reeling from this book, just so in awe! I'm so glad I wasn't let down as Heir was my most anticipated read of the year! Sabaa is a genius and we should all worship at her alter.

Though you don't HAVE to read the Ember in the Ashes Quartet...it's only the THE best YA fantasy series ever...it does make Heir a little bit more special if you recognize the people from it. Heir is built to stand on its own two feet as far as the main cast goes and the world building and magic system is easy enough to understand as well. Heir is a spinoff taking place 20 years since the Ember Quartet ended. We are following Quil who is the heir to the Martial Empire (Livia and Marcus's baby and Helene's nephew) and though he knows his duty is to take the throne his aunt has been saving for him he's reluctant to chain his life to the Empire. Sirsha is a tracker who can commune with the elements and has been hired by a mysterious (not so mysterious once you read his description haha) client to hunt a murderer who has been EATING the hearts of children. And finally Aiz, an orphan who has been imprisoned by the leader of her starving country.

There's loads of new magic in this world and there's new lands and countries never mentioned in the Ember series. It just expands the world that Sabaa has built so much further which is incredible considering how vast Ember's world was. Heir has a lot more romance in it than the Ember series did and I found it so sighworthy. While #Elaia forever have my heart, this new couple is so good...I found so many moments where you just have to kick your legs and giggle like a madwoman. But don't take Heir lightly, things are not all lovey dovey and a good time...I don't think this would be Sabaa Tahir book if it was...she lives to torture us! Moments of severe devastation and sadness are plenty, I got choked up so many times! The twists and reveals were so good and blow your mind every time one is revealed! We also end on a huge cliffhanger and the waiting to see what happens is going to be so hard!

Overall I found Heir to incredibly fantastic and I'm so glad to be back in this world getting to see all my favorites and how they have fared in the last twenty years but also getting to meet new characters and fall in love with them just as much. I'm just so giddy still even after getting my heart crushed again! Thank you SO SO SO SO SOOOO much to Penguin Teen for absolutely making my year and blessing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this was such a good read! I loved the fantasy elements so much. It was so enjoyable and entertaining. Will definitely be requesting more books from the author in the future!

After finishing A Sky Beyond the Storm I was in DIRE need of more from this world and I am so so so glad that Heir was there to fill the void.

I didn’t know if this would measure up to the master piece that is AEITA and it so did.

Thank you so much for this NetGalley