I want to start this review with a little disclaimer - when I requested the ARC of Heir, I was not aware it was semi-connected to the An Ember is the Ashes series by Tahir. I do think that you can read Heir as a standalone but I wish I would have had the background from An Ember in Ashes prior to reading Heir.

Okay, even with that little disclaimer, I still really enjoyed reading this book. Heir follows three main characters who are all on different paths, while facing a major shift in the world. The first half of the story is a little slower as Tahir brings the reader into this very beautifully formed world. I really was surprised at some of the plot twists and after the halfway point, I couldn’t put this down.

The ending definitely has left we wanting the next book BUT I will be reading An Ember in the Ashes before the next book in this duology comes out!

Sabaa Tahir has done it again and I’m so happy she decided that there were more stories to tell within Ember’s world. Could I have lived content knowing how things ended in Sky? Yes. However, this just makes things better because life is never that simple… maybe simple isn’t the right word but the phrase should be ‘there’s always something isn’t there?’

I thoroughly enjoyed jumping back into this world and see characters approximately 20 years after the events in Sky. Quil is grown and is a character I love who has conflict and strength but I do have to say I think Sirsha is my favorite. I was excited every time both hers and Quil’s POV came up again. As for Aiz, I feel like it took me an embarrassingly long time to truly link and figure out exactly how every story from the POVs connected to each other.

Sabaa Tahir has proudly said she knows she is cruel when it comes to what happens to her characters and yet I keep returning to have my heart stabbed on a plate being served to me. I think that also says a lot about me, but I won’t read into it too much.

I love this book and can’t wait for more to come.

I shockingly received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me an early access to one of my favorite author’s stories.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sabaa Tahir for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Heir coming out October 1, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read a couple books by this author. I love Ember in the Ashes, but haven’t finished that series yet. So I was excited to receive this book. I’ve read a lot of YA fantasy. It usually has an orphan who’s on a mission to kill someone or take down an empire. It can get a little cliche, but I enjoyed most of this book. I think Quil was my favorite character. I think he had a good backstory and characteristics. I’ll definitely check out the second book. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

Thank you so much for this ARC!

I went into this thinking I had already read Tahir’s previous works (An Ember in the Ashes series). I have, sadly, not. But! I am still glad I requested this. I greatly enjoyed this story. I remember turning to my husband a couple chapters into the book and saying, “I’m really curious about how these three characters are going to be connected,” and I can’t say I called it! And I loved the other viewpoints thrown in throughout the story. It gave you just enough information to know what was going on without distracting you from the main character’s POVs.
I’m still sorting out my feelings on the ending. In one way I’m happy, and in another way, I’m not. I’m just glad there will be another book (right!?).

Thank you again for this ARC! I will now be going through and reading An Amber in the Ashes series!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a Sabaa Tahir book, so OF COURSE this was an easy 5 stars for me.

Returning to the world from An Ember in the Ashes was so nostalgic and I was so excited to see Helene, Elias and Laia again. Also, it was so stressful to see them again because every time they were on the page I was so scared they were going to die, SABAA TAHIR, LEAVE THEM IN PEACE PLEASE, THEY’VE SUFFERED ENOUGH!!!!!!!

Anyways, I loved our new characters, Quil and Sirsha especially. They were both so endearing and powerful and complex. Their banter was silly and cute and just showed how much they appreciated each other. Quil stealing her hairpins just because they reminded him of her and how annoyed she would be to not be able to find them was wholesome. Their relationship was so wholesome and pure and I loved the way it developed. I would also like to request a happy ending for them. Please.

Also, if ANYTHING happens to Sufiyan or ANY of the Veturius’ family members… Ruh’s fate was bad enough, my heart was BROKEN for this poor boy.

And finally, I come to Aiz. I was rooting for her at the beginning, but I immediately was on alert that she was being manipulated. So I felt for her and understood her up until Ruh. When that happened and she didn’t immediately back out of her plans and instead decided that killing a few children was justification for her saving her people, it was over. My sympathy for her was gone. She got the impression that she got to decide who lived and died.

I’m excited to see what’s next for our band of friends and I am also terrified to see what’s next. I just want them to be happy. ESPECIALLY Helene. Girl has been through it.

In conclusion, read this book. Do it now.

This has only solidified my love for this author. A fantastic story of three young souls trying to navigate the perils of life, love, and loyalty.

I am WRECKED in the best way possible. Sabaa Tahir knows how to weave the most masterful stories with so much emotion and adventure.
I absolutely recommend reading this after the Ember Quartet for the full experience. I'll be waiting on pins and needles for book 2!

*Some language, vague open door/fade to black

So good - I always love an MC hell bent on vengeance. I loved the plot and how it interwove the characters lives. We get three POVs - as someone who loves multi-POVs, this was like Christmas. There is also some added romance that’s always a plus for me. A great start to a fresh new series!

I actually thought that this was the first book of a brand new series by Sabaa but it turns out it is a spinoff of her popular series An Ember in the Ashes. I had the AEITA series on my TBR for the longest time and now I am regretting that I did not pick it up sooner! It was so good! I devoured the four books in just over a week because I wanted to read them before Heir. And I am so glad I did. Please do not read Heir without reading AEITA first! Trust me, Heir will have so much more meaning if you do. There is also a lot of world building in those books that I don’t think should be skipped. Also, if you are sensitive to spoilers, Heir will contain some pretty BIG ones … so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Heir was soooo good and I enjoyed it so much. Sabaa is really good at pacing and keeping you on your toes. Sabaa progresses the story quite well despite being told through a few, very different points of view. There is a lot of world-building from the get go as we are transported both to places that are familiar (if you read AEITA) and foreign in both the past and the present and all of it is meshed together seamlessly. This is a true classic fantasy book/series so if you love world building, magical creatures, magic, technology, quests, political intrigue, tension, and suspense then this book is definitely for you!

I don’t often see much of the original characters in a spin-off series, so I was so pleasantly surprised with Heir. I was so happy to see Helen, Laia, Elias, Tas, and others from AEITA. Without spoiling anything, Heir is, in part, about the next generation of characters from AEITA. Therefore, if you want to know the events following A Sky Beyond the Storm, there will be plenty of that in this book.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book and hope you like Heir as much as I did!

Happy Reading!

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ?!?!? 5 glorious stars for Ms. Tahir, she has done it yet again!

I dare say this is my favorite Sabaa Tahir novel yet... It was so freaking good from start to finish, the way she writes characters is just unmatched. She makes you love them like they're your own family and you end up growing unhealthy attachments to literally words on paper LOL

All of this to say, I would deeeefffinitely read her "An Ember in the Ashes" series before this. It is LOADED with spoilers, and her previous series deserves to be felt without knowing how it ends. It is a dedication, but 100000000% worth it!!! Brava, Tahir!!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

*internally screaming* Sabaa Tahir, the storyteller you are!! The action, magic, characters, romance, and world make Heir one of my favorite books of the year! 🙌🏼 There are so many moments ranging from funny to bittersweet to jaw-dropping that I’ll be looking back at all my highlighted quotes and notes. 🙂‍↕️

Getting back into this world set 20 years after the final Ember book, it follows Quil (Helene’s nephew/heir) now 20 yrs old, and a new cast of characters such as Sirsha (love her!) and Aiz. You also see some very familiar faces throughout. This is told in multiple POVs, and I was HOOKED with each one! Each character had their own journeys and emotional scars that brought them together, I don’t want to say how because of major spoilers but you just HAVE to read this book! ⚔️

I love Sabaa’s writing because although it gives me a lot of anxiety because I’m always terrified for my favorite characters, it’s always worth reading! 😭 And I’m so glad she decided to return to this captivating world with this new duology!

If you’ve read An Ember in the Ashes series, then Heir will give you a lot of nostalgia and MANY emotions!!! If you haven’t…..why not??? That series is a must-read!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Teen for the e-arc

This novel is even more intense and emotionally gripping than An Ember in the Ashes. Aiz is an orphan seeking revenge against a tyrant, Quil is a crown prince burdened by his dark lineage, and Sirsha is a banished tracker pursuing a child killer. The story is filled with themes of found family, longing, and sacrifice, with Tahir's signature heart-pounding storytelling. Although reading the Ember series first isn’t essential, familiarity with the characters and history enhances the experience. Tahir masterfully writes about ambition, grief, and forbidden longing in this captivating continuation.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Groups for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DEVOURED THIS AND WANTED TO INSTANTLY REREAD!!!!!!
The character development, the plot, the world, the building tension was all so amazingly written! Sabaa Tahir has beautifully crafted this book in every way

Set in the world of An Ember in the Ashes (which, by the way is an amazing tetralogy), we get to revisit some old characters, as well as some new characters. While I don't believe you needed to read the series before reading Heir, it would probably help in understanding certain circumstances and back story. I loved the new characters that were introduced, and in true Sabaa Tahir style, this was an absolute page turner for me. I was excited to be back in this world and devoured this book. Of course, since this is a duology, I cannot wait for the next book to see what Tahir has in store for these characters!

What you can expect to find in Heir:
- found family
- multiple pov's - an orphan, an outcast/tracker, a prince
- slow burn romance
- banter + tension
- magic
- Southeast Asian representation

I want to preface this review by stating that I have not read an Ember in the Ashes series. I think that Heir did a good job standing alone. But now that I have finished the book and realize who the characters in An Ember in the Ashes were, this book might hit differently. I am certainly going to go back and read that series!

Heir stars off by giving us three different points of view. We see Aiz who is an orphan and isn't happy with her current lot in life. She wants more for her people than the suffering they see day in and day out. How can Aiz make a difference in their life? She believes that the holy spirit of Mother Div is one who will be able to help her with her cause. But how far is she willing to go?

We meet Sirsha who is a tracker. She uses the elements and magic to help her as a tracker. She's been outcast from her family and their community and doesn't identify as a Jaduna anymore. When a mysterious stranger contacts her to help him track a killer, her first instinct is to say no. But when Sirsha finds out that the killer that is targeting children, she agrees.

Quil is the heir to his aunt Helena Aquilla. He is not much for the politics of being a prince. He is even angrier at his aunt when she attempt to get him married. He's still recovering from the deaths of the two people he was closest to in the world - his young cousin and his girlfriend. But soon his empire is in jeopardy and Quil has no choice, but to take lead.

What happens when these three individuals collide?

I can't really say much more on the storyline without giving it away. While I feel like the first half of the book was a lot of world building and setting up the story, I flew through the second half of the book. It was so captivating and each of these characters had so much dimension.

I loved loved loved the chapters with Sirsha and Quil. Both separate and alone these characters had so much depth to them. And when they finally meet - I could feel the sparks between these two. Their banter was often hilarious, but also sweet and heartfelt. I have a lot of highlighted passages between Quil and Sirsha ❤️

There were twists and surprises I didn't see coming(!!!), but also parts of the book that were hard to read. And I think those chapters were warranted because we get to see the perspective of all sides.

Overall, I would give Heir a 4.5. I cannot wait for the next book in this duology.

Another hit from Sabaa Tahir. I honestly seem to love everything she writes and this is no different. If you've been missing the Ember in the Ashes world, this book is for you.

I don’t read much YA these days because I often times feel like I’ve outgrown it, but Heir is the perfect example of what this genre can still offer.

Sabaa created a fresh new story in a familiar world, and it was done masterfully. I loved returning to this world and forgot just how expansive it was. While we see familiar faces, the fresh crop of new characters in Heir made this totally original. There are far too many authors who do spin-off series of their most popular work, which simply aren't needed, but never once did Heir feel like that.

I absolutely loved how Sirsha, Quil, and Aiz’s stories came together. Without spoilers, this story will definitely keep you on your toes, and I loved watching this unfold. While a touch too long at times, I was never bored. And that ending?? Give me book 2 now!

Fans of the Ember Quartet as well as brand new readers will adore this. This is one you don’t want to miss!

I was so excited for this book because the author is so hyped up. One the cover is beautiful and I enjoyed the story overall, however I think I would have liked it more if I had read the other series from this author.

I was beyond excited to get approved for Heir! I read AEITA series with some friends last year and was heartbroken and swooning and cheering and grieving and couldn’t have done it alone! People think ASOIAF is brutal, but these YA books are gut wrenching! So of course I was excited to read Heir, because who doesn’t love light masochism???

I was rooting for Aiz because who doesn’t love a downtrodden underdog willing to risk it all to save her people? Quil is everything I expected Helene to raise as her nephew and heir. Sirsha is the badass FMC who’s wholly capable of going it alone, but learns how much better it is to let people in.

While I did spot a few of the major twists due to excellent foreshadowing, I enjoyed reading how each turn would play out, even though it broke my heart just a little more to see each disaster unfolding! Aiz betrayed me most of all, and I found her actions to be a little contrary—she needed a substance from the Empire for her people to take a long journey, but in order to get it, she wasted the stores of the substance her people already had? I felt like if she had enough to do what she did then she had enough to take the trip that needed to be taken? But I also recognize she was ultimately being manipulated, so maybe what she did didn’t need to make sense.

Cero was the biggest surprise for me, and I can’t wait to see what he does next! I hope the next book doesn’t take too long to come out because Quil and Sirsha deserve so much more, and I want to eat up every morsel! I am also hoping for some more Sufiyan POV chapters!

Ultimately, I am giving this five stars because I was invested and entertained the whole way through!

I never doubted Sabaa Tahir or her books and for good reason because reader, she has done it again. Though, in all honesty, I was terrified that Heir wouldn’t live up to the Ember quartet but I was wrong because it does and it should absolutely be the first book you read in October since it arrives on October 1st!

Heir is set in the universe of An Ember in the Ashes twenty years after our adventures with Elias, Laia & Helene. Heir follows new, equally lovable and anxiety-inducing characters, Quil, Sirsha, & Aiz but don’t panic because we get full scenes with some of our favorite characters from the original series and I am telling you this made me incredibly giddy! Easter eggs of our original three, no thank you! Full dialogue and scenes? Yes, please! And this is just a bonus because the story that Tahir weaves with Quil, Sirsha & Aiz is incredible and can be read as a standalone (book 1 of a duology).

This book has it all, a high octane fantasy plot, impeccable action, swoony romance, vengeance, mysterious characters, histories and stories from new-to-us parts of the Empire, Sabaa doing unmentionable things to our favorite characters and twist after twist after twist. Seriously, so many twists it's like wrangling with a pretzel.

If all of this sounds like your cup of tea, well grab one and the book and lose yourself in this amazing story. I seriously wish I could read it again for the first time!

I finished it on a flight, sighed at the clouds outside my window and immediately I ached for book two!