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.

If Sabaa Tahir has one fan, it is me. If Sabaa Tahir has no fans, I am dead. This was such a fun way back into the Ember universe! I loved catching up with old characters and getting to know the new ones. This world, as always, is so rich and layered--every part of it stands out in it's own unique way. As someone who can usually guess the plot twists coming, this book GOT me! I'm so excited for everyone else to read it.

In anticipation of HEIR, I reread the EMBER quartet, something I haven’t done since SKY came out. I reread them like Elias’ life depended on it. And they're still gorgeous and thrilling and haunting and poignant and inventive and fierce and so so good.

I have been privileged to know about Sabaa’s genius since early days. So I was overwhelmingly excited that she’s revisited this world with HEIR. It’s equally brilliant, beautiful and brutal. The twists! The romance! The battles! I loved getting to see the OG heroes all grown up (and my age?!) and through the eyes of the next generation. It's a delight to return to a world so wonderfully crafted with stories that still manage to surprise and delight and shatter the reader simultaneously.

I started reading Sabaa Tahir with 'All My Rage," which was the book that got me into YA years ago. It was amazing and I expected no less with Heir, and I received no less. The range of skillful writing that Tahir has is amazing. Although Ir realized too late that Heir is connected to her previous fantasy books, Heir is still a great stand-alone. I can't wait for Book 2. Sabaa Tahir is a legend!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

"Heir" is a book meant for those who have read the prior series before this one. Some say you don't have to read the other series but if you haven't read those the world building will be hard to follow (in my opinion). Definitely give this a read if you are familiar with Tahir's other works!

This was EXCELLENT! Sabaa Tahir really knows how to write a book that will immediately pull you in, take you for a wild ride, destroy you emotionally, and make you so scared for what's happening next you can barely handle it. And you'll thank her for it each and every time.

I personally really enjoyed the return to the “An Ember in the Ashes” universe. I haven't read that series in so long and was pleasantly surprised that I could dive right into Heir and not really be confused about much. I'm sure it would have added a lot more to the story if I had read the previous books again, but I also liked my perspective on this new story was fresh and I'm not comparing it to anything.

I loved all our main characters, the relationships and friendships that we saw grow and change along the way, but Sirsha especially stood out. Her background and powers were so fascinating, and I'm intrigued (scared) as to what's going to happen with her in the next book. At this exact moment I think I hated the ending, mostly because I'm so worried about how everything is going to play out.

Overall, I just can't wait to find out what's next and I'll be crossing my fingers and praying that it all works out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC - all opinions are my own!

2.5 | I was so excited to read this book - I had seen how highly anticipated it was and it was going to be my first Sabaa Tahir book. That was my biggest mistake - as an extension duology to an already existing universe, I was so incredibly lost. Despite being marked as a stand-alone in the same universe it is in fact not.
Once I was 70% of the way through and still had not figured out the magic system or the world, I realized I never was going to. There are countless terms that are never explained as it is assumed the reader already knows the world.
The characters were intriguing when I could figure out what was going on + the cliff hanger is captivating, but it’s definitely not a stand alone duology.
I would be very interested in reading the EITA series and then coming back to this.

This book is everything I expected from a Sabaa Tahir book and more. The writing reminded me why I fell in love with her other books page after page. The characters were powerful new voices I couldn’t wait to follow and the story was fantastic. I can’t wait to see where book 2 takes them all.

This is one of the rare books that I can and will recommend for both teen girls and teen boys because both can find enjoyment in its pages. It is an approachable fantasy that feels lived in and tangible making it a great choice for readers looking to make the jump into YA fantasy and readers hungry for more in the genre alike.

I can’t wait to have this book on shelves and am already telling everyone I know to order it.