What elevates "Heir" beyond typical fantasy fare is Tahir's unflinching examination of themes like class disparity, the cyclical nature of violence, and the corrupting influence of power. These weightier elements are balanced by moments of unexpected tenderness and the possibility of redemption, creating a reading experience that is as emotionally engaging as it is intellectually stimulating.
The novel's pacing deserves special mention, as Tahir skillfully builds tension while developing her characters. As the three protagonists' paths inevitably converge, readers will find themselves invested in each of their fates and the larger conflicts engulfing the empire.
For fans of character-driven fantasy with political depth and emotional resonance, "Heir" stands as another testament to Tahir's storytelling prowess and her ability to craft narratives that speak to both the mind and heart.

RATING: 4 out of 5 Enchanted Roses

ONE-WORD REVIEW: Thrilling

TAG LINE: An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

OPENING LINE: Aiz wished she didn’t hate her enemies with such fervor, for it gave them power over her.

REVIEW:

Huge thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an Advanced Reader Copy of 𝐻𝑒𝒾𝓇 in exchange for a review!

First of all, Sabaa Tahir, you never miss.

𝐻𝑒𝒾𝓇 is a gritty, emotional, and utterly gripping addition to her already legendary storytelling. If you thought she couldn’t twist the knife any deeper after 𝒜𝓃 𝐸𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈, think again—because this book does not hold back. It’s brutal, beautifully written, and packed with the kind of high-stakes tension that makes your heart race and your soul hurt in the best way.

"𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒾𝓈 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒽"

𝐻𝑒𝒾𝓇 is set in the well-known, beloved world of 𝒜𝓃 𝐸𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈, but 20 years later with a fresh set of characters—that includes Helene’s nephew and Laia and Elias’ son. The worldbuilding? Exquisitely vicious. The prose? Lyrical yet razor-sharp. The pacing? I flipped through the pages! The political intrigue with a power-hungry deity, heartwrenching betrayals, and power struggles had me fully invested. And let’s talk about the characters—because Sabaa does what she does best: crafting morally complex, deeply human characters that you ache for, even when they’re making questionable choices.

𝒯𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈, 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 ... 𝒲𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂. 𝒯𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓌𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽. 𝒯𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒽𝒶𝓉𝑒. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝒹𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓊𝓅. 𝒟𝑒𝓈𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽.

And while the romance between Quil and Sirsha is minimal, it is angsty and intense, but never overshadows the ruthless game of survival that 𝐻𝑒𝒾𝓇 demands of its characters. Every chapter had me on edge, wondering who would break, who would rise, and who wouldn’t make it out at all.
If I had one complaint, it’s that I need the next book right now. The ending? Sabaa, how dare you.

𝒯𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝑒 𝒶 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂, 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒.

𝐸𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈:

🔥 High-stakes power struggles

🔥 Betrayal, ambition, and vengeance

🔥 Gorgeous worldbuilding

🔥 Gut-punching emotions

🔥 A romance that hurts so good

𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉: 𝐻𝑒𝒾𝓇 is Sabaa Tahir at her finest—dark, poetic, and absolutely unforgettable. If you love books that break you and leave you begging for more, this one’s for you.

Happy Reading!

Ashley

3 Stars
I hard a hard time getting into this one and found it a little hard to follow. I have not read Ember in the Ashes yet. I think I will give it another try after I read those.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Tahir’s writing is still vivid and compelling, drawing readers into a world where loyalty and survival are constantly tested. Heir will appeal to fans of epic fantasy who enjoy complex politics and layered characters, though it might not be as fast-paced or satisfying as the first book for some.

This is just fantastic. I need to read her first series immediately. The story is so well done and I felt like all of the information was given at just the right time. I need the next book right now. They all need to make it out alive or I'm gonna do something drastic.

3.5 stars
I was so excited to return to the Ember universe! It definitely helped to have read those four books before Heir, so the world building continuation made more sense. I enjoyed our 3 main protagonists’ journeys until their stories converged, and then I enjoyed it even more! There was so much to unpack with this book. And so much more left to experience with the next, concluding book. I’m impatiently waiting for it!
*Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the review copy

his book was a thrilling continuation with three new protagonists, each bringing unique perspectives. The world expands with new lands, cultures, and conflicts that feel natural in the world Sabaa Tahir has created. The themes are timely and thought-provoking, and the book builds to an intense cliffhanger. If you loved the original quartet, this is a must-read, though be prepared for intense content.

Excellent story. I think I should have read previous books and series for full effects but it was a fun read I think lovers of YA will enjoy.

Wow just wow. Amazing starter for this world, I know is the same one as the other series, but I havent read that one yet. . Loved the multiple point of views. The twists and turns were so good. The two timelines gorgeously done. How well and easy it was to follow the story as well. The story felt very natural and fluid. Definitely enjoyed every second of this book and I was left wanting more . I cant wait for the second book.
SECOND REVIEW.
Wow . Ok I need more time to write this review but wow 🤯
Ok back to writing the actual review. This was given to me as a arc and wow it did not disappointed.
I loved how the story was set up and the twist and turns . You have 3 POV and you would realize later on why. But they were marvelous done. The story itself is engaging and very interesting. And the ending was like where is the next book!!?
Anyway of you like adventures with a touch of romance and lots of mystery this is perfection.

I did enjoy this story, however I wish that I would have picked up an ember in the ashes series first. I could tell that this book I was missing a lot of emotion and depth that I think I would have had if I had read the prior series.

A direct sequel series to Ember in the Ashes. DO NOT read this series without reading the original quartet, unless you have no interest in reading or do not care about being WHOLLY spoiled for the events of the first series. You have been warned.

This book was everything. I really enjoyed the Ember in the Ashes quartet; I read them faster and faster as they progressed. But while I couldn’t put them down, I had some real critiques about character arcs and plot choices.

I have zero complaints about Heir.

Each of our three new protagonists intrigued me in their own way. I was invested in each of their stories, and while I enjoyed some perspectives more due to setting and motivation, I never had a moment where I didn’t enjoy reading from a POV.

I am absolutely FASCINATED by how this world grew with its newest installment, the boundaries of the Empire blown wide open as we meet many new and varied lands, people, and cultures. And yet it never felt contrived or out of place that these places exist in this world, we just didn’t have an opportunity to meet them the first time around.

The new mythology and conflicts introduced are thematically interesting and wholly relevant to, in my humble opinion, our real world at the moment.

I loved seeing our perspectives eventually merge and overlap and my jaw absolutely DROPPED at one major revelation, a twist that changed everything I thought I knew about the story I was reading. Yes, I did guess other smaller plot shifts here and there, but Sabaa Tahir got me where it mattered.

The groundwork is perfectly laid for the sequel in this series (duology?) and I could not be more confused as to where we go from here. The ending climax of course comes with a horrible cliffhanger we must wait who-knows-how-long to be resolved.

I need my friends to read this book so I can discuss it with them. You should read the actually-quite-excellent quartet so you can jump into this masterpiece. Do it, I dare you. You will not regret it.

Content warning: genocide, child death, familial abuse, colonization, violence, gore, death.

I liked this book, but I felt similarly to how I did about the 2nd through 4th books of its prequel series, that it felt like just more of the first one without a whole lot of difference. Our new main characters also weren’t as complex and different from each other in this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Sabaa Tahir, for the e-arc. I am leaving this review voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

I have read every single book Sabaa has put out. They are all amazing, and the world building is just fantastic,

I loved being back in the EITA world, and love hearing the names of some characters from her previous series 🥺

Can’t wait to see where this goes!

When I found out that there was a new series set in the Ember universe I screamed!! I LOVE everything written by Sabaa Tahir!! This book is amazing! Watch my review linked below.

Sabaa never misses. This is a great continuation that does fans of the original quartet a lot of service in a great way while also building out new corners of this world.

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.