"Tell me a dream, little love."

Completely unsurprising turn of events: Sabaa Tahir has written another fantastic book.

In other news, the sky is blue.

If you're someone that loves YA fantasy but has been feeling disillusioned by how generic so many new books have felt lately, I completely recommend picking this up. The world-building, the magic system, the character motivations; every bit of this novel was incredibly well-done.

Every book that Sabaa Tahir writes is a masterclass on how to make readers feel. She does everything with so much heart, that even the worst characters elicit sympathy from the reader because she shows us all of them - not just the parts that make them easy to categorize as hero vs. villain.

Heir was no different. In fact, the entirety of Heir's plot stems from the complicated decisions we make to survive, to protect those we love, and at what point those sacrifices become unforgivable.

It took me a bit to find my footing in the story, but once I was a few chapters in, I remained invested for the entirety of the novel. From that point forward, there wasn't a single moment where I lost interest or wished we could switch to a different POV - a feat with any multi-pov story.

As for the plot itself, ow :) Sabaa Tahir let your characters experience happiness challenge. (Except actually, I love how her books don't shy away from actual! negative! experiences! and grief unlike a lot of other YA books.)

I can't say much without spoilers but every single time a character from AEITA was mentioned, I reacted like it was my Infinity War. I need to do a reread of that series, because holy cow, I didn't realize how much I missed all of them.
A minor critique here - trying to avoid giving anything away - there was one character from AEITA that showed up and I wish they had been given a bit more agency in this book? If that makes sense.

The only other thing (kind of an addition to that last point) I want to touch on is that I found it difficult to connect with the main characters. I don't know what it was and I can't put it into words exactly, but out of all of Sabaa Tahir's characters (all of whom I adore) I felt the most neutral on these. Don't get me wrong, I still love (most of) them and when they were experiencing intense emotions, I felt for them. But something was missing in comparison to how her characters usually make me feel. (I have a feeling that will get better in the next book.)

I'm grateful for every arc I get approved for, but I'm not exaggerating when I say I actually cried when I received this one. Sabaa Tahir's words have meant so much to me for so long that the opportunity to experience this story before its release meant a lot to me.

Overall, I went into this with high expectations and they were all met. This was spectacular in all of the ways I hoped it would be and I need book 2 yesterday.

Pick this up in October. You won't regret it.

Oh my goodness this was SO GOOD!!!!

Make sure you finish The Ember in the Ashes series BEFORE starting this new duology - lots of spoilers otherwise!

I loved getting to see beloved characters again and the mix of them with new ones, was done seamlessly.

I was slightly confused with the dual timelines at first, but it didn't take away from the overall enjoyment.

There's moments where the plot progression slows way down but again - still an incredible ride and the ending will leave your jaw on the floor!

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I need this book to be out asap because I need the physical copy in my hands! It was absolutely everything I expected it to be and more. Sabaa Tahir did not disappoint. Be prepared to pick this book up and not sleep until you finish it because I could not put it down.

Tahir is such a talented writer. Every book I read of hers I like it more and more. Her characters are so well written and watching their develop throughout the story is always amazing. Tahir doesn't hesitate to write complex characters that have layer after layer of personality, secrets, and flaws for the reader to explore. There is a perfect balance between world building, plot, and character development that allows for the story to be well rounded and constructed. This is a great novel and Tahir has a true talent for story telling. I can't recommend the book enough I am so excited to see what comes next.

Want to start by thanking PENGUIN GROUP, Sabaa Tahir and NetGallery for the ARC to review.

I'll start of by saying I didn't realize this was in the same universe as "An Ember in the Ashes" Probably could have benefited reading that series again before reading this book, it's not a requirement but it would help understand some people.

Overall I'd recommend this book to anyone who liked "An Ember in the Ashes". It was kinda slow getting started and will be interesting to see if Tahir can wrap it up in 2 books or if it gets extended a book like the first series.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for eARC!

This book was absolute perfection. The world building has a lot of depth, the characters are complex, and an interesting magic system. It took me the first 25% of the book to fully get immersed into the world, but once I was I absolutely binged this book (because there was no way I could put it down). This story is told from 3 main POVs and I loved every one of them. I’m absolutely gutted that I have to wait for a sequel because I was lucky enough to get my hands on this early.

Easily one of my favorite reads this year, can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-ARC of Heir. The Ember in the Ashes Quartet is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time, and I recommend it to anyone who asks. I just finished a re-read of that series before I started Heir and I started to get nervous because I was reminded how mean Sabaa is to all of her characters. But then I was so excited to re-enter that world and her storytelling and was ready to be blown away again by her skill in character and world building. Of course, she did not disappoint on any account. This was an excellent book. Between the multiple POVs to the way she tells the story moving between timelines and flashbacks to the new characters in this book, I was completely drawn in. My biggest complaint is that I probably have to wait at least a year for a sequel. I loved that she picks this book up 20 years later and explores the lives of the children that the original characters fought to keep alive/ be able to have. It was great to see the originals return in this book, but from a different perspective, and as mature adults settled in their roles. Sabaa wasn't any nicer to her characters this time around, but I really appreciated how she showed everyone's evolution over time for good or bad, and they were all lovable and relatable. I also appreciated that the world included a lot more queer characters, more kingdoms, different kids of magic, and even bigger stakes. Sabaa Tahir will always be an autobuy author for me, and this book as cemented her as one of my favorite authors of all time.

I thought 'Heir' by Sabaa Tahir was an exhilarating return to the 'An Ember in the Ashes' universe, featuring three compelling main characters: Aiz, Sirsha, and Quil. The narrative is action-packed and heart-pounding, especially Sirsha's tracking journey filled with smart tricks and a touch of magic. I highly recommend reading the entire 'An Ember in the Ashes' series to fully appreciate the intricate world-building and character development. The story introduces us to Aiz, a brilliant engineer seeking vengeance, Quil, a reluctant crown prince, and Sirsha, a magical tracker on a dangerous mission. Their paths intersect in a fast-paced narrative that keeps you on your toes. The character development, tension, and world-building are masterfully done, making it a captivating read. I particularly enjoyed the nods to Pakistani and South Asian culture and the humor woven throughout the story. 'Heir' is a beautifully crafted tale of defiance, love, and legacy that exceeded my expectations, and I can't wait for the second book. 5/5 stars.

Sabaa Tahir's "Heir" set against a backdrop of political intrigue and magical conflict, the sequel delves deeper into the challenges faced by its resilient protagonists.

Tahir's narrative prowess shines through in her ability to blend thrilling plot twists with poignant explorations of loyalty, sacrifice, and personal growth. "Heir" captivates readers with its dynamic storytelling and leaves them eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this compelling fantasy series.

Wow! This book was such an adventure. I LOVE Sabaa Tahir's books. She is an excellent story teller. Heir is the next generation of An Ember in the Ashes and I would suggest reading that series before venturing into this duology.

~~What I liked~~
-The world building and overlap of the characters was fantastic. Much like the Ember series, this book is told from multiple POV and the story unfolds a bit at a time as each chapter is told from a different character's perspective. Sometimes this method of storytelling leaves huge gaps in the plot, but I didn't notice much of that here.
-The characters in this book were well developed and you really get a feel for each one as the book unfolds. The book is centered around three main characters, Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha, but there are a few chapters from other character's POV that round the book out. I love/hate the direction Aiz's character was taken, well played Ms. Tahir, well played.
-In general I had a general idea of where the story was going, but several times I was surprised and this made me all the more interested in finding out what was actually going to happen to the different characters.
-While the first 30% of the book was a bit draggy, the pacing for the last 70% was really good.
-This was a closed door romance and I would feel comfortable recommending it to teens. While there is sex in the book, it isn't overly described but is definitely alluded to and tastefully done.

~~What I didn't like~~
-This wasn't so much a problem for me as I had read the Ember series previously, but there was a lot going on plot wise that might be confusing for those who haven't read the other books.
-I was given an ARC so maybe the actual book will include this, but I would really have liked a map. While the world building was well done, I always like maps that help me visualize where the characters are or where they are going.
-I would have liked to see more relationship building between the couple(s) in the book. This is very slightly romance, but mostly fantasy and adventure.

Overall, this book was captivating and I can't wait for the last book to come out. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy/magic and adventure books. I'm glad this is only a duology as I'm not sure I could wait FIVE years for the series to finish.

I received an arc of this book from netgalley and Penguin House in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a fantastic epic fantasy with some light romance. It's really a story about belief, desperation, and how far a person would go, what they would believe in, if given the tools. This book tells a pretty intense story from multiple angles and it pushes the reader to question a lot of things. The world building is beautiful and detailed, the magic system is not fully fleshed out yet on purpose but has multiple systems. Very interesting for sure.

I found this book to be super addictive and I was dying to find out what happens whenever I wasn't able to read.

This book did have a lot of violence related trigger warnings, though.

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.