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

This is my first book was the author and it was incredible! I loved the 3 characters we got povs from and seeing their stories and growth. It was action packed from the beginning and so full of heart and emotion and rage. Perfection.

This novel is beautifully written and incredible to read. For fans of Sabaa's Ember quartet, you will surely enjoy this novel. This book follows a character from the Ember world, but all grown up. The novel had thrilling adventures that kept me on the edge of my seat. I also felt os immersed in the book that I completed it in one sitting. This book is truly amazing and I fully recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this amazing novel!

3.5 Stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc of Heir by Sabaa Tahir.

I will start by saying that I highly recommend reading An Ember In The Ashes before jumping into Heir, as it takes place in the same world and a lot of things and people are mentioned/brought up. I’m going to leave all spoilers out of this review for now.

The story beings 20 years after the events of AEITA. This follows our 3 main characters, Aiz, Quill & Sirsha, (once again very reminiscent of AEITA). Our initial encounter is with Aiz, who is an orphan seeking vengeance, she’s also dreamt of becoming a windsmith but is unable to do so; her best friend Cero has just become a windsmith which causes jealousy and friction between the two of them.

I felt so bad for Aiz in the beginning and everything she goes through but she pissed me the F off and then I didn’t feel bad one bit by the end, because let me tell you!!! When I put the pieces together, no thanks 😫

Quill & Sirsha, all I’m going to say is that I’m rooting for y’all 🫶🏽

While we have a lot of world building, character development and new integrations, I kinda wanted and expected more; something was lacking with the plot and overall story. Just maybe don’t go expecting another AEITA story.

Easily one of my favorite reads this year!
This book had me on the edge of my seat through most of it There was no part of this that felt slow. So much action and mystery and magic. I loved the multiple POVs. We get insight into the good and "bad" guys mindset and how we get to where we land. There was even a little romance thrown in there that was really good. Even though this book takes place after An Ember in the Ashes series, it really can stand on its own. I have not read that series and did not feel like I needed to in order to understand this world (though I will be reading them now!). I'm sure there are likely some easter egg type things I missed not reading them first but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am only sad that I have to wait for the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin and Sabaa Tahir for this ARC.

live laugh love sanaa tahir. after reading her previous YA series, i was ecstatic to see she was coming out with a new book and i was not let down! with an intricate magic system and characters like i’ve never quite read from her before, i was captivated from start to finish and i already want to crawl back into this world

excellent writing and prose, packed with action filled sequence, and a whole world of romance- this book was a journey from start to finish. and i can’t wait for what is to come next! sabaa tahir truly writes high fantasy like no other, working her magic and weaving a intricate magical world with gripping tales.

thank you to netgalley and penguin group penguin young readers group for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book by Sabaa Tahir that I’ve read, and it definitely will not be the last. Without having read An Ember in the Ashes, I didn’t know anything about this world beforehand, so I can confidently say this book stands on its own. I’ll admit though, I felt a bit lost in the first half because there was so much information to take in, but the second half picked up speed and I couldn’t put it down!

The characters are the highlight of this book. We follow three main POVs:
- Aiz, an orphan from the Kegari slums, out for vengeance because of past tragedies.
- Sirsha, a banished tracker, tasked with hunting a child-killer.
- Quil, the reluctant crown prince, who struggles with his father’s tyrannical legacy and his aunt Empress Helena’s expectations.
With multiple perspectives, it's common for one character to overshadow the others, but that is not the case here. Tahir did an incredible job writing each perspective so seamlessly. Every character is unique, strong, and driven in their own way, holding their own throughout the story.
They each have their ambitions and motivations, dealing with past traumas while chasing dreams and vengeance.

The emotions of these characters really drive the story. I could feel their pain & sorrow, love & hate, and desires for vengeance. It was fascinating to see how their motivations influenced their decisions. The way their storylines progressed & intertwined was spot on. The planning that went into this story was incredible, with everything lining up perfectly, including some jaw-dropping twists. The story takes place over several weeks and never felt rushed.

Tahir excels at showing rather than telling, making the characters and their emotions believable and realistic. I even connected with and loved the side characters, which is a rare achievement. There’s so much more I want to say, but it would spoil things. Just know I have a lot of feelings about all the characters.

The story features incredible world-building, a touch of romance, magic, betrayal, vengeance, and themes of family, both lost and rediscovered. It’s a beautifully crafted adventure.

My only tiny critique is that a map would have been a nice addition since I’m a sucker for maps. A glossary or family tree might have helped, too, but I just made my own as I read to keep track.

I’m already eagerly awaiting the sequel! I’m excited to learn more about these characters’ and I’ll definitely dive into An Ember in the Ashes before the sequel is released!

Heir was everything I wanted and more. The world building was exciting. The story was fast paced and epic. I read this in one night because I just couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend to anyone wanting a high fantasy that’s fast and a fun read.

I feel so lucky to have received this advanced copy. It was a priceless opportunity to return to this universe that I love so much.
It is a story full of action that perfectly balances plot and complex characters in the purest Sabaa Tahir style.
I'm very excited to read the next one.

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Pub Date Oct 01 2024

Thank you to the author, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a good read. We get good characters, lots of action, a few twists, and an ending that leaves you waiting for the next book.
I read the first two books in the An Ember in the Ashes series and never went back when the third book came out. I will be returning to that series because of this book. I forgot how much I loved the world building and Sabaa’s writing style.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5 stars!
Thank you so so much Sabaa and netgalley for this arc. I absolutely loved this book, it was amazing to be back in this world. I was nervous that we wouldn't see some of the og characters but I was so happy to see them, and their integration to the story felt just right (Even if I got annoyed with Elias sometimes)
Overall I had such a great time with this book and I can't wait to own a physical copy and reread :)

As a huge fan of the An Ember in the Ashes series, I was thrilled to hear about Heir and it did not disappoint. I was completely enthralled by chapter two and raced through the rest of the novel. It was great to be back in the Ember world with new characters and cameos of old favorites. You certainly don't need to have read the Ember series before reading Heir but it will be more fun if you do. I can't wait to read book 2!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, NetGalley, and Sabaa Tahir for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Sabaa Tahir has been an instant-buy author for me since her debut. And that status has not changed after reading an ARC of Heir; if anything, this novel has made me fall even more in love with her fantasy storytelling. And when I say this book had a death grip on me—it was one of those stories that was all-consuming. I dreaded putting it down and walking away; and when I did take a break from it, my thoughts continuously returned to the story at hand.

I went into this ARC blind and didn’t realize it was An Ember in the Ashes spin off! But seeing the next generation take over the story was a welcome surprise. I loved seeing our original cast as older adults who, in some cases, still made mistakes. If there is one element Tahir always excels at, it’s making her characters feel inherently human and exploring the follies of humanity.

Our new cast of characters—Aiz, Sirsha, Quil, Sufiyan, Tas, Cero; the list goes on!—were easy to root for. Yes, even our morally grey/antagonistic characters I found easy to root for. That all comes back to Tahir’s writing style and the emotionality imbued in it. Tahir made it easy to connect with each character, to understand their motivations and desires, and to want to see them overcome the obstacles on their path. (I could write an entire essay about Aiz’s development from morally gray to antagonist to being morally gray again!)

If there was one comment I kept coming back to, it was my thoughts about Tahir’s plotting and deft handling of two protagonist arcs and one antagonist arc. When I put the pieces together that Aiz’s storyline was in the past and she was heading down an antagonist plot line—well, I literally put down the book, took a lap, screamed about the sheer plotting mastery unfolding before my eyes, and then returned to reading. (It’s safe to say I was theorizing about every little thing as I worked through this story.) Tahir made plotting appear so easy and effortless when I know a beast of a book like this was anything but easy to write.

This is a smaller note, but I do hope the finished book comes with a glossary. Seeing as I didn’t reread An Ember in the Ashes quartet prior to reading this novel, many of the terms were forgotten or difficult to recall. I’d love to have that reference point in the finished book.

If I had to pinpoint one critique for the novel, it has to do with the romance. I found the romance to be a little rushed. I understand why it moved quickly—without it, Act III wouldn’t have worked—but the romance between Quil and Sirsha was missing strong, in-depth emotionality. Much of the development between Quil and Sirsha happened off-page or in summary, which kept the reader at arm’s length from their relationship development. I wish we had seen a little more of that development on page. (Although, the soft spice we saw on page was a pleasant surprise! It made this feel more like New Adult than Young Adult.)

This was easily one of my favorite fantasy novels I’ve read this year. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and admired Tahir’s deft storytelling craft. This was a novel that was difficult to put down and I found it impossible to stop thinking about it. I’ve also never been more relieved to discover that this book was, in fact, not a standalone book but the first in a duology. I have fallen in love with all these characters and cannot wait to see where their journey takes them.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.