This was my first book from Sabaa Tahir, and despite hearing such great things about her Ember in Ashes series, Heir missed the mark for me.

I think this story had potential, but it just didn’t flow well from start to finish . The “relationships” between various characters all felt so rushed and lacked ANY sort of depth.

Magical elements weren’t explained thoroughly enough, and characters seemed to pop in and out of the story at random. For example: one minute, character A was in a dungeon, and the next minute character A is attacking character B but we never knew how character A made it out of the dungeon in the first place?? Oh and then you just never hear about character A for the remainder of the book after her mystery escape/attack.

I didn’t like the FMC, I did NOT like the ending, and ***a slight spoiler here so read at your own risk***

…….but I didn’t like that certain dead people didn’t stay dead.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read the arc.

the year is only half over and i already know that heir is going to be my favorite of 2024, and were it not for the ember in the ashes quartet i read last year, my favorite of the last 5 years.

THIS BOOK. IS EVERYTHING. if i was granted three wishes by a benevolent fairy, i’d burn two of the three on immortality for both sabaa and i so i’d never have to be without a new release from her. the third i’d spend lobotomizing myself every year so i could reread her entire catalog all over again for the first time.

i love this series, this world, and this author, and heir met every single expectation i had and more.

heir tackles the story of a character from the ‘ember’ world, but all grown up, burdened by the responsibility of his title, his empire, and his family legacy. we meet quil — also known as zacharias — as an adult, struggling to bear the weight of the martial empire, the expectations of his aunt, and his own desire for freedom. the story dovetails beautifully with POVs from new characters aiz, a downtrodden orphan in a far-flung kingdom, on a holy mission desperate to save her people, and sirsha, a former jaduna-turned-tracker-for-hire, given a deadly and dangerous mission to hunt down a murderer plaguing the kingdom by killing young children in horrific, brutal ways.

as the story comes together — replete with cameos from beloved characters from the ‘ember’ series — sabaa gifts us a story that will make you rage, weep, and cheer, with painful, heartwrenching parallels to today’s political climate. how far is too far? there’s a quote from ‘heir’ that will live with me forever — “when you sacrifice other people’s children on the altar of your ambition, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be willing to sacrifice your own.”

5 stars. infinity stars. the entire night sky’s worth of constellations. sabaa is a true kehanni herself, writing stories that are so hauntingly beautiful they stay with you for years after you’ve read them, and heir shines just as bright as the original ember series.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS SACRED IN THIS WORLD, DO NOT READ HEIR WITHOUT READING THE EMBER SERIES FIRST, PLEASE. i promise this will hit a thousand times harder emotionally if you’ve already familiarized yourself with this world and these characters.

absolutely magnificent, moving, and beautiful in every way. many, many thanks to netgalley and penguin for the absolute privilege of reading an advance copy. counting down the days until it releases and i can put it in the place of ‘made me sob into my coffee’ honor on my shelf.

I lovedddd this book! The multiple povs were easy to follow and I was waiting for when they crossed paths. Sometimes multiple povs don't work well but in this book it was done so well. I liked seeing it come full circle of what they were looking for and more importantly who they were looking for. I can't wait to see what comes next for these characters!

I can’t believe we get to return to the Ember universe in this spinoff duology!! In this series, we follow three main characters - Quil (Marcus and Livinia’s child), Sirscha, and Aiz. While they each have their own goals, their storylines weave together in a satisfying way. I loved the twist that happens about halfway through the book and, while the story became slightly predictable at that point, it really made me re-think everything I had already read. I love the characters in this (not as much as Laia and Elias, but that makes sense). They all have their own development, with Quil grappling with the fact that he is the hair to the empire, Sirscha being exiled by her family and relying on magical tracking, and Aiz doing whatever it takes to save her people. I really enjoyed this book and the ending makes me need the next book asap!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this one immensely. I haven't read the original series in years but seeing the main cast again felt like seeing old friends you lost touch with.

I completely forgot how much I enjoy Tahir's writing; she makes the exact kinds of plots I love so much. Her characters feel so real and, despite their flaws, don't frustrate me like a lot of protagonists do.

The cliffhanger was rough I won't lie. I have no idea why I do this to myself because now I have to wait who knows how long for book two, but despite that, it was worth it.

As always, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I haven’t read the Ember series and I’m happy to say you do not have to in order to completely enjoy this series because I sure did! It took me a minute to get into the world and the characters but once I did, I was hooked.

HEIR by Sabaa Tahir is the first in a Young Adult Fantasy duology set in the An Ember in the Ashes world from her previous series. We get to see more locations in this world, and also revisit beloved characters from the original series, twenty year later. The three main POV characters are all beautifully crafted and the story itself is truly engaging, exciting, enraging, and first-rate. I loved this book and can't wait for the next installment. Before I gush on more, let me share the setup.

The story revolves around three main characters:

Aiz has grown up with tragedy. As an orphan in the slums of Kegar, she has seen people she loves die from fire, starvation, and war. After she's thrown into jail, she connects with a spirit that promises Aiz can save her people, but only if she does what the spirit says. I won't spoil anything here, but there was a point when I was reading this book when I understood something about Aiz, and if I'd only been skimming, I might have missed it.

Quil is the heir to the Martial Empire's throne, but he doesn't want to lead. He's afraid the power will corrupt him as it did his father, who was Emperor prior to Empress Helene who is currently ruling. In his first POV chapter, he discovers a child who has been killed in the same way that two masks had been killed recently, and he's upset and angry to discover from his grandmother that more have died and he wasn't informed. When the Empire is attacked, he goes on a quest to find a crucial object that will help save his people. Together with his cousin, Arelia, and his best friend, Sufiyan (Elias and Laia's son!), they escape the attackers and sail in search of Tas who has the object.

They encounter Sirsha, a tracker who is exiled from her family and people, the Jaduna. She's broke, so she's agreed to a contract to find the assassin who has been killing children across the Empire and other lands. When it appears that Sirsha can help Quil and company, she manipulates them to come along with her on her secret tracking mission. She saves them from the Empire's attackers, and Quil saves her at a crucial time.

Will Quil and gang find the object that can save his people on time? Will Sirsha fulfill her contract before the magic that binds her to it drives her mad? Will the perpetrator of the killings be stopped? Read this excellent book and find out.

What I loved most:
- I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns. Knowing a big reveal sooner than some of the characters added to my enjoyment of the story.
- The main POV characters were phenomenal, as were the supporting cast. I think my favorite POV character was Quil. My favorite supporting character has to be Sufiyan, followed closely by Ruh.
- Seeing beloved characters from the original series was wonderful.
- Sabaa addresses loss and mourning in an honest, sometimes raw way that really resonated with me.
- Aiz's story in particular was a portrayal of the suffering many people are going through in our world, and I found it tragic, deeply sorrowful, and incredibly well-written.
- The romances (yes, there are more than one!) were well-written. The tropes used were just... *chef's kiss*
- The role of religion and culture in this world and how your point of view and beliefs can change everything were two strong themes (of many) that make this book a must-read for teens.

What didn't work:
- Honestly, I can't think of a single thing that needs improvement. Bravo!

HEIR is a pacey, satisfying read brimming with action, adventure, romance, and tragedy, with a strong cast of characters. I highly recommend it. Run, don't walk, to purchase this fantastic novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with an eARC of this book for my honest feedback.

Okay, longer review to come soon but I just finished reading this (shoutout to Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC after I begged them to) and OMG I AM SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP TEARING MY HAIR OUT FALLING TO THE GROUND KEELING SOBBING WHHHYYYYY

I don’t know how this is possible but Heir exceeded my already super high expectations?!? I started it right after finishing the Ember Quartet read-along and it was the best decision because it made the experience so much better. But even if you don’t read the Ember books beforehand, this is going to blow your mind!

Sabaa Tahir proves once again why she is the proverbial Kehanni. Her words are magic. And with this magic, she weaves in Heir an intricate tale of love, loss, friendship, betrayal, war, and pain. There is heart-fluttering romance, yes, but there is also terrible, crushing heartbreak (after all, it wouldn’t be like Sabaa to not make her characters suffer).

There is magic and some truly incredible world-building. Empires and powers familiar to readers of the Ember books along with entirely new awe-inspiring lands and peoples and abilities.

Old characters stop by, sometimes with a warm hug and sometimes with a punch to the gut that leaves you bleeding and in tears. New protagonists make you love them, worry for them, laugh with them, cry with them, and cry for them.

There is a mind boggling twist that will leave you reeling for days and a cliffhanger so unfair that you’d give up maybe both of your kidneys to be able to read the sequel RIGHT NOW!

And underlying it all is the most searing, beseeching, heartfelt, furious, and heart-rending plea: for us, humans, to stop starting wars and stop spearheading genocides in the name of the divine.

“How holy can your task be if it requires the destruction of another land?”

NO NOTES. ONLY APPLAUSE.

I couldn’t believe when I got the email for this ARC I was so excited! This book definitely didn’t disappoint, I loved it. Heir hit all my favorites: adventure, political intrigue, interesting magic, romance, surprising plot twists.

Heir takes place in the same world as An Ember in the Ashes but takes place years later. Heir starts by focusing on three main characters POV. Aiz, an orphan girl from Keagar who is plotting the death of a high ranking general, when her plot fails she finds herself in prison with the clerics who raised her. Quil is the heir to the Martial empire, he is having difficulty accepting the crown as he tries to come to terms with a recent tragedy. And Sirsha is a tracker, outcast from her people and down on her luck she agrees to track down a killer who has been taking the hearts of children.

Sabaa Tahir does an amazing job of weaving the three main characters stories together and managing to surprise me with the twists the stories take. I love watching the characters connect and develop and the bonds they form with each other, I found myself really interested in these characters and what was going to happen to them. I did think that it was a little slow to start but once the first plot twist occurred I was fully invested. I can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully plotted and described continuation of the story and world created in the ember in the ashes quartet. Now we get to see the next generation, the children of Eliasa and Laia and nephew of Helene, and how they weave into the aftermath of the previous wars. Nothing and no one is who they seem and get ready to weep and rend teeth as Tahir pulls out all of the stops. A must read.

I gave it a 4.5.

It’s kinda crazy going back to the world of Ember. Even with new characters as the focus it feels so familiar. And the new characters were likeable enough that I enjoyed reading about them and seeing this part of the world from their perspectives. Took me a little bit to get into the story, the beginning starts slower but then picks up and Sabaa Tahir (as usual) leaves no room for breathing as the action rolls out and continues until the end.

This book also had more romance than I expected, mostly because Sabaa Tahir barely gave us romance in the first series so I was surprised with the kind of scenes in this book. It’s not so explicit that it’s distasteful but compared to Ember, it’s a little jarring to read so many scenes that involve more than kissing.

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

This was such a fast paced and fun read!

This book followed three characters:

AIZ, an orphan from the Kegari slums, seeks vengeance and justice for her people, but one mistake lands her in a prison.

SIRSHA, a banished tracker, is hired to hunt but ends up falling for a fugitive.

QUIL, the crown prince, must rise above his lineage to save the empire from a new enemy.

Their lives intertwine in this fast paced entertaining read!

I haven't read the Ember in the Ashes series, but it didn't feel necessary to enjoy this book at all. (Although I am running to pick up that series now!)

I had to take my time to fully absorb everything in this high fantasy read and I'm so excited for book two!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sabaa Tahir has such a unique and infectious writing style that you can't help but to be swept away on an adventure as soon as you step into her books. Heir is set in the same world as her An Ember in the Ashes quartet and follows the story of three characters from very different backgrounds with very different stories and the plot is slowly unwoven through their eyes, ears, and actions. To say that I was excited to step back into the land of Martials and Scholars was an understatement of monumental proportions. I've come to expect such rich worldbuilding and intricate cultural experiences from Tahir and in those aspects, I certainly was not disappointed. The stakes are every bit as high this time around as for the previous generation and the action took off at a run and never let up. I found myself holding my breath more times that I could count and the plot twists kept me dancing on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed this story so so much, but I did feel the plot lag in certain areas and I truly don't feel that I felt a connection to the characters like I felt for Laia and Elias in AEITA. After the ending, however, I have very high hopes that the next book will only solidify my love for this new series, as I am still reeling from those new revelations. Sabaa Tahir has my whole heart and I will purchase anything she writes,

Thank you so much Netgalley, Penguin Teen, and Sabaa Tahir for the ARC.

I will never ever stop screaming about Sabaa Tahir’s books. I *love* the Ember series and was THRILLED to get approved for Heir.

Heir is a stunning return to the world of the Martial Empire where we are reunited with many of our old favorites but the story largely centers on the next generation so to speak, including but not limited to Helene’s nephew Quil and Laia and Elias’s son Sufiyan. Although my personal favorite is Sirsha, the loner tracker that we meet for the first time as she’s getting the shit kicked out of her. I was worried that my love for the first generation of characters would hamper my experience of this book -- I kept getting SO annoyed at Quil for acting up when Helene obviously knows best! But that didn't last long and the appearances of the OG characters felt like such a treat (the scene in the prison with Helene is vintage Blood Shrike and just *chefs kiss*). And the new cast of characters are extremely engaging and well developed -- some of them might be descended from the OG's but they're not carbon copies.

No one does multiple POVs like Tahir. Sometimes I feel like writers use the trick of switching POVs to artificially stoke drama or raise the stakes for the reader in ways that are frustrating or too obvious. Or all the POVs will feel like the same character with no differentiation in storytelling. The way Tahir switches between characters is art — one chapter will end with some cliffhanger or reveal and you'll be furious to switch POVs, but you get so immersed in next character’s story that its almost shocking when it switches back and you remember how concerned I was for that other character. Sometimes there will be one character I don’t care about and rush through their chapters to “get to the good stuff” but that simply isn’t the case here. Even with characters that really frustrated me, I was dying to figure out wtf their deal is and why they made the decisions they do. 

Heir, much more than the original Ember series, is a slowly unfolding mystery. Tahir plays with time and narrator reliability in ways that are SO INTERESTING and makes for some stunning reveals. It’s truly not a Tahir book unless your jaw is on the ground MULTIPLE times. I am so excited to be back in this world and see where the story goes in the next book.

Heir is an exciting return to the An Ember in the Ashes universe with the story of an orphan, a prince and an outcast.

Aiz, an orphan, has suffered from starvation, loss and tyranny. Driven by the dream of a better world for her people, she breaks free from her prison to find the Holy Mother Div, her country’s savior whom’s spirit she believes is trapped. Only Mother Div is not who Aiz believed her to be.

Quil, the Crown prince, feels he is unworthy and unprepared and fears the possibly of turning into his father, the most hated man in Martial history and murdered by his aunt. When Quil’s empire falls and his family threatened, he cannot stand on the sidelines anymore. As he reluctantly hunts for the solution to help his people, he finds shocking truths that stir him into action.

And Sirsha, an outcast, banished from her family for something that happened eight years ago and not allowed to use her tracking magic to hunt magical beings. Unfortunately, life has not treated her well so she unknowingly accepts a job to track a magical serial child killer which may result in her own death.

Aiz, Quil and Sirsha’s paths intersect in the most unexpected ways. This epic fantasy has action, slow burn romances, excellent world building (though different from An Ember in the Ashes), and jaw dropping twists. This book will keep you up at night.

The multiple POVs are perfectly spaced and together expertly weave an incredible story.

This is a duology. I cannot wait for the second book. I picked up this title about two years after reading An Ember in the Ashes. I didn’t read the blurb beforehand, so didn’t realize it was in the same universe until I came across the names Laia and Elias. You don’t need to read An Ember in the Ashes first to appreciate this book. Sabaa Tahir provides enough context. The story is more about the second generation.

A big thank you to Sabaa Tahir, PENGUIN GROUP, Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased honest review.

TROPES/ THEMES: fey, fake engagement, slow-burn, betrayal, storytellers, magic

Read on for a character list…

CHARACTERS (more or less in order of appearance, please excuse typos in name):
Aiz bet-Dafra: orphan, weak windsmither, tell-spinner
Cero: Aiz’s oldest friend, once shared a kiss with Aiz, a pilot, windsmith (ability to bend air)
Mother Div: Vessel of the Fount, First Queen of the Crossing, savior of Kegar, commands blood, mind, and air.
Lord Tiral bet-Hiwa: highborn commander of the air squadron, heir to one of the three Triarchs, Aiz’s despicable bed partner, set fire to the orphans’ quarters
Sister Noa: cleric of Dafra
Ranking: Snipe - low class, Sparrow - middle class and Hawk - highborn
Tregan: Cero’s horse
High Cleric Dovan: the High Cleric of Kegar, of Dafra
Quil/ Zacharias Marcus Livius Aquillus Farrar: heir to the Martial throne and a prince of Gens Aquilla, 20 yo, Lieutenant Commander of the Imperial Army and Crown Prince of the Realm
Empress Helene Aquilla: Quil’s aunt, High Commander of the Martial Army, Imperator Invictus, and Overlord of the Realm
Sufiyan Veturius: Quil’s best friend, 18 yo, son of Laia and Elias
Laia of Serra: Sufiyan, Ruh’s mother, kehanni (story seeker and storyteller)
Elias Veturius: Sufiyan, Ruh’s father
Sirsha Westering: tracker, banished at 12 by her family to live as a street rat, ability to locate gems, people, magic and bind magic, Inashi, Jaduna, 20.
Tas: Quil’s friend, orphan brother, worked for Helene as spy (part Scholar, part Martial), Helene’s advisor
Mater Candela: Rich and collects shiny things.
Ilar: Quil’s lover
Bani al-Mauth: Chosen of Death, a runaway, a revolutionary, a slave, and a murderess; tends the Waiting Place by guiding restless spirits to the next life; Sufiyan’s grandmother, Laia of Serra’s mother
Ruhyan “Ruh”: Sufiyan’s baby brother
Migva: thug/thief, tried to steal from Sirsha
Triarch Oona: female raven-haired Triarch of Clan Oona—the bloodsmithers, former healers that lost their abilities, daughter of Mother Div
Triarch Ghaz: young man in practical flight leathers, curly brown hair, of the Clan Ghaz, mindsmithers, formerly able to read minds, son of Mother Div
Sister Olnas: cleric of Dafra
Triarch Hiwa: Tiral’s father, name meant wind, windsmither, son of Mother Div
Ros: orphan, skilled with a bow, dead because Hiwa insulted Tiral and Tiral decided to burn the cloister and the orphan wing
Emperor Marcus Farrar: Quil’s father
Zak: Quil’s uncle
Livia Aquilla: Quil’s mother
Arelia ‘Reli’: Quil’s cousin, court engineer, Martial
Ambassador Ena Ifalu: expected to be High Seer
Musa of Adisa: ambassador of Marinn, Mariner, a friend of Quil
Pater Vissellius: random person present when Quil learned of his engagement
Mater Andricar: old lady who told Quil that he was engaged
…: Illustrian—a member of the highest Martial class, offered Sirsha 1300, transport and supplies to track the child killer and either kill or deliver him, made a blood oath with Sirsha
Rodinius Lucius: robbed a village, killed a family, tracked by Sirsha
Auntie Vee: Sirsha’s aunt, Kin Inashi—Sirsha’s family, shunned Vee
R’zwana: Sirsha’s older sister, hunted Auntie Vee and drowned her
Hani: kid imprisoned at Tohr
Jak: kid imprisoned at Tohr, Finh’s younger brother, missing teeth
Finh: kid imprisoned at Tohr, Jak’s older brother, has a limp
Kithka: jailer at Tohr
Gil: jailer at Tohr
Karinna: Sufiyan’s sister, second-born
Sirsha’s mother: Raani of Kin Inashi, a woman who’d ruled over scores of families with Inashi leanings, a scenter
Aiz’s mother: died in a raid after being forcibly enlisted
Rallius: a Mask who’d been captain of Helene’s personal troops for nearly twenty years.
Kade: Sirsha’s friend, dealer of rare and one-of-a-kind manuscripts, enchantments, charmed goods, and information, Devanese pirate
Dolbra: a seer
Neita—of Tribe Sadh: greets and guides Aiz in Sadh
R’zwana: Sirsha’s older sister, Jaduna, Raan-Ruku
D’rudo: Sirsha’s old teacher and cousin
J’yan: heir of the Deshma, Sirsha’s friend and betrothed, Raan-Ruku
Zuriya: Sufiyan and Ruh’s sister
Loli Temba: “Daughter of the Vine, in Ankanese,” not Thafwan, Karkaun, human imbued with magic
Zaldar Shan: Saif tribeman
Kehanni Nasur: of Tribe Nur, older than Laia,
Nightbringer: jinn
Mauth: the Nightbringer’s creator and the source of all magic
Rehmat: the Nightbringer’s beloved wife
High Seer Remi E’twa of Ankana: painted himself as all-knowing, eye of Ankana

This was one of my most anticipated reads after finishing the Ember Quartet earlier this year and it did not disappoint. I loved being back in this world and adored getting to see more of Laia, Helene, and Elias. As always, Sabaa’s writing was fast paced and had me sucked in from the start. I really loved our new main characters as well (for the most part… if you know you know). You don’t need to read the Ember quartet to read this, it stands on its own. However, it is all the more impactful if you do, so I do strongly recommend it. For me, there was a perfect balance of romance to plot, meaning that the romance wasn’t at the forefront of the story and the plot still thrives without it. With that ending I am so nervous for book two but SO excited.

Heir takes the readers into a new world where we get PoVs from Aiz, an orphan trying to become a savior for her people, Sirsha, a tracker on a mission to find a deadly monster and Quil, crown prince trying to survive an attack from enemies. They come across each other at different times in life and find out much later how intertwined their lives get at a certain point. The world building and establishing all the supporting characters worked great for me although it did feel slow for quite a bit of the plot. Even when the pacing felt slow, there were still important enough sub-plots that kept me hooked all the time. There is some romance, there is a big adventure and how can I miss big action sequences. And yes, it ends with a major plot-twist as expected and I absolutely need to read the next installment in the series !!

I rated it 4.5 stars!

I really just love Sabaa Tahir. I really just HATE THE CLIFFHANGERS.

Cmon man, Quil deserves some happiness. How are you gonna take that from him? I know how her writing is though. I’m sure they’ll end up together at the end of some hellish trials. I have to stop picking up series ARCs but I couldn’t resist a new book from one of my favorite series’ author!

The plot is great. It is a little confusing at first, but that confusion is well worth it by the time you realize what is going on. I was not prepared for the switch on Aiz, it definitely too me by surprise. Sirsha is a wonderful character by the end, and I really enjoyed her and Quil’s development. I also LOVE that she included our favorite characters from An Ember in The Ashes series too!

This is definitely geared towards young adult/new adult range (15-20 I’d say) because there definitely is adult content, but very vaguely written so nothing too spicy.

I loved this. It wasn’t as good as AEITA but it didn’t disappoint. My one complaint is that I was slow to get into it, but it does require a level of world building (thankfully I remembered most of the places) and exposition, and that can be slow going.

All in all, I really enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next one. Yet again, I have a recap saved on my phone so that I’m not lost when the sequel comes out. 4.25⭐️

okay i’ve finally formulated enough words and thoughts to put together a review. TL;DR: i absolutely loved this book and i cannot freaking wait for the second book.

as a longtime Sabaa Tahir fan and avid collector of the Ember books, you can obviously imagine that from the second Sabaa announced a spinoff duology, i’ve been itching for this. Heir did not at all disappoint. i did reread the entire Ember quartet before going into this book and i’d definitely say that if you haven’t read Ember yet, i *highly* recommend you do before starting Heir. you can actually pinpoint the exact scene in Reaper where Sabaa might have had the idea for a spinoff duology and it’s very cool to experience.

Heir brings us back to the brutal world of the Empire but expands the world significantly. we learn all about the Southern Continent and the cities there while also visiting the lives (and the kids) of some very familiar, very beloved characters. i think Sabaa did an incredible job of bridging the events of 20 years ago with brand new stories and characters with brand new consequences while bringing in her classic punchy prose that follows you throughout the book. Heir is so perfectly reflective of the world we live in, of all of the lives we sacrifice “for the greater good”, especially those of children, and of the greed and arrogance our society lives off of. as always, she does an incredible job of looking into the costs and falls of suffering and how we let it fester in our society. this is made all the more devastating to read knowing what is currently being done to the people of Palestine and Sudan and all those under occupation, then and now.

i loved this book so much but i especially loved all of the nods to Pakistani and South Asian culture and Islam. i LOVED the humor laced throughout the story and especially in Sirsha’s chapters (funniest character award) and i love Quil so much, my tortured prince 😭 Aiz, girl, i’m only letting you off the hook rn because spoilers and also because your name reminds me of my own.

this was an excellent first book to a duology and i really cannot wait for the second book to bring everything together. if it makes any sense, i’m already excited for the reread because Sabaa’s books are always even more amazing with the reread because you can now pick up on all the genius foreshadowing she leaves scattered throughout the story. Heir was truly everything i was hoping for and more 🥹

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this gloriously amazing book! I both loathe the fact that I will now be in pain until the second book is published and delight in the fact that I had the chance to have my heart ripped out by this book (see what I did there?)

So, first things first, I am new to the Sabaa Tahir world... I have read none of her works. I have been wanting to read An Ember in the Ashes, but alas I have not yet... after reading Heir, you can bet the next book I want to read is An Ember in the Ashes. Heir was delightfully painful and romantic.

I don't want to say too much because I do not want to spoil it... but WOW was the book enjoyable and an exceedingly exciting rollercoaster.

Things I loved:
- Quil (I do not need to say more)
-Sirsha. She's a boss and I love her
-Quil and Sirsha.... I cannot get enough of them, and the ending hurt so bad I feel like I am owed compensation after that ending.
-Suf and Arelia were great characters, loved them.
-The story line, while sometimes super dark and depressing, it was very good and interesting in a way I have not seen before.
-the Adah bond storyline...
-Ms Tahir's writing! I seriously could not get enough of it! Her characters were so good (and so bad but in an annoyingly good writing way for Aiz who can respectfully die in a hole)
-How each chapter left you on a sort of cliffhanger that left me wanting to get to that person's storyline.
-Actually, pretty much everything.

Things I did not love so much:
-Aiz. Her WHOLE character annoyed me, and I found myself abhorring her chapters. Never liked her, never will. But honestly, I think maybe that's the point? I don't know but she is not redeemable for me as a character.
- The several alternating perspectives. There were times where it was not that bad, but I think a struggle with the alternating story lines is keeping all the perspectives interesting... and sometimes it was not interesting, and I found myself wanting to skip ahead because I truly did not give a rip about the person whose perspective it was (Aiz and Cero for example). I could have lived with just Quil's and Sirsha's.

Overall, this book is a 4.75 for me! It was so close to my perfect read. It had the right about of longing and it was by no means insta-love which I do not love lol. Seriously, check this book out when it comes out, I know I will be buying a copy and not only that, but I will be reading An Ember in the Ashes now! And eagerly waiting for book 2 because seriously, what was that ending???