NOOOOOOOOO, don't leave us on that cliffhanger! ARGH!!! If you have not had the pleasure of reading this author, what in the heck are you waiting for? YA/Teen Fantasy with vengeance, betrayal, death, love, adventure, suspense you get it ALL. Heir is book 1 of a 2 book series. While you don't have to read the 4 book series that starts with An Ember in the Ashes to enjoy this book, it will give you background and history to many mentioning in this story. You can still enjoy the daylights out of this book but just do yourself a favor and read them all.

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read #Heir.

This book was fantastic! I loved that it focused on 3 points of view (okay technically 5) that end up tying together. I kept trying to figure out the twist as I read and yet I was still surprised. I loved following Quil and Sirsha and watching their characters develop. The ending killed me.. just ask my husband! Can’t wait for the next book

Heir is a spin off of the An Ember in the Ashes series, and it was so much fun!

It’s been two years since I read the original books, and I honestly struggled a bit to get back into the world building, but once I did I really enjoyed this. I do feel like reading the original series is necessary. There are some epic twists and turns that I was not expecting and Tahir did such a great job with this plot.

I really enjoyed the characters, although I feel like I wanted more time to get to dive deeper into their personalities and lives. I am expecting this to happen in the second book!

Definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a fast-paced & action packed fantasy!

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/ G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the advanced copy — Heir releases Oct 1!

This was an incredible return to the world of An Ember In the Ashes and was everything and more I could have hoped for from this book. I would definitely recommend reading the original series first before picking up Heir as this takes place years after the events of A Sky Beyond the Storm and spoils a couple of things. Heir expands upon the lore and adds even more to the world. I was so excited to be back seeing new and fresh perspectives from this world and adding onto the story. The characters were great! I thought it might be strange to read from different POVs in this world, but it felt so natural and I fell in love with so many of the new characters. I think that this will not disappoint anyone that loved the An Ember in the Ashes quartet and I am absolutely going to be reading the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU to Netgalley & Penquin Group for approving my request for an e-arc of Heir by Sabaa Tahir! Heir is the beginning of a spin-off series, set in the same world as An Ember in the Ashes, and while reading that series may help you settle in with Heir faster, I don’t believe new readers would feel lost. Heir jumps between a few different viewpoints, with 3 main ones at the center of the story—Quil, Sirsha, & Aiz—who all start out in seemingly separate storylines that Tahir merges beautifully into a master plot. I won’t go too much into the main characters because it’s hard to express my opinions without spoilers, but I will say I feel kind of meh about one, I love one, and I hate the other and hope they die painfully. I very eagerly await the sequel!

Unlike most people I have yet to travel into Sabaa Tahir’s world she created in Ember in the Ashes series, but after dipping my toe in (which let me be clear is indeed possible and enjoyable) I can promise Ember in the Ashes has SHOT up my TBR. The characters in this new series have not only stolen my heart but my sanity, the love story, the tragedy, the camaraderie between groups, the INSIGHT INTO A CHARACTER YOU WILL NEVER SEE COMING has easily earned this book 5 stars and driven me up the wall needing the next one. So once again let me say, regardless of weather you’re a Sabaa junkie or a baby you will not want to miss this new tale coming October!

THANK YOU to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for allowing me to read an ARC of this book....truly....the joy I felt when this was accepted was not small, I think I squealed out loud, not flattering... but very genuine.

To preface, I really, really love Sabaa Tahir's books. An Ember in the Ashes series remains an all-time favorite of mine, and All My Rage was beautiful and heart wrenching in all the ways a book can make you feel. I was so excited to head back into the world established for us in An Ember in the Ashes and to catch up on what has been happening since I last said goodbye to those characters and the world that I loved so much.

Heir is set around 20 years after the fourth book, we see several familiar characters and meet many new ones. While I am sure there is a world in which you could pick up Heir without reading the first series, I think the readers experience will be SO much better if you have. I will admit, I was a little nervous to return to a world I loved so much the first time, I would imagine it is terrifying for an author to revisit a world that received so much love and figure out how to add to it while making sure not to detract from it, and oh my goodness does Sabaa Tahir succeed.

Perhaps even more than a typical ARC review, I am terrified of giving a single drop of this book away, so I won't be providing a summary, but I will leave you with this....YES!

Gather, gather, and listen well…

OH MY SKIES. I am so so honored to have read this arc and also am devastated at finishing it. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity.

Set 20 years after the end of the AEITA quartet, Heir follows 3 new characters that we are able to get deeply attached to.
Quil the crowned prince and future Emperor Invictus of the Empire, Aiz a Kegari windsmither, and Sirsha an outcast tracker.

I truly don’t even know how to talk about this book. When I finished it I immediately wanted to start rereading (I still might, who knows).

I loved how this story was completely new, but reading in this universe feels like coming home. I did get attached to these new characters very quickly - that is the magic of Sabaa Tahir’s writing. I am already so nervous for the next book, I’m so scared. She’s gonna hurt them I know she is and I’m not ready.

You don’t necessarily have to have read the "An Ember in the Ashes" quartet to read this, I would highly recommend. Having the background makes the little Easter eggs much more emotional. Also, since it does take place 20 years after the quartet, there are several spoilers that you will run into if you decide to read those 4 books later.

All in all, I love this book. I will read every book Sabaa Tahir ever writes. I am obsessed with her storytelling.

Thanks for this arc NetGalley! This is an action packed read, but I got lost more than once in all the different characters and the surroundings. Quil was a well written main character, but I never really connected to this world like
Have have with her other books

This is such an incredible start to a new duology and coming home to Tahir’s layered and beautiful storytelling. It was so fun and emotional to encounter old friends from the original series and see where they are all these years later. It was even more fun to uncover the new generation and see what their struggles and journeys will be. The plot had me guessing and there’s one point where I was flipping back and forth to make sure what I read was real. One of the best books I’ve read recently and highly recommend!

Vibes: adventure, fake engagement, chosen one, found family, political intrigue, ambition, women’s rights and women’s wrongs, magic powers.

4.5/5 ⭐️
Spiciness: 1/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to review this ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I very much enjoyed this first book and will absolutely be reading book 2. This is a beautifully told tale, and the writing was so well done. This was my first Sabaa Tahir and I have really enjoyed it.

General tropes/themes
- Fantasy with some romance and a unique magic system
- Multiple POV
- Related to Ember in the Ashes
- Ice-berg style

The thing I would say about this book is that at times, I wanted more worldbuilding. This is very much an “ice-berg” style story with things being discovered and uncovered as you go, which I do like, but there were multiple times that I was absolutely confused about what was happening in the story. There are a lot of “new terms” that just did not really have any explanation or basis. With that being said, this is not a story I would describe as a super quick/easy read, but, if I am honest, the way things were uncovered was beautifully done. But was I lost multiple times? Absolutely. I was confuzzled fo sho.

The other thing I would say is that it also does start out a little slower with 3 main POV’s off the bat, which I felt was just too rapid to introduce characters. Maybe it would have been a smoother transition if I had read Ember of the Ashes first, but that is also on my TBR and I will update reviews as I go.

Will I be reading the next book? Absolutely. This story has me hooked so far and I found it to be so well written, I was engrossed in the story very early on. If you are a fan of ice-berg style stories and like twists/turns without bunches of world building, this is for you.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read Heir early, especially since it was one of my most anticipated reads of this year! Not only does its endless twists and turns leave you vying for more, but its breathtaking world building and captivating characters make it an utter triumph of a novel. Thank you PenguinTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! 4.5/5 stars.

I want to give this book 10 stars!
No one does fantasy like Sabaa Tahir. This was hands down one of the best books I've read this year and one of the best fantasies I've read, probably since the Ember In The Ashes days. This book is action-packed and fast-paced, but it also takes time to explore the romance between the main characters. The drama is high-stakes as always with Tahir, but this time it felt more on the adult side of YA.
I cannot wait to read the last book of this duology, and my only gripe is that I have to wait so long now.

Stars: 4/5
Synopsis: "Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hot-headed mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her tribe for an unforgiveable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who speaks to the earth, air, and water to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But then, she falls for a charismatic and inconvenient fugitive who keeps getting in her way.

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire, nephew of a famed and venerated empress, but he’s loath to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. As the son of the most hated emperor in the history of his people, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need."

What I loved about this book were all the twists and turns. What you thought was happening in "present day" has you questioning things later. I loved the angst, world building, and unique magic in this book. I will definitely be reading book two.
Some things that led to me not giving it 5 stars were that it is listed as a standalone but much of the verbiage used is not expanded on. I feel as though if you had read her other series, it would make sense. I am going to pick up the other books from her other series as I really liked the world but did feel as though this wasn't necessarily a standalone and it felt confusing at times.

Eeek I was so excited to be approved for an ARC of this. Ember in the Ashes is one of my favorite series, so I was so excited to be back in the world with some new and old characters. I would highly recommend reading An Ember in the Ashes series first (because it’s great, but also Heir will spoil some plot points if you read this first). Heir really expanded on the world and magic we got to see in the first series. It was such a fun read, and although at some times it was a bit predictable I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read book 2! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 Stars!

Sabaa Tahir you cruel woman what was that ending and what I am supposed to do while i wait for the sequel?

I did not the story Ember could get even better. I absolutely LOVED Heir. There arent many novels that are perfect, Heir was perfect, glorious, divine and all the adjectives.

The characters were my favorite part.

Aiz was... an enigma. And thats all I will say for her.

Sirsha is everything I want to be and hope to be. I want to her best friend. Sirsha is a quick witted lone wolf and very big softie at her core.

Quil, oh sweet Quil. He reminded me a lot of Elais. He is smart, strong, cares about his friends and keeper of very precious hairpins (wink wink).

In Heir we are back in the world of Ember in the Ashes with new characters (with our beloved old cast of characters making their appearances once in a while). The world building is even more and did not think it possible.

An outcast, orphan and a prince walk into a bar.... just kidding.

I may be bias on this one because it's Sabaa Tahir and set in the same world as Ember in the Ashes but this was another 5 star read for me this year. In this multi POV we follow Aiz, Sirsha and Quil through adventures that ultimately lead them together in a tense encounter that they've all been fighting towards to get answers and revenge. I could not put it down and was heavily invested in Sirsha and Quil, not to mention that ending?? The only thing I’m sad about is that I have to wait so long for book 2.

Thank you netgalley and Penguin Teen books for arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sabaa Tahir is without a doubt one of the best authors in the market today! She is an auto-buy author for me, and I know that whatever she writes I will enjoy immensely. "Heir" was fabulous. Absolutely fabulous and unputdownable. Her trademark fantastic writing, plot, world-building and characterization that she is known for in her last series is completely evident in this latest novel and her talents and powers as a writer keep growing. I loved every second of this wonderful book and will definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my favorites shelf! Long may Ms. Tahir reign, as she is definitely queen of romantasy! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for letting me review this fantastic novel. There are many imitators out there, but there is only ONE Sabaa Tahir. I would give this book 100 stars if I could!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC!

"Heir" by Sabaa Tahir is a gripping and emotionally charged fantasy novel that immerses readers in a world of political intrigue, magic, and the struggle for power. The story follows Layla, a young woman who discovers she is the long-lost heir to a powerful and divided kingdom. As she navigates her new role, Layla must confront dangerous enemies, unravel hidden secrets, and harness her burgeoning magical abilities to unite her people and reclaim her throne.

Tahir's writing is vivid and immersive, bringing the richly detailed world and its complex characters to life. Layla is a compelling protagonist, whose journey of self-discovery and empowerment is both inspiring and relatable. The plot is fast-paced and filled with unexpected twists, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

Themes of identity, loyalty, and sacrifice are woven throughout the narrative, adding depth and resonance to the story. Tahir expertly balances action and introspection, creating a tale that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

Overall, "Heir" is a captivating addition to Sabaa Tahir's body of work, offering a powerful and enchanting story that will resonate with fans of epic fantasy and strong, character-driven narratives.

<b><i>"Tell me a dream, little love."</i></b>

My dream is to go back in time and decide to never pick up my most anticipated read of the year. Sabaa Tahir, I EXPECTED BETTER FROM YOU 😭

You know it's bad when i couldn't find a single sentence worthy of annotation. For the sake of this review, i had to sneak out little strings of sentences from amidst irrelevant conversations.

You cannot write a spin off of one of the best fantasy series to ever exist, and not expect the readers to compare them both. The Ember Quartet is an electrifying masterpiece that grips you from the very first page. Its characters, flawed and complex, the mesmerizing world building, its emotional depth and its exploration of power, oppression, and the choices that define us, tackling themes like loyalty, sacrifice and struggle for freedom, its all so so so beautiful- BREATHE THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A REVIEW FOR AN EMBER IN THE ASHES!

The Ember Quartet is not just another series that you read and rave about; it's a life lesson. Laia's humanity, Elias's selflessness, Helene's loyalty; these characters teach you a lot. "The Heir" failed to capture it all. The characters had little depth and Tahir couldn't properly capture their motivations and complexity. This book felt like a big distorted dream. The emotions were all over the place, the relationships lacking depth or believability, and the world building not as immersive as its predecessor.

Once the plot starts making sense, the plot twist becomes clear and predictable, diminishing the impact of the story's surprises and reducing the suspense that is often integral to an epic fantasy.

These are the disappointments that i faced, but the major problem I had with this book is <i>AIZ.</i> oh dear we have a long rant incoming, buckle up. I'll mark the spoilers wherever necessary.

<b>• <u>PLOT AND CHARACTERS</u></b>

"The Heir" focuses on three different characters navigating through their hardships-

»» <u><b>ZACHARIUS MARCUS LIVIUS AQUILLAS FARRAR</b></u> a.k.a <u><b>QUIL</b></U>

<i><b>"I remember, and I mourn, and I rage at myself and then I vow to have vengeance."</i></b>

The Heir to the Martial Empire. Helene Aquilla's, now The Empress, nephew. Raised by Tribe Saif, he loathes being a king and does not want to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. He and the people of the Empire, along with Laia and Elias are troubled by a vicious killer roaming their grounds, shredding apart their innocent children, one of whom was Laia and Elias youngest son, Ruh. On one unfortunate night of Rathana, the army of Kegar, led by their remorseless and heartless Tel Illasi, bombed the districts of The Empire. Quil, his cousin Ariella, along with Elias Venturias's son- Sufiyan Venturias, had to flee the country on Helene's orders looking for "a thing" that their now Blood Shrike, Tas possesses, in order to stop this war. On their journey to Ankana, they come across an outcast - Sirsha Westerling.

<i><b>"Grief is a strange beast. Some battle it, their souls scarred from its abuse. Some bury it, and live life waiting for it to reemerge. And some tread water, the grief a weight about their necks. Every reminder makes the weight heavier." She turned halfway, her face in profile. "You and I tread water, nephew. And I would not see you drown."</i></b>

»» <u><b>SIRSHA WESTERLING</b></u>

<i><b>Love was pain. Love was hurt and betrayal. But it was also the reason she stood here, battling a creature of ancient and unrelenting hunger, instead of on a ship a few hundred miles away. Love was why for the first time since her family cast her out, Sirsha didn't feel alone.</i></b>

A Jaduna Tracker, who with the help of the four elements of earth- air, water, wind and earth can track the trails of various entities. Shunned by her society for an inhuman act of killing thousands of her own people, she is a wanderer who is not allowed to use her magic to track people who possess magic, The Karjad, although she can still track magicless creatures. One day she stumbles across Elias Venturias, who hires her to catch the killer of his son. They vow an oath and Sirsha must fulfill her duties at any cost, if she doesn't want her oath magic to drive her to insanity. Set on the path to kill this killer, she meets Quil and his gang and grows an attachment to them, and a deep love for Quil.

»» <u><b>AIZ BET-DAFRA</b></u>

Here we go. DEEP BREATHS. IN AND OUT IN AND OUT.

<b><i>"Aiz bet-Dafra, you are a daughter of the evening star. You are not meant to be caged. Despair is death. Crush it. Stoke your rage instead. Escape. Kill the pretender. Take our people home."</i></b>

THIS BITCH- Aiz, sorry I forgot her name is Aiz and not "this bitch". *deep breath* . Aiz is an orphan living in the Dafra slum of Kegar, the southern continent. Kegar is ruled by three triarchs- each one possessing a different power to smith. Clan Oona: bloodsmithing; Clan Ghaz: mindsmithing; Clan Hiwa: windsmithing.

Kegari's have long stopped producing their own food and thus the Sail pilots wing across the northern mountains to drop bombs on foreign villages. The waiting Kegari army would steal grain and goods to send home and survive the season.

Aiz is a windsmith but she's very weak at it. Therefore she grows bitter of her dearest friend, and a potential lover, Cero when his windsmithing abilities secures him a position as a rich and flourishing pilot of sails under the fleet commander: Tiral bet-Hiwa, son of the windsmith triarch, Hiwa. Tiral is a cruel upper class brat who loves flaunting his power and killing innocent lower class Snipes just for the fun of it. He, once, burned down Aiz's orphanage and only her and Cero could come out of it alive. Triarchs conscript the parents of these lower class slum residers, leaving them orphans at a young age.

There's a prophecy that follows- <i>"In our hour of greatest need, Mother Div will return in the body of Tel Ilessi, the Holy Vessel. And Tel Ilessi shall deliver us back to the homeland from whence we fed so long ago. Mother Div left Kegar to her three children."</i>

Therefore, Aiz wishes to kill Tiral and possibly overthrow the Triarchy, free Mother Div so that they can return to their homeland and free themselves from this tryanny and starvation.

<b>-spoiler begins-</b>

But she fails at killing Tiral and gets herself locked into the dark chambers of Kegar prison: The Tohr. There she, with the help of the book she stole from Tiral, connects her to the voice of Mother Div, who guides her out of the prison and towards Tribe Saif where she meets Laia. Aiz is now set on a trail to free Mother Div. While nomading with Tribe Saif and hunting the ninth sacred tale (she seeks Laia for answers as the book that connected her to Mother Div was written by Laia of Serra), Aiz meets Quil and they fall in love. Well, atleast Quil falls in love with her, Aiz was just taking advantage to gather information. Aiz also befriends Elias's and Laia's child- Ruh. After Elias knows her truth, she runs away along with Ruh and enters the forbidden ground of Owa Khel: the empty. There she frees an evil vicious creature, disguising as Mother Div and chains herself to it. Div feeds on young children and in return supplies Aiz with endless power. Its first victim unfortunately happens to be Ruh, who was present there at that time. In this way, Aiz trades her humanity for power.

The moment we get to know that Aiz's chapters were set on the past, it becomes pretty obvious that she is the killer. And after that, all that big revelation falls flat. It didn't take long after that for her chapters to annoy me. This woman is insufferable. Like okay wannabe Helene Aquilla, we get it! You kill innocent children to save your own ass, you bomb other's homes and slaughter other's children to save your own from starving - <b>AND STILL FAIL AT IT</b> - LIKE PLEASE! THIS SLUM RAT IS NOT EVEN WORTHY OF TOUCHING HELENE'S HAIR forget being her- tHe eMPrEsS wiLL unDeRStaNd mY sAcRiFicEs bcz sHe aLsO diD iT aT hEr tiME- STFU PLEASE AND THANKYOU.

<i>"It is one thing to take from among foreign populations, Div," Aiz said. “I mourn the innocent, but they are not my people. Their leaders have long known the Kegari are starving and done nothing to aid us. I do know our people. They have suffered enough."</i>

ZIP THAT VICTIM CARD AND DIE 🥰🥰

Aiz after rotting in jail, battered and tossed around like a rag doll, sneaking away, living at tribe saif's mercy like a beggar, betraying and killing her own people and the ones she loved, all for kegaris- AND STILL LIVING IN SLUM BAHAHAHAHA. and then this bitch wandered why Quil was not being understanding and rather hated her more.

<img src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/eq_ZkLOJH4UAAAAC/nicki-nicki-minaj.gif"/>

and not this bitch calling Quil naive, hopeful and weak THE IRONY YOUR HONOUR.

all in all, i'm sad that she didn't die. Sufiyan should have done a better job :-/

»» <u><b>QUIL x SIRSHA</b></u>

bro stole her pins because he likes how annoyed she looks when she can't find them. "it's sweet." he says😭

<b><i>"Sirsha." He caught her gaze and held her tight. "Your eyes look like you're saying goodbye. Come back. Be here with me."

<img src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/Z8nFcOUhEP0AAAAd/why-crying.gif"/>

Come what may, they would be reunited. He would love her if she let him, give over his body if she demanded it, be the home he knew she longed for. He would find her. He needed to find her.</i></b>

<img src="https://media1.tenor.com/m/YMBwmFnnATkAAAAd/byuntear-fainting.gif"/>

Tahir, for the love of god learn how to write happy endings :)

»» <u><b>QUIL x ILAR</b> a.k.a <b>AIZ</b></u>

we'll pretend this never existed GOODBYE.

»» <u><b>SUFIYAN x ARIELLA</b></u>

i'm starving for their crumbs Tahir WE BETTER GET LOADS OF THEM IN THE NEXT BOOK!! although i'm a taaad bit offended that Elias's son is not the main character but it's okay 🤗🤗

ALSO, WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?????? SIRSHA IS NOW CHAINED TO DIV!?!? DAFUCK 😃 ALSO HOW ARE AIZ AND CERO STILL ALIVE?😃 SUFIYAN YOU HAD ONE FUCKING JOB!! 💢

<b>-spoiler ends-</b>

In conclusion, this book couldn't exceed its predecessor's expectations.

<i>Huge thankyou to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Sabaa Tahir for the advance reader's edition. All opinions are my own!</i>