This was incredible. Before you go any further, if you haven’t read Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series, stop and go do that first. This might be readable as a standalone but having the knowledge and experience with some of the characters beforehand really helps the emotional impact of this spinoff. Plus it’s an amazing series in its own right.

Now, for Heir. I don’t know how Sabaa does it but she is an absolute master at weaving intricate stories with complicated and interesting characters. The first 20-25% is a lot of world-building and information but I promise you it is worth it. Once you hit about 30% things really start to come together and you’ll not want to put it down.

The reveals in this book AND the methods by which they are done were so good. My jaw was dropped, my hands were on my head, I was absolutely freaking out. It was the most fun I’ve had reading a book in a long time. The character development was equally well done and I loved getting to explore more places in this world. The way Sabaa writes about oppression, desperation, and power are incredibly eye-opening and symbolic of our own world. I am in awe.

If you’re reading for romance, don’t worry, there are some absolutely swoon-worthy romantic moments and potential relationships to obsess over. Don’t even get me started on the cameos from OG ember trio, I love them so much.

In short, I loved everything about it and will be very eagerly awaiting the final book in this duology. Thank you Penguin Group and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

I was super excited to see Sabaa Tahir was releasing a new book and to find out it was set in the Ember in the Ashes universe. It’s safe to say that book did not disappoint me. It brings you back into the original world that I enjoyed so many years ago but expands on it and offers new places and people to learn about. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than the original series. I think the stories of the characters were woven together fairly well, the plot was interesting, and it was nice to see how things have changed for the old characters. I’m excited to see what happens in the final book.

Wow I immensely enjoyed this book! I had no idea it was set in the same world as An Ember in the Ashes (which is still one of my favorite fantasy series of all times) post the war.

We have 3 POVs in the beginning. Without spoiling anything, I will say one of the POVs is the nephew of a beloved character from AEITA. We also see other characters from AEITA, main and side characters.

2 of the POVs are set in the same kingdom, but the other is set in a dark world with starving children and oppressed lowborn people. I felt so bad for the Kegari.

I love how interconnected everything becomes.

A lot happens and there are a couple plot twists.. I predicted the first but the chaos storyteller?! I DID NOT predict who that was lol.

I love the side characters and there are different POVs besides the main 3 that pol up.

The romance was really cute and I’m glad it was who I shipped. There’s also the possibility of another romance and I really really ship that one and my fingers are crossed!

The Villians in this book were fun. We actually get to see how a good person ends up becoming a villian. I found that fascinating and sad.

There is a crazy cliff hanger at the very end and I cannot wait to read the final book and see how this ends!

Yall might be asking yourself: “Do I need to read the An Embers in the Ashes series to read this?”

My answer is no you don’t have to, but in order to really understand the world better and understand relationships ships, I def suggest it. You won’t be disappointed!

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.