JUST *CHEF'S KISS* ALL AROUND. it took me a second to get into this one because unlike Ember, I very much preferred Quil and Sirsha's perspectives to Aiz's (which in hindsight for good reason). but Sabaa Tahir is a master of her craft. she expanded this world in a way that was compelling while staying true to the original series with new layers of politics, violence, and motivations. the plot twists TOOK ME OUT. I was rooting so hard for Quil and Sirsha and I am at the edge of my seat to see if they'll find their way back to each other. also Helene 5 ever!! I already can't wait for the sequel, let alone pub day.

Once again, @sabaatahir creates an incredible story and I can’t believe I was lucky enough to receive an ARC. Heir is full of intrigue, hope, deception, love, and vengeance. A spin-off duology based on her Ember in the Ashes series, which if you haven’t read Ember you don’t need to read it first, but you are absolutely missing out on an incredible journey; if you intend to read Ember I would start there because otherwise this book will give away some pretty big plot points.  An orphan. An outcast. A prince. Our story is based around these three people and a delightful number of side characters who I absolutely loved. Aiz- our orphan, living in the slums of Kegari, full of love for her people, and a burning need for vengeance against a man who harms them. Sirsha- our hunter, she is hired to track a murderer who is killing children throughout the Empire, and ends up crossing paths with a small group that complicates her mission in more ways than she anticipated. I loved how clever, cunning, and capable Sirsha is, she’s a total bad ass. Quil- the crown prince of the Empire, torn between his loyalty to his aunt & the Empire and his desire to abdicate and be who he wants to be, not what others expect of him. I found Quil to be charming and brooding, he feels a lot and constantly pushes his emotions down, along with a secret that he’s hiding from everyone around him; I think his story may have been my favorite. Sabaa pulled me in from the very first chapter, had me on the edge of my seat, and kept me enthralled with the story until the end. I was thoroughly invested in all three stories and the way she expertly wove them together, there were a few pretty big revelations that I definitely did not see coming and I can’t wait for the second installment in the duology. Heir had me completely immersed in the story, reading as fast as I can, anxious of what was going to come around the next corner, falling in love with these characters, excited to see some familiar ones pop up from the Ember series, and not wanting the story to end. Thank you so much for the ARC @penguinteen and @netgalley

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for accepting my request for an ACR of this book!
“Not all shadows are bad, seer. Without them, there can be no light.”
4.75/7
I hate assuming this but based on my last ARC I read I have very high hopes for this read, not even thinking about how this author wrote An Ember in the Ashes. One of the best things about starting this book was that right away, I was able to tell the main characters apart. As I got to the end of the book though I will admit I got two of the characters mixed up but that is just because the climax of the book was in fact, very hectic and lots of things happened at once. My other criticism about the book is that I could tell the book was the first in a duology, because there were obviously a lot more questions than answers, around 60% into the book. I will say though I loved Aiz and Quil. Each character was so distinct and had their own journey, not one really needed the other, so to say, for something to happen. Though, the characters eventually meeting was definitely a highlight in the book. The best way I can describe the character dynamics in this book is the crows from Six of Crows. Overall, the book was a fast paced adventure with lovable characters and a new journey that explores new stories and places in the Martial Empire.

I loved this book! At first, I was just happy to be back in the same world as An Ember in the Ashes and excited to learn what some of those characters had been up to. (PS read those books first if you’re planning to read them ever, this book spoils some big plot points) But pretty soon, I realized that this book was awesome on its own, not just as a spinoff story. The plot was so mysterious and interesting and it kept me hooked. The writing was fantastic and paced so well, and the characters were complicated and fascinating to read about. You absolutely need to read this if you liked An Ember in the Ashes!!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I literally am at such a loss for words right now because of how good this book was. Tahir did not hold back and I dropped my Kindle a few times while reading. I loved the An Ember in the Ashes series, and Tahir did an incredible job taking an already lush world and expanding upon it. I truly felt so transported while reading this story. We visited so many new locations and had so much lore expanded upon. The new characters and background information was woven into the world I already love so well. The character work was impeccable. New characters and old, alike. The pacing had me on the edge of my seat. I read 70% of this book in a day and a half. While this could be read as a standalone, I recommend reading An Ember in the Ashes quartet first. There is so much backstory there that will help readers understand the world of Heir. I literally could go on and on and on but it’s 11:35 pm and I have like six work meetings tomorrow and I need to sleep. This is Tahir’s best work. Hands down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so unbelievably good!!! I’m still in awe of everything that happened. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books so it’s hard for me to be surprised by things, but this book was full of surprises! My jaw literally dropped on at least two occasions! The revelations that occurred truly shocked me. I love being so invested in a story and having no idea what’s going to happen, and this book gave that to me. It had everything you could possibly want in a fantasy novel. There was magic, amazing world building, romance, betrayal, an ambitious pursuit for vengeance, and family both lost and found. It was a beautifully written fast paced adventure.

The book is mainly told through the points of view of an orphan, an outcast, and a prince. It follows these characters as they each pursue their own ambitions. Led by their own motivations, they must grapple with their haunted pasts as they set off on their own paths to chase their dreams and need for vengeance; experiencing love and loss along the way and facing the killer that connects them all.

I usually find it difficult to read multiple points of view because I always feel like one character is stronger or has a better storyline than the others. I can oftentimes become disengaged in the story and things can become confusing, but that was not at all the case in this book! Sabaa has masterfully written their views in such a seamless way that I never felt taken out of the story, there was no disconnect, and I fell in love with each of these characters in their first chapters. They were each so unique, so incredibly strong, and so driven in their own regard that they each really held their own throughout the entirety of the story.

I’m always so enthralled by books were the character’s emotions really drive the storyline and I felt that happening while reading this book. I felt the depth of the sorrow, pain, hurt, love, hate, and drive for vengeance in these character’s souls. It was fascinating to see how each of their motivations influenced the decisions they made. The way each of these characters storylines progressed was very well done. I’m already eagerly awaiting the sequel. I’m so excited to learn more about these characters backstories and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next book after that ending!

This is the first book of Sabaa Tahir’s that I’ve read, but it most definitely won’t be the last. I didn’t realize until after I’d finished this book that it took place in the same world as Sabaa’s An Ember in the Ashes series, so I can say with certainty that this book stands well all on its own. I loved this book so much though that I will for sure be going to read her other series now!

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

Sabaa Tahir never disappoints. When I saw this title available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. I didn’t even take a minute to read the description. Why? Because a Tahir book is an automatic read for me and always will be.

Lush settings, complex characters full of emotion and drive, exquisite writing, and plot lines that weave together seamlessly; these are the things I know I can always look forward to. Heir was no different. Back into the world of Elias, Laia, and Helene, but twenty-some years later, and following a new crew of tormented heroes who must defeat ancient magic.

A delight from start to finish, and now I anxiously await the next book in the series. Sabaa Tahir remains a story-telling master. A thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to take an early peek at this book.

ok wow this book was so much information and storyline and I was HOOKED.

the way you got to know the story as you went and everything just built up to a big plot line reveal… it was perfect! it was definitely a book that required focus, but I just loved the characters and the way you really got to know the villain so you could understand more behind the ‘why’.

love Quil, love Sircha, and can’t wait to read more from this author!

Heir is part one of a multi POV duology with a unique take on an elemental magic system and beyond. The characters are amazing. The tracker is hilarious, the orphan is heartbreaking, and the Prince is swoony. This is set in the same world as Ember in the Ashes and you get to see many of the surviving characters and it’s just incredible. And the writing OMG!!!! I can’t believe I have to wait for the second one. Pretty please send me an ARC for that one too because I AM OBSESSED!!! This is easily one of my all time favorite books.
∞⭐️ 2🫑

3.75/5 stars

What an incredible book. This book was everything a complex fantasy should be. It was such an awesome read start to finish.

This book takes place 20 after the an ember in ashes series, which is something I was not aware of going in. But I loved the series so it was a pleasant surprise. I went into this completely blind and it was so worth it because I had no clue where anything was going, which added to my experience.

The three main characters this book follows are all so interesting and I was so invested in their individual plots as well as how they affected each other. I loved watching their relationships grow and change.

This book has everything one could want in a fantasy, It has strong and unique female characters, complex relationships, and found family. This book eloquently handles grief and what it does to a person. I love the morally grey areas of this book.

Unfortunately this book fell apart for me a little bit in pacing and it was pretty predictable. But these flaws did not entirely subtract from the novel as a whole and did not take away from the story.

Overall great read and I cannot wait for the sequel!

I feel terrible having to give this book one star because I had such high expectations for this.

Sure it was packed with adventure, but I seldom ever knew what was going on. Things happened too quickly.

I did not know this was an extension of the authors other series, and since I haven’t read those I was so lost in the terminology. I wish the synopsis stated that this is 20 years later and should be read after the series. I know some people said you don’t have to read the other series, but the author uses so many terms she doesn’t state the meaning of (because clearly readers should know these from before) that I was constantly confused.

Maybe someday I will read her other series and reread this one, but for now I am disappointed.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

I had jittery nerves starting Heir by Sabaa Tahir. It's so tricky to dive back into a world after the story has wrapped up, and not every author does it well. I am happy to report, Tahir once again slammed it out of the ballpark! We pick up 20 years after the events of the Ember in the Ashes quartet, following the various descendants of the main characters we got to know and love. I don't want to say much more on the plot as it will spoil the first series. But it was done so well and I was thrilled to see them appear here and learned what happened in their lives. Like visiting old friends.

The pacing was a bit slow to start and I was confused about where the story was heading with the three different POVs we get. How will they intersect? But it quickly picks up and the way it starts to come together is brilliant. After the 40% mark, I had to finish it in one read. Ends on a cliffhanger as to my favorite character's final fate so I will impatiently await the second in the duology but it will be a long, slow suffer! I can't believe it will only be two, I have so many questions.

4.5 stars, rounding up to 5

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

If you have ever read “Ember in the Ashes” you likely will LOVE this book. It is set into the same universe. Fans of her original series will have the opportunity to experience the setting they know through new perspectives, with surprise appearances from beloved characters.

I didn't hundred percent know what to except and wasn't too disappointed. I have not read a high fantasy since high school probably. It was not hundred my cup of tea but it was an enjoyable read.

An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Heir follows the lives of a vengeance seeking orphan, a hopeful outcast, and an exiled prince as they seek out power and love in a world of danger.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication October 1, 2024

For the record I literally screamed when I got the email that I was approved for an arc of Heir! Are you kidding me? Talk about excited!

Overall I’m giving this 4.25 ⭐️ I don’t normally give 1/4 stars but this is certainly better than only 4, but it didn’t quite hit that 4.5 ⭐️ mark for me.

Heir takes place twenty years after the final book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, and follows Quill, Liz, and Sirsha. While some say reading the An Ember in the Ashes series is not required, I’d have to disagree. Yes, technically you’ll be able to follow the story without it but you’ll miss out on a ton of background information and connections to characters from the original quartet. It’s been about a year since I finished the original series (so not that fresh in my mind) and I think that contributed to some of the disconnection I felt with the story.

Heir started a little slow for me, it wasn’t until about the 30% mark that it really picked up to that “can’t stop reading” pace that Sabaa Tahir does so well. I think we could have done without some of the POVs in the beginning but overall I had a really great time with this one and cannot wait for the second installment!

Expect…
- adventure
- politic machinations
- laugh out loud banter
- a swoon worthy romance
- twists and intrigue to keep you guessing

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

That distant screaming you hear is me eternally grateful to Tor and Penguin for granting me an ARC, and yet howling that the sequel is even further out. The gasp I gusped when I read the final chapter!

Y'all, this was INCREDIBLE. From the get go, Tahir wraps you up in this world. Told in alternating chapters with Aiz, an orphan wanting freedom for herself and her people; Quil, the crown prince; and Sirsha, a tracker who may have more up her sleeve than she shows, all of these characters are so lifelike and lovable, but so understandable at the same time. While you may be looking at a few of their choices and going, "My FRIEND!" you also understand. Tahir makes sure you get their desperation, their devotion to their families and their people, the wanting of a better life.

It's hard to talk too much about this series without saying more because the characters intersect in ways you can't predict and when one twist is revealed, you're left going, "hold on a minute, Tahir!" I loved it, I read it at work and got to that part and went, "holy crap!"

Set 20 years post the Ember in the Ashes series, this book does not contain any spoilers for that saga, but I would recommend it to enrich your reading and understanding of this world, not that Tahir throws you in the deep end. We do see a few of the EitA characters, and it's so cool to have followed their journeys from that series to here, but I will let you encounter them.

I cannot recommend this book enough, it might be my top read of 2024 and it doesn't even come out until October!

So apparently, I'm allergic to realizing when series are spinoff series, and I might have gone into this one unprepared again.

Heir returns readers to the world of An Ember in the Ashes through three main, intertwined POVs. It's been probably 4 or 5 years since I read the original series, so I'll be honest and say that I probably missed a LOT of easter eggs and familiar characters, but I think this book was enjoyable on its own, too.
The story follows three "different" plot lines and characters. Aiz wants to free a "goddess" of sorts; Quil must defend his empire from a new threat without becoming the monster that was his father; and Sirsha is on the hunt for an assassin who murders children by ripping out their hearts. I really enjoyed the plot twists because they were delivered so nonchalantly (meanwhile, my annotations are in all caps), and while I did call a lot of them, I was super excited to see my theories confirmed. I also loved how the 3 narratives tied together by then, and I can't say too much without spoilers, but there's a plot line that gave major Immortal Longings vibes, and I was so excited for it.
Of the POV characters, I think Sirsha was my least favorite. Her backstory was intriguing, and I still liked her a lot, but I didn't connect with her. I thought Aiz was super interesting, and her character arc was incredibly well done. Quil's POV was my favorite, mostly because Sufiyan was my favorite character overall, and I wanted every chance to see him that I could. I also really liked Arelia and Cero as side characters. My only issue character-wise was that I didn't love the romance. I think it's just a me thing because Sirsha and Quil match a lot of popular tropes; it just felt a bit insta-lovey and yet still lacked a little chemistry?
Heir is the first novel in Sabaa Tahir's new fantasy duology and it promises beautiful writing and exciting plot twists to create a wonderfully woven story.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.25/5

screaming crying throwing up 😭😭😭

thank you thank you thank you to penguin teen for the advanced ecopy <3

SABAA DOES IT AGAIN SABAA WHY DO YOU TORMENT US TO FEEL ALL THE EMOTIONS

I literally just finished this book and I don't even know what to do with myself. I'm a huge fan of anything Sabaa writes -- I mean Christ, Sabaa could write something on a napkin and I'd cherish it. Heir only reinforces how much I think she absolutely kills it when it comes to YA Fantasy.

The story, the characters, the world-building, the romance, UGH -- *chef's kiss*. I really did try and pace myself with this book because I knew it would end on a cliffhanger, but I ended up flying through this. I love when authors are able to nail down the moments where they know the reader will sit there and just be like OH (with your brain connecting everything and just exploding). And wow, there are so many of these moments.

The characters are excellent and every time the POV switched I was just like no!! but immediately sucked in to the next POV. I will always be a sucker for strong, badass women MCs who will nEvEr FaLl iN lOve, which Sirsha perfectly emulates. The way the three MCs stories tie together is just flawless.

I did not read the synopsis before the book and I kind of wish I had 😭 I don't think its a spoiler but just in case || I had NO IDEA this was connected to Ember in Ashes until the very end. That's on me for sure, I haven't read those books in years and thought this was a completely unconnected duology (even though I should have recognized the character names, meep morp). Hype because it means I am now going to immediately reread them, but very sad because I absolutely would have reread them before reading Heir had I known!! ||

Anyways, off to preorder this book <3

I enjoyed this read! I loved the characters, the twists, and overall world building. I need to read Ember in the Ashes for sure now! Thank you penguin teen for the arc.

I have not read Sabaa Tahir's earlier books, a thing which is relevant because it has allowed me to read and review this as a new reader, not as an extant lover of the series. It allows me, bluntly, to answer the question: does this book stand on its own?

Answer: yes.

Even without knowledge of the previous series, this book is immediately engaging, fast-paced, and compulsively readable. Sabaa Tahir is a master of the hook, the cliffhanger chapter end, the plot that drags you relentlessly, inescapably along.

In the first part of the book, some of the point of views were more interesting to me than others, which is an issue all multi-POV books are going to have. DIfferent POVs will simply appeal to different readers more strongly. However, by the time the plot lines converged I enjoyed all POV equally. No one is going to mistake the prose here for literary fiction, but this is transparent prose in the tradition of Brandon Sanderson, sure to delight the author's current fans while also bringing new readers to her fold. I recommend for fans of Fourth Wing in particular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc! This is my introduction to Sabaa Tahir’s writing, and after hearing nothing but praise I do feel a bit disappointed that this wasn’t a 5 star read. That being said, I did have a good experience reading this. Let’s break this into pros and cons.

Pros:

The characters. They’re absolutely lovely, and I found myself rooting for nearly all of them. Tahir was able to make me feel the intended emotions towards them when I needed to. There are many of them I love, but Sirsha and Quil are my two favorites, my darling children. I would fight for them so hard. I hope they get their happy ending so fucking bad, actually.

Building on top of that, character arcs. There is a little corruption reveal/arc in here. I love that shit. It’s also so cute to also watch these characters fall in love and learn to be vulnerable. I was giggling little a schoolgirl.

The world building was intriguing. The Jaduna, the tribes and martials, the different lands and landscapes, the masks, magic that comes from death itself, and the different types of rare magics. It’s all very yummy, and I would love to see it expanded further in the sequel. I want to learn more about the different types of magic and the different types of people, like the Jaduna, Fakira, and the Daruni. My hungry ass also loved all the food descriptions, while my artistic ass loved all of the different cultural and landscape descriptions.

I enjoyed the majority of the plot. I was engaged, and once again, Tahir made me feel something when I needed to. The plot constantly kept light of its feet as well, and mostly does not fall into the same cliches, formulas, and pitfalls that occur is many YA series. It’s honestly refreshing, as I’m used to them all being the same. Lastly, I have so many goddamn questions that I want answered in the sequel -a true testament to my engagement. God knows how long I’ll have to wait to get much needed answers.


The cons:

A common cliche in many YA series, but too many coincidences. Just because some things can happen, doesn’t mean they should. There are some characters that by all purposes should be dead, and they’re just not? Bro

People rave about Tahir taking risks and crushing hearts, but I didn’t really feel any of that emotion here. I typically don’t emote when reading books, and I thought this book would move me, but it didn’t. I didn’t cry, scream, hyperventilate. Also, I genuinely believe Tahir could have taking more risks. Everyone is safe here. That being said, my favorites are fine (ish) and I don’t want anything happening to them specifically lmao. I need a happy ending for Sirsha and Quil; I love them too much.

I have some issues with the ending that I won’t discuss in this review for obvious reasons

Following that, with the way the book ended, I am scared that the sequel will contain a central plot line too similar to one of the central plot lines this first book. With the hope that people have in Tahir, and the fact that Tahir is a genuinely good writer, I hope that won’t be the case.


Overall, this was a very good read. I’ll be picking up the sequel when it comes out, reviews pending, unless I get an arc for that too (heehee) -I sure hope so! Honestly, as I settle with my ambivalent feelings on the ending and the ending itself, my rating may change; for now it’s a solid 4 stars.