I am forever blown away by Sabaa Tahir. I love the way she can break your heart and put it back together and the intricate storytelling that will leave you reeling. I just adored this book and the tie ins to AEITA. Just, bravo all around.

You can see all my reviews here: <a href="https://booksarethenewblackblog.wordpress.com">Books Are The New Black</a>

Sabaa Tahir is one of my favorite authors! I have difficulty reading YA fantasy books, but never Tahir’s. Heir was just as amazing as her previous series, An Ember in the Ashes.

The characters that Tahir creates are always so full of depth. Many stood out to me in this book, but Aiz is one that I hurt for. Her entire story is just heartbreaking. She’s dead set on revenge, and it’s always a road that makes me nervous. I did understand where she was coming from. There are always so many grey characters in Tahir’s books, which makes them much more powerful. Sirsha was a character that I loved right away! She added some laughter when it was needed. At the same time, her character had so much more under the surface. Not only was she an amazing tracker, but she also had a tragic past. Once she joins Quil and his gang, we see more of her. Quil was a character that I loved the instant I found out who he was. I adored the connections to AEITA! It’s one of my favorite YA series, and it was awesome seeing some of my favorite characters twenty years later.

The plot and world-building were so interesting, and I loved the connections to the past. Tahir’s writing is so fluid and intriguing that you cannot help but devour her words. It was a quick read because I had to know what would happen next. One of the things I know about Tahir is that she will GO THERE. She can be brutal with your emotions and some of your favorite characters. This book was no exception, and there were some crushing moments!
Overall, this book lived up to my expectations! I loved seeing some of our past characters and all the new world-building created. The ending has me wanting the next book as soon as possible!!

Thank you to Penguin Teen/G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for an e-arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow, Heir was such a fantastic read! I’ve had limited time to read lately, so I really savored every moment of it. It felt like a treat to return to the world of An Ember in the Ashes, and Sabaa Tahir did not disappoint. Set twenty years after AEITA, this story introduces a new generation of characters—Helene’s nephew, and Laia and Elias’ son—while continuing the same brutal, high-stakes world. While you don’t need to have read AEITA to enjoy Heir, it definitely enriches the experience, and there are some spoilers, so I’d recommend reading the first book first.

Tahir’s talent for weaving emotional depth with gripping action shines through here. The plot starts slow as it builds the world and introduces new characters, but once it picks up, it’s a wild ride. The story is full of twists, featuring a power-hungry deity, a troubled outcast, and a fierce found family. I loved how Tahir expanded on the lore from the first book, giving readers a deeper understanding of the cultures and beliefs that shape this world. As for the characters, I quickly became attached. Quil is a standout MMC, possibly rivaling Elias as my book boyfriend—he’s a perfect mix of dangerous and sweet. Sirsha is a total badass FMC, full of wit and strength, while Aiz is a complicated, sometimes brutal character who keeps you guessing. I really enjoyed seeing how all these different personalities clashed and meshed in this intense, emotional tale. The multiple POVs kept things fast-paced and dynamic, and that cliffhanger ending has me eagerly anticipating the next book! This was definitely a top read for the year.

While Heir is not a sequel or continuation of the Ember series, it was still nice to be back in that world. I loved seeing how things have changed since the end of Sky, and it was especially cool to see a few familiar faces. Tahir is the queen of heartbreak, though, and I’m not sure I can forgive her for the ending. Anxiously awaiting a sequel (and hoping it doesn’t take 5 years…)

I have not read "Ember in the Ashes" and was concerned that might impact my enjoyment of "Heir" but I can happily say it definitely did not. I really liked this book. Tahir does an excellent job of building her universe, and I enjoyed the multiple POV. About halfway through the book, the timeline becomes clear, and some things that didn't seem to make sense, do. The book does get long at the end - I kept thinking it was ending and then there would be another chapter. But that is not enough to make me not want to read book 2, and maybe check out Tahir's back catalog.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

When I saw another book from Sabaa Tahir I HAD to have it. And it's in the Ember in the Ashes universe?? My expectations were high, and they we exceeded. I loved diving back into this world, seeing what's new and what stayed the same. Once I started it, I could put this down with all the twists, turns, and perspectives seeing things in different lights. Sabaa Tahir's writing just draws you in and doesn't let go in the best way possible. I'm already excited for the next one to see where this new generation takes us!

I’m going to be in the minority here and maybe that has a lot to do with the fact that I did not realize this was part of a series.
This is a complex world and I had a hard time putting it all together and following the characters. Needless to say, I ending up DBF’ing it halfway through. This is not something I normally do.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this early release in return for my honest opinion.

Pub date: 01 October 2024

It’s been a while since I’ve been in the Ember of the Ashes world. But reading this story reminded me just how much I loved this series! And now here we are back again. 20 years have passed since that series ended. But we see plenty of familiar faces and new faces as they embark on a whole new journey and problem arising. We have three point of view characters in this book. Quil, who you will remember from the previous series was just a baby. Well he is grown up and the heir to the Empire and the nephew of Empress Helene. But taking the throne isn’t exactly what he wants. Too bad he doesn’t have a say, and when his home is attacked, he will come to realize that defending his people is where he wants to be. Then we have Sirsha. A tracker with magic who finds herself hired to find a monster on the loose. A terrible monster who has been killing children throughout the lands. But she’ll realize that there a lot more to this monster than she first believed. And then there is Aiz who wants to help her people after all the terrible things they have been through and are currently going through. But she’ll find herself going down a dark path where sacrifices will have to be made. I’ll admit, it took me a hot minute to get back into this world and the story. But once you start getting to know these characters (for me, I loved Quil and Sirsha), then you’ll want to find out what happens to them. Especially when we get some crazy twists and turns. There hit a point in the story where I just couldn’t put it down! And after that ending? Well, I’ll need the sequel asap! If you loved the previous series, you are definitely going to like this one!

I have to admit it took the first third of the book before I became truly interested in it. The last two-thirds I loved and I loved Sirsha the most but did really like Quil too. I was not expecting some of the things that happened, but I am so excited for the next book.

Sabaa Tahir is back at it again and she did not hold back. I absolutely loved this book and I think it might be my favorite book of the year. It was very good to return to this world and even revisit some old characters while also falling in love with the new ones. Highly recommended!!!

Okay, this was a ride. Sabaa did what she does best—dragged me through every emotion possible and left me questioning my life choices by the end. The story? Amazing. The characters? Let’s talk.

Sirscha? I’m obsessed. Her entire arc had me glued to the page. Every moment with her was gold, and honestly, I would read an entire spin-off about her because she’s THAT good.

Ruh? My heart can’t take it. Every time he showed up, I just wanted to scream, “Why is life so unfair?!”

And then there’s Aiz. Where do I even start? Her level of stupidity was unmatched. She was SO weak-minded and delusional. Every time she popped up, I wanted to slap some sense into her.

And that ending? I. AM. LIVID.

I wasn’t able to review this book before it’s publish date but now that I have read it I am giving it 5 stars.

As always, Sabaa crafts an incredible world and masterful characters. She is incredibly talented and will continue to be an autobuy author for me.

The main reason I gave this 4 stars was regarding violence. The violence is both graphic, personal, and includes child being killed in front of the reader/MCs. I could not really stomach this level of violence, especially include children, and wished their had been a content warning at the beginning.

As a Huge fan of the Ember in the Ashes series, I had high expectations!

Sabaa has exceeded all my expectations! This book is amazing!

Love the new characters and storyline. Obsessed and happy to see some of the OG characters mentioned.

As always Sabaa had me feeling ALL the emotions while reading her book. I can’t wait to read the next book!

(Thanks to the publisher Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an advanced galley of this read.) The first 30% was a snooze-fest for me (sorry!) and I could barely keep the characters, cities, and world-building straight. Then FINALLY the POVs started to mesh and I was totally sucked in. It took me over a month to get thru the first third and then only 2 days to get through the remaining 70%. I’m afraid that if there’s a sequel, I won’t remember the characters, tribes, and lands. But I probably would still try to pick it up - I think that tells me I really did enjoy it!

This book will be great for readers who enjoy world building and fantasy heavy reads! There's some romance, but it is not the major focus. Perfect for young adults and older teenagers.

I’m really mad with myself for delaying this for so long, but I think if I had tried to push myself to read it, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. This was my first time reading a book by Sabaa Tahir, and it was such a fantastic experience. I really wish I had read the AEITA series already, but I’ll definitely get to it eventually. Since this story builds on the original series, there are spoilers from the previous books, so I’d recommend starting with the AEITA series first.

At first, it took me a little while to really dive into the story, but once I got into it, I was completely hooked. The narrative revolves around 3 key characters: Sirsha, Quil and Aiz, each with compelling motivations that drive their actions. Sirsha, a skilled tracker, is on a mission to hunt down a killer targeting children across the empire, and she's definitely my favorite along with Quil.

Quil, the crown prince, is struggling to find his place and cope with the weight of his responsibilities, especially with his aunt looming over him. I was really into the romantic tension between him and Sirsha; their connection felt so real, and I loved the dynamic of their relationship. Meanwhile, Aiz is fueled by a quest for revenge due to her people's suffering over the years, and she’s tied to a dark force that is much more formidable than she realizes.

This was a great beginning to the duology, and I’m definitely going to read the sequel for sure!

I love Sabaa Tahir's writing. She has a way with words that really draws you into the world. I loved An Ember in the Ashes series and I was so excited to revisit this world. It did not disappoint! I really enjoyed all the little connections between this book and the original series. Can't wait for book 2.

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

Sabaa kills me with her stories every time!!! I love her writing so much and I'm so glad we got to go back to one of my favorite worlds!!!

First of all Sabaa, how dare you..

incredible addition to the world of an ember in the ashes and i am convinced that sabaa lives off of the pain of her readers :)