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Writer's pictureMaggie Christopher

Book Review: Heir by Sabaa Tahir

An orphan. An outcast. A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.


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 loathe 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.


Guys, readers, friends, I am still screaming that I was able to read this book early. I absolutely adore the Ember in the Ashes series, and this book continues it years later. We see the return of some of our old favorites and meet new favorites. You start to see the connections between the past and the now, and it is just so good. I have always been a fan of Sabaa Tahir's writing, and this book is no different.


The world gets to expand, as we have characters from other parts of the world coming together to find a killer as the empire is under attack. We get to meet and understand the children of some of our favorite characters from the original series, and see how their adventures match those of their parents. Plus, we have a romance plot line that involves being 'fake engaged' except there is magic involved, and magic always makes things just a little more complicated.


The overall plot was really intriguing, with finding the connections between a killer and the people attacking the empire. As Quil and Sirsha have to figure out how their goals might be the same. I also really enjoyed Aiz's plotline, but don't want to spoil too much about it!


For those wondering, you could read Heir without reading the Ember in the Ashes series, but I would recommend reading it because it is one of my favorite young adult fantasy series. You will be able to understand Heir if you don't, but will probably miss that giddy feeling of knowing some of the background characters and remembering who they are. There were definitely moments where I was whispering to myself 'wait...thats Elias, that has to be Elias' and I have no regrets.


As a heads up to those who care, Heir is the start of duology, so you will be waiting for a second book.


I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Heir comes out Oct 1, 2024! Go get it! Read it, kick your feet with me!





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