About This Book:
Prepare for a ruthless and romantic new fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Sabaa Tahir that introduces a new generation of characters set in the same world as the unforgettable An Ember in the Ashes series.
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 hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.
Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she’s willing to give up.
QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, 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.
Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.
*Review Contributed by Olivia Farr, Staff Reviewer*
HEIR is a riveting and intricately woven YA fantasy, and I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment. The story primarily follows Aiz, a young girl who grew up suffering in a small country, Quil, Helene’s nephew who is the heir to the throne, and Sirsha, a magical tracker who agrees to do an unexpectedly large job. Their stories are woven throughout the book to tell of their collisions, devastations, and changes wrought as something ancient is set free and war befalls the empire.
What I loved: WOW. This was quite the read with a perfectly timed pace that brought the story together and made the many points-of-view easy to follow. The beginning of the story follows many threads as the characters are each living their separate lives. As the book continues, the reader begins to understand how they fit together and where their paths intertwine. There are many surprises and reveals along the way – and I loved that Tahir leads the reader to them but allows them to discover them on their own. There is a lot of power in the narrative and the way the story unfolds.
In terms of the characters, they were each really compelling. The reader really gets into each of their heads and understands their motives, even when they seem terrible. They felt like whole and entire people that came to life during the course of the story. Some are objectively making the wrong decisions, but their paths are so laid out that it seems how could they do anything but what they have done. They are perfectly imperfect. In addition to the main three, there are many other new secondary characters that were easy to become attached to – and the main three from the AN EMBER IN THE ASHES series all make appearances so that the reader understands what has followed – and the major roles they still play in their empire.
The themes were evocative and thought-provoking including about resources/what makes wealth, socioeconomic disparities, sacrifice and the value of such, honesty and betrayal, friendship and love – especially the strength and power of love, stories and their importance, making mistakes/ what makes a villain, and grief. This was quite an emotional read, and it is hard to step away from the lush and atmospheric world that was created. The end certainly leaves the reader eager for the next installment – this will be a tough wait!
As a heads up, this does contain some difficult content around death/loss (particularly child death)
and torture as well as some sexual content that would make it work best for older YA readers.
Final verdict: HEIR is a riveting and unforgettably lush YA fantasy that is truly written by a master storyteller. The next story cannot come soon enough!
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*
