Heir by Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Pub Date: 10/1/2024

Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free advanced copy and PR box for Heir.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heir by Sabaa Tahir, the first book in the Heir series, follows the intertwined lives of Aiz, an orphan driven by vengeance and love for her people, Sirsha, a banished tracker hunting a child killer, and Quil, the reluctant crown prince grappling with his tragic lineage. Their paths converge as they face the burdens of power, love, and the consequences of greed. This dark and captivating journey explores the costs of their choices on their lives and hearts.

Heir has been one of my most anticipated reads this year! I was excited to learn that it takes place 20 years after the Ember series, keeping it in the same universe. Although some say you can read this duology as a standalone, I disagree. The references and backstory are linked to Ember, and without that context, it might not make sense.

Heir is told from multiple perspectives and is extremely fast-paced. My favorite perspectives were Sirsha and Quil. The character development and building tension kept me flying through the pages. It was refreshing to see some of the Ember characters as supporting roles and interesting to observe how they fit into this new narrative. I took my time with this book, savoring all the details that Sabaa Tahir sprinkles throughout the story. There were a few twists I anticipated, but not in the way I expected. There are some graphic scenes that made me pause and put the book down for a bit. The only perspective I didn’t enjoy as much was Aiz’s. Her character and actions felt too predictable, but I understood her perspective was necessary to grasp the full depth of the story. The book ends with a cliffhanger, leaving me eagerly awaiting the second book! Overall, I would rate this 4.5 stars and rounded up to 5 stars on Goodreads. If you enjoy high fantasy and loved the Ember series, I highly recommend picking this one up.