“Tell me a dream, little love.”

This was my first Sabaa Tahir book and it did not disappoint.

The worldbuilding was intricate and excellently done, I loved the interspersing of Hindu/Urdu words and culture The characters are well developed and you are drawn into their lives and emotions, easily. The dual POV's were well done whilst I was confused by the dual timelines which make sense as you read further into the book. The stakes are high and whilst some of the plot points are easier to guess at, you understand the choices that the characters make even if at the same time, you are shouting at them not to do it. Obviously, an indication of excellent writing.

I did not read "An Ember in The Ashes" series and although this did not lessen my enjoyment of this story, I believe that if I had read the series first, it would have added an extra depth to this reading.

Pick this up if you are a fan of excellent worldbuilding, and hints of political intrigue.

I actually didn't realise this was technically a sequel to AEITA (20 years after the events of the series) I haven't finished the main series yet (I really liked the first two books!) but something about this just felt uninspiring to read. I had to restart this book a few times before throwing in the towel and admitting this book just wasn't for me at all.

Very good book. Well developed characters, coming alive as if Sabaa lived among them, not too cruel, unlike the first series, the magic of the place created by the author, is believable, and overall interesting reading. The only thing I would ask for the next book of the new series is that it would be as meaningful and packed with events, as the first one, unlike the first series where only the first book was thrilling, but the rest were not of the same quality

disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

content warnings: violence, gore, murder, sexual assault

I love complex heroes & villains. I love discussions of magic & power & corruption. Heir follows 3 main characters - Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha & each story is delicately interwoven together. I always find novels with a divine being & religious fanaticism really interesting & when done well it can put a good fantasy novel in the realm of a great fantasy novel in my eyes. The characters had the complexity & development I yearn for in a good fantasy novel - the romance was great - not quite as slow burn as I like but I enjoyed its intensity. Heir is a perfect example of a magic system done well. The only reason this isn't getting 5 stars from me & this is a just a personal gripe is that this was marketed as being able to be read as a standalone, HOWEVER, I do highly recommend reading her previous series beforehand because there were times where I could feel that someone & something & some event or place was significant but I just didn't know why - again, that's a personal issue & my own fault for not having read her previous series.

Anyway, a top teir fantasy - highly recommend.

I'm already a big fan of Tahir and Heir did not disappoint!
The writing, world building, characterization and dark emotional sucker punches were all there. The evil plot twist was brutal. So happy to be back in the EOTA world and see some old favourite characters. More please!
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

As a fan of Sabaa Tahir this book was everything that I needed. To go back to the world and meet Elias again. But this story is more focus on the new gen and I’m not mad about it

A solid follow-up to the Ember in the Ashes series, though it falls victim to some of the same pitfalls while not quite living up to the highs of its predecessor. This is a next-gen story, following the children of the main characters of Ember; it was lovely to read about some old faves again, despite the unhappy circumstances necessary for the book to have, you know, a plot. I liked most of the new characters, though I don't think I enjoyed the romance as much, and as with Ember the villain is somewhat lacking in nuance. I won't call it unrealistic, though, because the real world contains people just as evil or worse.

I look forward to reading the next book!

I am amazed that Tahir has managed to create an incredible sequel to a beloved series without relying on the main characters from the first installment. The new characters are impressive and memorable in their own right. I can't wait for the sequel to see what Tahir has in store for us with this series.

4 stars

I love Tahir's writing style and I'm so happy I could dive into a new series of hers! I think this book was great, even though it felt a bit like a prequel to the story, so I cannot wait for the next one!

4.5 stars rounded up.

I loved Heir far beyond my expectations. Sabaa Tahir delivers an absolute masterclass in how to use different points of view in a story. I enjoyed all of them, and the careful unveiling of the layers of the story. It is always a good sign when I need to tell someone else about a book when I am only partway through. However, it’s not just a clever plot - these characters have depth and emotion and understandable motivations.

I don’t think it is entirely clear from the description, but maybe it is just me - I had not realised this was set in the same world as Ember in the Ashes. I think you would be absolutely fine to read this without reading the previous series, but it was perhaps a little frustrating for those, like me, who had only read half. Still it has inspired me to go back and finish it.

I will definitely be looking out for the sequel, and I so hope it lives up to this brilliant book., which is definitely one of my favourite reads this year, possibly even the very best.

Thank-you very much to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the opportunity to read an eArc of this book. These opinions are my own.

I read it obsessively. it’s so good that even my work-tired brain couldn’t resist it. Told in three different character arcs, this epic fantasy creates an unforgettable & vivid world with characters you can't help caring for. They all seem unrelated, parallel narratives but the moment they all met, it blew my mind away. I fell in love with how cleverly the story is structured..

If you like high-stakes fantasies, then this is a must-read for you.

ahhh it took me so long to finish this that i actually forgot what i wanted to write in the review! 😅

the plot was engaging but it was also very predictable for a fantasy novel. the beginning was confusing but it got interesting in the middle.

the characters, except for the Aiz, were likeable. especially when they were together. they made a good team. Aiz, however, was very selfish. in the 'Mother Div' part of the novel, the way she played the victim was so annoying.

as for the ending, it felt rushed and disappointed me too. <spoiler> now, Div got hold of Sirsha and it looks like we will be having Aiz-and-Div 2.0 in the sequel. </spoiler>

thanks to publishers and the netgalley for the copy!

This book was so beautiful and previously, I didn't read any of this author's other books but I fell in love with her writing and it was such a wild ride!!! Thank you so much Negalley!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I haven't read any of Tahir's other books, and I'm now massively regretting that, because I loved this. The prose wasn't fussy but still lyrical in places, and the narrative rocketed along at an enviable pace. The only slight 'Oh!' moments were where new POVs were added late in the book, but they are justified by the narrative. I loved the time switcheroo and, even though I predicted the big twist, I'm completely invested in the story. Next one please!

Heir is a spin-off from The Ember Quartet. The story is set 20 years after the events of the last book. While it can probably be read on its own, you will understand more if you’ve read the other series first. I also highly recommend doing so. This book contains major spoilers for The Ember Quartet.

I had high expectations for this book since I really enjoy Sabaa Tahir’s writing, and I did like it, but I didn’t have the same emotional impact as I did with many of her other books. At one point, I was so confused that I had to stop reading and try to figure out what was happening. That being said, there was a reason for my confusion, and I had a suspicion that I later found out was correct. I feel like I might have had a better experience if it hadn’t been as confusing, but I also understand why it was written this way.

All in all, I did really enjoy the book. The setup for the next one was great, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Atom for providing me with this ebook in exchange for an honest review*

She's done it again. This was an EPIC book and I found myself missing the AEITA world so much that I almost cried. Sabaa Tahir has done it again. Immerse us into a whirlwind of emotions and quests! I loved it!

Set 20 years after An Ember in the Ashes, Heir was an enjoyable return to the world. I had reread the AEITA just before starting this and, while having read the previous series isn't essential, I definitely think having the background prior to starting Heir is really helpful.
It took me a little while to get into this one but once I did the pages flew past. The characters were generally very likeable and distinct from those in the previous series which I appreciated. As with AEITA, Sabaa Tahir doesn't shy away from slightly darker themes so you're never quite sure how things are going to go. With a few twists and turns along the way, Heir definitely kept my interest throughout and after that ending I'm very curious to see what happens next

Heir is the first part in a new duology set in the same world as the Ember quartet, but 20 years later. The story follows 3 new characters - Aiz, Quill and Sirsha - although some familiar faces also make an appearance too!

Heir was a book that felt very different to the Ember series, but in a really good way. Sabaa Tahir’s strength (in my opinion) is her characters and Heir is no exception. Aiz, Quill and Sirsha (as well as a host of new side characters) are well written and fleshed out so well. Unsurprisingly, they had me feeling all the emotions!

Another thing I absolutely loved about Heir was how much this book expanded on the world building. The Ember series takes place in a tiny corner of the map, whereas Heir takes us into new territory. With that expansion comes new characters, cultures, magic systems and all the good stuff that comes with fantasy world building. It did take me a minute to get used to it, but I really appreciated the expansion and how the Martial Empire is just a tiny cog in a much bigger machine.

Much like the Ember series, Heir tackles its fair share of big questions. I’ve always loved explorations of power, what would motivate a character to take it and what they would do when they had it. I loved how this was addressed in Heir through the different characters and I’m hoping the sequel will continue to explore this theme.

I cannot wait for the sequel - I’ve loved meeting these new characters and exploring the world more. I’m equal parts excited and terrified to see how the story ends!

I LOVE this. I’m always worried when we return to beloved worlds but this was a great addition. The world got bigger and more interesting, the plot twists were expertly hinted at throughout the narrative, the villain is awful, the hero’s are fun. It was just a great engaging time! Can’t wait for book 2

As someone who hasn't read Sabaa Tahir's Ember in the Ashes series, I feel like some of the backdrop was lost on me, as were some of the characters that make an appearance. With that being said, it's just made me want to go and pick up the series and read it in the interim between Heir and the next book in the series!