In the summer of 2020 on a date at Barnes & Noble with my husband, masked and socially distancing from every other patron in the store, I stumbled across the book An Ember in the Ashes. This incidental find led me down the rabbit hole for this four-book fantasy series inspired by Ancient Rome. The series follows characters Laia, Elias, and Helene – citizens of the classist Martial Empire – as they navigate a tyrannical regime and a growing, mystical evil.
This series pulled me back into fantasy and my love for reading during the pandemic, and I was elated to learn Sabaa Tahir was publishing another book in the Ember world, set twenty years in the future with new characters.
HEIR
by SABAA TAHIR
Genre: YA FANTASY
Pages: 484
My Rating: ★★★★★
“An orphan. An outcast. A prince. And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.”
Set twenty years after the events of A Sky Beyond the Storm, three young people’s lives become intertwined as a new evil, a killer murdering children across the Empire, arises.
Heir was everything I had hoped for and more in a return to the Ember world. We get breadcrumbs from the previous series with glimpses of old favorites, but the new main characters in Heir are robust, memorable personas with distinct voices of their own. I was captivated by Quil, Sirsha, and Aiz’s backgrounds and storylines.
And how their journeys overlap literally made my jaw drop. A sneaky little twist casually dropped in unbeknownst to the reader for a good portion of the book.
The storytelling remains strong and addictive in this new series. The world painted in Ember is back with even more vivid detail and I was thoroughly hooked even though we are working with an entirely new cast and plot.
Though the book is shrouded in darkness and mystery (Tahir is no stranger to making characters suffer and building suspense), there is a lightness between certain characters and a sprinkle of romance that retains an undercurrent of hope. Tahir may write for young adults, but there is a depth and quality to the writing that ensures any age can enjoy her books.
In light of the current state of the world, some of the themes hit so close it’s chilling:
“When you sacrifice other people’s children on the altar of your own ambition, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be willing to sacrifice your own.”
This is without a doubt a 5-star read for me. I eagerly anticipate the next in the series, but to be honest, I’ll read anything Sabaa Tahir writes. She’s a must for me.
My only caveat to the book? Read An Ember in the Ashes series first. It’s marketed as a standalone, and it technically works, but you will have everything spoiled from the original series.
Happy reading!
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