Sabaa Tahir does it again. Heir was the perfect read to fill my An Ember in the Ashes sized hole in my hear. This did take me a while to read and even longer to review. For one, I wanted to savor the book. There was a lot going on, multiple movable parts that you needed to digest before moving on and secondly, I found myself comparing it to An Ember in the Ashes every once in a while. But my conclusion in the end was that this book holds up on its own. This is a great start to a new series.
I loved that this wasn't just a story that took place in the AEITA world. It expanded on that world. We got to see more settings and how the characters and their backgrounds navigated this new empire/ regions/ rule. However, you do not need to read AEITA to read this one. Heir takes place like twenty years after AEITA, but there are minor spoilers but overall, not too bad.
The pacing was fast paced. From the opening chapters, we are thrust into the political turmoil. It wasn't just a small dip into what was going on but action and political intrigue with each character. Watching it all unfold was the best part, watching all the characters navigate in their different lives and the way some of them connect. Heir is written in third person and revolves around three characters, Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha. They were all complex characters that you'll find yourself walking along with on the same journey because despite this book being a fantasy setting, they are relatable at times. You'll find yourself sharing certain emotions with a few of them.
The way that Sabaa Tahir's writing leaps off the page and envelopes you into her world needs to be studied. The world building is thought out and fleshed out. It wasn't just that it expanded on a world we already knew because we see new settings, but it's such a bigger landscape with new and a few familiar faces and places. And I feel like the pace kept in touch with this. While we are thrust into action, there were moments when things might have felt a little slow, or at times where you might feel like you skipped a couple of chapters or like you jumped ahead days, but I think that's what helped move the pacing along.
Overall, this was a great start to a new series. I won't sit here and say it was an absolutely fun read, but what mattered was the journey we accompanied the characters with and how immersive this book felt, and boy was it immersive. I can't wait to see where Sabaa Tahir will take her characters, and us the readers, next.
I loved that this wasn't just a story that took place in the AEITA world. It expanded on that world. We got to see more settings and how the characters and their backgrounds navigated this new empire/ regions/ rule. However, you do not need to read AEITA to read this one. Heir takes place like twenty years after AEITA, but there are minor spoilers but overall, not too bad.
The pacing was fast paced. From the opening chapters, we are thrust into the political turmoil. It wasn't just a small dip into what was going on but action and political intrigue with each character. Watching it all unfold was the best part, watching all the characters navigate in their different lives and the way some of them connect. Heir is written in third person and revolves around three characters, Aiz, Quil, and Sirsha. They were all complex characters that you'll find yourself walking along with on the same journey because despite this book being a fantasy setting, they are relatable at times. You'll find yourself sharing certain emotions with a few of them.
The way that Sabaa Tahir's writing leaps off the page and envelopes you into her world needs to be studied. The world building is thought out and fleshed out. It wasn't just that it expanded on a world we already knew because we see new settings, but it's such a bigger landscape with new and a few familiar faces and places. And I feel like the pace kept in touch with this. While we are thrust into action, there were moments when things might have felt a little slow, or at times where you might feel like you skipped a couple of chapters or like you jumped ahead days, but I think that's what helped move the pacing along.
Overall, this was a great start to a new series. I won't sit here and say it was an absolutely fun read, but what mattered was the journey we accompanied the characters with and how immersive this book felt, and boy was it immersive. I can't wait to see where Sabaa Tahir will take her characters, and us the readers, next.