Heir A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick by Sabaa Tahir
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Web ID: 20312140Incredible Follow Up
I'm definitely going to have to read this again before book two comes out and I'm not at all mad about it. With individual three POVs, Aiz, Sirsha, and Quil must navigate the recuperating empire as a new threat rises. Each couldn't be more different but ultimately need each other. Highly recommend reading the Ember in the Ashes quartet, not only because the world is the same and there are cameo appearances, but because the series is one of my all time favorites. Sabaa's genius for story telling is magic in itself. I will never get over the push and pull she puts her characters (and readers!) through. How one can be so charming and likeable one chapter and the enemy in sheep's clothing the next or vice versa. I eagerly anticipate where Sabaa will take us on this journey next. Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
AMAZING! I just love Sabaa Tahir!
AMAZING! I just love Sabaa Tahir and the stories she creates! Ok this is actually a 4.5 star read, but the connections it has to the An Ember in the Ashes series bumped it to a full 5 stars. I am thrilled to be back in this world and these new characters are so interesting. The plot after a certain point was a smidge predictable, but in a way that I was totally fine with and that made me want to keep reading so I could get to all those major plot points that tied the book together. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book. Quite literally might read it again once I do.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Decent Start to Duology
There are a few things this author excels at. The first is writing well rounded characters. They're engaging, complex, and interesting, which is great since the author uses multiple POVs. The worldbuilding is also generally quite good. But this book is set 20 years after the events of the first book, so it was skimpy on some of the explanations, likely making it more confusing (or at least feel like it has weaker worldbuilding) for folks who haven't read the first series. The pacing is also quite solid, never leaving any parts of the book feeling like they're lagging. But I just want to read a solid fantasy that doesn't have unnecessary romance and descriptions like "full bottom lip and cheekbones as sharp as scim blades." And of course there was romance included in more than one of the POVs, which was not appreciated. But that's a "me" problem and likely won't bother most readers. I also really dislike something the author used as a plot point, but I won't say what it is because it's a spoiler. Again, this is a "me" problem and maybe won't bother most readers, but it's something I've run across several times that never works for me. Overall, this start of a duology wasn't as strong as I hoped it would be, but I know I'm an outlier here. I'll still read book two, though, because this author is talented. If you generally like modern YA fantasies, you'll almost definitely love this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Solid Start to New Series
I loved being back in this world again. You don't have to read the Ember in the Ashes series of Tahir's but it definitely will enrich the storyline. In this duology, the plot focuses on several factions of people who are trying to find a way to all survive in a kingdom that has limited resources. One group of people wants something that the other people have and are willing to kill to get that resource. No matter who gets in their way, they will not stray from the goal. In the background, you meet several characters whose lives are woven together over time during this book. It takes a little while to see the connections between them all but it's cleverly done and everything has a purpose to the storyline. I know some reviewers seemed frustrated with the slow start. But you just have to be patient with the story building and setup. It will be worth it. The story has creatures, magic and romance. It also has heartlessness, evil and a large quantity of violence. The end of the first book leaves you wanting more but it isn't a horribly painful cliffhanger like some books give you. That said, I look forward to book two and seeing how the author wraps up this story. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
SO SO GOOD
5 Stars THIS BOOK!!!!! I need the second book ASAP because that CLIFFHANGER WAS BRUTAL and the mid story twist WAS BANANAS and seriously I need more more more RIGHT MEOW. A proper fantasy full of magic and world building and epic stakes and murky choices being made for the greater good. I gobbled it up like Mother Div. Anyhooooooooo amazing and I am desperate for the next book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A fantastic new fantasy!
Sabaa Tahir is one of my favorite authors! I have difficulty reading YA fantasy books, but never Tahir’s. Heir was just as amazing as her previous series, An Ember in the Ashes. The characters that Tahir creates are always so full of depth. Many stood out to me in this book, but Aiz is one that I hurt for. Her entire story is just heartbreaking. She’s dead set on revenge, and it’s always a road that makes me nervous. I did understand where she was coming from. There are always so many grey characters in Tahir’s books, which makes them much more powerful. Sirsha was a character that I loved right away! She added some laughter when it was needed. At the same time, her character had so much more under the surface. Not only was she an amazing tracker, but she also had a tragic past. Once she joins Quil and his gang, we see more of her. Quil was a character that I loved the instant I found out who he was. I adored the connections to AEITA! It’s one of my favorite YA series, and it was awesome seeing some of my favorite characters twenty years later. The plot and world-building were so interesting, and I loved the connections to the past. Tahir’s writing is so fluid and intriguing that you cannot help but devour her words. It was a quick read because I had to know what would happen next. One of the things I know about Tahir is that she will GO THERE. She can be brutal with your emotions and some of your favorite characters. This book was no exception, and there were some crushing moments! Overall, this book lived up to my expectations! I loved seeing some of our past characters and all the new world-building created. The ending has me wanting the next book as soon as possible!! Thank you to publisher for the gift!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful story
" 'Sometimes the power of a story is greater than anything else on earth.' " Our Kehanni, Sabaa has brought us this beautiful bounty in the form of Story! 🤤❤️ So worth the wait. It's hard to imagine a book could be as wonderful as the Ember In The Ashes quartet was, but this was like coming home... Yet discovering so much as happened since you left! Heir takes place 20 years after the events in A Sky Beyond The Storm. We mostly follow four POVs in this book, and all of them are strong, have a distinct voice, and add to the story well. Quil, Helene's nephew and the reluctant Heir to the Empire. Sufiyan, Laia and Elias' eldest son, who is deeply impacted by grief and struggling to find his way. Sirsha, a tracker on the run from her past, who barrels headlong into her future. Aiz, an orphan who is willing to die to avenge her people. There's almost no one who writes multiple POV books as well as Sabaa does. The threads weave together so perfectly (and painfully) as we get deeper into the story. This book broke me, in so many wonderful ways. Right near the beginning I had many sad tears brought on by memories of the last series, and my broken hopes for these characters. (I know it's marketed that you can read this as a standalone, but so much of the emotional impact wouldn't hit imo) It isn't all sad tears, there were moments of reminiscent family love between Helene, Elias and Laia that also had me sobbing in a good way! I don't want to scare you lol. This book, as always with Sabaa's work, blends tragedy on a nationwide scale, with the humanity of personal suffering, while being comforted by the blanket of familial love. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this book. Every star in the sky for this one, 5 stars doesn't cover it. My expectations were so high, and I was not disappointed.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Sabaa Tahir has done it again!
Sabaa Tahir has done it again! AEITA is one of my favorite Young Adult fantasy series of all time. I didn’t think Sabaa could get any better but here we are. Heir is an excellent expansion of the AEITA universe. Sabaa gave us more worldbuilding to devour and new characters to obsess over. Heir’s pacing kept me on the edge of my seat. You could technically read Heir as a standalone series separate from the original, but your reading experience will be much more rewarding if you’ve already dived into the Ember series. The callbacks and relived moments from the original series are so worth it! I can’t wait for the conclusion of this duology!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com