Heir

Esme Lonsdale, Vidish Athavale, and Rachel Petladwala bring palpable chemistry to the complex relationships in this epic fantasy. Something is afoot in the empire as three young people walk toward their destinies: Aiz communes with a holy spirit to get power to avenge her oppressed people, Prince Quil must soon step into a leadership role, and tracker Sirsha gets wrapped up with Quil as she hunts a murderer. The three journeys intertwine as a violent darkness takes hold--and the narrators' performances express the tension perfectly. While Petladwala's Sirsha and Lonsdale's Aiz are portrayed as powerful, complex women, Athavale's Quil helps bridge the multiple timelines. Together--with Joe Pitts and Marco Young as two supporting characters--the narrators start this duology off with a bang. A.A.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Heir is the story that links the lives of an orphan, an outcast, and a prince. Aiz is an orphan from Kegari, a city with an aerial legion that raids other nations for their survival. As a Snipe, Aiz must do the bidding of those who rule, despite her hatred of them. She seeks revenge against Tiral, commander of the air squadrons, because of a past grievance. However, her journey takes a turn when she is imprisoned and hears whispers from one of the holiest clerics of her land, Mother Div. Quil is Prince of the Martial Empire. It is time for him to ascend the throne that his aunt, the Empress, currently occupies. He refuses the throne because he understands how much power can corrupt. However, when his nation comes under attack, he is forced into a journey to hunt down the enemy of his people. Banished by her family, Sirsha is a talented tracker who uses magic to find her marks. She is hired to hunt down a killer who has been leaving bodies throughout the Martial Empire. But her journey is interrupted by an unexpected attraction that could have her sacrificing more than she’d bargained for. What I loved about this book was how complex the characters are, and how their stories are layered to form a rich narrative. There are twists and a murder mystery that give this book an extra level of intrigue. The world building follows on from Tahir’s ‘Ember Quartet’, so I highly recommend reading that before Heir, else there’ll be references that may have new readers desiring more context. Reviewed by Ruth Freitas   ABOUT THE AUTHOR #1 New York Times bestselling author of the 'An Ember in the Ashes' series, which has been translated into over 35 languages. Sabaa  grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing 'An Ember in the Ashes' while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Visit Sabaa Tahir's website