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adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It is always good to return to a world you loved for a great story - all fanfic readers know this feeling. "Heir" by Sabaa Tahir is set 20 years after the events in the "An Ember in the Ashes" series. The story is multi-pov, but mainly you follow three characters: Aziz, a very impoverished orphan from the Nation of Kegar; Quil, the crown prince of the Martial Empire; and Sirsha, a tracker with magical abilities who has been banished from her people.
It is the first volume of a Duology (the second book is in production), and it can be read without reading "An Ember in the Ashes" beforehand, but I do not recommend it. First, because I absolutely loved "An Ember in the Ashes", and also it is a complex world based on the Roman Empire, Middle Eastern folklore, several nations with different magical systems and cultures. It has been a few years since I read the first series, but I believe it helped me understand the characters' relationships and the geography in "Heir" a little better.
Back to the main characters, Aziz seeks vengeance for a series of tragedies in her past. Quil don't want to be his Aunt's Heir, afraid of being corrupted by power as his father was before him. Sirsha is just trying to make ends meet and save enough money to move to an Island in the South, where she could open an Inn by the beach (I feel you, Sirsha. We all want to move to an Island in the South).
Their storylines will converge amid a continental war and a sinister, powerful and elusive killer. We have romance, yes, but not much spice, as this is YA. My one critique, if I may, is that some passages feel rushed. I think this book could have been two. And if I have to choose, I prefer "An Ember in the Ashes".