Heir by Sabaa Tahir
First of all, Tahir’s 2022 award-winning All My Rage had me in shambles, and I’ve since become a devotee. I just know I will inhale this 500-page bad boy.
In it, Tahir returns to YA fantasy with a story that follows three young people—an orphan, an outcast, and a prince— as they try their best to navigate what is, at times, a brutal empire. Sirsha is a tracker who speaks to the elements, and who was banished from her tribe for a terrible crime. Desperate to survive, she takes on a job hunting down a child killer. Aiz on the other hand, is from the slums, in prison, and her wrath is brewing. Finally, there’s the empire’s crown prince, Quil, whose reluctance to take on the responsibility of leading the empire is quelled by the emergence of an enemy threat. All three must contend with the darkness of the empire, treacherous love, and moral grayness.
