Review: Heir by Sabaa Tahir

Heir by Sabaa Tahir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the publisher and Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

If you are a fan of Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes Quartet, you will love this!  This is set in the same world and follows the next generation of the beloved (and hated) characters from that series.  I would say you don't have read that series first as the author does a good job giving enough backstory for you to follow along if you haven't.  I do recommend reading that series first as it was amazing and  it will give you some insight into the empire and into some of the older characters that play supporting roles in this book as they were main characters in the previous series.  It isn't necessary though as this has a fresh new plot and new characters to keep up with.

This is told from the perspective of 3 characters with 2 brief perspectives from additional characters that I expect to play major roles in the next book.  Aiz is on a quest to save her people and seek vengeance for the wrongs done to them, Sirsha has been contracted to find a murderer, and Quil is the crown prince who wants nothing to do with the throne.  They are all connected by by magic and murder.

This was amazing!  This has everything you could want from a fantasy story.  It has action, magic, great world building, great characters, and a little bit of romance.  The pacing starts out slow as we get to know the characters and are introduced to the world, but it picks up as Sirsha and Elias get closer to finding the killer they seek.  I really enjoyed the plotline, and while some of it may have been predictable, I didn't mind.  I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.

In full transparency I also listened to the audiobook (borrowed from my library after publication) while I was reading the ARC.  It was fantastic.  It features a different narrator for each POV, which I always appreciate.  It helps me keep track of which character is telling the story.  All 5 narrators were excellent, and really brought this story to life for me.  If you enjoy a good audiobook, I highly recommend this one!

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July Wrap Up

I did pretty good with my reading this month.  I didn't do so well with my reviews, but I got the ones done I needed to.  I'll add and update links to reviews if and when I get additional ones posted.  I read some really great ARCs, I checked off a few reading challenge prompts, and listened to several good audio books.

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• I was going to use this for a book about mental health for my reading challenge but I ended up using it for my book about a real person prompt.  This was a pretty interesting read.  Sylvia Plath wrote much of this about her own mental health and her recovery.  I understand she didn't want this published in the US as she didn't want to offend the people in the novel that were part of this time in her life.  I can see why so many people recommend this and why it is an important mental health read.
• The Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
• Review
• This was a fairly original retelling.  It isn't at all what I expected, but in a good way.  I loved the writing.  Its a bit slow paced, but stick with it, the ending is worth it.  I loved the mythology and history that is woven into this beloved tale.  This is out July 31st.
• Nyxia Unleased by Scott Reintgen
• Review
• This was awesome!  The story continues on the planet of Eden, with the teenagers who fought in a Hunger Games like tournament of sorts to make it to the planet.  The winners get to mine nyxia for the corporation they are working for and build ties with the planet's inhabitants.  This story is full of politics, action, adventure, friendship and so much more.  
• Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
• Review
• This  is another ARC releasing at the end of July.  This follows 2 sisters on a brutal planet suffering from female oppression.  One sister is being groomed to be the heir's subjugate while the other one is rebellious.  The Heir picks the handmaiden not lady in waiting, and the story kind of takes off from their.  Both sisters end up in the opposite place of where they intended and they both have to fight for what they believe is right.  I couldn't put this down.
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Review
• I received a paperback ARC of this from Wednesday Books.  It is so captivating.  It is told in mixed media format in the form of traditional novel style and in podcast format.  I picked it up and couldn't put it down.  There are going to be actual podcasts to go with it and I highly recommend it.  This is another one I was drawn in and couldn't put it down.  I really loved this.  This comes out September 4th and you should definitely pick it up.
• Beard in Mind and Dr. Strange Beard by Penny Reid
• DSB Review
• BIM Review
• It is no secret that I love Penny's books and the Winston Brother's series is no exception.  Beard in Mind follows Beau, one of the twins, while Dr. Strange Beard follows the youngest Winston Roscoe.  I've had Beard in Mind on my TBR forever so it was fitting I read it prior to Dr. Strange Beard.  I used BIM as my mental health prompt book for my reading challenge as the female main character suffers from OCD and it is discussed at length in the book.  Highly recommend Beau and Shelly's story.  I received an ARC of Dr. Strange Beard for review and I love Roscoe and Simone.  This is out as of today and so many unexpected things happened in this installment.  We learn some things about some of the side characters, and as always the Winston family is there to provide comic relief and lots of love and support. 

Audiobooks

• A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
• Review
• I think this is the best book in the series by far.  I loved where this one ended and how the story progressed.  I can't wait for the next book.  This picks up where the last book left off and we follow 3 perspectives, Laia, Helene, and Elias.  We also get a cameo of the Nightbringer.  I loved how the story moved along.  Helene is one of my favorite characters.
• The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
• This was a little slow for me.  It was a good detective story, but I found the pacing slow and found myself losing interest frequently.  I just wasn't interested in the story or the characters.  I figured out who did it early on, and the build up to the reveal just wasn't exciting enough to keep my attention.  This completes a reading challenge for a book written by a woman using a male pseudonym.
• Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
• This took me forever to get through.  It was pretty long.  I think I need to go back to reading Clare's books vs listening to them.  I read them much faster than I listen to them.  The narrator was great, but there is so much going on in this with the different plot lines it was hard for me to follow on audio and the timing I had for listening to this wasn't good.  I just didn't have the time to give this good attention.  It is a good followup to Lady Midnight and the plot is progressing nicely.  
• 39 Clues by Rick Riordan
• I was going on a long drive with my kids in the car so I needed something elementary/middle grade appropriate to listen to on our trip.  It isn't very long, but I enjoyed it.  It has good humor, and is perfect for young readers.  While I don't think I'll carry on with the series, my 8 year old has picked it up and I'll hopefully get updates from him.

Review: A Reaper at the Gates

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Narrated by: Steve West (Narrator), Fiona Hardingham (Narrator), Katherine McEwan (Narrator), Maxwell Caulfield (Narrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my favorite book of the series so far! I really loved how much the story progressed and where it left off. Even though we follow the 3 main perspectives with a cameo by the Nightbringer, they are so well done that you never lose your place in any of the storylines. I typically get confused in multi-perspective narration, but the narration in the audio was excellent. The narrators did such a great job.

This follows Laia as she is trying desperately to save the Scholars and the Tribes from the Marshalls. She is also trying to stop the Nightbringer from his plan to release the Jinn from their prison. Laia is my least favorite character; she is stubborn to the point where she grates on my nerves. She makes dumb decisions because of her stubborn nature, but she always seems to come out on top and unscathed. She is always trying to do good, but doesn’t really think about consequences. I never really cared for her and have found her to be weak and she doesn’t ever learn from her mistakes. She has some redeeming moments but I just want to yell at her most of the time.

Elias is struggling to learn his new role as the Soul Catcher, but he doesn't want to give up his life as a human. He made a deal, but he doesn’t seem thrilled to live out his days without those he loves. I’m not a fan of his relationship with Laia, I always held out hope he and Helene would get together, but I’m over that now. He does finally give in and start doing his job as Soul Catcher, and we learn more about the Jinn and the Nightbringer. I do like where his character ended up, but I was expecting more action from him. He was such an awesome warrior.

And Helene, always loyal to the Empire, is doing her best as Blood Shrike, while keeping her grudges against the Emperor and the Commandant close to her heart. I’m solidly on Team Helene. She is by far my favorite character in the series. I really like where Tahir is taking her character. I hope that she finds happiness and love in the end. I do feel like the her whole interaction with the Commandant has dragged on long enough. Helene is smart and strong, but she is never ahead of Keris. She has been bred for battle strategy and should be able to see a trap coming, yet she always walks right into them. I feel like Helene was written to have weaknesses that she didn’t need. She is so amazing; she didn’t need to be softened at all.

I loved the addition of the Nightbringer to the audio. His bits of the story add a little more to the plot and it is just enough to keep you interested in the 4th book. Parts of the plot drag a bit, and feel like they could be condensed or are confusing. He and Keris have been plotting for sometime now, and you know he’s up to something, but that’s been going on since the first book. Now he’s betrayed Laia and Helene to get to his end game and you know that our three main characters have more to do before it is over.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you on your feet and I’m looking forward to listenting to the final installment. I’ve only listened to the series on audio and I can’t imagine finishing it any other way.


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July TBR

I've got a bunch of ARCs that I've had for a while that come out in July that I need to read.  I'm actually really exited to read all of them.  I've either just been busy with other review copies or just reading other things for my challenge prompts or overwhelmed by life.  Once I get through my July  ARCs I have some challenge books I want to read but I don't want stress out about it. 

What are you planning to read in July?  Any recommendations for me?  I've been reading thrillers and retellings as of late. 

Books/Ebooks/ARCs

• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• I'm reading this for a book challenge about mental illness.  I picked it up at my library sale and it isn't terribly long.  I hope to get through it fairly quickly.  I've heard nothing but good things about this book.  I started it this past weekend and so far so good.   
• The Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
• This is the 3rd Little Mermaid retelling I've got on my docket.  I've had the ARC for a while and the book comes out in July.   I think this is the 3rd month it has been on my TBR.  I actually it today and the first chapter looks really promising.  This one tells the origins story of the Sea Witch so it is a little different than the others I've read.  I'm really excited to get to it. 
• Nyxia Unleased by Scott Reintgen
• I really loved the first book and I'm excited to see how the story plays out.  There is kind of a Hunger Games/Avatar kind of storyline where a bunch of teens compete for spots to go to a new planet to interact with the native lifeforms because they won't hurt children. The "crew" is supposed to mine Nyxia a new and awesome compound with endless possibilities.  At the end of book 1 they were headed to the planet.  This releases in July as well.
• Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
• This  is another ARC releasing at the end of July.  This follows 2 sisters on a brutal planet suffering from female oppression.  One sister is being groomed to be the heirs subjugate while the other one is rebellious.  Sounds really interesting.

Audiobooks

I have a couple of things on hold but who knows what will come in when.  I have a fairly long wishlist on Hoopla and there is always something interesting available to listen to in the available now section at the library if none of these work out.  The waiting list is pretty long for a couple of these since they are new releases and popular books.

• War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
• I'm using this to fill a challenge prompt with a weather element in the title.  The last 2 books kind of dragged on for me so I'm hoping audio will help with the pace.  I really like this series and I'm anxious to see how it plays out.  This should be a pretty epic conclusion and I really have no idea how its going to end.
• A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
• This is another new release, and I've only listened to the books.  I love the narrator and I can't imagine reading it any other way.  I really like this series and how it has progressed.  I'm excited to see where the characters go from where they left off in the last book.
• The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
• I listened to The Thief in June and really liked it.  I loved the mythology, the characters, and the politics.  Hopefully the rest of the series is just as good.
• Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare
• I recently picked up Lady Midnight and having read all of the previous Shadowhunter books, I'm looking forward to continuing in that world.  It seems to have a very similar story line from the original series with a few new twists.  I've started this one already and it picks up pretty much where Lady Midnight leaves off.  It is fairly long so it will keep me occupied for a while.
• Circe by Madeline Miller
• I love Greek mythology.  I've heard a couple of reviews that this book is a bit slow and I find that audio helps with slower paced books sometimes.  I've also heard really great reviews about this so I'm excited to get to it.  
• Warcross by Marie Lu
• I've read most of Lu's other books, and I've been meaning to get to this one for a while.  I need a cyberpunk book for my reading challenge and this one should fit nicely.  I've heard mixed reviews, but I'm hopeful.