Penguin Young Readers has announced the forthcoming release of National Book Award and Printz Award winner Sabaa Tahir’s Empire, closing out the duology that began with her YA fantasy novel Heir.
Tahir’s Heir marked a highly anticipated return to her An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series. Picking up two decades in the future, the novel followed Aiz, a girl hoping to keep a liar off the throne; Sirsha, a tracker hunting a merciless killer; and Quil, the crown prince who wants nothing to do with his empire, as their paths intertwine. The novel was selected as the inaugural Good Morning America YA book club pick and earned five starred reviews, including one from PW.
On September 22, readers will revisit the world one more time with Empire. The series conclusion finds Quil on the throne and desperately searching for his lost love; Sirsha trapped with an ancient evil that feeds off her; and Aiz going down a dangerous path to war that she may not be able to recover from.
“This book has been years in the making, a story I’ve carried with me since 2020,” Tahir said in a statement. “Seeing it finally come to fruition has been surreal and difficult, but also deeply meaningful. Like the characters from my other books, the Heir family has become truly dear to me. Letting them go is bittersweet and I've struggled to say goodbye.”
Although this series will come to an end, Tahir hints that readers could potentially see the characters and setting again. “As my readers know, when it comes to my fantasy worlds, goodbyes aren’t always forever,” she said.
