Following the debut of Heir in 2024, readers have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to Sabaa Tahir’s fantasy duology — and we now know when it will release. Heir serves as a spinoff and follow-up to Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series. Set 20 years after Laia and Elias’ story, it shows what becomes of the world following their journey. Naturally, it raises fresh questions and problems to solve, all while investing us in a new generation of characters. As the duology’s finale, Heir‘s sequel is tasked with delivering that resolution.
And we’re one step closer to it becoming a reality, as we finally know when we’ll return to Tahir’s Ember in the Ashes world. Heir‘s sequel, which is titled Empire, now has a stunning cover unveiled by People. The outlet’s feature also revealed the release date for the follow-up: Empire will arrive on September 22.
The finale will find Quil grappling with the Kegari threat to the Martial Empire, while Sirsha faces an even darker evil. Empire is set to build on the foundations of Heir and raise the stakes, promising a thrilling ride. It will arrive in the midst of an already stacked publishing season, adding yet another TBR item for fall 2026.
Sabaa Tahir’s Heir Sequel Joins an Already Stacked Publishing Season
The arrival of Empire confirms something readers already know: that fall 2026 is poised to be a massive publishing season. Tahir’s new novel isn’t the only one hitting shelves during this period. There’s, of course, the long-awaited A Court of Thorns and Roses book 6 arriving in October. Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab are also capping their Alex Stern and Villains trilogies, respectively, that month.
Empire will be another highly anticipated sequel for the season, giving fantasy fans, in particular, plenty to occupy themselves with. Knowing Tahir, we can expect another gripping release. And there’s plenty of time for an Ember in the Ashes re-read in the lead-up.
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