A new YA novel by Sabaa Tahir is coming later this year.
Putnam Books for Young Readers will publish the author’s Empire this fall, the press announced in a news release. It’s the final installment of a duology that began in 2024 with the young adult fantasy novel Heir.
Tahir made her literary debut in 2015 with An Ember in the Ashes, the first in a series that continued with A Torch Against the Night, A Reaper at the Gates, and A Sky Beyond the Storm. In 2022, she published All My Rage, a stand-alone novel that won a National Book Award.
Heir was set in the same world as the Ember in the Ashes series and followed three young people living in a crumbling empire threatened by a ruthless killer; Empire will conclude their story. “Sabaa Tahir returns to the expansive world of fury and vengeance of Heir, weaving a story of legacy and rebellion, of loyalty and freedom, and of what it means to confront the monsters that lurk within us all,” Putnam says.
Tahir shared news of the novel on Instagram, writing, “This book challenged me in ways I did not expect and I cried multiple times writing it. I am so excited for you all to cry too! And cheer! And swoon! And yell at me!!”
Empire is scheduled for publication on Sept. 22.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
