We chat with author Sabaa Tahir about Empire, which sees Tahir return to the expansive world of fury and vengeance of Heir, weaving a story of legacy and rebellion, loyalty and freedom, and what it means to confront the monsters that lurk within us all.
Hi, Sabaa! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a writer of fantasy. Some call it young adult, but as nearly all my characters are over eighteen and more than half of my readers are adult, I think fantasy is a good description. I had a brief foray into contemporary writing and it was rewarding, but I ran screaming back to my roots after realizing how much I loved the worldbuilding and narrative possibilities of fantasy.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I don’t remember a time before loving stories. I do remember hating writing! Holding the pencil, forming letters, trying to take what was in my brain and write it down. Ugh. My fine motor skills were a struggle, to say the least. But at some point, as books became my friends and as I ran out of people who’d listen to my stories (my mom, mostly), I realized that sitting down to write and imagine and dream made me feel happy and in control and safe. I was probably age eight when that happened, under the tutelage of my 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Donna Oshel. Shout out to Ms. Oshel and her reading loft!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: It was one of those Dick and Jane/Spot the Dog readers.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Alas, no one book that did that! But since it’s a lightning round, the God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy made me believe I could become an author.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal al-Mohtar and Max Gladstone is my favorite book and I think about it once a week or so.
Empire is the final installment in your Heir duology and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Loyalty. Legacy. Power. Devastation. Hope.
For those who haven’t picked up Heir yet, what can they expect?
They can expect a story about an orphan, an outcast and a prince. Aiz, the orphan, is scraping by in the gutters of her country’s capital, fixed on vengeance for an old crime. But she miscalculates, ends up in prison, and has to decide whether she’ll be ruled by despair or determination. Sirsha, is a down-on-her-luck tracker who picks up a job that should be simple, but that might end up costing her her heart, both romantically and literally. The last character we follow is Quil, who is crown prince of an Empire he does not want to rule. But alas for him, the survival of his people is at stake, and he has to figure out if he can rise above his complicated inheritance and be the heir his people need.
And for readers who have, what’s to come in Empire?
We have three main storylines in this book, all of which eventually of course, converge. First we have Crown prince Quil Farrar, who, along with his aunt, Empress Helene, is losing a battle pretty badly against his enemy, the Kegari. He also happened to have lost the love of his life, Sirsha, and has no idea what has happened to her. He’s torn between finding her and his duty to his people, and embarks on this quest for help.
Sirsha, meanwhile, finds herself tethered to this ancient, evil creature named Div. Div eats hearts, craves magic and and loves tormending Sirsha. So Sirsha is fighting for control of her own fate, even as she tries to shield everyone one she loves from Div’s destructive power.
And last, we have Cero bet-Dafra. You’ll remember him as the former right hand of the Kegari leader Aiz. But now he’s pitted against her and he has to discover if his people have any hope of a future or if they’re condemned to an unending cycle of violence. He’s helped along his journey by a deeply surly rebel and a wily feline.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
I love the character of Karinna, (aforementioned surly rebel) who is stubborn, angry and egotistical, but who also has a deep well of love at her core that she struggles to access. Forming her character and relationships, particularly with Cero and with her cat, Abzi, was really such a highlight for me. I also loved digging into Quil as a leader who is growing his power, and trying to remain true to himself as she does so. Sirsha, irreverent as she is, is always a joy to spend time with. But my favorite thing to explore was probably the lore of this world, which has been in my mind for so long, and which I finally get to share. It’s a big part of the story, and it was a lot of fun to finally unearth.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?
Oh man, so many challenges. I rewrote my outline multiple times. Then I rewrote the beginning many times, because I kept trying to work in a character whose arc I could’t quite figure out. One character had to be completely reworked from the ground up after I’d already written about 10 chapters for her. Fortunately I’m stubborn. So I talked to my mentor, I listened to the advice of my first beta reader, who the book is actually in part dedicated to, and got through it.
What’s next for you?
I am sticking to fantasy, but the one I’m working on is decidedly adult, and follows the lives of two characters over many decades. The question at its heart is: Can you have power over people and remain uncorrupted? It’s a question I’ve touched on in many other books, but I’ve never gotten to explore it so thoroughly at the character level before.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I absolutely cannot wait for The Moth Reborn by Samantha Shannon. I’m about to start Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel. I just finished and adored Anger Is Only a Shadow, by Elizabeth Acevedo.
