Cover: Stunning!
Rating: 4 Stars
Overall: When Ana is forced to flee her home at the palace, she was alone and frightened. Does she have what it takes to survive, and will she even find the truth in time?
Characters: Well written with a brilliant array or morally gray and so many interesting personalities!
Plot: Ana must find a killer, and the truth before those who know the truth are able to make her disappear forever!
Page Turner: Yes.
Series Cont.? Yes!
Recommend: Yes.
Favorite Character(s): Jonah, Ramson, Ana, Linn, Yuri, The Yeager? (you'll know the one ;D) And Luka...
Source: I own

I switched from my Kindle App on my phone, to another reader app, then to my new tablet with this one, so I didn't get to take many notes, as I kept switching after a few chapters, trying to find something to work, while attempting to use the kindle app less...Anyway.

I've wanted to read this one for a while...as in January of the year it was first available in eARC on Netgalley, since I was granted an eARC like a week before the fiasco that got it pulled temporarily ...Oops! Still, I mentioned my excitement for the story and how I hated to see such negativity at the time, and I mean it more so now! I loved it! (Also, if you hate/want something to fail, a bit of advice, IGNORE IT! Talking about it, media of ANY KIND is still advertising! Why do you think only the BAD crimes get reported? Hmm? Media is all about sensationalism, and Social Media even more so! ((NO I don't want this book, or any book or art to be 'lesser' just because of a few large outlets, but if you ignore something, anything as in don't give it power by mentioning or talking about it at all unless sit's to clear something up or to speak out in a way to actually HELP people, forget it. Remember all those 80's/90's trends that no one else seems to remember/know about? Yeah, like that people will forget if it's not constantly a heavy topic!)) I'm not at all impressed with the trend to say one person's 'privilege' is more valid than another, if Person A does something and it's fine because they are well liked, but Person B does same/similar but it bashed for being New or not a well liked, IT'S PETTYNESS! Not 'privilege')

Sorry about that, but still! It's shameful how people are treated now days, and this cancel culture isn't a good look on anybody. It's a FORM OF SLAVERY AND OPPRESSION! Funny, since this book has a heavy focus on such topics and how harmful and degrading they are on society and the people living under the heavy handed rulers! I try not to rant about unrelated issues in a book review, but that issue I found highly ironic!

So, for my actual review shall we? We shall. I was pleasantly surprised by this book in several ways. First that I noticed is that I quickly found myself liking many of the side-characters from early on in the story. I didn't care about the main characters until their personality and thinking/motives became a little more clear, and I (no surprise really) found myself liking Ramson first of the two, but even he had to grow on me a bit first. It was around 40% before I was completely hooked, but from that moment on I was in-love with everything about the story, and was on the edge of my seat through much of it! (view spoiler)


Pros:
*Characters -I mentioned I liked several of the side characters as well as the main 'couple', but sadly since many are more important later in the story, I'm not able to mention exact characters here without potential spoilers. Still, I will say that many that play an important role in Ana's life, plus one of Ramson's close friends are definitely on my favorite's list!

I also grew to really like Ana and Ramson's characters, and can't wait to read Red Tigress soon! I also loved how there are so many personality types, and many of the characters are unique and complex in ways that really add depth and excitement to the story!

*Plot - While the plot itself isn't new, I really enjoyed the many layers and mystery to the plot in this story. I felt it was well done, and even done in a unique way that makes me intrigued and excited to see what happens in the sequel(s)! I loved how the magic system plays into the plot as well, and also look forward to learning more about that as well!

*Themes/Approach - As mentioned, this book does deal with themes of slavery, oppressive corrupt ruling classes, and even touches a bit on trafficking, yet not directly or as openly as the other topics. The characters a broken into those with powers, and those without, yet it's not as simple as it may first appear, as Ana quickly finds out. There are many layers, and even more deceptions than it would seem, and tensions are brewing on multiple fronts! These themes are so timely, and need to be mentioned, and I thought this was a creative and ingenious way to bring up these topics, while keeping the story firmly a fantasy it also sheds light on a dangerous and dark time in our stories as well, something that many shy away from or refuse to approach in writing or otherwise.

*Unique World-Building and Setting - This ties in to the other points above, but as mentioned I loved the magic system and hope to know more about that in the following installments. I also really liked the myth/lore side and the mention of the Deities. While I don't agree with their motto or approach as characters to these Deities, I do like how they play subtle roles and seem to inspire the characters to act just when they need it most! I'm hoping we learn more about them as well, and get to know more about the countries and their past along the way.

Cons:
*Slightly Slow To Start - Not action wise, and this one is likely mostly me. While I enjoyed the story from the start, I wasn't truly hooked or invested until closer to 40%. The story itself was well done and the action kept me reading, but it seemed to take longer than expected to like the characters, and this may be why I didn't feel invested in the story, since it's very character driven.

Still, I'm so glad I stuck with it, and actually pushed to finish instead of setting it to the side for a while, and having to restart since I'd have probably forgotten it by the time I returned. (Sadly, that happens often when starting new series lol) I have an eARC of the sequel, which is why I wanted to read this one so bad, and I'm so excited I did!

*Pacing and Action Level - This may sound counter to what I just mentioned, but there were a few scenes that while I was able to follow them, I felt there were subtleties and hints that I likely missed in all the action and commotion .... This makes for a great reread, but it's an odd feeling for me. I was able to picture the scenes fine, and understand enough for them to be smooth as I read, but there were a few times when I felt as if the action was just slightly too fast for the story and that some of the details may have been lost in the moment? Again, probably totally just me.

*Age Level? -Eh, this one has been a reoccurring theme. Ever since SJMaas' two series hit shelves, there's been YA/NA and while many books fall easily in one of the other for me, this one is a bit harder. Granted, violence wise this brings to mind Hunger Games in some ways, but with a slightly older tone and some pretty grewsome scenes that are at time repeated in mention or flashbacks, I'm torn on where to rank this. The characters are 18-20ish so firmly between the two and fit into either option. As Ana controls blood, there's several mentions of blood and even a good handful of times this actually results in violence, as well as past violence being brought up in a couple of instances.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and can't believe I waited to long! Still, I can't wait to read the sequel, Red Tigress, later this month! I really enjoyed the characters and story, and felt like this was a fun and well laid out fantasy, and depending on how the sequels hit, can easily be a must read series!

I didn't have the chance to finish this one sadly. Life got the better of me. Amd I struggled to be able to pick this back up to finish.
But what I read had been so good. And I would love to go back and start again. And hopefully finish

I think with all the drama around this book I was expecting something big, and it just fell a little flat for me. I really struggled to bond with, or empathise with the characters in anyway. It started off really, really promising and then I slowly found myself loosing interest the more I read, I found it overly predictable and the pacing was really off in parts.

Blood Heir is a story that takes place in a kingdom called Cyrilia and features a group of people with different powers, called Affinites, who are feared and enslaved by people who do not possess any of these powers.
The story is about the Pryncessa Anastacya Mikhailov, whose Affinity is one of the most powerful and dangerous: the control of blood and who is forced to flee after being accused of a crime that she did not commit. The book leaves little room for hope, yet in the end Ana and her ally the con artist Ramson Farrald find the strength they need to fight to save the Empire and free the Affinites.
A book with many lessons for life, which is worth reading

Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.

WOW! What an amazing book! I was on the edge of my seat the entire 2 hours I spent devouring this! If you love fantasy and drama, get a copy - you won’t regret it!

Whenever I’m browsing NetGalley, it’s always the cover that intrigues me enough to read the synopsis. The cover of Blood Heir is absolutely gorgeous, and I was in awe of the design. So then I read the synopsis of the novel, and that sold me instantly. I clicked on ‘request’, and the next day, I had been approved and started reading straight away.

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.

When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.

A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.

Whenever I think of Anastasia, I always think of the beautifully animated film that always had me enraptured. The storyline, the characters, and the amazing scenery had me obsessed. So, when I heard that Blood Heir was a re-telling of Anastasia, let me tell you: my expectations were automatically set high.



“But perhaps all monsters were heroes in their own eyes.”
– Amélie Wen Zhao, Blood Heir


The first thing that I noticed when I started reading this was that it was a very very loose re-telling. You could tell that there was definite inspiration from Russia with the beautiful descriptions Zhao used to portray the world to the reader.

When it came to the characters that Zhao had created, Ana was someone who I could relate to on such an emotional level, and it made me love her instantly. Her power was somewhat scary, but her journey of understanding it was interesting. We were treated with two points of views in this novel: Ana and Ramson, a con man whose chapters kept me entertained (and sometimes I even preferred them to Ana’s.) There was also a character called May who was a younger character than Ana, and the relationship between them was almost sisterly. It was so precious and I loved May so so much. She was such a fierce, strong character who did everything that she could to help those she loved.



“Choices were for those with privilege and power. When you had none, all you could do was survive.”
– Amélie Wen Zhao, Blood Heir


The writing was so beautiful, and Blood Heir is definitely going to be a book that I’m going to read again. I read this book as an e-arc, so I know that quite a bit has changed throughout this book, so in the near future, I will give it another read to see what was different, but also to prepare me for the second book: Red Tigress.

Now, as you have probably realised, I gave this book four stars, not five. There were a couple of things that let this book down. The first was the number of clichés that were used. There were quite a few and it just felt… unnecessary. Of course, there are going to be a couple of cliché sentences. It’s very hard to not use them sometimes, but there comes a point where there were just a few too many, and I rolled my eyes a couple of times.



“Life is a masquerade. Everyone wears masks.”
– Amélie Wen Zhao, Blood Heir


There was also a little bit of an info dump at the beginning of the book. In fantasy novels, it’s so hard to build a world, and show the reader the magic of the world without being info-dumpy. But, it was too much, and I was so tempted to give up. But, I decided to carry on because of the beautiful writing style.

Overall, I think it’s safe to say that this was an amazing fantasy novel, and was so different from other fantasy novels that I’ve read before. I’m interested to give this another read to see what was changed, but I’m also so excited to get my hands on the second book because that ending blew my mind.

Disclaimer: this book was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I actually enjoyed the first part of the book, but the rest fell flat. Especially with the usage of Black pain, I ended up skimming the rest. I’ll still read the final copy to see if there were significant changes, but from what I’ve heard, I’m not expecting much.

Disclaimer: I received an early review copy of this book BEFORE it was pulled form publication and parts reworked. This review is based off of that initial manuscript. I do not know what changes were made to the book before publication.

I absolutely loved this book! Blood Heir is a beautiful written book. The magic system is a new take on an old elemental favorite, and the class system is one we've seen many times in fantasy settings. One thing that's a little different about Blood Heir is that Amélie is not afraid to write about the darker side of the class system. I believe she said she took inspiration from the old Chinese slave market, but all I could think about is the human trafficking and child abductions that are still very much relevant today.

Based on what I just read, I don't believe that the book should have been pulled from production early. I didn't read anything that was graphic, or problematic, or that isn't something that I've read or seen in present day books and movies or tv shows.

I'm not reviewing this book because this version of the same was pulled from publication. As a new version of the book is out in the world, it doesn't make sense to review this one.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy of Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao.

Blood Heir is a young adult fantasy about a princess who has fled the palace after being falsely accused of the murder of her father, the king. She teams up with a street thug named Ramson Quicktongue to find the real murderer, clear her name and rescue her brother, the crown prince. She has only her power over the blood of humans and Ramson’s knowledge of the streets to rely on as she works her way back to the kingdom.

Apparently there was a lot of controversy with this book in its early drafts. I had expected after that to be reading something with a little edge or at least titillating In some way. Instead I found it to be a bloodless (ironic considering her powers) and very, very typical of the genre. Everything from Ramson’s prison break, the prejudice against magic and abilities, the machinations behind the throne and even the expressions and language used follow the same beats and tropes of every young adult fantasy available on the market. I had hope for a fresh new voice but I there wasn’t anything here to get excited about: There was little chemistry between the two main characters and although Ramson’s story was much more intriguing than hers there is very little of it. Ana’s powers are supposed to be horrific but we barely get to see them because there is always a counter-measure or block by her enemies to keep her from using them. Ramson is reputed to be some sort of crime lord but he just seems like a little street urchin to me. The one kick-ass character shows up late in the book and disappears in the end.

This would be a average fantasy and maybe even a good one for people new to the genre. But for more experienced YA fantasy readers this is a boring addition.

3 stars

CW: gore, death, torture

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy to review.

I am sorry to say that I could not finish this book. I tried reading it for over two months before I finally decided that I was miserable while reading it.

I was so excited for this book. I am always down for an Anastasia retelling. The beginning was intriguing. It’s not every day that you get to read about an impossible break out from a high security prison and that being just the beginning.

Sadly from there, my feelings fell flat. The US cover reminded me of why I disliked this book. Second, the writing felt MG/early YA. This is juxtaposed by the content of the story. At some of the scenes would have just made The Darkling and Malachiasz beam with joy. This didn't work for me at all. Since I am discussing the cover, I wish that it would be redesigned because:
a) it's creepy but not in a good way
b) it has Middle Grade vibes and this book is not MG even though it was written like one.

Zhao’s writing style caused me to not care about the characters and this the plot. The last scene that I read was when Ana’s companion dies, I honestly felt nothing when I should have been bawling. Here I knew it was time to call it quits.

I do plan on giving Zhao another chance before I write her off. I hope that she refines her writing for the next book and that I can love it as much as I wished to love this one.

I really enjoyed reading this book. There were twists that I was not expecting at all. I haven’t read anything with any similar magic styles so that made the book better and more intriguing.

Given that this is now the older, withdrawn version of the text, I don't think it's fair to judge the novel off of this version! The book was withdrawn for a reason and therefore I'd most likely find many faults with this version of the text that I would not find in the newer version (whether that be another round of arcs or the published editions). It wouldn't be fair to criticize this novel for issues that may have already been fixed, and this is no longer the version intended for public audiences. Instead, I plan to purchase the new version myself and give it a fair review

This title was archived before I was able to download it and therefore, I was unable to review it, though it was highly anticipated by me at the time.

I am hoping to still be able to read it via the library.

Thank you.

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I really loved how this book did not pull punches or tiptoe around! It was filled with morally grey characters (the best kind, imo) who are really just trying to manage their lives the best they can. I really dont see where the controversy was with this book (and I do plan to someday read the actual released version to compare differences), and felt everything was addressed beautifully and with care.
This book did NOT read like it was a debut novel, and I can't wait to see what the author comes out with next!

“Perhaps monsters never meant to hurt others, either. Perhaps monsters didn’t even know they were monsters.”

Blood Heir is a fast-paced fantasy that follows the story of Ana, the princess of the Cirilian Empire who at a young age emerges as an Affinite. Affinites are those with possess magic, usually in regards to the elements except Ana, who has the super rare Affinity for blood. By this i mean she can control anything with blood and can even rip all the blood out of someones body. It’s pretty hardcore. Affinites are feared and not well-liked throughout the Empire and when her Affinite emerges, her father tells the kingdom she is a sickly child and cannot be out in public anymore(think poor Elsa in Frozen except Ana gets very extreme sessions from “healers” to try to force her Affinite away.) When Ana’s father is murdered, Ana finds herself being framed for it and must flee her home and try to find the evidence she needs to prove her innocence and save her kingdom.

“She was the bearing to his compass, the dawn that his ship had been chasing for so long over an empty horizon. My heart is my compass.”

Ana’s quest for innocence leads her to Ransom Quicktongue, a criminal who is well-known for his ability at finding things. The two make an unlikely pair who are each trying to prove their innocence. As fate would have it, their paths were meant to cross as they soon realize that the two of them have a person of interest that was involved in each of their downfalls.

““The Deities have long sent me a message through their silence.” A steely glow sharpened Morganya’s gaze. “It is not their duty to grant us goodness in this world, Kolst Pryncessa. No, Little Tigress— it is up to us to fight our battles in this world.””

Blood Heir is a duel POV story, with it shifting between Ana and Ransom throughout. Out of the two, Ransom was my favorite. He was witty and sly, and a not very great man who really starts to become morally better after meeting Ana. And the banter between Ransom and Ana was A+. Rather than staying the selfish man he had become, he finds himself outwardly trying to help those in need. Ana was a very ignorant and naive girl, but that was because of her upbringing. Once she is out of the castle and on her own in the world Ana is shown just how corrupt the kingdom is and how vile Affinites are really treated in the real world. Her mission goes from being simply for her innocence proven, to trying to help dismantle the slave trading of the Affinites once her eyes are opened to the injustice going on.

“Who had determined that Affinites were less worthy of love, of being human, and why? Simply on the basis that they were … different?”

I really enjoyed Blood Heir. The storytelling was engrossing and I found myself reading this into the wee hours of the morning. It was a complexly developed world, which is my favorite when magic is involved. I can’t wait to learn even more about Ana and Ransom journey in the second book and honestly, that cliffhanger ending got me so bad I am still reeling from it. I am giving this a 4 out of 5 stars.

I do not feel that I can not give accurate or honest feedback based on this copy given the fact that it went into rewrites. But I will give it the rating that I was headed towards prior to the announcement.

I ended up not finishing this one, given the controversy, I wanted to wait for the final copy before giving an honest review.

This novel is one of the best I’ve read this year! The characters are so dynamic yet relatable. I loved the flow of the story. It held my attention the whole time.