Blood Heir is easily one of my favorite reads of 2019, and possibly a favorite of all-time. With exquisite writing, unforgettable characters, and extraordinary world building, Blood Heir captured my attention from the moment I started reading and left me breathless for me.

The world building is absolutely phenomenal and breathtaking. There’s nothing quite like this world Zhao has created and its achingly beautiful. She describes the world in vivid colors and elegant prose. Her writing is spectacular and she captures the world and characters so well. Zhao’s storytelling blew me away, and I’m so thankful she decided to publish her book this year. She knows how to write a captivating YA fantasy story.

Ana is such a strong and well-depicted character. She’s fearful of her gift – the ability to control blood – and she has every right to be. Unable to control her power, she rarely uses it, so she doesn’t accidentally kill someone (this fear manifested due to a darkly past experience). But, throughout her journey, she starts to realize that her affinity is not something she should fear, but something she should harness. And seeing that growth and understanding was what made Ana a relatable character – she had something to fear but she started to learn how to overcome that fear and fight for her future.

Ramson, I have to say, was such a fun character. He mainly just looks out for himself but he grows throughout this book and starts to feel attached to Ana. And I enjoyed watching him try to piece together her past and her identity. His personality is so much fun. He’s sarcastic and funny and knows he’s good-looking. He’s basically Flynn Rider from Tangled but in an awesome YA fantasy book. I’m very excited to see where his character development goes in the second book.

If you’re looking for romance, there’s not quite much in Blood Heir. Don’t get me wrong, there is romance (in the form of a snarky and dashingly handsome thief), but it’s very much in the background. I’ll set it straight for you: it’s a very slow burn romance, and it captivated my attention the whole book. The slow burn builds from the first page to the last sentence, and I have this wonderful (hopefully right) feeling that the romance is going to really blossom in book two. I was rooting for Ana and her potential love interest the whole time; they both compliment each other and their constant witty banter gave me all the feels.

I’m beyond excited (and very impatient, might I add) for book two. The ending to Blood Heir is honestly how I was hoping it would end: with a cliff-hanger but one that didn’t strike a knife straight through my heart. It does have a small cliff-hanger, but mainly in the sense of the agonizing wait for book two. But overall, Blood Heir is a dashingly exquisite debut novel that I will continue to recommend to my friends and bookworms.

Blood Heir was initially an eARC I received from NetGalley, but after Twitter drama caused it to be delayed and reworked, I decided to request an audiobook copy to review in order to experience the novel in its final form. And well, for all the fuss surrounding it, this one actually turned out to be pretty average.

Those who know me, however, will know that “average” is not always intended as a slight. I make it no secret that adult SFF makes up the bulk of my reading diet and that I only delve into Young Adult occasionally, which has made me extremely picky about the YA books I do check out since I only put those that sound interesting enough onto my TBR. But while I think Amélie Wen Zhao has written a solid debut, one that was in fact quite enjoyable from any perspective, a part me still can’t help but feel maybe part of the time spent reworking this book could have included some structural edits and overall polishing as well, because I found the pacing to be very unstable and much of the writing to be overly dramatic.

But first, a bit about the story. Blood Heir takes us to a vaguely Russian-inspired fantasy world where exists individuals with magic who are both reviled and prized for their abilities to control the world around them. Called “Affinites”, they are heavily exploited and trafficked within the Cyrilian Empire, treated as human chattel to be bought and sold. But what nobody knows is that the empire’s 18-year-old crown princess, Anastacya Mikhailov, is an Affinite herself, a secret she guards closely by shutting herself away from the outside world. It doesn’t help that her Affinity is blood, enabling her to affect the bodies and flesh of others in horrifying ways.

Then one day, Ana’s father is murdered, and she can hide no more. With the emperor’s death pinned on her, Ana is forced to flee the palace, escaping into the outside world with no protection. Still, she is determined to find her father’s killer and clear her name, leading her to seek the aid of a crime lord named Ramson Quicktongue. To navigate the corruption of the Cyrilian Empire, she reasoned, she will need someone just as deceitful and unscrupulous. But Ramson has secrets as well, not to mention his own mission and a personal vendetta to attend to.

I will say, there were moments of absolute ingenuity in this book, especially in the first third or so. I loved the world building and the way the magic system was handled, especially Ana’s affinity to blood. And boy, were there moments where things got dark. The author did an incredible job emphasizing the horrific and extraordinary nature of Ana’s abilities, as well as the way its effects have shaped her and defined her purpose. The story here doesn’t go easy on the character, putting her through one harrowing trial after the next. It made it slightly easier to understand the early self-loathing, the constant berating of herself, and the insidious undertones of insecurity that come through in her voice and everything she does.

That said, I think the writing might have taken the angst and melodrama a bit too far. Perhaps it was because I listened to this in audio, and in this format, problems such as these tend to be far more noticeable, but the prose was often overwrought and too flowery for my tastes. This flagrant overwriting got so extreme and eyeroll-inducing at times it would snap me right out of the story, and even though I’ve found this issue to be common with a lot of debut YA novelists and not just Amélie Wen Zhao, it nevertheless cast an unfortunate damper on the experience. Compounded with the fact that pacing suffered in the middle due to some plot meandering and repetitiveness, or that it took me some time to warm up to Ramson, there were moments where I had to actively push myself to continue, which was strange because I don’t usually need much motivation when it comes to audiobooks.

Happily, I think the book’s ending made up for a lot of these issues. One only has to look at the ways both Ana and Ramson have changed by the end as compared to their earlier selves to see why. The plot also came back in a big way, with a finale that was worth waiting for despite all the bumps along the way.

Overall, I’m glad this book got published, though I have to wonder if it would have been a blip on most people’s radars if it hadn’t been for the controversy surrounding it. I enjoyed Blood Heir, but also must confess it indulges in a lot of YA fantasy tropes and contains some very typical debut hiccups like pacing issues and purple prose—things that I concede would probably not pose a problem for most readers who are not as picky as I am, or are reading this book in a non-audio format. That said, the audiobook is one I would still wholeheartedly recommend, and it is in no small part due to the fact is is narrated by the amazing and very talented Emily Woo Zeller. I’m a big fan of her work, and her mellow and dignified voice was simply perfect for this novel. I honestly don’t think she’s capable of delivering a bad performance, and once more she really hit it out of the park with this one.

I'm very happy that Bloody Heir had an opportunity to be shared with the world. From the marvellous writing to the discussion of thought provoking issues, Blood Heir is the epic journey of Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess of Cyrilia, who will do whatever it takes to save her Empire - even if it means becoming a monster.

Storytelling: A dark retelling of Anastasia, Blood Heir is the tale of Ana's search for justice after being framed by her father's death. I'm aware that I use these words a lot, but Amélie Wen Zhao's writing is simply enthralling. Her words captivated me from the very first sentence. There is something about her writing that made me fall in love - there is such a care in the storytelling and that transpires to the reader. Through words, you could feel all the emotions Amélie put in her story.

Blood Heir explores the darkness of our world, dwelling on indenture and slavery, the power one exerts over another, the boundaries between good and evil, and the monsters that walk on earth. I actually kept highlighting quotes that focused on these themes (the topic of monstrosity is always a favourite of mine - one is always so sure of whom the real monster is that he/she never looks at the mirror, believing to be human and morally righteous). In the end, the reader is forced to think about the same questions than the characters. Ps. Don't you just love when a book/story makes you think critically? One has the power to change the world by unveiling and confronting the darkness that inhabits it.

Characters: After being "locked up" inside the palace walls for years, following an incident that gave birth to the legend of the Witch of Salskoff, Anna is accused of her father's murder. Emotionally damaged and haunted by traumatic memories of being tortured in order to become "human" and lose her Affinity, Ana begins the journey to prove her innocence. In her search for the culprit, she travels through the Empire and comes to understand that the land she believed to be just and a home to all its inhabitants has been corrupted and is rot to its core. Monsters hid in the shadows, selling Affinities and forcing them to do their bidding.

Throughout her journey, this new reality moulds Ana's view. She sees her father's mistakes and realizes that Affinities are not monsters, thus swearing to make the Empire a better place to everyone. She vows to fight against all the wrongdoings that ravage the Empire. I really enjoyed how much Ana grew. No longer sheltered by the life in the palace, the world is no longer black and white. Ana goes through a transformation that is strongly connected with acceptance - acceptance of who she is, of her Affinity, of what she can do.

Ana isn't the only character that goes through some major transformations. Ramson Quickthongue, con-man and member of one of the most brutal criminal organizations in Cyrilia, also goes through a journey that obliges him to confront his past, to face his choices, and wonder about the path he wants to follow. Although his past is not as torturous as Anna's, it has also left several scars (physical and psychological) on Ramson, as the reader comes to learn as the story unfolds.

World Building: If you are looking for a whole new world, build from the scratch , even if inspired by our own world, you will find it in Blood Heir. The Cyrilian Empire, the Kingdom of Bregon, the dangerous city of Novo Minsk (which did remind me of Ketterdam), among many other lands and cultures will give you wanderlust. This world features a range of Affiniti - flesh, marble, earth, fire, ice, etc., whose abilities are connected to the world that surrounds them. Once again, you can see how carefully the settings are crafted - settings where light and darkness intertwine in every chapter; no matter how difficult the journey through frozen landscapes inhabited by wild beasts and magical beings or in blood-soaked dungeons is, there's always hope.

Blood Heir is a strange book to review. On the one hand, the story is exciting, the writing engaging, and it flowed well. On the other, I was bored out of my mind despite that.

Blood Heir is described as a “dark Anastasia retelling”. That is, Anastasia the musical film, not the actual historical event. That one did confuse me at first. But anyway. Dark Anastasia, but with magic powers, people who can manipulate different substances, somewhat like Avatar in a way. The main character, Ana, has the power to manipulate blood, a very rare power, and one that leaves her hated by many, and suspected of having killed her father, the emperor. In order to clear her name, she enlists the help of Ramson (who I have to carefully type the name of because I’m very likely to call him Ransom by accident), who works for a big criminal boss.

The Good:

* The writing. Amélie Wen Zhao has such a lovely writing style – it flows so well and she builds up tension excellently. In another book, where I liked the characters more, it would have made me love the book.

* The action. You know me, I get very bored, very easily, so the amount of action this book opened with was perfect, and it – for the most part – continued throughout. Yeah, there were a few lulls, but it moved along at a good pace as well as developing the characters.

The Less Good:

* The characters. The thing is, these characters kind of felt not-quite-there with their characterisation. It almost felt at times like they could be summed up with one or two words. Ana had the most potential for me and I could definitely see her going down a morally-grey-would-do-anything-to-protect-the-ones-she-loves route, but in this she always just seemed to teeter on the edge of going there. Instead she’s almost annoyingly naive about what’s going on in her country. Sure, she’s in a place of privilege but even so. Meanwhile, with Ramson, I just couldn’t bring myself to care about someone who was so blithely willing to send Ana into what’s effectively slavery, even knowing exactly what happens to those people because he’s close to the biggest player in that game. There’s “dark” and then there’s “oh I’m happy to sell you into slavery for my own profit”. Okay, so he develops, but that was always in the back of my mind with him.

* I couldn’t stop thinking about the whole mess earlier in the year with the book. Yeah, that’s a personal one. I just couldn’t disconnect that, and all the vitriol from that, from the book itself. But like I said, personal. And, not having read the first version of it, I don’t know the changes that were made so. It’s a me thing.

So, in the end, there was a fair amount of potential to the book, but it just didn’t pull through.

"Blood Heir" by Amelie Wen Zhao was a disappointing read for me. I mostly skimmed it especially toward the end and I just never really connected with the characters. A lot about the story felt cliche and shallow. The writing was decent and the story had some potential, but nothing different ever really stuck out to me. She even repurposed Dumbledore's quote about decisions defining you, several times. So yeah, there were a lot of trite, overused phrases and tropes and I never got into the story at all. The second star is since I finished it, and the third star is for some well-thought-out world building. That's about as generous as I can be.

A fantasy book according to my heart: a gripping and entertaining plot with a lot of twists and turns, well written and interesting characters,and an amazing world building.
I was hooked since the first pages and I kept on thinking about this book as I wanted to know what was going to happen.
The relationship between Anya and Ramson is at the same refreshing and according to the classic love-hate schema. I loved this characters, they're both in a grey moral area, realistic and human enough to fail and to act in a sometime questionable way.
The amazing world building is vivid and detailed.
I loved this book and can't wait to read other works by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Regardless of the backlash this book received previously this year, I was really taken in by this story. I loved the characters, the magic system, and emotions so clearly put into this novel.

I was really swept up into the world that Zhao created and the characters who dealt with morality, learning about themselves, and how to stand up in a world that wants you to sit down. The characters really made this book what it was, and I felt connected to them similar to how I felt about the characters in Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fantasy novel and hope that the series continues on strongly.

It’s not very often I’m reviewing a book that I’ve had to hold onto for a couple of years but the young adult book world can be a brutal place and if you hadn’t heard Blood Heir was pulled last year after the author was bullied with complaints. Well, here we are finally ready to publish and I’m here to say do NOT listen to that vocal minority as I found this another case of nitpicking where it’s not needed. Oh, and not to mention we do have rights here in America that allows people to choose what to read themselves and don’t need to be dictated to. /end rant

Now for the actual book itself… Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao is the first book of the new young adult fantasy trilogy by the same name. This series is a loosely based retelling of Anastasia, darker, more intense but you can see the original within but I’m always one that enjoys the creativity of writing one’s own version that feels new and fresh so a thumbs up on that.

The story is told with different points of view as the main character, Ana, is thrust out in the world when her father is murdered and she begins to be blamed. Helping Ana along the way is Ramson who has his own secrets and reasons for heading on the quest. Both characters are likable and the story one that was fun to follow so I think most fantasy fans are really going go enjoy this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Anastasia retellings are one of my favorites and this one did not disappoint! The first chapter sets the tone for the entire book. Action around every corner, betrayals that had me clutching my pearls, characters you wanted to absolutely hug or absolutely punch in the face, sexual tension that had me giddy as a school girl, and an ending that left me dying for more!

Without getting into the controversy surrounding this book, I am so excited that it will finally see the light of day and I am super excited that everyone will soon be able to experience it too.

Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao is an epic YA fantasy which had me gripped from beginning to end. I was initially drawn to the book's gorgeous cover, the almost stark simplicity belies the rich world building and dramatic story telling contained within and the genius of the title becomes apparent as the tale unfolds. The book has a loose basis in the story of Anastasia Romanov, but this story has been liberally sprinkled with magic and deftly handled with great skill by the author. We follow the adventures of Anastacya Mikhailov , daughter of the Emperor of Cyrilia who has been framed for the murder of her father, and is on the run while hiding a deadly secret. As a blood afinite she has the magical ability to manipulate and control blood, a talent that is more likely to be seen as a curse. While attempting to find the man responsible for her father's murder she runs into an upcoming member of the criminal underworld who may have the skill to track down her quarry, but who is hiding a couple of secrets of his own, Ramson Quicktongue. While their missions align they agree to help one another, but can either of them really be trusted?
I cannot think of a single thing that I disliked about this book. The characters were both interesting and complex and showed development over the course of the book. Their complexity meant that at times their actions were unpredictable , which added to the suspense of the book. The pacing was excellent, it never dragged and never felt rushed, instead the reader is treated to a roller coaster ride with a suitably thrilling conclusion. The world building was wonderful, I felt like I had a clear understanding of the magic system and societal organisation which showed echoes of Imperial Russia. I can only admire the author's skill with words, her ability to evoke the icy cold settings had me shivering as I read, and feeling for her characters as they faced momentous decisions. I found the ending incredibly satisfying, while it tied up the story well, it left me eager for more , and I thought it was brave of the author to go for a less than happy ending which felt true to the arc the characters had been on.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
There was so much controversy behind this book and after reading it, I don’t see where it came from. I’m so happy the author decided to go through with publishing it, because it was quite good!
The character development was done very well. I think both characters grew in a good way, I do think that Ana still has much to learn about her affinity.
The world building was a little meh. I wish there had been more history present about the Affinites. I know that they’re slaves in this society, but learning more about the types would be cool. So many are mentioned, but not much detail.
The pacing also seemed a little weird. It went super slow for a lot of the book and sped up towards the end. There was so much that happened at the end too, that I found myself needing to go back and read parts just to make sure I understood.
Overall, it was pretty good. Would I read the next one? Heck yeah!

Honestly, mention a con man in a book description, and I'll usually jump to read it.  I'm sure that speaks to something psychologically, but the books generally turn out to be fantastic reads.  And Blood Heir was absolutely was.

Every time I thought this book was falling into predictable YA territory, it surprised me and threw in a curve.  Love it when that happens.  The magic system is intricate, well done, and unlike anything I've come across in other YA fantasies.  I also appreciated that even though this is the first in a series, it doesn't end with a cliffhanger, but is still open-ended.

I really felt for Ana and her situation.  Losing her family is tragic enough, but being framed for her father's murder is devastating.  I did wonder how she managed to survive during her time away - she tends to strike first and deal with the consequences later.  But if you don't have flawed characters, where's the conflict?

Ramson had me from the first page.  He has the whole charismatic, streetwise, cocky, but completely untrustworthy thing going on.  Utterly charming.  Being at a crucial crossroad in his life, his character arc is riveting and easily my favorite.

This book had a rocky start, but I'm so glad it's being published.  An outstanding debut from an author I plan on reading more of.  If you enjoy flawed characters with questionable loyalties, a complex plot, and a unique magical system, add Blood Heir to your TBR.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

While this story opened up with a banger of a first chapter, unfortunately I think it was a concept that worked better as a pitch.

This fantasy feels fairly familiar to other revenge plot stories but with a twist : the heroine, the princess, the fugitive, is a monster. Or, rather, has a monstrous power. And the hero, well. He’s a conman with a seedy past. With a Russian-esque feel to the worldbuilding, think Grishaverse but not as direct a copy as another recent release, and interesting character archetypes, I really thought this would be a winner.

But sadly I was feeling some concerns around the 20% mark and it didn’t really get better. Sometimes it got worse.

There were a lot of familiar tropes and situations, the dialogue would occasionally fall into awkward cliche, and everything good and interesting just felt overshadowed by the rest. Also, I found myself rather confused by some of the timeline and events that lead up to where everything opened up. Maybe it was just me, maybe I missed it, but that confusion certainly didn’t help. There was definitely potential, and again in theory this should’ve been great, I just don’t think the writing did it any favours. Nor did a few repeats (and more repeats) of certain things I won’t spoil.

Considering all the controversy around this one, I’m extra sad I didn’t love this. I don’t know what changes, if any, were made, but as of the reading of this edition, I don’t believe any of the complaints were warranted. Topics of exploitation and the violation of human rights, it’s all worthy dialogue. Set against a fantasy backdrop makes the reality less devastating to experience but this was a main plot point and definitely key for our lead character and what drives her. She’s trying to do good, fix her world, and we need more of that in our world. The outcry just seems ridiculous and also so very shortsighted. But I digress.

I’m not sure if I’ll read on in this series. But who am I kidding; I probably will.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

I received this eARC from Delacorte Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way. All quotes are taken from the uncorrected proof and are subject to change.

I will not be officially rating this eARC on Goodreads because of the promised revisions, but if I had to, I’d definitely say 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. This is a review for the original ARC, long before the controversy that made Zhao pull her book, revise it, and release new ARCs. More on that controversy later.

Obligatory Summary

Ana’s deadly Affinity to blood makes her, at least in her own eyes, a monster. And when she’s framed for the mysterious death of her father, it might as well be true. But to clear her name, she needs the help of Ramson Quicktongue, an infamous crime lord and the only person who can find her father’s killer. But he has secrets of his own and plans to get his revenge, and Ana might be just what he needs to regain his position.

Who, in the end, is the monster?

My Thoughts on the Book

"In the face of fear, one could choose to run, or to rise."

This wasn’t the most original book I’ve ever read. It has the hallmark features of a YA high fantasy retelling about royalty:

- A princess with a dark secret (usually dangerous magical powers and knowledge regarding a dead parent)
- Said princess pretends to be a peasant / doesn’t reveal her true identity to those around them, usually the love interest
- The love interest is a Bad Boy™ with a shady past but he’s sarcastic enough to be charming
- A friend dies
- The MacGuffin leads to yet another MacGuffin
- ~ BeTrAYaL ~
- One or more masked ballroom sequences

Cliche? Yes. But bad? I actually quite enjoyed it for what it was. The main characters had a great rapport, the setting was clear, and the plot kept you moving forward. If you like Bloodleaf, Shadow and Bone, and Six of Crows, then you’ll probably love this.

Specifically, Ana felt like a merge between Alina from Shadow and Bone and Aurelia from Bloodleaf. Ramson felt like a merge between Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows and Nikolai from the Grishaverse as a whole. Ramson’s side of things had a very Ketterdam vibe to it, while Ana’s had a Ravkan, Grisha aesthetic. Even the Affinities and their classifications bore a great deal of similarities to the Grisha. Cliche, however, doesn’t always mean bad, if the cliches are still entertaining. I didn’t mind any of these similarities. I still enjoyed the story.

“Your heart is your compass, and even the strongest wind can’t change its direction.”

I did, though, flip-flop quite a bit, I have to admit. I was generally quite engaged (it even took me out of a 3 month slump!!) but a single issue pervaded almost every aspect and really made me want to unofficially rate this 3 stars instead of 4.

It felt undeveloped. Not all the time—and there was definitely a lot of well established foreshadowing and character building—but some sequences that could have expanded on the characters and their dynamics, or breathed more life into the world or setting, or even just explained some of the plot, were just…sloppy or barely there or not there at all.

This had heart (a lot of it) and clearly a great deal of hardwork—and it shows! It really does! But it also has some missed opportunities and skipped time. Five whole days of travel with our two leads (who aren’t very well acquainted by this time in the story) occurs without any page time. So much could have happened in those five days, even if it’s just relationship building or backstory sprinkling rather than dumping. It made some parts of their relationship feel unearned or unrealistic. Besides that, Ana herself is kind of an idiot but I don’t think it’s her fault. What she does or does not know, based on her own experiences, is vague at best. We know she was isolated from the world at a young age, essentially tortured by her tutor, and taught to fear and hate herself. But somehow, she sees or perceives the world as an entirely different place than what she has known it to be, and not necessarily in an optimistic, trying-to-see-the-good-in-life kind of way. She believes or knows some things that she reasonably wouldn’t have known, or holds strong opinions about topics she would likely never have been introduced to. And when she has been introduced to topics, even going so far as explaining how she knows about it earlier in the book, when confronted with that same thing again, she seems to be completely blindsided. It really makes no sense at all.

But I liked it. And I’m mad about a certain thing that my Winter Wars girls know all about. They know my fury, and that it stems from love.

The Controversy

The TL;DR of the thing is this: Zhao wrote a book about indentured servitude and how it’s evil, sent out ARCs to the harsh, cruel world, and the harsh, cruel world of Book Twitter claimed it was inaccurate and insensitive representation of African slavery. Perhaps I’m being biased, however, because I think those people who claimed that were entirely wrong. Because I read the book, and very few of them did.

A better, less biased TL;DR is this: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/books/amelie-wen-zhao-blood-heir.html

Amélie Wen Zhao wrote a letter to the readers of her original ARC, and I’m certain that if most of the people flinging accusations at her had read it, they wouldn’t have said half the things they said. It goes a little something like this:

Dear Reader,

Four years ago, I began writing a story about a corrupt empire steeped in winter, filled with morally gray con men, deadly assassins, twisted villains, and above all, a girl named Anastacya, who has the power to manipulate blood and who believes she is a monster.

It took me two years to realize that the monster in the story is me.

I am an immigrant. I am a woman of color. And I am an “Other.” In my time in the United States, I have never experienced the sense of crushing fear about my identity that I have recently. “Get out of my country, communist!” is only one of the slurs I’ve had screamed at me from across the street. What I’ve experienced personally and seen across social media outlets and national television broadcasts has all amounted to a hyperawareness of my foreignness, my Otherness, and the possibility that because I am different, I am not worthy of belonging.

Blood Heir explores the demonization of the Other and this experience of not belonging. Ana’s journey examines how one can internalize hatred and fear, how that can warp one’s core and turn it into something cruel and twisted. But ultimately, her story is one of self-acceptance, and of the realization that we cannot change who we are nor what we are born with, but we can choose what we do with what we are given. And like me, Ana chooses to fight for a better tomorrow.

So I gave magic to my girls who were told they were monsters. I gave my children of color the ability to fight oppression. Because in a world where there is so little I can control, I want to put hope and power in their hands for once—and in a world where those deemed “different” are often cast out and made to be monsters, I want them to win.

Thank you for reading.

Amélie Wen Zhao

Don’t believe me? She shared it on Goodreads a whole year before the hate hit its climax. And what was that hate but another representation of Zhao’s Otherness and the world trying to take her voice away? What does it mean for a foreign woman of color to feel like a monster because of the irrational opinions of others, only to have the very work that helped her overcome that self-doubt be criticized for the same purported problems? And what, then, does it mean for her to come back stronger and fight for her book’s publication?

But you know what I find most interesting? That in the new ARC, which I haven’t read, she changed the letter.

Dear Reader,

Growing up, I learned to make sense of the world around me through stories. And yet, I struggled to find ones that fully represented me, with all my identities and histories and the various cultures I grew up with. So I decided to write my own.

Blood Heir is an amalgamation of characters from different kingdoms and cultures representative of the international community in which I was raised. I set this story in a cinematic world brimming with my love for fantasy, yet also rife with corruption and plagued with human rights violations in a broken system of law. The theme of oppression in Blood Heir draws upon the practice of indentured servitude that directly affected my own family history, as well as the global epidemic of human trafficking that continues to exist today in many forms. In a vast and powerful system set up against the powerless, I wanted to give each and every one of my characters the chance to fight back.

I’m so thrilled to be sharing a piece of my heart and mind with you. I hope my book can introduce a new perspective to readers to recognize the hidden tragedies of our humanity, and to confront this beautiful, broken world of ours with hope and bravery.

Sincerely,

Amélie Wen Zhao

A stark difference. Gone are the personal ties. This is an explanation, not an apology. And I couldn’t be more proud. She isn’t backing down, she isn’t cowed into submission by the haters. She’s standing taller, if not more distant, and pushing for her own story.

Amélie is her own monster, just as Ana is a monster in her world. They’re both pushed down, made to fear the world and its reaction to them. It takes a lot of courage to openly discuss those kinds of fears, especially in a time as turbulent as this, where politics split the Western world so starkly and fears run rampant. But isn’t this kind of open honesty what we need right now? We need personal stories of struggle and oppression, even if they’re told through metaphor, to give people a space to reflect and analyze. That’s what fantasy does best. It allows you to explore the world at a deeper level but at a distance; it’s a parable of our world, a microcosm used to explain ideas and concepts without the complications of a direct comparison. It’s infinitely useful, and as Zhao put it, a way for those deemed Other to see themselves in fiction.

Conclusion

The book isn’t bad. It does what it intends to do, and it does it without claiming to be anything but what it is: an own-voices story about a girl oppressed by a corrupt world fighting for the chance to be free: free of hate, free of fear, free of oppression.

“We are all heroes in our own eyes, and monsters in the eyes of those who are different.”

I’m going to read the published book. I want to know what Zhao changed, and if it was necessary to change it. See you in part 2.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.
I have no idea which version of this I read, the original arc or a refined one.

Overall this was a solid read. It was a little slow at first, but it picked up about 30% in.
I understood this to be set in a sort of Siberian, fictionalized land loosely inspired by Russia.
Bits and pieces were taken from history.
Princess Ana, is an Affinaite with a very rare power. The power to seize and control blood.
Affinities are feared in this land, while the upper class is often protected, the lower classes are indentured and sold into servitude. Her father the Emperor was murdered and Ana was framed for it. With death her only other option she escapes, determined to discover those at the top of the plot to be rid of her, and clear her name, and restore herself to her rightful place.

Guards roam the streets looking for Affinites, anyone caught out without their papers identifying them and their Affinite will be arrested. Unfortunately Ana's country Cyrilian has an embroiled well-oiled black market, and the guards sent to protect, often take them to brokers where they are used for entertainment and auctioned to the highest bidder.

Ramson, was a deputy for one of the countries largest and most powerful brokers. He now finds himself betrayed and thrown in prison. Hell bent on revenge, he wants to clear his name and claim back his powerful position he once held in the Order of the Lily.

It was an interesting journey, both Ana and Ramson are dark characters, they've both done wrong, and accept it within themselves. While a Princess she may be, she's no wilting flower, she will do what needs to be done. Ramson can't help being what he always was, uses her planning to betray her, but they both find something within each other that they didn't expect.
Watching Ana fully embrace herself and her power was fun. She has an absolutely terrifying power.
I look forward to seeing her fully wield it against the oncoming darkness.

I was approved for a copy of BLOOD HEIR in early 2019. Shortly before I was about to start reading it, social media blew up and the masses were in an uproar about the content of the book. This made me want to both steer clear of and read it. I put off starting it because the author ended up pulling the book from publication and I had stacks upon stacks of books that were being published and needed review. Once Amelie announced that she would be moving forward with publishing, I decided to bump it up my never ending TBR pile.

I picked it up at the very end of August on camping trip and read almost a quarter of it in one night. Despite being immediate sucked in to the story, I again set it aside for books with publication dates before November. Two months later I really started reading BLOOD HEIR and I couldn't get enough. Normally when I read a book in this manner it makes me not enjoy the story, that was not the case this time!

I loved the world building, the character development, the dialogue,.... okay I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!!! There were parts of the book that thoroughly broke my heart and others that had me laughing out loud. I may not be the best judge but I didn't find anything in the plot problematic like the early reviews were indicating. 

If you love an epic fantasy with magic, court intrigue, betrayal and loyalty, I can't recommend this one enough. The wait for the sequel is going to be killer! I'm tempted to preorder the audiobook so that I can relive the story again right away!

Huge thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an advanced copy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now this is a book shrouded in mystery. Blood Heir. Early reviews for this book called it racist and insensitive, so it was pulled from publication by the author. A few months go by, she restructures it and plans to rerelease it in mid-November. Now I do know that there are ARCs of that edited version, but I was granted an early copy before she pulled it, so this review is for that (but all ARCs change for publication, so it happens).
So, let me address the elephant in the room. Slavery, this book has it. The story is about these enhanced individuals known as Affinites, who each have specific elemental abilities not unlike the witches in Susan Dennard’s Witchland series. Unlike that series, these Affinites are mostly used as slaves, forced into indentured servitude by signing contracts that they don’t know how to read and sold at undercover slave markets where they are forced to perform. The book even starts with Ana going into a prison and the guards offering her some Affinites to buy. It’s not a great system (to put it lightly), but it does act as a lower plot line in the story. Ana, a blood Affinite, princess in disguise, is constantly shocked and dismayed by how Affinites are being treated, and the story moves towards revolution as it progresses.
The main character, Ana, is a princess on the run. After she was framed for murdering her father, she faked her own death and is now on a mission to track down the true killer. Ramson, criminal mastermind (in his own mind) was thrown in jail for some things you’ll find out later. Ana comes to him to get him to identify the killer, but they both end up escaping the jail and banding together to each get their own justice. They don’t always get along (they usually don’t) but they each end up fighting for the same thing, in their own ways.
The plot has a lot of action, mostly regarding Ana and Ransom’s quests for vengeance, but contains a few side plots. The ending is a twister though, things look good, then bad, then worse, then not so bad. Then onward to adventure in book two!
I really like the magic system. I find it interesting that using magic causes a physical change (eye color and veins bulge). The author doesn’t explore much magic outside of Ana’s blood powers, so I hope we get to see others using their powers in book two. Ransom and Ana’s relationship is an odd one, mostly of convenience, but they each go through a ton of character development and I am really happy where they end up. As for the actual ending, things could be better, but they are looking up! Looks like we’ll get to see more of the surrounding nations (who treat their Affinites a lot better, thank goodness).

Zhao knocked it out of the park with this debut - I loved it! Hard to believe it's her first novel. This book just got better and better the more I read. Well-developed characters and an intricate plot. Anastacya Mikhailov a/k/a Ana, a princess, hides a secretive power. There are others in the Kingdom and surrounding lands who have various types and degrees of power, or Affinities. These people are known as Affinites. When one of the Affinites is discovered they are enslaved to serve masters who treat them badly.

Ana flees the palace when the King dies and everyone thinks she is the murderess. While in hiding she travels the land in search of the real killer. She teams up with an infamous con man, Ramson. They strike a bargain and the fast-paced adventure is in full throttle.

I have to say I had as much fun reading this as I did Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. I can't remember another fantasy I enjoyed so much.

Many thanks to Amelie Wen Zhao and Delacorte Press through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited about reading this book because I was hoping it there would be a lot of fighting and some romance maybe. I read the first two or three chapters and just couldn't get into it. Whether it's me or the book, I'm not sure. I just couldn't get into it and I don't think this book is for me.

DISCLOSURE: I was provided an eARC of this book before the author made changes after the big controversy. Things might have changed in her final version.

It’s honestly a DNF from me.

I am not sure if the author did any research into any of the languages she romanticizes in her novel. On page one she uses the word “varyshki” as something to be worn on your feet. Varyshki are mittens - I mean Google could have told you this, you didn’t even have to go out, buy a Russian/English dictionary, look up the word and read its definition - all you had to do was GOOGLE IT. To me this simple example of laziness showed how the rest of the book was going to go and I was not wrong. Then we got to the name of MC - Anastacya Mikhailov. Oh boy…did Miss Zhao know that in Russian language all feminine names end with an -a? I highly suggest she reads up on Russian nominatives or at least consults The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden who wrote “On Russian names” in the end of that book and explains how they’re used.

Look - writing about a culture that’s not yours is hard, it’s why so many authors get into trouble. But writing about a culture without doing ANY research beforehand and just making is sound cool is disrespectful and harmful to the said culture. I’m not even going to get into the slavery argument because so many reviewers said it way better than me and I didn’t make it far into the book. I just knew I am not going to waste my time with this - there are too many good books out there that I could be reading instead.

If you want great, strong female characters set in Eastern European cultures, I suggest you read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Polish inspired) and Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente.