This Anastasia retelling started off with a promising premise after the prison break in the first chapters, but I lost interest as the book progressed. The story is told in dual perspective from the POVs of a runaway princess trying to clean her name and a conman looking for revenge. It’s by no means a bad book and it has some entertaining scenes, but it has all the recurrent tropes of an average YA fantasy book, so I felt quite unimpressed by the storyline.

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. Ana, as the main character, surpassed my expectations. Although the story follows the typical Hero's Journey, it ends with a massive twist that makes you reconsider the whole story!

I have to admit that I fell in love with the characters and cannot wait for the next book!

So I'll admit, I wanted to read this book because of the controversy around it. I put my faith in the author and the publisher that they had fixed any problems that may have been in it and although I don't always notice these things, there was certainly nothing I could see of the problematic content. Race didn't come into it at all. Though with the Russian inspired setting, it makes me wonder what was there before.

The book itself though was pretty meh if I'm honest. The setting was interesting but the characters just didn't capture me at all. There was nothing wrong with them, but I just didn't care about them. Ransom was meant to be this sassy backstabbing dickhead, which is usually my favourite kind of character, but it just didn't hit right.

As for the plot, it was okay. There were a few bits that didn't add up, especially with the ending, but it kept my attention okay. It just felt forced though. And how many times can people fall into the river???

Basically not for me at all.

This was an interesting world and had some good conversations around the nature of human trafficking, in a fantasy setting. I thought that the Affinites magic system was well done and had some unique qualities and I thought that the world building was pretty good too. Unfortunately, the characters all fell a little bit flat for me and the plot was a bit predictable. However, I will be picking up the sequel to see where the author takes us from this point.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

BLOOD HEIR is a dark retelling of the Anastasia fairytale, it is interesting and very well written, if yours looking for a good fantasy I would highly recommend.

This book was really great! I loved that it’s an Anastasia retelling but that it’s completely unique in its own way. The magic system is really interesting and I loved the cast of characters. It’s a bit slow in places but overall I really enjoyed reading it.

I requested this book on Netgalley but sadly never got round to reading it. I also have the Illumicrate edition and I was trying to decide if I should buy the sequel special edition too (I did in the end). Amélie was doing a re-read before book 2 came out and I thought this would be a good time to catch up. Annoyingly I got really behind on the read-along and it took me forever to finally finish this book. I read about 60% on my netgalley version and the other 40% I listened to the audiobook.

While it took me forever to read this book it was not because I disliked it. It was because I had blog tour commitments which mean I would pick it up in between and read a chapter or two before moving on to the next tour book. In the end, I saw the audiobook on offer and grabbed it so I could finish it that way and not keep interrupting it with tour books.

I LOVED Ana. She is a fighter. She will stand up for those that are being oppressed. After being forced out of her family, her home into the streets she is more determined than ever that the world knows the truth. She is an easy character to like and to get behind. I can't wait to see where her story goes in book 2.

Ramson, Ramson, Ramson. This man has a line for everything. His brain is a quick as his mouth, most of the time. He's cunning, he's manipulative but with Ana, he might have just found someone he can't outwit. I loved the relationship between these two. Ramson had me laughing at his responses to Ana.

There is quite a bit of world-building but it's not sluggish like in some books it felt more natural to me. I didn't find that it slowed the pace of the book too much. Amélie chucks you into the action but quickly explains what is going on without interrupting the flow. This is something that is quite difficult and for a debut author, it's really quite something. This book read like Amélie was a seasoned author.

This was an excellent YA fantasy story about magic, oppression and human trafficking. This has some loose retelling elements from Anastasia and is set in an alternate Russia. Amélie's writing style is something magical and I know she will be up there as one of my go-to fantasy authors.

I know this book was nearly never published and this thought breaks my heart. What this author when through when this book had its first ARC copies sent out was truly horrific and I think that Amélie is extremely brave and strong to go through that and not only keep writing but keep up a social media presence. I am in awe of her strength and the positivity I see on her Instagram stories. She is a true inspiration.

I think what I enjoyed most about this book is in fact how everything came with a morally grey covering. Ana and Ramson both, at their cores, have goodness in them. But they have each done their fair share of terrible things. Killed, lied and hurt people. All in the name of justice and revenge. And while I certainly rooted for them the entire time. I know they're not innocent. They may not be the heroes the people want, but they are the heroes these people need. And I hope to, eventually, continue to follow them along their journey to fix a world so wrong.

I was hopeful to Blood Heir be a good one, to be the next YA fantasy that people would be addicted to read, but everytime i remembered "I've see this before in other books" I was anxious to be in last page and end it.

Blood Heir was a surprise delight! I'd honestly forgotten that the ARC has sitting on my old kindle and I'm really glad the Avatar readathon reminded me about it. It was picked as the group book because the affinities in Blood Heir are vaguely reminiscent of the elemental powers in Avatar -- except much dark, blood-soaked, and full of terribly morally questionable characters.

I really enjoyed it.

Both the main characters have interesting backstories that have built them into ruthless and resourceful, but ultimately good-hearted people. This makes for lots of tension and drama as you're never quite sure, from one decision to the next, whether their pragmatism or ideals will win out.

The book has a fast-paced and, bar the odd chapter, flicks between the two main POVs. Quite often with split POVs, I wind up with a favorite pretty quickly, but I was honestly drawn to both Ana and Ramson's stories.

I really like the Russian inspired world and the Anastasia elements. I thought it gave you enough to recognize the inspiration, while having plenty of original elements and creativity to stand as its own story completely. I also loved the rest of the world-building: the different elements of society, the power grabs, and especially the different affinities and how those fit into the story.

I really enjoyed Amélie Wen Zhao's writing style and the sequel is out early 2021 (the upside of reading a book late is I have a little less time to wait) so I know I'll definitely be buying a copy to find out where the story goes next.

Anastacya 'Ana' Mikhailov is the crown princess of the Cyrilian Empire. Ana hasn't left the palace for several years, because of her ability to control blood. In the Cyrilian Empire, people with gifts, or Affinities, like Ana are feared and forced to work. No one can know about Ana's ability.
Then the emperor, Ana's father, is murdered and Ana is framed. Fleeing the castle, Ana vows to bring the real murderer to justice and to clear her name.
Ana finds herself allying with Ramson Quicktongue, a criminal who is on his own quest for revenge.
Ana and Ramson make a deal, but can Ana trust the con man?
Will Ana catch the man she saw poisoning her father that fateful night?

I have to admit that going into this book I was expecting it to be just like every other YA fantasy I've read the past few years. However, it did end up surprising me.
Ana was a likeable and relatable protagonist. It was interesting to read her thoughts on her power. She didn't shy away from using it when she had to (and didn't have to), which was quite refreshing.
I really liked May and Linn, and Ramson was quite likeable, but I felt like I'd seen several characters like him before.
The setting was interesting and I would like to see/find out more about the other countries that were mentioned.
The plot was good overall, but I did find my attention drifting a couple of times. There were a few plot twists that I didn't see coming, so I was left guessing as to what would happen next.
The writing style was easy to follow and understand.
I haven't decided if I will continue with the series, but this was a solid first book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Blood Heir is the exciting fantasy debut from Amélie Wen Zhao. This book became initially famous for controversy regarding some of the content. I’m not going to cover this here, you can find it on the internet in your own time.

I am a sucker for anything Russian and this book is Russian/Slavic inspired. On top of this it’s a loose retelling of the story of Princess Anastasia, so I was already two feet in. The princess in question here is Princess Anastacya Mikhailov of Cyrilia who was raised in an environment of luxurious excess and of privilege. However she is framed for the murder of her father and now has to prove her innocence with the help of criminal rogue Ramsom. Leaving her life of luxury behind, she discovers the real world beyond the palace walls and her own power.

Did I enjoy it - Yes. The book does lean in to a lot of predictable fantasy tropes and struggles to find its own voice. With that said the world building is strong, the system of magic interesting, there is romance and there is plenty of action. It is a fun read and at it heart it’s what fantasy is all about - escapism. I am really looking forward to see where Amélie Wen Zhao goes next

Has some great ideas and plenty of fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of five

An enthralling YA fantasy. It pulled me right in from the start until the very end. Blood Heir had a lot of controversy surrounding it in the beginning but I’m glad the author decided to publish. I would definitely recommend.

I went into reading this with a dollop of caution, due to the controversy surrounding the first release of ARCs and everything that has happened since. I'm not even sure if the version I have from Netgalley is the 'origina'l' version or the 'revised' one which is closer to what was published. Controversy aside, what I will say is that I actually really enjoyed this book.
It starts off quite slowly, with lots of flashbacks for world-building which can feel a bit tedious., but I liked Ana as a character (no she isn't perfect, but she is realistic, especially in making silly decisions at times), I loved her relationship with May and the hints we saw of her relationship with her brother. Ramson is the stereotypical loveable rogue with a heart of gold despite his tough front, but it is a trope that I quite like so I grew to like his character quite a bit over the book, even if it might have been a braver choice to have him actually be as bad as his reputation promised.
Overall, this was an enjoyable fantasy debut and I don't know enough about the issues that are controversial to add my opinion there. I was hoping that this would be a stand-alone, but the end of the book sets it up for a continuation and I plan to read the next one in the series to find out what happens.

Blood Heir was an adventure from the beginning to the end.

The book starts off eleven months into Ana escape and into her plan to find the real murder of her father. By having the story starting this way means you jump right into the story feet first.

One of my favourite elements of Blood Heir is the banter/ back and forth between Ana and Ransom, and I am looking forward to seeing more in the next book. Below are some quotes between the two of them that I enjoyed.



"Ransom," she found herself saying. " Don't ever tell me to shut up again."

He blinked, and his lips began to lift at the corners, until he was grinning at her.


"We made a Trade last night. You have a funny way of showing diplomacy.

"Well, you know what they say about diplomacy. It's the only proper way for two parties to lie to each other's faces and be happy about it."


Another element that I enjoyed in Blood Heir is the Affinity. Affinities are magical gifts that some people have, but people that have affinities are seen as evil and need to be controlled. Even when they have epic powers that could be used for good or make life easier. I loved Ana Blood Affinity, and the way it can be used to know if people are around, and even throw people around.

The way that the truths were revealed, kept me on my toes with the direction of the story. Everything is weaved together beautifully. The story is a trilogy I thought the ending would be the cliche YA fantasy ending. But Amélie didn't do that. I enjoyed the way the story was left and look forward to the next book.

Book Heir is dual POVed story, It works well seeing into Ransom and Ana mind, especially Ransom. As he is a con-man, and I do enjoy a con-man brain as it always thinking ahead. Where Ana is purely focused on her goal. 

My favourite Aspect of Blood Heir;

The Magic
Ana and Ransom
Interesting Plot
My least favourite aspects of Blood Heir;

Dip in pacing
My rating for Blood Heir is 4.5 out of 5.

There was a lot of negativity and backlash to this book before it was actually released and I don't actually understand why. I tried not to let all the drama colour my opinions.

I quite enjoyed the novel. I got And I Darken vibes from the characterisation which I loved since I am a sucker for 'unlikeable' characters. Throughout the novel, Ana, our heroine tries to find her father's killer and clear her own name. Her partner in crime on this journey is a criminal named Ransom Quicktongue. It was dark, fast paced and entertaining. Really enjoyable. Can't wait for book 2. The only thing that irked me a little bit was the unbelievely cringey name Ransom Quicktongue.

BLOOD HEIR BY @ameliewenzhao ⁣
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*To comment on the controversy and what I’ve read on it, the author clearly listened to the comments she got before re-writing this book and owning up the criticisms, and for that this book deserves to be read and appreciated*⁣
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𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 4/5 STARS⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Ana, Ransom, Lin and May⁣
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𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Morganya and Sodov ⁣
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𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: The magic system in this book is wonderfully intricate and wildly interesting. It’s a unique take on magic that I haven’t read in fantasy yet. I loved Ana’s blood magic, kind of reminded me of Ruby’s magic in Renegades, but the emotional connection Ana has with her own powers heightened the plot and her character arc. ⁣
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This is a very fast paced book, you’re on the edge constantly and the end of every couple chapters leaves your mouth hanging open. I read this as a group buddy read with @claresbooks and @bookpagefighter and we finished before we were meant to, mostly because this book just grabs your attention. There are a few character deaths which were painful and it’s made me terrified for book two, clearly no one is safe. It’s perfect for readers who love Leigh Bardugo’s writing, their is a similar rhythm to the way the stories develop by both authors! ⁣
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𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦: I loved Ransom and Ana. It’s such a slow burn ship, you’re going to be in pain throughout. ⁣
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𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for a fast-paced fantasy story about magic, royalty and a war

Wasn't sure whether to give this a 2 or 3 star review. I enjoyed the Slavic setting and handling of vampires, which is different from the norm.

However, I didn't love Ana or Ransom, which spoilt the book for me - I know Ana was a princess and not used to keeping her head down, but really, sometimes she behaved very stupidly and that spoilt it for me. And Ransom started out too deeply mired in the grey for my liking.

I've gone for three starts because it's the first in a series, so we'll see where the characters go from here ...

A phenomenal YA fantasy, an epic page turner, Pulling you in from the first page and not letting go until the end. It's a must read.

While this book has many standard YA fantasy tropes (which initially I wasn't thrilled about, how many times have we seen a princess avenging the murder of her royal family), it does manage to take those tropes and turn them into a highly entertaining read that is actually quite a bit darker than it might seem. It doesn't break new ground but it is worth the read if YA fantasy is your thing.