I really enjoyed Blood Heir. Loved the premise, loved the world-building and couldn’t put it down towards the end. It reminds me of old stories, and the magical element was really interesting too. Hugely recommended!

I wrote a fuller review on an earlier version of this book which I received right before the controversy kicked off. I am really glad it was published that Zhou took time to regroup and reassess. This is still a decent YA. It’s well thought out and the earlier mistakes and plotting inconsistencies have been cleared up. The author has also tightened up descriptions of character appearances to avoid doubt. I’m giving it the same rating and I still recommend it. Mostly I’m just really glad that a debut YA author didn’t get drummed out of the circle by a pair of notorious bullies and their twitterati.

My thanks to HarperCollins/HarperVoyager for an eARC via NetGalley of Amélie Wen Zhao’s ‘Blood Heir’ in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it and subsequently have purchased a copy of its hardback edition.

This Russian inspired YA epic fantasy has an action filled opening as a young woman named Ana enters a prison with the intention of visiting Ramson Quicktongue, a cunning criminal within the Cyrilian underworld.

Ana is actually Princess Anastacya Mikhailov of Cyrilia, who was raised in luxury and privilege. However, a year ago she was framed for her father’s brutal murder and was forced to go into hiding. Now she hopes to prove her innocence and reclaim her birthright by hiring Ramson to assist her in finding the alchemist, who was her father’s actual murderer. Of course, from the first chapter the situation becomes complicated.

After reading the preview I was very excited to read the entire book and it continued to impress me throughout. Underlying the fantasy setting Amélie Wen Zhao makes a powerful connection to the real world social issue of human trafficking. In the novel this not only involves vulnerable people but gifted individuals, known as Affinites, who are lured into indentured servitude. Ana herself is an Affinite with a deadly gift linked to blood, hence the title of the novel.

Amélie Wen Zhao impressed me with her world building, as well as setting up her characters, and a fascinating plot with plenty of twists and political intrigues. Although marketed as YA, it’s a novel I would expect to have a wide appeal for lovers of fantasy. It is quite a dark story with some fairly strong scenes of violence.

Her rich descriptions quickly captured my imagination and this sense of immersion increased throughout the novel. Ramson Quicktongue’s backstory was also established and he emerged as a roguish, yet attractive, character. His motivations kept me guessing and I loved the love-hate relationship between he and Ana and the sharp banter between them.

Overall, I feel that all this bodes well for the trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the next in the series to see where Ana and Ramson are taken in the next stages of their journey.

An impressive debut that I am pleased finally has been published.

Blood Heir is Chinese-American Amélie Wen Zhao's debut and most appropriately described as a young adult fantasy novel, however, there is so much more depth to this story than initially meets the eye. Featuring fierce, blood-bending princesses outsmarting cunning, morally grey conmen and a diverse cast fighting oppression in a dark, icy empire, it is the first book in an intended trilogy. It is loosely a retelling of Anastasia but with magic and more racially diverse characters. It reminds us that each of us matter despite being a small, almost insignificant part of the universe and teaches us that life is essentially what you make it. This is a long-awaited much-hyped fantasy so did it live up the uber-high expectations? Yes, it certainly did and then some.

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.

From the moment you pick this up you are hooked in by lots of action, drama, twists and turns, and I found myself reading through the night as I couldn't have put it down and waited until the next morning to finish it; I rarely feel this compelled to keep reading when my eyes are almost closing. This is both an engaging story and a social commentary on the phenomenon of people trafficking and enslavement as well as indentured servitude. The worldbuilding is nothing less than stunning and richly-imagined and you find yourself lost in their world and not wanting to leave. Our two main protagonists, Ana and Ramson, as well as more peripheral characters, are intentionally morally grey and ambiguous with complex personalities and it really complemented the book that way; it shows that not everything in life is black and white. An absolute cracker of a read. Many thanks to HarperVoyager for an ARC.

3.5 stars.

Blood Heir is a YA fantasy that follows Ana, princess of Cyrillia and a powerful blood Affinite. Framed for her father's murder, she sets out to confront the man responsible with the help of a untrustworthy conman. However, on her journey to find answers, Ana discovers that the mistrust of Affinites runs deep within her country - and a dark secret underworld in human trafficking is corrupting the crown from within.

This hits the ground running with an impressive opening chapter set within a waterfall encased prison. The descriptions are lush and plentiful, building up this impressive and imposing building that Ana is entering to meet the man who will help her find her father's murderer. There's plenty of action too, as Ana is forced to demonstrate the powerful and devastating effects her blood affinity has. The magic system here is nothing new - it reminds me heavily of the Grishaverse, however Ana's control over blood makes it feel darker here, and more menacing. It's as though Ana has a lot more to loose every time she is forced to use her powers, and the price can sometimes be too high. I also found the magic system to be explained reasonably well (after finding myself confused for the first 10% of the book), with the different varieties of affinities slowly shown to the reader.

I also enjoyed the banter between the two main characters, Ana and Ramson (although my brain insisted on repeatedly calling him Ransom). There's an obvious connection between the two that doesn't feel forced - although Ramson does fall victim to the 'brooding male' trope a couple of times, especially when internally reliving his past traumas. However, that said I liked his ingenuity and scheming - mingled with his selfishness it played nicely into his personal struggles and morality. Ana is also a likeable character. Brought up sheltered from the harsh realities of what it truly means to be an Affinite, she's strangely naive to the cut throat world she's thrown into. However, she's also incredibly kind and compassionate, demonstrated in her care for May (which I would have loved to see more of), and her gradual understanding of what's really going on to the Affinites within her country.

Ana's awakening to this plight, and this concept of human trafficking in specific magical abilities, was an interesting spin on the genre that I haven't seen before. I know that the author drew heavily from historical (and some might say current) information regarding the topic, and I felt the subject matter has handled sensitively and respectfully.

I did find the writing a bit clunky and lacking in finesse at times, and the dialogue felt a little odd and stilted in places. I also found the pacing a bit all over the place - with an action packed beginning followed by a sedate middle section that lost a bit of my attention. The plot itself is also nothing particularly unique in terms of it's predictability. I saw the ending coming a mile off, although it did leave me satisfied.

Overall however, this is a solid YA fantasy that raises some important talking points with strong main characters that feel complex and compelling.

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.

3 stars - I have ever so nearly finished but the book is released tomorrow so I’m submitting this now in a panic! I only got accepted shortly before the publication so I haven’t had time to finish it just yet.

I have enjoyed Ransom as a character, he’s not completely raw and unique but there’s something about him you grab onto! Ana wasn’t my favourite but she carries the story along nicely in her narrative.
I enjoyed the glimpses into Ransom’s past as it gave an insight into different parts of this fantasy world you didn’t see on foot. The idea of affinities isn’t unique in itself but the setting and the way it’s portrayed sets it apart from other similar tales in YA fantasy.
I wish the story was set slightly earlier as I felt a lot of the story was dumped on us through quick recaps of past events and random flashbacks and memories. I prefer to explore stories and build characters through current experiences - though memories are fine and an in depth past makes a great character, I just didn’t feel these bread crumbs were sprinkled out in a trail, more just dumped in clumps throughout.
Character development definitely improved throughout the book and the story moved at a good pace, I was never bored of any one POV. However, despite this, I didn’t find myself reaching for this book as soon as I came home and for this reason I’ve only awarded it 3 stars. It was an enjoyable read but not outstanding enough to be roared about in comparison to other fantasies in YA.

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 absolutely adore this, it’s a book a was highly anticipating and I was not disappointed at all, not one bit ! The characters are so well developed, so relatable and three dimensional, no perfect heroes here just real and moral multicoloured characters. The world building is so good you could step into Cyrilia through the pages of the story. The writing itself is beautiful, well constructed, from the first page you fall into the words and don’t want to leave. One of my favourite books of 2019 and sure to be a YA fantasy classic.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

A desperate princess strikes a deal with a notorious conman to regain control of her empire in the first of a new fantasy series.

Ana, a princess in a vaguely Russian country, has been on the run for a year after being framed for killing her father. Her last hope to find the man who framed her is a conman known as Ramson, currently held deep in an impenetrable jail. Ramson has his own reasons for seeking revenge on former friends, and what follows is a race across the continent as they work, sometimes in concert and sometimes against each other, towards their two goals.

Let's get this out of the way first. If you've been in the YA book community over the last six months - I'm writing this in November 19 - you've heard at least something about the Blood Heir controversy. Early readers of the novel claimed that it was anti-Black. Amelie pulled the novel and reworked it, and this review is based on the reworked version. I haven't read the original and do not take a side in that argument.

I can tell you that nothing in this novel made me think it was a thinly veiled version of anything other than the world wide phenomenon of human trafficking. People with powers, called Affinities in this series, are bound under forced labour contracts and threatened with drugs that supress their Affinities. They're mostly taken as children and conditioned to be too afraid to fight back. Apart from one character who is described as very pale, I didn't notice any overabundance of skin colours being used.
Caveat: I'm not a very visual reader - descriptions have to be pretty overt for me to imagine them - and I tend not to read looking for symbolism and hidden meanings. I just like a good story. I'm happy to be corrected on my understanding here.

With that out of the way...

This story started off slowly, and I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it. However, after the first few chapters it took off and I was hooked. It's a great adventure story, with eough new elements introduced to keep things exciting without overwhelming the reader. I did feel like we didn't get to know the palace denizens very well - a side effect of only meeting them through flashback, but it meant that when we met one of them by surprise later on, it didn't resonate the way it could and should have.

Two tiny personal notes, that probably won't matter to most people. Having the glossary at the end instad of the front meant that I'd already either figured out the words or given up on understanding them by the time I found it; and I kept reading Ramson as Ransom and having to mentally correct myself. Such tiny things!

I'm very much looking forward to reading the next books in the series. I hope this one does well!

Firstly, let me just say YES! I loved this book!!

This story is a modern sort of retelling of Anastasia but with some magic thrown in.

Princess Anastacya Mikhailov of Cyrilia has lived a blessed life being royalty. Until she is framed for her father's death and must flee her home. Ana has an affinity. There are people within the kingdom who are gifted or cursed with powers over elements/things. There are affinites from flesh, fire, earth, fear, marble etc and dear Ana has an affinity for blood. This means she can literally control the blood in anyone’s body.

She is seen as a danger and named a blood witch. Hiding her affinity which shows through dark, engorged veins and red eyes, all she seeks is revenge for her father's death and to clear her name.

She teams up with a crook called Ramson to find the alchemist who killed her father. Ramson has his own agenda and wants vengeance for his loss of position within an underground crime regime selling indentured affinities. They team up and offer a trade for each other’s services.

—

I really enjoyed this book. The world-building was magnificent and so rich it felt like you were right there in Cyrilia. The characterisation is brilliant, they have such depth and it’s refreshing to not have flat one-dimensional villains. They are cunning and constantly surprise you. The magic ‘affinity’ side of the story is so interesting, it’s nice to have such a variety of gifts that the characters have and how they are described, especially Lin. I’d love to see more of her.

It feels like Ana grows up throughout the book, she has a huge responsibility on her shoulders and the ending of the book left me feeling both proud of her and wanting more. Not only Ana though, I feel like Ramson had a beautiful arc and is on the right road to redemption. Also, I love the little hints to their romance!

I love that this wasn’t a story that was clean-cut with the good guys winning and I couldn’t put it better than Ramson himself “This isn’t one of the fairy-tale stories you read in your childhood, where the hero always wins in the end. You’ll have many battles to fight, and you won’t win them all. And at the end of every single day, you’ll always face the same choice: keep fighting, or give up.”

Overall it’s an epic fantasy that will stay with you for a long time. I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I love fantasy it's just the best isn't it. This was fantastic. My first read of the author and certainly won't be the last!

WOW THIS BOOK. I really wasn’t sure when I requested it, I am not a fan of if you like this then you’ll love this... as half the time it sets me up for disappointment.
Well this did not disappoint me at all.
I DEVOURED THIS BOOK
It had me hooked on page one like someone was tugging at my blood pulling me to read it until there were no pages left.
Such a compelling storyline, a little anatastia mixed with Red Queen and Throne of Glass. The characters were so well written and what I look for. Morally grey and badass. They are afraid, they make mistakes but damn can they pack a punch.
Seriously this emotional roller coaster is where it’s at people. Go read this book. It’s easily one of the best I have read in 2019. So glad it’s getting published now!

I had high expectations from Blood Heir. It's been much hyped and long-awaited in YA circles, so I went into it feeling a little skeptical. Let's been honest: the concept is nothing new - it's Young Elites meets Six of Crows. But if you enjoy this genre, you'll love Blood Heir - it is, essentially, a classic YA fantasy.

It's got all the much-loved tropes: a fiesty princess, a loveable rogue and a thrilling plot set against some gorgeously elaborate world building. The characterisation is particularly strong: I often find fantasy YA heroines a bit 'strong and soulless', but Ana is more nuanced than that. Torn between the good and evil within her, she's wonderfully complex and engaging. Similarly, Ramson is more than he first appears, I loved how his backstory was cleverly woven into the action.

Blood Heir is one of those books that does exactly what it says on the tin, but does it in style - a welcome addition to the YA fantasy hall of fame.

This is a dark retelling of Anastasia which was what made me want to read it. However for me, I just didn't get along with the book. Maybe it's because I haven't read much YA recently.

The writing was okay, it was quite simple and I found it easy to read, although I did put it down several times because it annoyed me. However there was some repetition for example Ana thinks of herself as a monster and Ramson a dangerous crime lord. So there was a lot of telling rather than showing. Some of the deaths in the book didn't effect me at all and didn't feel necessary. The romance is slow build which I like but I don't think romance is needed in every fantasy book. Also I didn't see the two characters as having a romantic relationship so it felt a little forced. The ending was a little open ended but I understand that is because there will be a sequel.

The characters

Ana - a princess with power over blood. I really didn't like her and at times she was naive which annoyed me and I understand she was written that way but I didn't connect to this character.

Ramson - con man, crime lord and I have to say I did enjoy his character. He's cunning and cold on the outside but has a soft heart but still seemed a little bland to me.

What I liked
We get thrown into the action straight away - I liked how it started and how it begins with action. I enjoyed the action.
I liked the world - the wintery worldbuilding was great and I did enjoy the world and would like to know more about it. I enjoyed the Russian elements.
Intriguing plot - I was intrigued by the plot and I did enjoy the action in the book.

What I disliked
It is similar to other YA - I felt a lot of similarities to Six of Crows and the Grishaverse. But also it felt YA and I haven't had much luck with YA recently.
Anastacya - she was similar to other YA characters and I'm just over it. She made bad choices and didn't really think things through which annoyed me.

Overall I didn't connect with this book. I thought it was an okay YA fantasy that many would enjoy but personally it wasn't for me.

4.75 Stars -- review also available on my blog/goodreads (linked) + twitter

Disclaimer: So, I avoid twitter disputes and arguments that may occur but it appears that Blood Heir was involved in some controversy, which I was unaware of when I requested and read this book. As an overview, this book deals with some hard-hitting themes, particularly slavery, and the author was called out for this as people claimed it was racist/anti-black, or her portrayal/use of some characters where racist. However, looking into the inspiration and research Amelie Wen Zhao conducted/used for this, it seems this is based off of her own experiences of being demonised and research she conducted into slavery, particularly in Asia. As a white reader I accept my view is limited to the narrow scope of the box in which I exist, but I believe her book is positive and has a vast range of representation for POC, almost all of the characters are described as being POC’s with skin ranging from tawny to olive etc.. with only a few being described as ‘pale’, and the themes are dealt with very well. As for the anti-black claims, which arose due to the death of a character people considered to be black, the character is not actually described as such specifically and their death was crucial to the plot, this book has a lot of death and many different people die in the story so again I fail to see this as being problematic – please remember that this is my personal opinion on the book but I simply adored the diverse cast of characters and felt that Amelie Wen Zhao did a wonderful job with diversity, representation and dealing with the themes she explored – I do not wish to partake in arguments surrounding this, my stance is that of support for the book and that is all I will say on the matter. Now let’s dive into the actual review because let me tell you this book is AMAZING.

Synopsis: Anastacya (Ana) Mikhailov, the princess of Cyrilia was born with an Affinity, magic, and that is bad enough – but to make matters worse her one is the Blood Affinity, the power to utilise a persons blood. After her Affinity spirals out of control, her father organises for her to be ‘cured’, with no luck Anastacya finds herself confined to the palace. That is until her father dies. Murdered by a trusted member of the palace, Anastacya tries to save him, only to find herself accused and her Affinity blamed.

Escaping the castle, she vows to find the true killer and prove her innocence. However, this proves more difficult than she originally believed, as a result she attempts to find and use the con man Ramson Quicktongue’s skills to find the killer.

With an untrustworthy partner, a power she despises and a label of monster attacking her mind, Ana is determined to gain justice for her father and prove her Affinity, her difference, does not make her a monster.

Blood Heir, by Amelie Wen Zhao is a dark Young Adult Fantasy that seems loosely based off of Anastasia but is wholly unique, gorgeous and gritty. It uses popular tropes but infuses them with originality and is a dark, violent but glorious story of self acceptance.

First, the covers are gorgeous, beautiful and magnificent- It caught my attention and the synopsis secured it. Secondly, the title. This is one clever title that, to me, works on a few layers. Firstly, in the defined way, Ana is the Blood Heir to the throne, she is the Princess, she was born to rule. But, secondly, she is a Blood Affinite, she can control it, and she seems to be the only one, or at least one of very few, she is the heir to that line of power too. So, that was a great start!

— Immersive And Beautiful —
The Writing Style And Narrative. Amelie Wen Zhao’s writing style is immersive and beautiful and it had me hooked from the start. I read this in two sittings, because regretfully sleep is a necessity, and I couldn’t put it down. From the first line you are immersed in the story, and the first chapter is so dynamic and interesting that there was no doubt in my mind that the rest of the story would be equally as amazing. There is a map at the start too, so you know you are in for a great read. Not only is the writing immersive, but they style is beautiful and easy to read. Amelie Wen Zhao is incredibly descriptive, and the beauty of the world and the people is evident, it makes you want to experienced it yourself. But, she also uses direct, harsh and pointed language to show the horror and dangers of the world Ana is a part of. The beauty of the people, and a lot of their Affinities, is a sharp contrast to the ugly and evil underbelly of the Cyrilian Empire where these beautiful attributes are seen as monstrous and are exploited. The balance created of the light and the dark adds a great deal of depth to the story and illustrates the horrors suffered but also the beauty of individuality. I loved the writing style and found myself completely absorbed by the story.

The narrative was equally as efficient. The main crux of the story is from the perspective of Ana which allows us insight into her thoughts, feelings, plans and emotions. However, it also maintains a sense of mystery and suspense. We only see what Ana sees so we know little about Ramson, his past a mystery, and we also learn a lot about the kingdom through her eyes so there is a sense of mystery about the other parts of the world we don’t see, but also the truth of the kingdom we are in which we learn of little by little. However, we also get some chapters from the perspective of Ramson, and they are equally as amazing. We learn about his past in snippets, while also learning his plans while he is helping Ana – it makes us dislike and love him at the same time and it added a unique dynamic to the story as we also get to see how he views Ana and the kingdom.

— Dark And Interesting —
The Plot. Blood Heir’s plot is dark and interesting. It is well paced, unique and the tropes it does use, it does very well. Moreover, the story is well paced, action packed, witty and complex. While it may be loosely based on Anastasia, this story is wholly its own and has a great balance throughout. The idea of Affinities is incredibly unique and interesting, and the story of redemption is amazing. I love how it is, at its core, a story about self-acceptance and belonging, but also a story of justice, freedom and difference. People with Affinities are exploited, sold and used as slaves simply because they were born wit an Affinity, and the plot deals with this, the horror of the exploitation, and the idea that the Affinites are just another attribute that should not be all you see about the person.

Moreover, the story also deals with justice and morality- Ramson is morally grey right off the bat but so are most of the characters. Ana, at heart, is good and kind, but can be brutal if it is the only way and often lets her emotions best her. the story looks at right and wrong and how blurred the boundaries are in terms of fighting for what you believe in. But, of curse the characters are largely good at heart and their aim is to help, to create unity, to prevent exploitation.

Furthermore, the royal plot-line is a great one. Ana doesn’t want the throne, it is her brothers, but she does want justice for her father and to have her family around her again. My favourite part was the ending because it is unexpected, but it is incredibly clever and creates a cyclical structure which I adored. But, I also loved that the story had people die-it is a story of war, revolution, justice and power, and death is usually avoided by authors but Blood Heir has consequences and you are never certain who will die and who will live making the dangerous situation have more impact and suspense. The deaths are actually heart-breaking, just as a warning, and I felt the impact of them and appreciated the consequences and effects they created.

— Rich And Complex–
The Magic And World Building. The Magic is amazing and unique in this story and both the world and the magic systems are rich and complex. The Affinities in the story can range from elemental control to emotional they are diverse and differ in power, some are weaker than others or more specific. However, each Affinity we are introduced to is well crafted and portrayed magnificently. The root of the magic is unknown, some believe it is a curse, it means you are a demon, while others believe it is the result of the Deities blessing the people – but each power is unique and has its limitations. Moreover, the power can be subdued and weakened by a potion and Blackstone is resilient to it. The limitations, weaknesses, or counteractive measures are useful, it adds a sense of realism while also maintaining a decent story as magic cannot always be the answer. Not only is the magic individual but it also has physical traits when used! Ana’s eyes turn crimson and her veins grow prominent and engorged, the physical manifestations of the magic add a depth to the element, a sense of realism for this attribute.

The world building is also a masterpiece, there are different empires, towns, cities and beliefs, the people look different depending on where they are from, they have specific accents pertaining to their homeland, their names are reflective of their heritage, and their religious and mythical beliefs also differ. This world is multi-cultural, much like our own, and it is well developed. I loved the look we got at the places Ana went to, the descriptions, the seasons/weather, and the beliefs added realism and interest to the story and I cannot wait to see more.

— Well Crafted And Multi-Dimensional —
The Characters. Each of the characters we meet are Well-Crafted and Multi-dimensional, but I will only go into depth about Ana and Ramson as I fear it will be too spoilery otherwise! However, Linn, May, Sadov, Yuri, Kerlan and Tetsyev are all great characters that were well developed, very original and excelled at their roles making us love them and hate them respectively. I loved May in particular – fiesty and loyal and adorable! Kerlan and Sadov did well in their villanous roles too, they made for great opposition and I hated them – it was glorious.

Anastacya. She is a wonderful main character described as dark haired and olive or tawny skinned. She is headstrong, witty, kind, loyal, determined and an all round wonderful character. She is naive at times, which is understandable, and always seems to find herself in danger, but she is smart too and will risk her life for those she loves. Ana believes she is a monster, and the story follows her trying to come to terms with her Affinity and accept herself for who she is. Her emotions often get the better of her causing devastation, but she will try to right her wrongs. Having been the princess she had little knowledge of the horrors that occur in her kingdom, but once she has seen it she is determined to fix it, to try and help. Her Affinity is insanely strong but casing physical damage is she overuses it, she has little control over it but tries to subdue it and refrain from using it. I loved her character and her development was great to watch as she begins to accept herself- I cannot wait to see her become more confident, more controlled and self accepting.

Ana’s relationship with Ramson is amazing. I wont spoil it but the wit, the sarcasm and the general snide and snarky dialogue between the two at the start is so entertaining as they have such an incredible dynamic. The development of their relationship, the (MINOR SPOILER FOR THEIR DYNAMIC) way they become more loyal and trusting of one and other is wonderful. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers tropes, and while they are never actually romantic, there are enough scenes to suggest it is a possibility and I adored it the two have a great chemistry – but I like how the war, the fight, the story comes first and is not impeded by any potential romance. I cannot wait to see how this plays out.

Ramson. Despite being an untrustworthy criminal, I ended up loving this character. Initially he is cruel and manipulative,as you would expect, and I disliked him but there was something about the character that intrigued me regardless. As the story goes on and this silver tongued, quick thinking, skill full and loyal conman became one of my favourite characters- I love him he is funny, witty and kinder than he makes out, even if he can be cruel and calculating. He is a wonderful morally-grey character and I want to see so much more of him.

— Dark And Action Packed —
Overall. This is a dark and action-packed fantasy that has some great diversity, important and well explored themes, wonderful characters and an amazing set of magic and world-building. This story was gorgeously written, well-paced and an exciting read.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy, magic, diversity and morally grey characters with a penchant for getting into dangerous situations. There is so much more I could say about this novel, but I wouldn’t want to spoil it as it is such a wonderful read!

Content warnings: Blood, violence, slavery, abuse, death, drowning, torture, abandonment – I am sorry if I have missed any!

*I received an eARC of #BloodHeir by Amelie Wen Zhao @ameliewenzhao from #netgalley @harpercollins @harpervoyageruk @harpercollinsuk #harperfiction in exchange for an honest review*

I really wanted to like this and I had high expectations, but I'm afraid the writing style wasn't for me. I did like the premise and the story itself, but there was far too much repetition of particular words and phrases, which I really struggled to see past. It being a core component of the narrative, I understand that 'her Affinity' does need to be referenced frequently, but it appears much too often and without any variation on the phrase. In the same vein, names are used incredibly frequently, in quite a jarring manner, when using he/she/they would have been just as, if not more, effective.

The characters themselves are interesting concepts, though my feelings about Ramson remain somewhat ambiguous. He is seemingly capable of great sacrifice and honest feelings, yet in other instances his dialogue paints him as arrogantly over the top in quite an unsettling way in some of his interactions with Ana. I never quite settled on a clear opinion of him, but it's this dialogue, including uses of endearments that seem quite slimey, that has stuck with me. I've said before that I don't think that you have to 'like' a character for them to be a good one, and I think this is particularly true in Ana's case, who is primarily too burdened with self-loathing and internal condemnation to think much outside this bubble. She has some admirable qualities, shown particularly in her interactions with May (which were some of my favourite parts), yet sometimes the choices she makes leap immediately to an extreme. For example, she frequently threatens to kill people in the first half of the novel, which, given she has no other means of protecting herself, could be understandable, but it demonstrates that she rarely thinks strategically. Nevertheless, she is a readable character who tries to do what good she can in a world that condemns her and has taken everything she holds dear.

I do love a re-telling, but I couldn't quite get on with this one. Thank you, Harper Voyager, for the digital ARC and the opportunity to read Blood Heir.

I really, really enjoyed this. I have to admit after the first few chapters I thought, "oh I know EXACTLY where this is going" but I was so wrong! Amelie fills the plot with action, twists, turns and tragedies. It is simply un-put-downable!
The settings are beautifully described, I found myself shivering with the cold alongside Ana at times. I love the subtle POV shifts in each chapter allowing us to get a clearer image of our protagonists without losing the third person narration. I also love how neither main character is fully formed, what teenager is! Both discover/ rediscover themselves as the story goes on. Learning the importance of choice and personal responsibility. Which I think is a valuable message for a YA novel.
All in all it was beautifully written, cleverly plotted and carefully structured. A wonderful read, I can't wait for the next one!!!