Wow! Amelie Wen Zhao does not waste time showcasing her character's development in just the chapter sampler. I can already feel myself liking Ana! If you're a fan of Avatar the Last Airbender I think you might like this. Ana has a magical affinity towards blood, someone who would be called a bloodbender in the ATLA world. The dynamic between her and Ramson is already so electrically charged in the first couple of chapters that I can't wait to see how the rest of the book pans out!

I must say that Miss Zhao handled the controversy over the publication of this book really well. I don't know if the anti-racism claims on her book are true, most of the credible reviewers I've seen have said that these claims barely hold any weight - especially the plagiarism claim - YA is a genre where tropes are reused over and over again, if you want to attack an author over her character singing a lullaby to a dying character, why are you then turning a blind eye to so many other YA authors' work? All in all the attacks against her were borderline cyber bullying - is it because she was an easy target due to her debut author + POC status? We can all be accountable to one another, but in a civil way. It's disheartening to see cancel culture throw away marginalised authors' reputations down the drain just because of minor mistakes, and yet authors who have done more obvious harm continuously receive more job opportunities. That said, I'm not sure how much the publishing industry relies on sensitivity readers, but placing emphasis on that would hopefully save future debut authors from unnecessary cyber bullying.

This website articulates what I was trying to say much better: https://www.google.com/amp/s/slate.com/culture/2019/01/blood-heir-ya-book-twitter-controversy.amp

Hope to read the full book soon!

The tone of this book is what really struck me the most and it was honestly quite masterfully done. Zhao really knows how to capture an audience and set the right tone for the right scenes.
I really liked the story and the magic system was incredible.
The one thing that I didn't love were the characters. They were okay but I just couldn't really connect to any of them.
Overall a really enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the continuation of the series.

I feel like it's hard to judge the opening chapters as anything beneath five stars, because they do exactly what the opening of a book is supposed to do. The introduction to Ana's world is done very well, although it's mostly teasers for now. I like her character and how she is aware about being inexperienced and naive - and how, at the same time, she is everything but harmless. Ramson, her future partner in crime (I guess?) is also intriguing from the start and there is a lot of promise for both of their character developments. Also, who doesn't enjoy a good prison break scene?
The preview definitely increased my interest in this book!

Great sampler! I wish I could read more of the book! I am adding this to my TBR!!! Thank you so much!!

While the arc provided by the publishers is only 2 chapters, I was no disappointed. Those two chapters do a great job of introducing the concepts of the world, the main character, and the directing behind the plot. An interesting and richly created world from the start, I cannot wait to read more! There’s little else to say from only two chapters but may it be said that I am incredibly excited to read the rest of this book!

Intriguing - hooked me right on. The book went straight to my reading list. I like the authors voice and the universe she is creating.

This book does not ease you into it at all. It's either you adjust to the immediately fast-paced darkness or you get left behind. I need more!

I was very excited about this book upon it's release due to it being an Anastasia retelling and featuring blood magic. However, I found it to be quite disappointing.
I feel like the plot went nowhere, with the characters ending up in almost the exact place they started at the beginning. I was also a little disappointed with the magic system as the author seemed to make up whatever particular affinity needed in that particular moment, with seemingly no rhyme, reason or logic.
I am very intrigued about the character of Ramsen and he as definitely the high point of the novel for me. I also feel that Ramsen's character is the only real way this story is an Anastasia retelling with his character arc mimicking that of Dimitri in the animated novel. Sadly I could see very little resemblance to Anastasia anywhere else, whether that be the historical figure or the animated movie.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chapter sampler!

I’ve been desperate to read this book for ages. Fate has had other plans unfortunately but getting this chapter sampler has really made me desperate for the full novel!

Amelie Wen Zhao’s writing is gripping right from the start and I am obsessed with Anastacya. She’s an absolutely badass! Also, the gritty way that Zhao writes about their characters and the world around them adds an incredible realism to the story. I’m already enthralled by the magical lore and the demons. What a way to end the sampler... I am devastated!

I was quite disappointed when I realised this was a sampler because I've been eyeing this book for a while but I have a few points to make after reading this sampler:

Firstly, THE MAP IS GORGEOUSSSS!!!

Secondly, I was so sucked in by this book from the first page. Definitely convinced me to get the book.

Thirdly, this book is so unique


Since I haven't read the whole book, I can't comment on how good the rest of the book is.

Wow. Wow.

I finished this novel around ten minutes ago, and my mind is already reeling for a sequel, counting down to the release date in March 2021. How could you just end it like this, Zhao? How could you do this to me? I waited the whole book to get to this point and then it ENDS. (It was actually a fitting ending, with Ana going on a journey of self-acceptance. But I also am wondering if everything could have been done in one novel - but we shall see where the sequel takes us and what surprises that it has in store).

I really loved both of the main characters in this novel - Ana and Ransom. I enjoyed the dual POV, and think it really worked to show the vulnerability of them both and the choices that they were making which otherwise the reader may not have understood (Ransom, particularly. I'm not sure I'd have come to like him without his pov).

I quite enjoyed the pace and structure of the novel, with the flashback scenes, and how all the connections slowly began to come together. This lacked a bit towards the ending. Although there had been many action sections throughout the book, the ones towards the climax began to feel jumbled and I had to keep turning back because I was like ?? what just happened?? (I'm still confused as to the big reveal/showdown was such a shit show and how what's her face took control. It swung around so much within like 10 pages, I got whiplash).

Overall, I found this to be an entertaining and suspenseful novel, that examined morality, justice, identity, trauma and corruption. I'm excited to see where the trilogy goes.

Thank you NetGalley for the chapter sampler!

I got to read the first couple of chapters of this book, and while the concept definitely does interest me (I'm a sucker for anything Russia inspired), I did find that I had a bit of a gripe with Ana's powers feom the get go. She seems to already be pretty much in control of what she does, and the power itself is already quite op, so I'm not sure where else the author is able to go development-wise to do with that.

Otherwise, a pretty solid opening for an intriguing book!

Anastasia retelling? Oh yes please!

Fast paced, action packed and dark. My kind of read!

Ana and Ramson, enemies to lover, another thing that makes it my kind of read!

I was really impressed by the world building, the magic system, the characters and the story. Ticks all the boxes for me!

I so need book 2!

THIS BOOK!! This book was incredible and I fell in love with the world that Amélie Wen Zhao created. I firstly found it amazing how she demonizes the Other within the novel, something that I read she wrote from experience of feeling like the 'Other' as an immigrant and a woman of colour. To me, that brought so much more meaning to the text and I found it such an important read. While I cannot relate to that experience, I can relate to Ana's journey of self-acceptance that embraces everything about you that is different from everyone else.

Now the characters...I love morally grey characters so the con men within the novel really delighted me, but I also throughly loved Ana herself. Her power is really unique and interesting and I found her to be so powerful - with or without special abilities. This was the first novel I read by Amélie and I'm SO excited for the sequel!!

I just got the first two chapters to read, but what I have found there makes me expect a rich and enthralling story set in Russia, where our two main protagonists possibly will go from friend to foe quite a few times. It will be interesting to see where or how the story ends.

Love the magic with the blood affinity, and a world emerging that feels interesting to further explore and see what the author does over the course of the whole book.

That's an intriguing first two chapters. But I have heard that there was some controversy when this first came out so, if I do decide to continue with this book and this series, I will continue with caution.

A good, action-packed opening which draws the reader in and makes you want to know more.
The lead character is interesting and so are her abilities - it looks like her journey will be an exciting one.

considering that this was just two chapters i know for sure that i want to keep reading. theres a lost of mystery and intrigue surrounding the main character and i want to know more. also the power to control blood is very interesting, reminds me of bloodbending from avatar the last airbender.

The first few chapters have gotten me hooked. I can not wait to read a copy of the full thing in all it’s beauty. It promises excitement, blood and revenge! This magical murder mystery will undoubtedly be phenomenal.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Harper Collins UK for a digital copy of the first two chapters of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first 2 chapters are great! This story sounds like such an interesting tale with complicated characters and plot. I can’t wait to read the full book.