I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

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.

DNF at 25%. It's been over three years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now. Also, I believe this is the old version with some questionable representation so I'd rather read the revised version the author completed.

I received this copy prior to the uproar and subsequent rewriting of the book by the author. I wasnt that big of a fan of the book pre-edits (the heroine isn't very relatable or likable) and didn't have time to confirm whether I liked the edited version better. Overall, I would not recommend this book to others.

Headlines:
Dethroning
Complex world
Pacing

Firstly, I hand in this arc review three years late, homework fail, sorry Miss.

Blood Heir is a complex tale that reveals itself rather slowly. The protagonist being a dethroned and expelled princess out for revenge. Her companion in Ramson QuickTongue was my favourite part of the story but I'm sad to say the hint of connection between these two didn't really go anywhere. That said, there's two more books.

I liked the magic system, but I didn't love it. I was gutted at a few deaths across the story (did she really need to lose these people?). For me, this story had a really strong start, a very pacey prolonged middle section, followed by a strong finish. That strong finish has me invested for the next book.

Hoping for more in a few ways from the next book.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the review copy and please forgive my tardiness.

Interesting and scary idea, but I was sucked right into the world. Easy to follow along even with different states and characters. I wanted more romance instead of more blood. Not sure I'll keep up with the series.

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

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.

I enjoyed this book. After reading it I saw it had been pulled and to be honest I’m not entirely sure why. I thought it was a great first book and I’m looking forward to seeing more by this author.

I didn’t dislike the book, but I wasn’t in the right mood for reading it. The plot wasn’t uninteresting though, so I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

I actually got approved for this book before it was taken down to be "fixed" and I really loved it. I now have the 2nd book waiting on my shelves to be read and I am nervous and excited because the first book was so good I'm afraid the 2nd book will suffer from 2nd book syndrome so I've been putting off reading it.

I received this book in exchange for an honest opinion which has not altered my opinion of this book.

This book has had quite the interesting journey to get to where it is today. The sequel, Red Tigress, has been release this past February and I honestly cannot wait to jump in and continue this story. This first book in the trilogy, was captivating and really addressed a plethora of different issues that have been slowly making their way into the public eyes. The main idea being what makes a monster. At nearly every turn, our main character, Ana, is faced with the issue of fighting the natural and impulsive draw of her very dangerous magic or to embrace it and become the monster that everyone tells her she is. I also have to say I love the history and mythology that was incorporated in this book. There were very few parts of this story that reminded me that this is a debut, but most of the time I forgot about it.

I can't wait to continue with this series but before closing out this review, I wanted to add a note. If you follow me on Goodreads, I posted something earlier about my disappointment in the book community when Amelie was bullied into delaying the publication of her book. She reread her book, and luckily for us decided to publish the book anyway since this is her view. I cannot express how ecstatic I am that she did end up publishing this book. It was so intense and I loved reading it from cover to cover. Highly recommend, 4.5 out of 5 from me.

4 Stars

Blood Heir was the kind of book that I have been nervous about reading. People either love it or hate it. I was one of the people who enjoyed the story. The magic system was unique and quite fun to dive into. So glad I finally picked this one up.

Our main character, a princess who is on the run. Ana has a terrible affinity, she can control people's blood. And my goodness, that makes her a badass. After being accused of murdering her father, the emperor, Ana must fake her death to exonerate herself. On her journey, she meets the handsome Ramson, a criminal with lots of secrets. They reluctantly team up and slowly build an adorable friendship. But secrets and revenge could be the ruin of them all.

The start of this book kept me on my toes, but the middle kind of lost it for me. I grew a bit bored and felt like nothing really happened. The ending definitely changed things for me. There were lots of reveals and twists that made me sit there in shock. Some twists, I didn't like, and kind of frustrated me a bit. But overall, it wasn't that bad of an ending.

Now onto Red Tigress, really excited to see what happens next.

I was fortunate enough to get a copy of this before it was taken down from Netgalley amidst all of the controversies regarding a certain character. Because it was taken down, I decided not to review it because there didn't seem to be any point, but I did write up a review after finishing it initially that I will include below:

Blood Heir is the story of Anastacya Mikhailov, the maligned princess of the Cyrilia Empire. In a world based on Imperialist Russia where certain people called Affinites have powers, Ana has the terrifying ability to manipulate blood. After being framed for the murder of her father, she goes on the run and enlists the help of Ransom Quicktongue to figure out the truth and reclaim her throne.

This is, on the surface, a "gritty" YA fantasy retelling of Anastasia, but it's much more than that. Zhao creates a world that is fundamentally broken. People in the Empire fear Affinites and enslave them, so that they can be both controlled and taken advantage of. An Affinite cannot exist in this society without being killed or indentured for life, because society is terrified of what might happen if Affinites are not tightly controlled. Zhao has stated that this system was inspired by the real-life issue of human trafficking particularly prevalent in southeast Asia, while Ana's own sense of not-belonging is based on her own experiences as a first-generation immigrant in America. As an Asian-American reader, it was refreshing to see these themes because so much of YA fantasy is very western, Getting to see something written by an author who grew up in Asia and was very much influenced by the socioeconomic issues across the sea really resonated with me.

That being said, I did think that this book ended up falling into some of the basic tropes and plotlines of most YA fantasy stories. The twists weren't very exciting, and I could see certain character deaths coming from afar, to the point where they didn't necessarily hit very hard. Still, it was great to watch Ana's character arc, and this first book promises a lot of intriguing plotlines going forward into the trilogy.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this

Bloodheir is a strong start to what I can only imagine will be a strong YA series. Also highly commend the author for navigating through all the issues they have.

This is such an imaginative and fresh fantasy, I’m still wondering why in the world it took me so long to read it ... I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading Red Tigress soon, too!

Ana is a princess on the run, thought to be dead by her people. She harbors terrifying magic that allows her to control a person’s blood and dispel of them with only a thought. That powerful and feared magic finds her to blame for the death of her father, the emperor. Now she’s on the trail to find her father’s murderer and exonerate herself.

In her search, she allies herself with prisoner and crime lord, Ramson, who can find her the information she seeks and get her close to the people she’s hunting. From their tenuous bargain slowly grows respect and friendship and perhaps something more that could put them at greater risk.

The Affinite magic system and the setting of the Cyrilian Empire in this are intricate and well designed – with a setting that feels very early-20th Century Russia – I definitely got some Romanovs vibes from this and I don’t think that was a mistake. Plus there’s a little hint of Ketterdam tossed in as well.

This book is filled with interesting characters you can’t help but come to love and I hope we get to see more of the side characters from this first book in the sequels! I had a lot of fun with the banter and growing closeness between Ana and Ramson and am excited to see where their story goes next.

Overall, this is an exciting and action packed debut to sink your teeth into and I’m glad the author and publisher went forward with publishing it after some revisions. We would have been missing out!

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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