I finished reading this story when the full copy was released, so feel I can't comment on this edition as not sure if it was updated after the rewrite. I did fully enjoy the full copy release though. It was so well written and I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series. Star rating is for full copy release.

A fast-paced, dark story line will always impress me and this one did so too. While the writing was mediocre and made this a quick read, even though the pacing was pretty slow. Though, the enemies-to-lovers romance trope won a point for this book. I appreciate authors of color and while it can be a great read for those who genuinely enjoy YA tropes with predictable twists, Blood Heir might not be for everyone.

This is a darker Anastasia retelling and I will read any retelling of that story. This is one of my new favorite books. The enemies to lovers plot is done so fantastically and both characters were very likable in my opinion. I can't wait to see what comes next in this series and I highly recommend it.

I am a huge lover of Anastasia and Anastasia retellings. I was incredibly excited for this book to come out, and I was really disappointed in the date change for it, but ultimately, the controversy just made me more curious and excited about reading it! I was really excited that this retelling not only included a Rasputin character, but also made him not the evil magical villain! I thought that it was really original, especially with how many other Anastasia stories are out there. This one felt fresh and new and I was never guessing what was around the next corner! I can’t wait for the next book!

While the book summary says that it is an adaption of the Anastasia story, I thought that Amélie Wen Zhao only took it as a basis and was able to create a new and interesting fantasy world. I hope to hear more from this new writer.

This was a fun and interesting world to read about for me. I really enjoyed the magic system set up in this book and the way the author used this magic system to demonstrate inequality amongst people in this story. Blood Heir takes place in a world where people can be born with or without special affinities (such as manipulation of natural forces like wind, earth and water, or manipulation of flesh). These people are referred to as Affinites and the empire ostracizes and reviles them, with most Affinites being forced into indentured labor. This empire goes so far as to utilize a special drug that can control and subdue an Affinite as needed and all the imperial officers are equipped with this drug should they need to use it on an Affinite.

Anastacya Mikhailov has been hiding the secret of her affinity for as long as she can remember. Though she is the crown princess, even that fact doesn’t keep her entirely safe from the prejudice against Affinites in the empire. In the wake of her father’s murder, Ana and her affinity are blamed for his killing and she must run from the everything she knows in order to save her life. Throughout Blood Heir, we follow Ana on her quest to find her father’s real killer and prove her innocence. Along the way, Ana recruits the help of a very charming, but equally corrupt, crime lord named Ramson Silvertongue.

I enjoyed both of the main characters in Blood Heir, but I especially enjoyed reading Ramson’s perspective. I’ve got a soft spot for the cunning, and wily trickster characters (hello, Loki!) and he definitely fits that mold! I enjoyed Ana’s character as well but ultimately didn’t always feel very connected to her. I loved the exploration of her power and also the stark look at her own privilege that she is faced with throughout the story. She learns very quickly that her beloved empire is not as benign as she has always been told.

My favorite aspect of Blood Heir was definitely the magic system and how magic was incorporated into the empire’s political system as well. Though the idea of people with special abilities isn’t a new one, I think the addition of how those abilities, and the people who possess them, are tamped down and manipulated in this society was really interesting. I look forward to reading the next in the series and exploring more of this world!

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao was an interesting book to say the least.

One of the greatest things going for it is that Blood Heir was a story unlike any other I’ve ever read before.

And that’s a pretty difficult thing to do these days. There’s nothing new under the same, and nearly every fantasy book seems to be an iteration of Lord of the Rings to some degree or another.

But the closest comparison I can make for Blood Heir is Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

And really the only comparison is that it’s a Russian-based fantasy world.

That is mostly where the comparisons end.

It’s uniqueness, however, does not endear me to it more, neither does it dissuade me. I am merely neutral on the matter.

Tropes are tropes for a reason. They are conventions that people like, thus they appear often. Blood Heir avoids nearly every trope that I like to see in a YA Fantasy.

So if you want a unique experience, Blood Heir might just be for you, but on with the review.

I have so many mixed emotions when it comes to Blood Heir.

Overall, I like the book. But there were times where it really bothered me. Namely the beginning, the middle, and the end.

But everything else was great!

“Wait, wait, wait, hold up. Something doesn’t sound right here.”

Allow me to explain.

The Beginning

Blood Heir begins with our heroine (or anti-heorine? Or morally gray heroine?) Ana being taken through the dungeons of a high security prison where she is meeting with a prisoner who is the key to finding the man who killed her father.

But it’s not as simple as it seems. Ana is an Affinite, a wielder of magic that is hated and feared by the empire. She’s also the Crown Princess who’s supposed to be dead after she was framed for killing her father, the Emperor.

So she’s entering this prison at very real risk of discovery herself, and what ensues is a really great opening scene full of action that tickles me fancy.

What follows that opening scene is the first mark against the story for me.

I don’t particularly like deep backstories that need hashed out and explained to the reader. I’d rather get the minimal information out of the way, and bring the rest of the crucial details out in dialogue.

Dialogue is the heart of story, and Blood Heir has large portions that are fairly devoid of it.

Instead, we get a few chapters early on author to reader worldbuilding infodump But I try to be patient in the opening chapters of any novel as it’s pretty par for the course.

That doesn’t mean I like it any less. That are more tactful ways to introduce pertinent details.

The Middle

After those opening chapters, Blood Heir begins to pick up as Ana gets on the trail of her father’s killer and there’s a really awesome plot to discovered.

Seeing first hand the cruelty and viciousness of the empire towards Affinites is miles better than being told about it.

But frequently the story is put on hold for the reader to take an adventure back in time many many years prior in long and wordy flashback sequences.

The purpose?

To tell you what that character experienced to make them the way they are today.

Which is great and all, but it could have come across in dialogue!

Let the characters open up a bit to each other, bond, and develop.

But they do not. In fact, the two main characters, Ana and Rasmon, are pretty one dimensional and do very little growing over the course of the story.

Ana is as vicious and blood thirsty as her empire and when she’s not pouting about being called a monster and wallowing in her sorrows she’s mercilessly draining people of the blood in their bodies with little to no remorse.

Rasmon on the other hand, only looks out for himself until the final pages of the book. So at least there’s some development there.

The End

Oh my gosh, the ending of Blood Heir.

I was sooooooo excited.

The last 15% or so of the book I devoured and blew threw, turning page after page in an frenzy of anticipation and excitement.

Only to get one of the biggest let downs I’ve experience from a book in at least a year.

To tell you why would be spoilery, and you all know I don’t do spoilers. But suffice it to see it leaves a lot to be desired for, quite literally, and that’s all you’re going to get out of me.

I was so ready to give this book 4 stars until that ending. Then my angry, disappointed self wanted to immediately downgrade it to 3 stars.

After the initial wave of frustration passed, I decided to compromise on 3.5/5 stars.

A story that could have been good was ruined by a lackluster ending.

Will I read Blood Heir’s sequel? (Because believe you me there will be a next book)

Probably. Will I rush to buy it the moment it’s released? Absolutely not.

There are too many other good books out there, like Red Rising or Scythe, that so totally took my breath away. I’m on a hunt to discover more stories like those, rather than wallowing in a world of mediocrity.

The one complaint I had with the story was the fact memories were interwoven through the current narration with no warning or transition leaving me confused as to what was really occurring. The memory sections were interesting in regards to character development and some motivation information but how they were delivered just muddied the plot a little bit when it comes to a cohesive read since I had to figure out what was going on each time.

Overall I found this to be a really engaging dark fantasy, full of magic and wonder as well as death, grief and torture, creating a well-balanced story that I really want to read more about. I appreciated Anna's drive and I absolutely adored Ramson's charm and quick thinking. I ship them hard regardless of whatever the future brings (and the fact that this is not a romance but I can't help but hope for romance). I also enjoyed that this was a retelling of one of my favorite topics, the lost princess Anastasia, while at the same time being unique and completely it's own.

Side note, the ending was so heartbreaking! Actually, now that I think about it, pretty much all the book was heartbreaking. That being said, I am so there for the next book and I am excited to see what path Ana will take next.

This novel was an amazing debut and I can also say that it was probably one of the best YA novels that I have read. I would love to see how the story continues.

Blood Heir is a book that had a ton of controversy surrounding it as an ARC. I personally absolutely loved this book! The world was really cool and I was obsessed with the main character. And the way that the magic system was described and everything to do with magic, really, was super different and a fun take on magic in YA books. I just really loved Blood Heir and would highly recommend it to any and everyone!

This was good start to fantasy series and debut novel for Amelie. I enjoy learning about the different affinities and how they use them. The world building was done well and the writing style was good. The two different POV between the two characters were nice to read and getting their background on how they came to be in the present time. It took me awhile to get the book finished because I was burning out on fantasy at the time and I need a break before I gave up on the book. I am glad that I did take a break from reading it because I came back with refresh brain and was able to enjoy the book more. I looking forward to next book in the series

3.5 stars. Although this book does tend to rely on some pretty standard YA tropes in the areas of romance, predictable twists, too-convenient plot devices, and the MC behaving in ways the belie the danger of her situation as a magical fugitive, overall I enjoyed the world and the characters, and plan to read the next installment when it's out. The descriptive writing was good -- the cold, the blood, the scenery, the Russian-inspired-but-but-clearly-not-Russian details! -- but I did find the pacing a little slow.

Blood Heir has fantastic characters. It is a very fast pace story-line. This book grips you right away in the beginning and never lets you go. I really loved Ana's determination. I felt like the characters were written so well. This is such an amazing book.

3.5 to 4 stars

Review based on the published version rather than the ARC version.

It's actually pretty decent, y'all. It reads as very standard fare at first, but the fact that there's a lot of YA fantasy that just doesn't hit the mark for me makes me consider Blood Heir to be a tier above them. The story is pretty tight and I can't find any major faults tbh. I thought Linn was a quick and random addition to the main crew... but why not add a bit about learning to look past your country's propaganda about another country while reintroducing her later on?

Characters
Ana
I like that Ana's naivete about the world beyond the palace factors into her decision-making. It makes her feel all the more grounded as an exiled/disgraced noble and returning princess archetype. Her bond with her brother also anchors her character arc where she grapples with her blood powers and humanity. She's clearly a well-thought out character. My only complaint about Ana has more to do with where the snippets about her bonds with May and her brother are placed in the novel. Given that the ending had more to do with Ana and her brother more than Ana and May (although May's death does help her orient herself and her goals), I felt that the book should have gone even more to town with Luka and Ana's bond. What we got was already good, I just thought there could have been a better balance leading up to that finale with the throne and crown.

Another interesting point about Ana is that she is more removed from affinite trafficking than an average affinite would be due to her status as princess. This not only makes sense narratively because it plays into the gaps in her knowledge that came with being isolated, but it also is kind of brilliant since she functions as an audience stand-in where she learns more about the history of her own nation that was hidden. Instead of having a massive guilt-party and lauding herself for being woke now, by the end of the book she's ready to get stuff done and work with others who have different experiences with affinite oppresson to do it. This also highlights the fact that you can experience oppression for the same identity differently depending on your class and other circumstances, which is something I wish more people would wrap their heads around because so often one kind of story about a group of people pops into the mainstream consciousness and that can become the dominant narrative. BUT IT'S NOT ALL THE SAME there is heterogeneity among the experiences of people of the same marginalization!

Ramson
His backstory turned out pretty well. It was somewhat predictable but it got the job done in explaining how we got the present-day Ramson. Interesting that he was also a disgraced high-ranking individual because that means both he and Ana were essentially displaced from their position in society (his was a choice but there were several external pressures factoring into that). Ramson and Ana are in different stages of being a displaced local noble youth, and you can see that he wants to look out for her partly because he sees that *something* in her that he saw in himself once (and wants to see again).

May
Oh May... She was previously south Bregonian (like Ramson, but he's northern) in the ARC version iirc. Her origin was changed into being from the Aseatic Isles and her goal is to find and reunite with her mom (who was previously dead in the ARC iirc?). The descriptions surrounding May were a lot less awkward based on the changes I noticed in the chapters where she was first introduced. I didn't compare much more after May's introduction since I said I would only refer to the published ver. of Blood Heir, so that's how much I'll comment on that.

Ana's descriptions of May here came across as "she's too precious!" sometimes which was overbearing I have to admit and placed the girl on a pedestal as Ana's only present anchor to humanity at the beginning of the book. Other than that Ana and May were cute when they tried double-team bully Ramson when they first met him.

Writing
The plot was well-balanced with pacing and character development. The inclusion of flashbacks weren't jarring at all. Usually I have a problem with how flashbacks are incorporated in many recent YA, but Amelie made them feel very organic in Blood Heir.

In terms of the worldbuilding, I cannot vouch for the cultural accuracy in relation to IRL. I will go over the internal worldbuilding of the book rather than how it externally relates to IRL. I cannot exactly pinpoint the IRL analogs to the various nations in Blood Heir and suppose there wouldn't be a 1:1 parallel to each country either. Amelie did the work for developing how the affinite trafficking and affinite labor issues occur in the different countries. Those and the international relations associated with the Affinite trafficking feel fleshed out and I can definitely see where THAT is taken from IRL.

Verdict: I'll read the sequel.

When I read this synopsis I knew I had to have it. And I honestly couldn’t believe that I got approved for it. I was more than excited to read this book. I love fantasy books, especially when the MC has some kind of crazy powers. This book did not disappoint.

We follow Ana, who is the crown princess but has a crazy secret, she has an Affinity to blood. This world the book takes place in has people with powers and people without. But someone with the blood Affinity is very very strong. That is why Ana was been hidden away and the King made sure she wasn’t talked about. Until the King was murdered and she was the supposed killer.

Ana has to try to find the killer of her father, which she is pretty sure she knows how. But to find the killer she has to break free one of the most cunning criminals she has heard of.
I loved Ana and Ramson! They were so fun together in every scene and I just couldn’t get enough. They were so equally matched in their cleverness and their sarcasm and it was the best. I cannot wait for the next book! I couldn’t put this one down! It was amazing, and the characters were so well written. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy. You will not be disappointed.

i feel like i've been reading this forever, but lo and behold i've finished it! This was an intriguing book to say the least, i was definitely bored most of the time, but I was still interested to see what would happen with the characters. The plot didn't really move forward till about 250 pgs into the book, but regardless I enjoyed it and i'm looking forward to the sequel!

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

This is another instance of unwarranted hate. It’s sad how Twitter almost crushed the dreams of a promising author who only wanted to retell one of the dark periods in Chinese/Asian history. Overly sensitive influencers disregarded Amélie’s standpoint, accusing her of Black discrimination (and plagiarism). Now that I’ve read the ARC and final manuscript, I feel very indignant. But I’m also glad that the author chose to publish her book in spite of all the drama. If anything, negative publicity is still publicity.

Blood Heir is a fantastical reimagining of Anastasia. Anastacya Mikhailov is the crown princess of the Cyrilian Empire, a place where magic is feared but exploited. Because of her dark ability to control blood, Ana is forbidden to leave the palace and has a terrible childhood. One day, the emperor dies of poisoning, and Ana is the immediate suspect. Before her execution, she flees the palace dungeon and formulates a plan to clear her name. Surprisingly, the only person who can help Ana is a con man named Ramson Quicktongue. Regardless of their different objectives, the exiled princess and the notorious criminal team up and discover a shocking conspiracy.

This book was anything but anti-Black. In the ARC, the Author’s Note discloses the story’s inspiration: Amélie’s identity conflict as a Chinese immigrant.

Dear Reader,

It took me two years to realize that the monster in the story is me. 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 across the street. What I’ve experienced personally 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.

…Ana’s journey examines how one can internalize hatred and fear, how that can wrap 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.

Ana, who is constantly called a monster, signifies the demonization of the Other, which is a derogatory term that typically refers to people from the East. So from the get-go, the “monsters” in Blood Heir aren’t Black. It’s silly to assume otherwise just because the book was published in the USA. Did the bashers read the Author’s Note? I guess not! No offense, but Blacks aren’t the only long-time victims of racism.

As for the plagiarism issue, some parts of the ARC were indeed similar to The Hunger Games. One of the characters died, and Anna sang a nursery rhyme and buried them in lots of flowers. However, the final edition had a different version, probably just to please the haters online. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that Amélie was guilty of plagiarism. Haven’t you guys heard of the words “trope” and “cliche”? If using tropes and cliches were grounds for plagiarism, what would happen to the YA genre?

Now that I’ve refuted the major allegations, it’s time to discuss my actual reading experience. Ironically, I buddy read this book with an influencer. But he wasn’t part of the controversy; I think that he did his best to avoid it. Hahaha. I’ll call him JG for anonymity’s sake. JG and I read Blood Heir for almost a month, and we updated each other regularly on Instagram. It was a cathartic process because I had complaints about daddy-hating Ramson and his slow-paced backstory. Moreover, I needed someone to talk to whenever someone died. Dear Amélie, how could you be so heartless!? LOL

Ana’s blood magic wasn’t new to me because I was familiar with bloodbending in Avatar: the Last Airbender. However, I liked Ana’s active compassion for the oppressed. When she witnessed the corruption outside the palace walls, she promised to do everything in her power to stop it. Also, Ana’s facade of coldness made her vulnerability more remarkable. She genuinely loved her family even though they had failed to protect her. Finally, I loved that she never gave in to her growing feelings for Ramson; there wasn’t a single kissing scene in this book! ❤

JG and I had two favorite protagonists, but I can’t tell you their names because neither of them survived! All I can say is that both of them were very dear to Ana. I expected their demise because a happy ending would be unrealistic. Still, it hurt to see the author confirm my suspicions. If another beloved character dies in the sequel, I might send a love letter to the author. xD

The best part of the book was its colonial discourse. As an Asian reader, I found it very relatable. If you Google “slavery in the Philippines,” you’ll learn that “modern slavery” (e.g., human trafficking and debt bondage) is prevalent in my nation. Many countries in Asia have the same problem, so novels that seek to address it are more than welcome. Slavery is a global dilemma, and the habit of “Othering” makes matters worse.

Blood Heir was one of the most thought-provoking books I read in 2019. It didn’t always please me, but it was worth my time and money. I sincerely hope that book two will have a basher-free publication next year.

First of all thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I am at a lost of words. This book was amazing and filled with action on every page. I did not know going into it that it is a re-telling of Anastasia Nikolaevna. I couldn't put this down, with all the action at every corner you wanted to find out what was happening. I had so many different emotions during this ride. It made you laugh, cry and get excited when a character triumphed or turned the corner in their life. I can't wait to continue this journey and I hope Ana helps right all the wrongs.

For some reason I just couldn’t get that invested in this book. It started off strong but I just kind of lost interest as it went on. I do think a lot of people will love it, it just wasn’t for me

I've been reading this book for months yet I can't get past the 30% mark. I'm not sure if it's the author's writing style or my lack of a connection with the main character, Ana.

This book is told from two different points of view, Ana and Ramson (although, my mind read his name as Ransom lol). I find Ramson to be intriguing even though he's the stereotypical brooding, bad guy character. Ana, on the other hand, doesn't rub me the right way. I can't quite pinpoint why or express in words why I don't connect with her.

Honestly, my biggest issue with this book is that it doesn't really bring anything new to the table in terms of YA Fantasy. Nothing was jumping out at me, demanding my full attention. I could easily put this book down--for weeks--without having the teensiest inkling to pick it back up to see what happens next.

That being said, I do plan to finish this book at a later date. I want to see what happens and possibly even read the sequel.