I should have read this months ago, but then I got distracted by some library books that I had been pining after. I should have just stuck with this. Holy smokes. While the writing at times was just meh, it kept me intrigued the whole time.
In a world where people who have an affinity to air,fire,flesh,earth,fear,mind control, and even the blood, there is a little something for everyone. Ramson was snarky and smart. Ana an Affinite who has the power to control you with your blood and can bleed you dry in seconds. May, sweet caring May. Yuri the kitchen boy, turned rebel who has an affinity for fire. Linn who can control wind. I loved a lot of characters in this book. There were a lot of evil shenanigans to be had by all, some real evil disgusting people. I cannot wait for the second book in this series.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I love this book for it was not gory but it was full of action and drama. There two very powerful point of views. I like that it a world that was easy for my to fall into and just get completely lost in the story and pulling for the characters in their struggles on their journey. I will have to look into the other two books in this trilogy.

I can't wait to dive into this book. Even though it surrounds controversies. I still want to read it. Setting aside all reviews coming from other reviewers.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
A Princess is said to be dead, but she really isn’t and ran in a time of betrayal. She is looking a fugitive to help her. Once found, they go on a quest to find who killed her family. Once on the quest, they see first hand about slavery.
There is action, betrayal, treason, and great chemistry between the two main characters.
The reason for four stars is because I felt like something was missing, but at the same time too long of a book. It did have great world building and character building though.

Blood Heir is the first in a brand new series, perfect for fans of The Grisha Trilogy.

Anastacya or “Ana” is a princess accused of murdering her father, the king. She has a dangerous gift, and is now on the run to avoid imprisonment and most likely death. Along the way, she meets another on the run and together they work together to try and destroy a slave trade and help others in hiding.

Ana was such a strong character. Her strength came not only from her power, but also from her fears and how she would overcome them. But Ana was such a flawed character, and one thing I LOVED about her was her fear of herself and of hurting those that she loved and making them fear her.

The writing was also wonderful. It was pretty and flowy, but also easy to understand and to read.

We begin as Ana is trolling a prison looking for a specific prisoner to help her clear her name. Desperate to keep her Affinity (magic) hidden from the guards, Ana spends a lot of time telling us she’s trying to keep it under control.

There is, perhaps, too much backward information at the beginning of Blood Heir. Her father is dead but we didn’t see him die, she’s on the run because people think she did it, but we’re not sure why, she somehow knows this prisoner will help her, but we don’t know who he is.

I was certainly intrigued by the action of the opening chase scene but it wasn’t enough to keep me going with all my questions.

The other reason I put it down was the way the writing flipped. Some parts were very well written. They felt perfect for a YA audience. But other parts felt overly informative and talked down to the reader. Basically, I don’t need a description for a sword so much as I do for the magic system.

I ended up not finishing.

My Rating: DNF

I loved this book! I was so excited for the book. I don't know why it took so long for me to read it but once I did, it was awesome! The story and the heroine are everything I wanted them to be. I couldn't have asked for a better story!

Blood Heir is a solid YA Fantasy that hooked me right from the beginning and I'm so glad I finally read it! Honestly, if you're not willing to give this book a chance because of all the drama that happened before it was edited and published, then it's your loss. Even though I had an e-ARC, I chose to listen to the audiobook. Sometimes I read along so I saw some of the changes that were made.

In Blood Heir, we follow two flawed characters, Ramson and Anastacya. They were so interesting and I just wanted to know more about their past, and I wanted to see them evolve. The exiled princess, a blood affinite presumed dead, and the criminal, betrayed, held in a cell. They quickly find out that they can work together to get revenge from the people that wronged them. I loved them both. The slow-burn romance was breathtaking and I wanted them to just KISS! This book also had some sad moments that made me cry.

I can't wait to read the sequel, Red Tigress!

(Thank you for giving me an ARC via Netgalley)

The Blood Heir is a compelling story based on oppression, prejudice, and overcoming familial expectations. Ana is known to the world as a blood witch and seen as a monster. Her family even kept her hidden away from the rest of the world until one day she escapes and attempts to prove everyone wrong. Affinites are people who have powers and are condemned to a terrible life or are used as puppets. Seeking revenge for the death of her family, she finds a stranger along the way who is seeking to destroy the same person. But maybe something more evolves out of what they both share.

"It is up to us to fight our battles in this world."

As many of you know, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the novel. In my opinion, it was totally uncalled for and I think the author did a great job of depicting the harsh realities of oppressive lives. Did those people even read the book?! If you want to call this “racially insensitive” then please explain to me the mass killing of people in Poland (my mom immigrated from there when it was still under communist rule and it actually wasn’t even a country on a map at one point), or any other example of oppression. It affected every race, not just one. We all know those times were bad for those involved, but the author luckily stayed true to her vision and published the novel. She was unveiling the truth behind oppression, not condoning it. The bullying of people’s free speech needs to stop. This criticism was totally unwarranted. Rant over.

"But perhaps all monsters were heroes in their own eyes."

I loved Ramson, the world-building, the deception, and the justice that was conducted in the story. The novel was great, but I find myself looking back and not feeling this novel to be super memorable. But I want it to be because I did enjoy reading it.

The Blood Heir was a moving, unpredictable story about the struggles facing people in oppressive countries. Reader who love a slow-burn romance, deception, and a twisted plot will love The Blood Heir.

"Your Affinity does not define you. What defines you is how you choose to wield it."

I know there were a lot of issues with this book but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't let the opinions of others define what I read. Shame on those who did because it was a good book, especially for a debut.

First of all, I love retellings...but a dark retelling...count me in! Ana has blood magic. Hello....that is the coolest magic ever! She is a kick-ass character who can control or kill people with their own blood. She doesn't even need to touch them. This book is loaded to the brim with death and betrayal.

Each character, even the side characters were well thought out and I love so many of them...especially Ramson. I could go on about the great storyline, etc. but I think you need to stop letting other people choose what you read and make your own decision.

Review
Blood Heir is the first book in Amélie Wen Zhao’s debut fantasy series with a Russian-inspired setting and is a loose retelling of Anastasia. Here Affinites, people with a magical affinity to certain elements, are both feared and prized for their abilities, are trafficked within the Cyrilian Empire—exploited for their gifts. It is about a girl who, despite her fears chooses to fight for their freedom and learns to accept herself along the way.

Crown Princess Anastacya Mikhailov is secretly a blood Affinite able to influence others physically. Sheltered from the outside world, she lives life sequestered, rejected by her father and taught to fear her powers.

“You are not a monster, Sistrika. Your Affinity does not define you. What defines you is how you choose to wield it.”
When her father, the Emperor, is murdered it shatters her from her protected world and sets Ana on a quest that will change her life and perspective beyond the palace walls that once held her hostage.

Framed for his death, Ana fleas court in search of the one man cunning enough to help restore her name—crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson Quicktongue has his own dark agenda for aiding her.

Only Ana is not a typical Princess and while together they battle their way through plots and ambushes, the world around them is rising up in revolt. What starts out as revenge becomes much more—the very fate of her kingdom and its people.

“The Ana of a year ago would have valued honor and faced her enemies head-on. But then, she supposed, in a world of con men, crime lords, and cutthroats, there were no rules to the game. You only played to win.”
My favorite part of the book is probably the first half where we really get a good look at the terrible price Ana has endured and the ramifications of her powers when she chooses to use them—even when she believes it is for the greater good.

What I took away most from Blood Heir was that the author wanted to tell a story about the horrors subjugation and the power of self-acceptance. Zhao simply chooses a fantasy world setting to deliver it.
Choosing a heroine— a sheltered, teen-aged girl who lives in constant fear, demonized because of her powers. A girl who learns to accept herself despite being told that her very nature makes her a monster.

There’s a message of hope and of self-acceptance that can only be realized by reading her whole story-arc.

In the End
Overall, I enjoyed the story. I thought the pace sometimes uneven and perhaps the drama of Ana constantly being thrust into danger could have been better, but the story gave me feels and a message to ponder.

Ana’s interactions with Ramson, the growth and changes in their perspectives, are well-done and the murder mystery kept me intrigued. I’m interested in seeing how the series progresses and glad Zhao choose to publish Blood Heir.

Ana is an affinity.she can take control of people's blood to cause injury.she has yet to learn how to use her power to save people .She is a future ruler of her kingdom. Until her father dies and she is framed for the murder.i liked Ana's journey with the command to show the truth to the people.Ana loses a lot in the quest for her name to be cleared.I can't wait to finish the series

My anticipation for “ Blood Heir” had been building since seeing it floating all around social media, book clubs, and more. I was very disappointed to hear that it had been pulled but so glad that the author/ publisher changed their minds and released it. It is important for me to note that this is a review of the book prior to it being pulled due to the controversy.

“Blood Heir” used a lot of tropes found in YA Fantasy today. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. It was a fun, fast paced read I really liked the alternating point of views. Ana fell a little flat to me. I was indifferent to her for the most part. Loved Ransom. Also, the author did a great job with the setting. There were some instances that the story jumped around a little bit. Kind of saw some of the twist coming but again, that may be due to my love of YA Fantasy. Overall. I liked this book. In the future, I would like to read the updated copy to see what has been changed/ added.

Actual Rating 3.5 stars

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This world—this beautiful broken world that harbored so much of the gray—was the only one they had. And it was one she would continue to fight for.”

A book I had no idea I would love as much as I did! Main characters were easily great to love and I cannot wait for the next one!

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.

I wasn't too sure about the plot of this book when I started reading, but was quickly won over by the main characters, Ana and Ramson. The worldbuilding is pretty slim and the character development is slow, but the storyline moves quickly and soon I was sucked in. Don't get me wrong, most of the story is the same YA storylines we are familiar with, and there are the usual bad guys and traps the main characters have to wiggle out of, but it is still an entertaining read. I liked it enough that I will read the next book in the series.

Ana is the crown princess of the Cyrilian Empire. Her life should be wonderful, but she has a dark secret - she's an Affinite. She has an affinity for blood and can control the blood in another person's body. Affinites are reviled in the kingdom, which is why Ana has been kept behind the palace walls for years. When her father is murdered, Ana is accused and arrested. She escapes prison with the help of a sympathetic guard and is determined to find her father's true killer and clear her name. But, she needs the help of the must cunning thief and con man in the kingdom, Ransom Quicktongue.

Ransom was the second in command of a powerful criminal enterprise, but was betrayed and imprisoned. Normally he'd never dream of helping Ana, but he has his own reasons for aiding her on her quest. The duo set out to achieve both their goals, but doing so won't be easy. It will take all of their strength and skill to make it out alive - let alone be successful.

As I said before, this is an entertaining book that I recommend you read.

I was given a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blood Heir is easily one of my favorite reads of 2019, and possibly a favorite of all-time. With exquisite writing, unforgettable characters, and extraordinary world building, Blood Heir captured my attention from the moment I started reading and left me breathless for me.

The world building is absolutely phenomenal and breathtaking. There’s nothing quite like this world Zhao has created and its achingly beautiful. She describes the world in vivid colors and elegant prose. Her writing is spectacular and she captures the world and characters so well. Zhao’s storytelling blew me away, and I’m so thankful she decided to publish her book this year. She knows how to write a captivating YA fantasy story.

Ana is such a strong and well-depicted character. She’s fearful of her gift – the ability to control blood – and she has every right to be. Unable to control her power, she rarely uses it, so she doesn’t accidentally kill someone (this fear manifested due to a darkly past experience). But, throughout her journey, she starts to realize that her affinity is not something she should fear, but something she should harness. And seeing that growth and understanding was what made Ana a relatable character – she had something to fear but she started to learn how to overcome that fear and fight for her future.

Ramson, I have to say, was such a fun character. He mainly just looks out for himself but he grows throughout this book and starts to feel attached to Ana. And I enjoyed watching him try to piece together her past and her identity. His personality is so much fun. He’s sarcastic and funny and knows he’s good-looking. He’s basically Flynn Rider from Tangled but in an awesome YA fantasy book. I’m very excited to see where his character development goes in the second book.

If you’re looking for romance, there’s not quite much in Blood Heir. Don’t get me wrong, there is romance (in the form of a snarky and dashingly handsome thief), but it’s very much in the background. I’ll set it straight for you: it’s a very slow burn romance, and it captivated my attention the whole book. The slow burn builds from the first page to the last sentence, and I have this wonderful (hopefully right) feeling that the romance is going to really blossom in book two. I was rooting for Ana and her potential love interest the whole time; they both compliment each other and their constant witty banter gave me all the feels.

I’m beyond excited (and very impatient, might I add) for book two. The ending to Blood Heir is honestly how I was hoping it would end: with a cliff-hanger but one that didn’t strike a knife straight through my heart. It does have a small cliff-hanger, but mainly in the sense of the agonizing wait for book two. But overall, Blood Heir is a dashingly exquisite debut novel that I will continue to recommend to my friends and bookworms.

Blood Heir was initially an eARC I received from NetGalley, but after Twitter drama caused it to be delayed and reworked, I decided to request an audiobook copy to review in order to experience the novel in its final form. And well, for all the fuss surrounding it, this one actually turned out to be pretty average.

Those who know me, however, will know that “average” is not always intended as a slight. I make it no secret that adult SFF makes up the bulk of my reading diet and that I only delve into Young Adult occasionally, which has made me extremely picky about the YA books I do check out since I only put those that sound interesting enough onto my TBR. But while I think Amélie Wen Zhao has written a solid debut, one that was in fact quite enjoyable from any perspective, a part me still can’t help but feel maybe part of the time spent reworking this book could have included some structural edits and overall polishing as well, because I found the pacing to be very unstable and much of the writing to be overly dramatic.

But first, a bit about the story. Blood Heir takes us to a vaguely Russian-inspired fantasy world where exists individuals with magic who are both reviled and prized for their abilities to control the world around them. Called “Affinites”, they are heavily exploited and trafficked within the Cyrilian Empire, treated as human chattel to be bought and sold. But what nobody knows is that the empire’s 18-year-old crown princess, Anastacya Mikhailov, is an Affinite herself, a secret she guards closely by shutting herself away from the outside world. It doesn’t help that her Affinity is blood, enabling her to affect the bodies and flesh of others in horrifying ways.

Then one day, Ana’s father is murdered, and she can hide no more. With the emperor’s death pinned on her, Ana is forced to flee the palace, escaping into the outside world with no protection. Still, she is determined to find her father’s killer and clear her name, leading her to seek the aid of a crime lord named Ramson Quicktongue. To navigate the corruption of the Cyrilian Empire, she reasoned, she will need someone just as deceitful and unscrupulous. But Ramson has secrets as well, not to mention his own mission and a personal vendetta to attend to.

I will say, there were moments of absolute ingenuity in this book, especially in the first third or so. I loved the world building and the way the magic system was handled, especially Ana’s affinity to blood. And boy, were there moments where things got dark. The author did an incredible job emphasizing the horrific and extraordinary nature of Ana’s abilities, as well as the way its effects have shaped her and defined her purpose. The story here doesn’t go easy on the character, putting her through one harrowing trial after the next. It made it slightly easier to understand the early self-loathing, the constant berating of herself, and the insidious undertones of insecurity that come through in her voice and everything she does.

That said, I think the writing might have taken the angst and melodrama a bit too far. Perhaps it was because I listened to this in audio, and in this format, problems such as these tend to be far more noticeable, but the prose was often overwrought and too flowery for my tastes. This flagrant overwriting got so extreme and eyeroll-inducing at times it would snap me right out of the story, and even though I’ve found this issue to be common with a lot of debut YA novelists and not just Amélie Wen Zhao, it nevertheless cast an unfortunate damper on the experience. Compounded with the fact that pacing suffered in the middle due to some plot meandering and repetitiveness, or that it took me some time to warm up to Ramson, there were moments where I had to actively push myself to continue, which was strange because I don’t usually need much motivation when it comes to audiobooks.

Happily, I think the book’s ending made up for a lot of these issues. One only has to look at the ways both Ana and Ramson have changed by the end as compared to their earlier selves to see why. The plot also came back in a big way, with a finale that was worth waiting for despite all the bumps along the way.

Overall, I’m glad this book got published, though I have to wonder if it would have been a blip on most people’s radars if it hadn’t been for the controversy surrounding it. I enjoyed Blood Heir, but also must confess it indulges in a lot of YA fantasy tropes and contains some very typical debut hiccups like pacing issues and purple prose—things that I concede would probably not pose a problem for most readers who are not as picky as I am, or are reading this book in a non-audio format. That said, the audiobook is one I would still wholeheartedly recommend, and it is in no small part due to the fact is is narrated by the amazing and very talented Emily Woo Zeller. I’m a big fan of her work, and her mellow and dignified voice was simply perfect for this novel. I honestly don’t think she’s capable of delivering a bad performance, and once more she really hit it out of the park with this one.

I'm very happy that Bloody Heir had an opportunity to be shared with the world. From the marvellous writing to the discussion of thought provoking issues, Blood Heir is the epic journey of Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess of Cyrilia, who will do whatever it takes to save her Empire - even if it means becoming a monster.

Storytelling: A dark retelling of Anastasia, Blood Heir is the tale of Ana's search for justice after being framed by her father's death. I'm aware that I use these words a lot, but Amélie Wen Zhao's writing is simply enthralling. Her words captivated me from the very first sentence. There is something about her writing that made me fall in love - there is such a care in the storytelling and that transpires to the reader. Through words, you could feel all the emotions Amélie put in her story.

Blood Heir explores the darkness of our world, dwelling on indenture and slavery, the power one exerts over another, the boundaries between good and evil, and the monsters that walk on earth. I actually kept highlighting quotes that focused on these themes (the topic of monstrosity is always a favourite of mine - one is always so sure of whom the real monster is that he/she never looks at the mirror, believing to be human and morally righteous). In the end, the reader is forced to think about the same questions than the characters. Ps. Don't you just love when a book/story makes you think critically? One has the power to change the world by unveiling and confronting the darkness that inhabits it.

Characters: After being "locked up" inside the palace walls for years, following an incident that gave birth to the legend of the Witch of Salskoff, Anna is accused of her father's murder. Emotionally damaged and haunted by traumatic memories of being tortured in order to become "human" and lose her Affinity, Ana begins the journey to prove her innocence. In her search for the culprit, she travels through the Empire and comes to understand that the land she believed to be just and a home to all its inhabitants has been corrupted and is rot to its core. Monsters hid in the shadows, selling Affinities and forcing them to do their bidding.

Throughout her journey, this new reality moulds Ana's view. She sees her father's mistakes and realizes that Affinities are not monsters, thus swearing to make the Empire a better place to everyone. She vows to fight against all the wrongdoings that ravage the Empire. I really enjoyed how much Ana grew. No longer sheltered by the life in the palace, the world is no longer black and white. Ana goes through a transformation that is strongly connected with acceptance - acceptance of who she is, of her Affinity, of what she can do.

Ana isn't the only character that goes through some major transformations. Ramson Quickthongue, con-man and member of one of the most brutal criminal organizations in Cyrilia, also goes through a journey that obliges him to confront his past, to face his choices, and wonder about the path he wants to follow. Although his past is not as torturous as Anna's, it has also left several scars (physical and psychological) on Ramson, as the reader comes to learn as the story unfolds.

World Building: If you are looking for a whole new world, build from the scratch , even if inspired by our own world, you will find it in Blood Heir. The Cyrilian Empire, the Kingdom of Bregon, the dangerous city of Novo Minsk (which did remind me of Ketterdam), among many other lands and cultures will give you wanderlust. This world features a range of Affiniti - flesh, marble, earth, fire, ice, etc., whose abilities are connected to the world that surrounds them. Once again, you can see how carefully the settings are crafted - settings where light and darkness intertwine in every chapter; no matter how difficult the journey through frozen landscapes inhabited by wild beasts and magical beings or in blood-soaked dungeons is, there's always hope.

Blood Heir is a strange book to review. On the one hand, the story is exciting, the writing engaging, and it flowed well. On the other, I was bored out of my mind despite that.

Blood Heir is described as a “dark Anastasia retelling”. That is, Anastasia the musical film, not the actual historical event. That one did confuse me at first. But anyway. Dark Anastasia, but with magic powers, people who can manipulate different substances, somewhat like Avatar in a way. The main character, Ana, has the power to manipulate blood, a very rare power, and one that leaves her hated by many, and suspected of having killed her father, the emperor. In order to clear her name, she enlists the help of Ramson (who I have to carefully type the name of because I’m very likely to call him Ransom by accident), who works for a big criminal boss.

The Good:

* The writing. Amélie Wen Zhao has such a lovely writing style – it flows so well and she builds up tension excellently. In another book, where I liked the characters more, it would have made me love the book.

* The action. You know me, I get very bored, very easily, so the amount of action this book opened with was perfect, and it – for the most part – continued throughout. Yeah, there were a few lulls, but it moved along at a good pace as well as developing the characters.

The Less Good:

* The characters. The thing is, these characters kind of felt not-quite-there with their characterisation. It almost felt at times like they could be summed up with one or two words. Ana had the most potential for me and I could definitely see her going down a morally-grey-would-do-anything-to-protect-the-ones-she-loves route, but in this she always just seemed to teeter on the edge of going there. Instead she’s almost annoyingly naive about what’s going on in her country. Sure, she’s in a place of privilege but even so. Meanwhile, with Ramson, I just couldn’t bring myself to care about someone who was so blithely willing to send Ana into what’s effectively slavery, even knowing exactly what happens to those people because he’s close to the biggest player in that game. There’s “dark” and then there’s “oh I’m happy to sell you into slavery for my own profit”. Okay, so he develops, but that was always in the back of my mind with him.

* I couldn’t stop thinking about the whole mess earlier in the year with the book. Yeah, that’s a personal one. I just couldn’t disconnect that, and all the vitriol from that, from the book itself. But like I said, personal. And, not having read the first version of it, I don’t know the changes that were made so. It’s a me thing.

So, in the end, there was a fair amount of potential to the book, but it just didn’t pull through.

"Blood Heir" by Amelie Wen Zhao was a disappointing read for me. I mostly skimmed it especially toward the end and I just never really connected with the characters. A lot about the story felt cliche and shallow. The writing was decent and the story had some potential, but nothing different ever really stuck out to me. She even repurposed Dumbledore's quote about decisions defining you, several times. So yeah, there were a lot of trite, overused phrases and tropes and I never got into the story at all. The second star is since I finished it, and the third star is for some well-thought-out world building. That's about as generous as I can be.