Ana, Ramson, and the gang are back and just as great as they were in the first book.

In Red Tigress, we follow Ana deeper into the new regime that Morganya has created. Needing all the allies she can get before she can reclaim her throne, Ana meets with old friends and new, traveling to distant lands--only to find out that Cyrillia isn't the only place that's corrupt.

With POVs from Ana, Ramson, Linn, and Kais, we really get to see the story unravel from multiple perspectives which sets up the plot nicely. There were so many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end.

And that ending! I can't say how glad I am that we're still in for another installment in this epic trilogy!

As always, we love a good love story--especially messy ones--and Zhao delivers. If you were a fan of the first, you're going to love this second book just as much! Hold on to you hats because revolution is coming, and boy does it get bloody.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Red Tigress, second the Blood Heir trilogy, continues successfully on the heels of its controversy-laden predecessor. This one expands on the world, going outside the land of Cyrilia to explore the nation of a Bregon, making the world feel more expansive and immersive. The Russian-inspired Cyrilia was a key appeal factor for the first book, so to see more cultural expansion and how Zhao put a lot of thought into the distinct cultures and languages of the two regions, likely based at least in part on her own lived experiences, is nice.

I enjoyed the characters this time around, and while the twists the plot takes them on were fairly predictable, they worked fairly well for each character. Ana further comes into her own on her quest to take back her throne, and Ramson is continuing on his quest of revenge against his employer. I did find it interesting that they parted ways, focusing on their individual conflicts. I did find that fairly interesting though, especially as that does set it apart from other YA fantasy series that are pushing an epic romance vibe either instead of or overshadowing the lead(s) pursuing their own goals, and it’s nice to have something a bit different.

This is another intriguing installment in a series by an up-and-coming author. If you enjoyed the first one, I think you’ll also like this one.

Ana’s brother is dead. With her aunt Morganya taking the throne and beginning her reign in a shower of blood, Ana finds herself in need of help to stop her. But how to defeat someone who seems to hold all the power, especially when there’s whispers of a powerful weapon that she’s searching for? Ana has to partner with the dashing Ramson once again and travel to the kingdom of Bregon, in the hopes of securing an alliance that will save her and her people’s lives.

I received an advanced reading copy of Red Tigress in exchange for an honest review.

Red Tigress is a young adult fantasy novel by Amélie Wen Zhao, and it also happens to be the sequel to Blood Heir, which I reviewed some time ago. It’s the second book of the Blood Heir trilogy, and it certainly has quite its share of excitement!

If there was ever a novel that was plot-led, I’d say this one was it. From the very beginning, we find ourselves still reeling a bit from the aftermath of what happened at the end of the last book. And here is where I admit that I didn’t quite remember what had happened at the end of the last book. I had a vague idea, but I did have to find my copy of it and re-read the last few chapters to figure out exactly what I was diving into in these. I remembered some specific moments, but definitely not enough, and the while there’s only really one major event from the last book that matters in this one, it’s a pretty important one! I’m honestly surprised I didn’t actually remember it.

Anyway, back to the book. Well, this book sets a pretty relentless pace for all our POV characters. It was so relentless, in fact, that I found it a bit hard to keep up. Do you guys ever read books where just so much is happening on the page that it’s hard to connect to the characters? I had that feeling. I thought the book could have used a few more quiet moments, just to let us get to know the characters and their relationships, and while there is a short sequence where all the characters are just mostly hanging out while planning what they’re going to do next, it wasn’t enough to sustain me for the entire book.

There’s one character in particular that I would have loved to know more about, and that is Sorsha. I thought Sorsha could have really been such a fascinating character, very much like Azula from Avatar: the Last Airbender, but instead, she felt sort of flat. She had one dimension and nothing else, and I thought spending a bit more time with her, or even having some specific characters remembering more about her would have helped immensely in making her much scarier, and a much more interesting character overall. I don’t know what it is about characters like this that draw me to them, but I think she could have been so much more.

We do meet some other fun characters who I really want to discuss but I also know that would spoil some big moments for you guys. In fact, I could have already spoiled something telling you about Sorsha, but I don’t think so, since you guys still don’t know who she is, and she is exactly as I described from the very first second she shows up on the page.

The book was exciting, though! With all the action, there were lots of surprises in store for all the characters, and the stakes were both impressive and enormous. This is definitely the kind of book for someone who just wants to see lots of things happening, one after the other, and definitely lots of blood. (Well, the series is called the Blood Heir trilogy, right?)

Also, this book doesn’t really suffer from the second-book syndrome, where a middle book in a trilogy only serves as a connection between books one and three. There’s definitely a self-contained plot here, although it doesn’t get revealed until later, and that sort of ties it all up quite nicely, while still leaving much open for book three.

Overall, I thought the book was good, but it didn’t excite me as much as the first one did. I think part of it was that I struggled to connect to the characters here, but that was my problem specifically. There’s lots of other people who are in it for the action, for the blood, and for the magic. And there’s a lot of really cool magic stuff that happens in here! There’s enough of it, in fact, that I definitely am going to read the final book in the trilogy!

Red Tigress will be released on March 2. You can pre-order your copy from Delacorte Press here.

Omg I loved this book so much more than Blood Heir. I will admit that some parts were slow but that ending tore at my heart. Why did she do that to Ramson and Ana? Especially since Ana had finally seen Ramson as a match. Ugh!!!

What an amazing sequel to a much beloved book! The way she writes is magical, and you can’t help but get swept away into this amazing world. I loved everything about this.

Highly recommend!

Worthy sequel to The Blood Heir. The characters are more fleshed out, though I find myself wanting more scenes between Ana and Ramsom. Linn and Kais come into their own, and the author does a really good job moving the complex plot along. It's a great set-up to what will be a most-awaited final installment, which promises an epic conclusion.

I found this second book to be faster paced, and enjoyed the wonderful writing.

Red Tigress is the second book in a trilogy, sequel to Blood Heir. Ana - Anastacya Mikhailov, heir to the throne of Cyrillia, an alternative world version of something resembling Russia - has been deposed by her adopted aunt, who, like Ana, is an Affinate, a person with the in-born power to control some element. Ana's aunt, Morganya, can control minds, and she used her power in Blood Heir to control the previous heir to the throne, Ana's brother Luka. Unable to control Ana, Morganya instead controls the other leaders of Cyrillia, driving Ana from her home. Seeking help in Bregon, a neighboring country, Ana discovers a web of intrigue, with both allies and enemies at its heart, a web she will need to disassemble if she is to get help for herself and her homeland. Fans of fantasies with X-Men-like powers will enjoy the Affinities that wind through this society, and will recognize the use, and abuse, of the Affinites who possess these powers. Red Tigress is a fitting sequel to Blood Heir, and I look forward to reading the third book when it is released.

I read Blood Heir around this time last year. It took me awhile to familiarize myself with the world again, but it was great to jump back in again.
This sequel was much more plot driven with less dialogue and banter than the first novel. Although it was written from different point of views which I liked. The characters really didn't spend much time together as the book was mainly focused on a mission to be completed. Linn and Kais really made the book for me. What I loved about Ransom and Ana in the first book is close to what I got from Linn and Kais in this book. There was very little interaction between Ana and Ransom, which I wished there would have been a little more of.
Overall, I really enjoyed the sequel. Beautiful writing. Though I did love the first book much more.

Thank you netgalley and Delacorte for allowing me to read an early copy.

Thanks to netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the gap between reading Blood Heir and the sequel, I was able to pick up right where I left off with minimal confusion. Ana's world drew me in once again, and the book picked up around 30% when they made it to Bregon. I loved this story and the conflict, especially the internal conflict for Ana. Ramson in this book fell a little flat for me, but Linn and Kais stepped up in his place. This was definitely a more plot driven novel and we did not get nearly as much relationship building or background as we did in Blood Heir.

My main critique was sometimes with language/word choice. The author does a great job of writing beautiful prose, but sometimes it become a little too dramatic or flowery for its purpose- and it often felt like words had been replaced with their less common synonyms to make it seem fancier? Maybe it was just me but it did occasionally distract from the plot.

Overall I devoured this book. It was a perfect second book for a trilogy, and it left me satisified and wanting more! Let's all hope that Ransom changes his mind about that final decision!

The long awaited sequel is finally here!! The story follows our duo Princess Ana and conman Ransom. Having been forced to flee from the empress of Morganya, the two travel across the sea with Ana hoping to gather allies for her revolution. There are new characters introduced and secrets that come to light about her companions. It’s a great action packed read and fits perfectly after the events of the first book. I was so happy to have received this arc and can’t wait to get the physical copy in my hands! Red Tigress ends with such a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see how the story expands in the third book!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I was incredibly excited to be approved for this ARC, as I loved reading Blood Heir! Red Tigress returns to the unlikely duo of Princess Ana and conman Ramson, forced to flee the cruel empress Morganya. Traveling across the sea to Bregon, Ana has one chance to try to gather allies for her revolution. But all is not as it seems, mysterious new characters complicate matters and her allies have not been entirely honest. As promises are made and friendships are tested, Ana must decide who to ally with and what type of world she will fight for.

Red Tigress is action-packed! Zhao’s description is lyrical and beautiful; it is a delight to read. I absolutely loved being back with these vibrant characters! Zhao writes such complex and strong characters, all faced with challenging obstacles barring the way. In Red Tigress, all the characters go through significant changes and must make difficult choices about who to trust to achieve their goals. At a certain point it becomes impossible to put this book down!

Red Tigress is a strong and compelling sequel that expands on the rich world-building, character development, and exploration of power and justice that began in Blood Heir. Zhao delivers a well-paced and exhilarating adventure. She also sets up what promises to be a thrilling finale to the series. I can’t wait to see how Ana’s story concludes and highly recommend you pick up Red Tigress! You won’t want to miss it. Red Tigress releases March 2, 2021. Thank you so much to Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

For some reason I thought this was a duology so I was super mad at the way this ended.
Now that Ana's real identity has been shown she must go ona trip to get more supporters for her claim to the throne.
Betrayals are inevitable.
Will people follow their hearts or their minds.
I really hope there is more ransom in the 3rd book.

I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!

Loved the sequel, not as much as the first book but I enjoyed the character’s journey and progression. It was a great read

4.5 stars

I read the last 40% of this book in one sitting, praying that my kids would stay asleep until I finished, because I didn’t want to have to wait until their naptime to finish this book! And now I really need the third book, especially after that ending and epilogue! It’s going to be hard to wait until the third book is published...

There was a lot to love about this book! The writing is beautiful, and I loved the descriptions of the scenery. I could picture everything so clearly, and the beauty of the words drew me into the story. The pacing is well done; it kept me interested and turning pages as quickly as I could. I also really loved the exploration of the themes of choice and choosing to do good. I like books that have good vs. evil at the core of the story, and this book did that very well!

The characters are also well-written; I smiled, teared up, and got completely caught up in what was happening to them on the page! I’m looking forward to reading the final book to see what happens with them, but at the same time I will be sad to say goodbye to them. So I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t have to do that yet and have something to look forward to next year!

I took off a half star from my rating because of the swearing. The writing is beautiful, as I mentioned before, and I think the use of swear words was jarring in comparison with the prose. Thankfully there weren’t too many swear words, but they did pop up occasionally.

Content:
Sweet romance (I love books with clean romance in them, so I appreciated that about this book)
Moderate swearing

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4/5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC via netgalley!

First: when reading my review just know that I loved Blood Heir, but I read it as an ARC after it was pulled and re-written.

I loved the different affinities in the original book and really enjoyed learning more about them and more affinities in the sequel. We get to know more about Ana, Ramson, Linn, and several other characters. And we got new characters. Naturally this book included more deceit, betrayal, and etc.

My main complaint was the pacing wasn't the greatest in this book. There was a lot of setting up for the last 20% of the book. While there was still action throughout it was all short little bits. Red Tigress was definitely more about laying down groundwork for the finale and I'm excited to see how Ana and the rest of the character's stories end.

Red Tigress by Amelie Wen Zhao is the second book in the Blood Heir Trilogy. We pick up shortly after where we left Ana and Ransom in Blood Heir. Ana is on a mission to take back her empire from the Empress Morganya and Ransom to take revenge on his former employer and master criminal Alaric Kerlan. In the course of the first few chapters the main characters find themselves separated in Novo Mynsk while on their way to the southern coastal town of Goldwater Port where they are reunited with Linn…and the former Yaeger and former white cloak. Linn and Kais have come to a tentative alliance upon finding their way to Ana. Many secrets come out, Ransom and Ana continue to avoid their feelings, and conspiracies and new enemies come to light.

I enjoyed this book but not quite as much a I did the first book, Blood Heir. Though the plot twists and surprises are quite predictable it didn’t distract from the story. I think, perhaps, that Ransom and Kais have the most transparent storylines and “twists” but also have the most personal issues and subsequent growth. Ana comes to understand and appreciate her powers and Ransom comes to terms with his past. Linn and Kais are most definitely my favorite characters throughout Red Tigress and I really wouldn’t mind reading a whole book just about them.

Once again Amelie Wen Zhao has continued on her beautiful world building and it is absolutely easy to get lost in it. I am definitely interested and excited to see where book three brings these characters and the new places Amelie takes us to.

~~~~ 4.5 Stars ~~~~

Ok, let's start this off by first going backwards. I was a HUGE fan and absolutely loved Blood Heir to itsy teeny tiny pieces. SO when I say that I feel truly lucky to have been gifted an ARC of its successor, I mean it! I wanted to go into Red Tigress fully cognizant of each and every minute detail from the first book and... I am not (completely) embarrassed to admit that... some tidbits may have slipped through the cracks in my memory. Since the wait between books was lengthy enough for my mushy brain (which, in the interim, was fed a bevy of arguably less awesome reads) to smudge some details... I decided to first revisit Blood Heir, this time I did so auditorily. Hearing that beloved book in another's voice (coupled with my undiagnosed amnesia) felt like I was experiencing the story nearly anew. I still enjoyed it but it was definitely a different experience.

Just like book #1, the characters were the main course in Red Tigress. Although the world building, action and twisty turns were yummy, the characters are what you come to the table for. The cast (secondary included), and the novel as a whole, were a slew of adjectives (that I normally would hit you with but won't) that all convey their beauty and scope coupled with a rich, diverse cast and see??? I'm doing it again.. I can't help myself... I'm a Descriptor junkie... Sorry (not sorry?). Anyway, I just wanted to say that those unnammed adjectives would say "Amazing" and "Robust" in 15 different ways.

One aspect that pulled me in and made sure I stayed fully present was the amount of kismet there was between all of the main characters. It was clever and seamlessly executed... they all just seemed to coalesce (for their own reasons), leading to bonds that seem(ed) ironclad. I also enjoyed getting to know new personas like Kais. There's always room in my heart for a well written, morally ambiguous, sharp edged (marshmallow centered) player on the scene.

With Red Tigress, the pace and action intensity ratcheted up the endorphin production... flinging my emotions about at the most climactic spots... especially during the last quarter of the book... what a ride!

AND then it ended... the ending was a bit cliffy, which is not always a bad thing. There was some resolution BUT, for the most part, most major things were not wrapped up neatly... not a deal breaker though. In fact, where once the characters, and each of their personal journeys, were harmoniously converging, some did so no more and it hurt. It was an unforseen, and (at least en mi casa) unappreciated ending. I'm not going to sugarcoat it... I wished, quite a bit, for another ending but it's a great hook to make sure you're here for book #3. That might sound harsh but I don't mean it to be because Red Tigress is just as good if not better than Blood Heir and really, what more could you want from a sophomore book? I loved Blood Heir and I really enjoyed Red Tigress. That might sound like a demotion in enjoyment levels but I am nearly certain that once I get over that ending... really ruminate, pick it apart and assimilate it... this book's rating will peak.


Overall:

I truly enjoyed this book... ending and all... sort of... ok, I was triggered. I think it's going to take some time to reconcile what I believe should have happened vs the Reality of what did.

Even still, there are so many things to love about this book and more importantly this series. The writing is solid, the world building crisp and lush and the characters... the characters are evocative and are of varying moral hues, just how I like them.

I definitely reccomend this one and think you should give it a shot... ending be damned! At least it didn't go all George R. R. Martin on us... although it was touch and go there for a while!!

~ Enjoy

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

Blood Heir was one of my favorite reads of 2020, and Red Tigress did not disappoint as my most anticipated sequel of 2021. The story follows Ana, Ramson, and more characters as they continue to fight for the kingdom. While I felt that Ana and Ramson didn't get enough screen time together, the times they were together were the best scenes by far. I ship them so hard and I can't wait to see more of them in the third and final book! The writing in this series is superb, making it so easy for the reader to picture the novel like an epic film. It is so perfectly plotted and most definitely a page-turner. I was so invested in these beloved morally grey characters that whenever someone was in peril I was legitimately stressed out in a way very few books cause me to feel. While I am so thankful I got to read an advance copy, I'm so sad I'll have to wait over a year for the next book!

Ana and Ramson are back in book 2 of this trilogy! So much action, so much going on, and the ending set up book 3 perfectly! This series is such a great story for those who especially love blood magic, constant action, fights, battles, sword play, and more! I find that Ana is growing to understand what it means to be a leader for her country, Ramson is also learning that love is a sacrifice, but will he risk all for love? These characters are great together and I'm loving Linn and all her winds! Edge of your seat reading, right here!