Blood Heir (Blood Heir Trilogy #1)
By Amélie Wen Zhao
YA Fantasy
In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are unnatural—dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, has a terrifying secret. Her deadly Affinity to blood is her curse and the reason she has lived her life hidden behind palace walls.
When Ana’s father, the emperor, is murdered, her world is shattered. Framed as his killer, Ana must flee the palace to save her life. And to clear her name, she must find her father’s murderer on her own. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is far different from the one she thought she knew. Corruption rules the land, and a greater conspiracy is at work—one that threatens the very balance of her world. And there is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to its core: Ramson Quicktongue.
A cunning crime lord of the Cyrilian underworld, Ramson has sinister plans—though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the princess might be the most dangerous player of all.
You know me, I’m a sucker for fantasy worlds were magic is oppressed and feared; angry princesses; and witty criminals. This book has ALL of that.
Blood Heir had me from the first paragraph (it opens in a dungeon) and never let go. The world is rich and crisp with wintry imagery, the characters have depth and purpose, and the plot never slows down. The writing is clear and engaging. Everything flows into place. I never found myself asking, “but why?”
The only thing I can complain about is that the action scenes felt too long. I like a good fight scene, but there were so many of them. There was so much fighting. So much violence. Yet, that violence felt in place.
So, overall, Blood Heir gets a magnificent 5 cups of hot chocolate out of 5, for being engaging and well-written. I am very much looking forward to the next book in this trilogy.
Beatrice B. Morgan 