Author: Amelie Wen Zhao
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Press - Copyright 2019
Publication Date: November 19, 2019
Publication Date: November 19, 2019
Read: May 3-5, 2019
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy as a gift from a friend who picked it up at a book convention. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis from Publisher: This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder.
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.
Synopsis from Publisher: This hot debut is the first book in an epic new series about a princess hiding a dark secret and the con man she must trust to clear her name for her father's murder.
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.
Review: Blood Heir is a dark young adult fantasy novel that grips you from the first page and doesn't let go until the shocking end. The struggles of the main characters to come to terms with their dark pasts and carve a future for themselves are palpable and relatable in many ways.The land of Cyrilia is foreign and yet familiar. Elements of Eastern European landscape and folklore combine with elements of the Far East to create a unique world with a fully realized magic system in place. Filled with palace intrigue, a seedy criminal underworld, and brilliant shadows that grip the reader's emotions and send them on a rollercoaster ride, Blood Heir is a first-rate fantasy with a mystery at its heart.
While the book does touch on sensitive subject matter--specifically human trafficking--it author shows the crime for what it is: a crime against humanity of the most heinous order. Some readers may find the subject hard to digest in a young adult fantasy, but the point of fiction is to not only entertain but present issues to readers so that they can be discussed in a broader context. Simply pushing these issues aside and refusing to face them in a fictional world is the same as ignoring them in the real world.
Amelie Wen Zhao is a unique voice in young adult fantasy. Blood Heir is her first novel and has a bright future ahead.
