Blood Heir

By: Amélie Wen Zhao

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

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.

“Cinematic storytelling at its best.”—Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back

“Zhao shines in the fast-paced and vivid combat scenes, which lend a cinematic quality that pulls readers in.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Zhao is a master writer who weaves a powerful tale of loyalty, honor, and courage through a strong female protagonist. . . . Readers will love the fast-paced energy and plot twists in this adventure-packed story.”—SLJ

Critic reviews

“Zhao shines in the fast-paced and vivid combat scenes, which lend a cinematic quality that pulls readers in.”—NYT Book Review

“Blood Heir is cinematic storytelling at its best. A stunning new voice in YA, Amélie Wen Zhao has drawn characters who are as complex and captivating as the fantastical world she’s built. Get ready for a retelling like you’ve never seen before.”
—Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back

“Sure to keep readers turning pages…. Perfect for fans of Amy Tintera or Sarah J. Maas, but readers should prepare for plenty of heartbreak.” — Booklist

"[A] pointed exploration into the consequences of exploitation and the defining nature of choices." — Publishers Weekly

"Ana is not the typical damsel in distress." — Kirkus Reviews

Worth listening to

Other reviewers accurately pegged the flaws. The flashbacks can be distracting and the high intensity peril is a bit much. But overall I did like the story and the world that was created. I would like to listen to the next in the series. A solid debut for the author with a lot of potential for more in the future.

It was...okay?

The good: great world building, interesting magic system, tension & action galore, a new take on Anastasia
The meh: lots of cliched phrases bandied about as if they were new, several stock characters, lukewarm romance, but they were aptly used so <shrug>
The bad: so so many flashbacks, relentless tragedy and darkness with very few breaks took away from the impact of scenes that should have been forceful, lots of repetition of phrases/characters/scenes/action, unsatisfying ending (I guess this is book 1 but idk if I'll continue)
The reader: she had a great range of voices, but she was so QUIET. I had to put my volume on max to hear her. It was like she whispered the whole book. She also had a strange staccato cadence in her narration that took time to get used to.

Overall, it was okay. I was invested enough to hear the whole story, but I doubt I'll continue.

Loads of Potential but Left Bored

There is potential for a wonderful story and interesting character dynamics (villains with potentially conflicting goals), but this book felt like it was just a lead up to a sequel, and left me feeling rather bored through much of it. By the end, most plot points were unresolved and the main characters didn't change convincingly enough for me. Perhaps if the characters started with more redeemable qualities earlier on, I wouldn't feel as if the first third of the book was a slog. The book left me with wanting more, but never satisfied with what was actually here.

Its good not great

The concept and world the book is set in is very interesting and well thought out but the writer takes too much time on unimportant details and has flash backs in almost every scene that make it hard to immerse yourself. It was hard to get through the first half of the book. It’s obvious a set up for more book but don’t know if I’ll be reading them. Great idea but the writing style was not for me.

A Great Debut

Anastacya Mikhailov is the Cyrilian Empire’s crown princess. She has the terrible magical affinity to control someone’s blood, which is a power looked down upon by many and results with Ana being locked away in the palace. When her father is murdered, Ana goes into hiding to find the one responsible for murdering her father and framing her for his murder. She must trust the conman, Ramson Quicktongue, to help her fulfill her desired revenge, and learn more about the corrupt empire that enslaves those who have the magical powers of affinities.

Emily Woo Zeller does another fantastic job at narration. I believe that she truly adds the urgency and emotion into desired scenes, and only enhances the reading experience of a novel.

The Blood Heir is supposed to be set as a medieval Russian fantasy, and I believe Zhao eloquently wrote a piece that adequately expressed a cold and eerie atmosphere. I felt cold while I listened to the novel, and was genuinely interested in the outcome of the characters. The characters themselves grow as the plot progressed, and soon I wanted revenge as much as Ana and Ramson. Ramson was an added bonus. Readers are treated to his POV at times, and sometimes his POV is more interesting than Ana’s. The world building is solid. I highly enjoyed myself while listening to this novel.