ARC Review // Blood Heir

Title: Blood Heir

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Published: 19th November 2019
Pages: 464 [Hardcover] 

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.

Almost a year ago, I was rambling about how excited I was about Blood Heir. Not long before, I fangirled over the fact that I got an e-ARC. Then, days later, Amélie Wen Zhao announced that she had asked her publisher to withdraw the novel from publication. Soon, I discovered the reason and it made me realize how the book community on Twitter had become such an unsafe space. I read an e-ARC of the "rewritten" version (the novel went through major changes after some readers lashed out about the content). 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 into her story. 

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

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 they never look at themselves in a mirror, believing to be human and morally righteous). In the end, the reader is forced to think about the same questions as 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.
 

"She'd heard of this corruption. Foreign Affinities lured to Cyrilia with promises of work, only to find themselves at the trafficker's mercy when they arrived. She'd even heard whispers of guards and soldiers across the Empire falling into the pockets of the Affinite brokers, goldleaves flowing into their pockets like water."

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, and so on, whose abilities are connected to the world that surrounds them. Once again, you can see how carefully the settings are crafted -- settings in which 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.

Do you enjoy stories that uncover the darkness and force you to look at your world with different eyes? Will you follow Ana in her quest to save her Empire?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.