Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao | Review
Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao
Series: Blood Heir Trilogy (Book 1)
Genre/s: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings (Anastasia)
Release Date: 28th Nov 2019
Read Date: 21st Jan 2020
This book follows Princess Anastacya of Cyrilia, after being framed for her fathers brutal murder she is forced on the run. Leaving everything she has ever known behind she must protect herself and search for her fathers killer in the hopes of one day proving her innocence. Events unfold leading her to team up with a cunning thief in order to navigate the Cyrillian underworld and find the information she needs.
Before going into this I was intrigued by the premise but didn’t really know much of what I was getting into. But the opening scenes in this book really are action packed and I loved the introduction so much! The introduction of the characters of Ana and Ramson was intriguing and gripping and was what initially grabbed my attention, even if some of the dialogue was a little cheesy. In my opinion the relationship dynamic between them is the driving force behind this book. The lore is very interesting and I enjoyed the idea behind the magic system, although at times I felt as though some things weren’t explained clearly enough. I think that the action and world building were the best written parts and the atmosphere is incredible, I loved how the author made the setting feel so real, I honestly felt the cold while reading. The first half of the book was my favourite and in my opinion felt stronger than the latter half. The second half was more predictable to me and had similar vibes to other fantasy and dystopian novels I’ve read... revolution... overthrowing the evil... you get the idea. If you’re reading for character charisma and atmospheric world building you will live for this. Although for me the plot lacked a little in some areas and was definitely one of the weaker parts. Which wasn’t exactly a problem, but personally it just made the book feel as though something was missing. I wanted more in terms of romance development, which is odd for a fantasy novel for me, usually I like when there isn’t much but I feel like this book needed a little extra swoon if you know what I mean. I think it could’ve added a little more flavour to the slower areas in the middle. Overall this was a solid read and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try! Rating: 3 Stars
Thanks for reading!
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