Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review + Mini Interview
A copy was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, so thank you Times Reads!
Blood Heir is available in all good bookstores.
My Rating: 4 / 5 🌟
To be honest, I was quite hesitant to read this book since I've been hearing a lot of mixed reviews on it. And when I was sent a copy to read and review, I didn't have the highest of expectations getting into the story. But to my own surprise, I ended up enjoying Blood Heir a lot more than I expected to.
The story follows Ana, the crowned princess of the Cyrilian Empire, on a quest to find her father's murderer by teaming up with the ultimate con man, Ramson Quicktongue.
The first thing that I noticed once I started the book was the structure of the story; which I find to be quite refreshing as it was unlike most books that I've read. The approach Amélie took to start the book was different than the typical form of storytelling as she went straight ahead with the plot and only introduce the characters and the world later. As a debut novel, I would say it was risky to do something unusual and yet Amélie manage to pull it off since it worked well with this story. The overall pacing of the book was well distributed as there were fast-paced scenes where things was happening all at once, as well as slow-paced scenes meant for the readers to just simply capture the moment. I think part of the reason why it worked is because this book is neither plot-driven or character-driven, but instead, it's a combination of both. When the plot starts to slow down, it gives way for the character to shine and tell their story and when the book demands a faster pace, the plot will be brought up front to continue the story. As someone who enjoys both kinds of storytelling, I really appreciated and was genuinely surprised by how well it turned out and how smoothly these two different types of storytelling work alongside each other instead of one overpowering the other.
While the world that Amélie crafted to tell this story was unique, it was how she showed the world that I adore. Amélie presented the world by associating the places with the characters' backstory, and instead of dumping all of the information at once, she explained each of the places one at a time, thus creating a natural flow of worldbuilding.
Another thing Amélie did differently was having the sole focus of the story on two main characters instead of a group. It's been a common trend lately among YA fantasy novels, specifically debut novels, to have a story with a group of main characters, instead of just focusing on one or two. Although debut novels are an author's first published work, the story was usually written several years ago and it's just a mere coincidence that the books seem to follow a common trend. But still, it was quite refreshing to read a story that didn't follow this unintentional trend.
By focusing on only two main characters, it gave Amélie a chance to truly flesh them out, as well as an opportunity for the readers to really connect with the two characters on a deeper level; but the drawback of this technique affected the other remaining side characters. While the side characters were not fully neglected, they didn't get a lot of attention either, but I do think it was done intentionally. Considering how this story will go on until the third book, it was clear Amélie wanted to use the first book to focus on Ana and Ramson, so that readers are invested enough to continue the trilogy; which was the case for me. And I do believe we'll get to explore more of the side characters' story in the next book.
All in all, I had an enjoyable time reading Blood Heir and will most definitely be continuing this trilogy. I also want to give a huge round of applause to Amélie Wen Zhao on solidifying her mark in the world of YA novels with this very solid debut. If you're looking for a story that deals with the conflict of good and bad set in a fantasy world filled with corruption, Blood Heir might just be the book for you.
I got the opportunity to ask Amélie Wen Zhao, the author of the book, a few questions about "Blood Heir"!
And yes, this interview is SPOILER FREE.
1. "Blood Heir" is pitched as an Anastasia retelling. Were there any other stories that inspired certain aspects of the book?
Amélie: “Blood Heir” is inspired by the idea of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, but the story very soon took a turn and became something of its own. Ramson “Quicktongue” was inspired by my favorite childhood heroes (or anti-heroes), Flynn Rider from Disney’s TANGLED and Dimitri from Fox’s ANASTASIA! I then gave him a more realistic, business-savvy side and a backstory that shapes who he is in the story. Besides that, my inspirations mostly drew from the hodgepodge of stories and media I consumed growing up as an international kid — anything from French storybooks to Chinese cartoons to anime.
2. Although "Blood Heir" was written in a third-person perspective, it was still told through the two main characters, Ana and Ransom. Was one character harder to write than the other?
Amélie: I loved writing it from two perspectives, because Ana and Ramson are such foils to each other, and it was fun juggling two very different (and at-times opposing) personalities. If I had to pick one, I would say Ana was a bit harder for me to write, because she’s much more serious and dramatic. We also see most of the plot push forward from her point of view, whereas Ramson can just drop in occasionally as the comic relief — or to pull off some exciting twists.
3. When "Blood Heir" was announced, it was said to be the first book in a trilogy. How early on did you knew this story was going to be a three-book series?
Amélie: When I finished “Blood Heir” — before I had an agent or a book deal — I knew that I wasn’t done with the story. Besides wanting to further Ana and Ramson’s journeys, I had also fallen in love with some of the side characters in the book, and I wanted to tell their stories. So, I was overjoyed to be given the chance to continue their adventures over the course of three books.
4. If you were to be an Affinite, what type of element would you think the Deities would bless you with that would fit your character and personality?
Amélie: I love this question! I would love to be a wind Affinite, like my personal favorite character in “Blood Heir.” I’d just love to be able to fly! (More on that in the next books…!)
5. For the readers who are still hesitating to pick up "Blood Heir", why do you think they should give it a go?
Amélie: Ramson would say he is reason enough! Ha. Jokes aside — “Blood Heir” is a fast-paced fantasy set in a snow-covered world with magic, banter, a slow-burn romance, and a diverse cast of characters — but it’s also one that explores issues that extend beyond the United States, that continue to have a major impact globally. As an international author, it was important for me to explore and critique global issues in my fantasy. I hope readers can learn and broaden their perspectives in reading “Blood Heir."
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