Blood Heir was one of my most anticipated reads of the month for two reasons:
- It’s written by an Asian author (yeah that’s my Asian side talking, I know)
- The entire controversy over it only made me more interested in reading it.
Okay, so maybe you’re screaming: what controversy? Could you spill the tea, please?
I probably don’t know all the details, but basically what happened was that Blood Heir was meant to be published sometime this January, but when ARCs were sent out, the book community exploded, accusing the author of racism (and I think plagiarism?).
Zhao had meant to focus on the Asian slave trade, but many readers interpreted her book as the American slave trade. The hate forced her to withdraw Blood Heir from publication, but months later, she decided that she wanted her story to be heard — and that’s why it was published this month.
This was the letter she included in the ARC copies of Blood Heir:
Dear Reader,
Four years ago, I began writing a story about a corrupt empire steeped in winter, filled with morally gray con men, deadly assassins, twisted villains, and above all, a girl named Anastacya, who has the power to manipulate blood and who believes she is a monster.
It took me two years to realize that the monster in the story is me.
I am an immigrant. I am a woman of color. And I am an “Other.” In my time in the United States, I have never experienced the sense of crushing fear about my identity that I have recently. “Get out of my country, communist!” is only one of the slurs I’ve had screamed at me from across the street. What I’ve experienced personally and seen across social media outlets and national television broadcasts has all amounted to a hyperawareness of my foreignness, my Otherness, and the possibility that because I am different, I am not worthy of belonging.
Blood Heir explores the demonization of the Other and this experience of not belonging. Ana’s journey examines how one can internalize hatred and fear, how that can warp one’s core and turn it into something cruel and twisted. But ultimately, her story is one of self-acceptance, and of the realization that we cannot change who we are nor what we are born with, but we can choose what we do with what we are given. And like me, Ana chooses to fight for a better tomorrow.
So I gave magic to my girls who were told they were monsters. I gave my children of color the ability to fight oppression. Because in a world where there is so little I can control, I want to put hope and power in their hands for once—and in a world where those deemed “different” are often cast out and made to be monsters, I want them to win.
Thank you for reading.
Amélie Wen Zhao
After deciding to withdraw Blood Heir, she put out an apology on Twitter (which does show the kind of character that she has — an author who cares about how her work affects her readers).
Her letter announcing the re-publication of Blood Heir:
Dear Readers:
I’m glad to announce that Blood Heir will publish on November 19, 2019.
In writing this novel, I researched extensively on the subject of modern-day human trafficking and indentured labor throughout the world and specifically from my heritage. It is a practice that thrives on societal complicity and complacency, and it is my hope that Blood Heir will confront the silence surrounding this epidemic that continues to affect 45 million victims globally.
Through important dialogue that occurred recently, it became clear to me that my book was being read in a different cultural context than my own, so I decided to take the time to make sure the hallmarks of human trafficking were being incisively drawn.
I hope to share a new perspective from my background as a Chinese immigrant living in America. I am excited for readers to meet my heroine, who believes in justice and is ready to fight for it with her wits, grit, and magic; and for them to have a chance to engage in further dialogue about these important social issues.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Amélie
ANYWAY. I HAVE JUST SPENT 700 WORDS OUTLINING THE ENTIRE TWITTERSTORM AND CONTROVERSY. On to the blurb:
About Blood Heir:
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.
What I liked:
There were many things I enjoyed about Blood Heir. I’m going to narrow it down to three main points (as usual): characters, plot, and worldbuilding.
First: characters. Ana and Ramson were equally flawed human beings and both had their own character arcs. I loved how they grew into their full potential across the story and I was rooting for them all the way. And another important thing? They’re friends first. I am so tired of the two protagonists falling in love with each other in a single book. While it’s true Ana and Ramson do develop an attraction for each other, they have to learn to trust the other person first. They have to work on themselves and put the priorities of the kingdom over romance. THERE. IS. NO. KISSING. SCENE. (Can you tell how much I appreciated that?) While I like romances, I like it better when the two love interests are friends first 😉
The side characters are great, too. While I wasn’t May’s biggest fan, I understood her role in the story and how she helped push Ana along her character arc. Linn fascinates me a whole lot, and I feel that the author could totally play with Ana’s childhood friend (the one with the fire affinity — I’m sorry, I’ve blanked out on his name).
Next comes plot. Oh, Blood Heir had a beautiful plot and structure. Zhao starts the book at the right place, wasting no time on backstory — we get that woven in throughout the book, and all are in the right places. She also has a tremendous skill for creating twists and turns. Let’s just say I didn’t see the culprit coming 😉
And the climaxes were magnificent. Zhao does this thing where she builds the tension into separate, mini climaxes at the end of each act — each one better than the last — so when the final climax came, it was outstanding and I loved how it all came together.
Finally: worldbuilding. While I wasn’t too clear on the aspects of Ana’s world, I did get the concept of Affinites, and I thought it was so interesting that Affinites are treated differently in different countries. It’s a new way of looking at outcast groups and there’s so much to potentially explore in the rest of the trilogy.
What I didn’t like:
There wasn’t much for me to not like in Blood Heir, but I think most of the issues that I had with it can easily be solved in the rest of the trilogy.
I’ve already mentioned that the worldbuilding was a bit fuzzy to me — I get that Cyrilia is sort of based on Russia, but I am left wondering about the parts of the world outside of Ana’s homeland. I can definitely see the author expanding on this later, though, since the focus does have to be on Cyrilia in this book.
I also sincerely hope there isn’t a love triangle. I see a potential character who could step in and fulfill the role of second love interest, but honestly I would rather not have to read through all that angst.
So yeah — there’s really nothing for me to pick on about Blood Heir.
Overall rating:
4.5 stars
That’s all!
Have you read Blood Heir? What are your thoughts on it? Are there any other books you’d like me to review?
Let me know in comments down below!
Make your mark,
