Reviews with content warning for Violence - Blood Heir

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao

13 reviews

singalana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This book has a great concept: a crown princess, accused of treason, has to work together with a crime lord to prove her innocence. The people in this world are divided into two categories: those who have no magic, and those who have magic - an affinity to a certain element. The main character - Ana - has no idea what life is like for those living with magic in her kingdom, and how her chosen companion, conman named Ransom Quicktongue plays into this status quo.

The main characters are exactly as you would expect them to be: a wilful princess and a silver-tongued criminal. As the story progresses, we get more and more glimpses into the past that shaped these characters into who they are today. Other than the two main characters, there’s a host of other characters, who all have a role to play in the story.

The story started strong with an interesting, action-packet setup. Unfortunately, I soon became tired of the structure of action packed chapters followed by slower chapters about the characters’ past. That was not the only thing I grew weary of, since these two can’t seem to stay out of trouble for two seconds. The author tried to pack so much action and so much emotion into every possible scene, especially towards the end, that it became tiresome.

I’m afraid that despite the interesting concept, the story tried to do way too much and piled on obstacle after obstacle. With better pacing and allowing the characters more time to breathe in the present timeline, this story could have been improved.

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macaroniapie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

Content Warnings

r1vana's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Demons were not the creatures to be feared the most.

Humans were.pg.435

I enjoyed this book, the beginning started off strong. It was really interesting. But then it got dragged a little. And since it’s a trilogy, I feel like it’s just gonna be longer.

We get to see a female lead that is strong but makes irrational actions due to her anger, stress, grief, et cetera. Sometimes, it is understandable but I wished she would think. Which makes her a very complex character.

Her story is pretty much like ‘Anastasia’. Being framed of murdering her father, she ran away due to her blood affinities. And being framed for it. I mean her name is Anastacya…From my PoV, Ana was a morally grey character that from a very young age, has been pushed away from her father, from her people due to her powers. Only her older brother was by her side and when she was framed for her father’s death, the only thing she could do is run away and one day come back to get the throne back:

“Perhaps monsters never meant to hurt others, either. Perhaps monsters didn't even know they were monsters.” Pg.25

Then there is Ramson. I wasn’t really into his character. He was flirting out of nowhere. I wished there were more pov of his because I lot of them where part of his past(childhood, trauma; bullying, abuse…). He wanted to betray her but in the next, he seems protective of her…: Something about him changed when he was with Ana. The darkness, the scheming, the cold calculation in him faded, repealing faint traces of what he'd once been. A boy in love with the ocean.

A boy who'd wanted to sail the seas forever, with the sun warming his back and the waves lapping at his hands. He’d forgotten about this boy, one who'd had big dreams and foolish hopes and had been good.

The boy who'd become the smallest sliver of hope. But what good was goodness itself, when the world was ruled by the cruel? Pg.215

He never expected to care for Ana who was once a pawn to him: “He'd known for some time now, felt the irrepressible tug on his chest toward her. With each smile, each frown, each word, she'd drawn him in, slowly, irrevocably. And that slow, smoldering flame had roared to life beneath a winter sky of snow, glowing brighter than anything else in his life. She was the bearing to his compass, the dawn that his ship had been chasing for so long over an empty horizon.

My heart is my compass. Pg.360.

Spoiler

the death of May and Luka really hit me. I really liked May and it saddens me that she was killed. I love how she was really skeptical of Ramson: The child grabbed the pail of snow and slipped into the wash closet. She turned and, glaring at Ramson, drew a finger across her neck before slamming the door shut. Pg.65 and Luka. He wasn’t as present as May but the fact that he loved his sister dearly and they both weren’t able to reunite…

“Life isn't going to be all happiness and wonder. We have to take what we are given, and fight like hell to make it better.”

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grace_yin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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lexihworth's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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sqacedvst's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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booknerdbetty's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

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valenpolack's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

This book is so good I'm speechless.

The character development, the world building, Ramson, everything wass just... *chef's kiss*

Can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

P.S: Ramson is the newest love of my life and I'm not complaining.

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emily2709's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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penofpossibilities's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

this seemed fun but it was honestly a chore to get through. It contained some promising elements, interesting tropes etc... The writing wasn't terrible but it still failed to deliver somehow? A few too many clichés, and some of the emotions didn't feel raw enough to me. Somehow I never connected enough to the mc to care about her grief and pain so it didn't struck any chords with me. I could easily call the plot twists as well so it didn't keep me on the edge of my seet. Maybe I'm just not the right audience for this (anymore)?

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