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witcheep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In the beginning of the book the main character Ana is an annoyingly naive, impulsive and irrational person who sees the world as black and white, divided clearly into good and evil. She has always regarded the world from the perspective of a vastly privileged aristocratic heir, which skews her thinking. Suddenly Ana is framed for the murder of her father, the emperor. Ana flees to avoid execution, but struggles to change her attitude and view of the world, even when her new position of no privileges forces her to face a whole new side to the world. I almost DNF'd the Blood Heir because how annoying Ana was, especially with her friend May.
Ramson's character is what saved the story for me and kept me reading. He is introduced as a crime lord, but it is revealed that he is actually more like a
Ana and Ramson don't always get along, but they get friendly with each other in their own ways even if they make mistakes along the way. It is fun reading her and Ana's bickering. Ramson's views on gray morality and defining choises rub on Ana as well, and she begins to try to think for herself a little more (
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Torture, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Ramson was not the hardened criminal mastermind we were promised. He does think through his plans, but, whether it's his age or his original privilege, he is outsmarted by basically everyone he comes across. Some of his plans bear fruits, but he really does go through it, at the end of the day, despite all his planning. I did love how his character was fleshed out through flashbacks, but I couldn't get behind his overall characterization.
The same goes for Ana. She's said to be fierce and a badass, but she loses her battles often too. She doesn't have a good handle on her power and her own limitations (until suddenly at the end). Again, I loved how her story is built up, but there's definitely something missing from her.
It was so interesting seeing the Affinites' different powers. It really helped with the world building and the magic. Again, the slavery and indenturement aspect was so interesting and full of nuance in a way that breaks your heart. Additionally, the rebellion is presented in a way that you want to get behind, but also notes the impact and consequences of over correction. There are a lot of questions of morality, particularly what action goes too far? At what point is the hero a villain?
Lastly, the end was so staged. I hated how dramatic it was cause I thought of the solution immediately and it made me mad that everything was just yelling in a court room. Felt flimsy, though, again, I guess it was the age showing, in that Ana believed yelling crimes out in court would really change the tides. I don't know. This was a miss for me for the most part, but I truly do feel like this will set up the rest of the series well. I'm also curious to see how Amelie's writing improves as I go through her repertoire.
TW: blood, death, injury detail, murder, slavery, imprisonment, kidnapping, racism, drowning, fire/fire injury, death of a parent, branding, child death
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping and Fire/Fire injury
singalana's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Moderate: Death, Medical trauma, Torture, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death of parent, Murder, Slavery, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, and Fire/Fire injury
grace_yin's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Vomit, Kidnapping, and Torture
Minor: Sexual violence
ghostlyprince's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Trafficking, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Grief, Hate crime, and Torture
Moderate: Abandonment and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual violence and Confinement
valenpolack's review against another edition
5.0
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.
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Trafficking
Minor: Death of parent and Kidnapping
willow2709's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gore and Vomit
literarycavy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Child death, Trafficking, Torture, Murder, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Death of parent