ARC Review: Red Tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao

Synopsis:

Ana Mikhailov is the only surviving member of the royal family of Cyrilia. She has no army, no title, and no allies, and now she must find a way to take back the throne or risk the brutal retribution of the empress. Morganya is determined to establish a new world order on the spilled blood of non-Affinites. Ana is certain that Morganya won’t stop until she kills them all.

Ana’s only chance at navigating the dangerous world of her homeland means partnering with Ramson Quicktongue again. But the cunning crime lord has schemes of his own. For Ana to find an army, they must cross the Whitewaves to the impenetrable stone forts of Bregon. Only, no one can be certain what they will find there.

A dark power has risen. Will revolution bring peace – or will it only paint the streets in more blood.

Review:

Red Tigress is a thoroughly enjoyable read and a worthy sequel to Blood Heir.  It was wonderful to be back in this complex world again full of amazing characters.  With it’s distinctive magic system and special powers that really pack a punch, it certainly stands out from the crowd.  We are swept into a high action adventure with lots of interesting twists and turns along the way.  So much happens, it’s action-packed, fast paced and the intense and nail-biting moments will have your heart racing.  There is always that feeling that no-one is safe particularly with one or two surprise character demises.  The fight scenes and scenery are vividly described and I could see them all so clearly.   

However, it’s the characters who definitely make this novel.  Rich and diverse you will definitely find a favourite.  They are lively and full of personality, some new relationships are forged and strong bonds formed, some of which tugged at the heart strings. Ana Mikhailov’s character has matured and developed and I like her much more in this in this novel.  Ramson, on the other hand, was bit lost in this sequel, he seemed indecisive particularly when faced with the decision whether or not to pursue the vengeance against his employer or remain loyal to Ana.  He’s missing his air of mystery and edginess that I loved so much in Blood Heir. Anticipating their relationship would move along in this novel, I was left feeling a little bereft the way things were left off between Ramson and Ana and I definitely wanted more.  Linn is still a fabulous character with an enormous strength of will and bravery and her wind affinity magic remains my favourite. Kais is a complete surprise, a cold hearted villain in Blood Heir, his new persona was adorable.  You’re never entirely sure if he is friend or foe but he shows such empathy and understanding, particularly towards Linn and Ana, you can’t help but love him.  

Exciting and unpredictable this story will have you engrossed from start to finish. I wasn’t entirely happy with the way it ended, mainly due to the fact many of the characters went their separate ways and a lot of things remained unresolved, it definitely needs book three to wrap it all up.  Red Tigress is a must read for all YA fantasy lovers, it’s a befitting sequel to Blood Heir and lays the foundations for the third and final novel. 

Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: 4 March 2021
Series:  Blood Heir Trilogy #2
Format:  eArc/eBook
Page Count:  438
Genre:  YA Fantasy 
Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book to review.

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Happy reading!

𝓚𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓷

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