Anastasia-Inspired Debut THE BLOOD HEIR by Amélie Wen Zhao Sets a New Publication Date!

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One of my most anticipated debuts of 2019 was THE BLOOD HEIR by Amélie Wen Zhao, a fantasy inspired by Anastasia. Controversy sprung up around the book when advance copies made their way into the wild, and the author pulled the book to retool. (Here is a recent New York Times article if you want to read about the controversy.)

This week, Zhao announced that a new version of THE BLOOD HEIR will release later this year, on November 19th! I'm so incredible excited by this news. I've been wanting to read this since the deal was announced, then even more so after the cover was revealed. I was devastated when the book was pulled, but am so glad that it will still be published and can't wait to hold it in my hands!

During her cover reveal, Zhao told Den of Geek,

“BLOOD HEIR is the story of an exiled heir with the monstrous ability to control blood, a silver-tongued con man who is running from his past, and a dark, frozen empire rife with corruption. I wanted to take beloved fantasy tropes and twist them, and to imbue themes relevant to our times. At its heart, BLOOD HEIR is a story of the Other, the ones who are demonized by society for simply existing as they are. I wanted to explore what makes a monster, and question who our laws are designed to protect.”

Doesn't that already sound amazing?

Here's the book's official summary:

  ~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: BRUTAL CURSE

Author: Casey L. Bond

Release Date: Nov. 2, 2018

Publisher: Casey L. Bond
Received: For Rreview 

SUMMARY:

Prince Carden of Tierney lost his home, family, and claim to the throne in one fell swoop when he rebelled against his father for a cause he knew was right. Instead of wallowing in despair, he embarks on a new journey, starting a new life on the Southern Isle. When he finds himself caught in a web woven by the famously ruthless fae queen, Coeur, he insults her and she vows to teach him the most difficult and heart-breaking lesson he will ever learn: that humans are incapable of love, and that hearts are beastly things.

Arabella wasn’t really living, she was existing and surviving as best she could. A chance encounter with Carden changes everything for her, but the deadly game he’s dragged her into might cost her life.

Still, she agrees to play. The rules the fae queen gives them are vague, and it’s obvious there are things Queen Coeur isn’t telling them. She’s sure of it. But what she does know is that together, she and Carden must pass a series of tests and trials. If they fail, game over. But if they succeed, she just might be able to restore her family and carve out the life she’s always envisioned.