What happened in Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao - Recaptains

The basics

Title: Blood Heir

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Series: Blood Heir #1

- Blood Heir (2019)
- Red Tigress (2021)
- Crimson Reign (2022)

Add it: Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

In the Cyrilian Empire, Affinites are reviled. Their varied gifts to control the world around them are deemed unnatural--even dangerous. And Anastacya Mikhailov, the crown princess, is one of the most terrifying Affinites.

Ana's ability to control blood has long been kept secret, but when her father, the emperor, is murdered, she is the only suspect. Now, to save her own life, Ana must find her father's killer. But the Cyrilia beyond the palace walls is one where corruption rules and a greater conspiracy is at work--one that threatens the very balance of Ana's world.

There is only one person corrupt enough to help Ana get to the conspiracy's core: Ramson Quicktongue. Ramson is a cunning crime lord with 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.

Read a full summary of Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao below. If you can’t remember what happened in Blood Heir and you need a refresher, then you’re in the right place.

What happened in Blood Heir?

• Ana is the Crown Princess and she’s on the run because everyone thinks she killed her father, the Emperor. Her brother, Luka, is currently on the throne.
• Ana is looking for the alchemist that she saw poisoning her father. She heads to the prison to find a con man to bribe to help her find the alchemist.
• Ana finds the con man, Ramson, and then the guards realise she has powers and is an Affinite, so Ana and Ramson have to jump into the freezing waterfall to escape.
• May, Ana’s young friend, finds Ramson and Ana in the woods. Ana is unconscious. May and Ramson nurse Ana back to health.
• The trio head to a town. Ana and Ramson come up with a Trade – Ramson will help find this alchemist and Ana will help Ramson get revenge.
• Ramson, like I said, is a con artist. He was working with Alaric Kerlan, an Affinite trafficker, when he was sent on a mission and was betrayed. Ramson was meant to kill the Emperor – Luka – but was caught and imprisoned.
• Ramson goes to see a guy called Igor and is captured. He finds out that a guy called Petyr turned him in.
• Ana also runs into trouble at the market and May is stolen away by Whitecoats.
• Ana saves Ramson and together they head to save May. They head to what is essentially a circus where Affinites are made to perform and show off their powers. Together they come up with a plan.
• Ana and Ramson learn that Petyr is the guy they’re both looking for – the alchemist – and he’ll be at the ball later on in the week. Ramson secures them invites.
• Ana and Ramson go to the circus and there’s a rebel attack. May is working with them, and one of the rebels is a friend of Ana’s from the palace. They work together to help a bunch of Affinites escape. Some die. May is killed.
• The rebels and Ana and Ramson head to a hide out. Some people arrive looking for the Affinites who were “stolen”, and Ana kills them and hurts Ramson. She heads back to town on her own.
• Ramson shows back up in time for the ball. The two go and try to enact their plan. Petyr is there and he tells Ana that her aunt, Morganya, killed her parents and is after the throne for herself, as she’s an Affinite who can control people’s minds. Apparently she was controlling Petyr until Ana broke the bond and Petyr fled.
• Ramson is captured by Kerlan but is then rescued by Petyr. He recalls his friend, Jonah Fisher, who he bonded with in the Navy but who was then killed by Ramson’s father, the Admiral.
• Upset and betrayed by his own dad, Ramson fled and joined up with Alaric Kerlan to try to take his father down. That’s how he got into this whole mess.
• Petyr admits to turning Ramson in but he says it’s complicated. He didn’t want Luka to be killed.
• Linnet arrives and helps Ana escape. They head off to the palace to rescue the Emperor and take down Morganya.
• Ana is caught almost right away and has to jump into yet another river. Ramson arrives in time to save her.
• Ana and Ramson break into the palace. Ramson has to stay behind to fight off Kerlan. Linn helps.
• Ana marches into the throne room and demands that the coronation is halted. She tells everyone that Morganya is a traitor and was behind the deaths of her parents, and that she has been poisoning Luka, the Emperor. Morganya confuses everyone, and Luka is stabbed after he declares that Ana should be crowned instead.
• Luka dies. Petyr gives Ana a paralysis potion so that everyone thinks that she’s dead. Morganya becomes Empress.
• Ana heads south to join up with the rebellion and gain allies.

This is a full plot summary of what happened in Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao. Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!