Red Tigress

1

Novo Mynsk reeked of death. 

It always had, but to Ramson Quicktongue, the city had also held the stench of power and corruption, of murder and survival, swirling together in an intoxicating redolence that corroded one s soul. It was no different now, save for the eerie darkness and silent snow that blanketed it. 

Ramson navigated the narrow alleyways of his childhood haunts with quick, precise steps. The last time he d been here had been with Anastacya Mikhailov during the Fyrva snezh at his former master s mansion. It had only been a little over one moon since the celebration of the First Snows, but now, that world felt almost utterly unrecognizable. 

In just four weeks, Novo Mynsk had transformed into a ghost town, abandoned by most of its residents as they sought to flee the new regime. Streets that had once shimmered with torchlight and writhed with bejeweled bodies and raucous revelers had been replaced by shuttered stores and empty windows. Bodies littered the streets in areas where gangs had scrapped over bits of food, and snow had blanketed them, leaving only glimpses of clothing or a protruding boot as macabre grave markers. 

It was not an unfamiliar sight over his travels from town to ravaged town with Ana. Since Morganya had ascended the throne, much of Northern Cyrilia had fallen to her control. From newspaper pieces and torn posters in abandoned villages, Ramson and Ana had learned of the Imperial Inquisition, a wide-scale hunt for non-Affinites who were accused of any affiliation with Affinite trafficking. Led by Affinites fiercely loyal to the Empress, it was a movement that had come to define Morganya s regime. 

The south, though, remained free from the tightening grasp of Morganya s rule. That included Goldwater Port. According to Ana, the Redcloaks had established their base there, as it remained one of the last standing free havens for Affinites and non-Affinites

Amélie Wen Zhao was born in Paris and grew up in Beijing in an international community. Her multicultural upbringing instilled in her a deep love of global affairs and cross-cultural perspectives. She seeks to bring this passion to her stories, crafting characters from kingdoms in different corners of the world. She attended college in New York City, where she now lives. Amélie is the author of Blood Heir and Red Tigress.

Zhao shines in the fast-paced and vivid combat scenes, which lend a cinematic quality that pulls readers in. NYT Book Review

Blood Heir is cinematic storytelling at its best. A stunning new voice in YA, Amélie Wen Zhao has drawn characters who are as complex and captivating as the fantastical world she s built. Get ready for a retelling like you ve never seen before.  
Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Sure to keep readers turning pages . Perfect for fans of Amy Tintera or Sarah J. Maas, but readers should prepare for plenty of heartbreak.    Booklist

"[A] pointed exploration into the consequences of exploitation and the defining nature of choices."  Publishers Weekly

"Ana is not the typical damsel in distress."  Kirkus Reviews