Red Tigress

4 STARS: I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the first. The characters were a delight, as always (Linn quickly became one of my favorites). In all honesty, they are the reason I'm continuing this series. Everyone went through excellent character growth, and the relationships (both platonic and romantic) were very easy to be invested in. The world-building expanded greatly, and while the plot was pretty straightforward at points, it was easy to follow. The problem I had was the pacing. It hooked me in the beginning, and then the middle dragged a lot. It would have gotten a lower rating if it weren't for the last 100 pages. Then the pace was flying, and the ending was satisfying. I still enjoy this series, and it is still easy to recommend. But I am hoping that the last book does better. I probably won't read the third for a while because I need a change of pace. But I am still looking forward to it!

A solid continuation of the trilogy. I did find it a little short, but it is action packed. The additions to the cast added to the story and I liked the twists and turns. I did feel there were massive shades of throne of glass in this book, but there’s also enough difference that you don’t mind. I’m intrigued to see where this all ends.

This was so precious. I might go ahead and just say that I maybe loved this one more than the first book. And Ramson, oh my precious little morally grey baby. I cannot wait for the last book!

A fantastic sophomore novel. Red Tigress amplifies the tension, adventure, and romance of Blood Heir to new heights. With betrayal around every bend, new and old foes making their appearance, and a conflict spanning continents, Ana and Ramson and Linn must reach deep within themselves and find something greater. Content warnings: typical violence of dark YA fantasy, lots of blood and injuries, in-world racial epithets, slavery and torture, character death

*3.5 stars I loved Blood Heir when I read it last year, and was so excited for the chance to read its sequel early as it was a highly anticipated release of mine! What I think stands out most in Amélie Wen Zhao's writing is her ability to create such an enveloping atmosphere in her novels. She writes beautifully and sets up scenes and settings so well. This holds true for Red Tigress, but unfortunately, other aspects of this sequel fell flat to me. While I enjoyed the book, it just didn't compel me in the same way Blood Heir did. The characters were vibrant and played off each other so well in Blood Heir, but it seemed to me that in Red Tigress, the characters and emotional dynamics were sacrificed for the sake of the plot. There was far less internal conflict in the characters--it seemed as if all of their thoughts were taken up by political setup/plot-related things than real, emotional internal dialogue. Not to mention, the two main characters and love interests were hardly in any scenes together! So I was less invested in what was actually happening in the story because to me, it seemed like the emotional intensity for the characters just wasn't there this time around. The stakes seemed less personal. With all that being said, though, I do think this was a good sequel to Blood Heir and sets up for the last book in the trilogy well. I just hope there's more of an emphasis on the characters themselves and their relationships so that they're not lost in the plot. Overall I still highly recommend this series to fans of dark, YA fantasy! What fell flat for me in this book others might wind up loving, so it all comes down to personal preference in terms of story/plot structure style.