Author: Rosalyn Eves
Publication Date: March 28th 2017
Publisher: Knopf Books For Young Readers
Part of a Series?: Yes Book 1/3 of the Blood Rose Rebellion Series
I Got A Copy Through: The Publisher via NetGalley (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon || Barnes and Noble || Wordery || The Book Depository || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo ||
Blurb Description: The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.
Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.
Her life might well be over.
In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.
As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.
I was very excited going into this book, because a) It was
pitched as a book perfect for fans of Red Queen (which I ADORE) but b) mostly
because the author, Rosalyn Eves is SUCH a great person to talk to (which I
have) and I’ve loved following her story with her book on social media and
well, I really wanted this to be my next favourite fantasy.
Unfortunately, Blood
Rose Rebellion with its intriguing storyline, amazing author and pretty
cover isn’t one of my favourites and here’s why:
One of my MAIN problems with this book was our heroine, Anna
Arden herself.
Through the course of the book, Anna wrestles with the
decision of whether or not she should break the Binding spell – the one that
holds all magic in a reservoir and allows only the Aristocrats to wield it. As
described, the aristocracy’s (The Luminate) spell allows only them to access
magic, and not common people whether they have an inclination or talent for
magic.
As spells have a tendency to break around Anna, the rebels
try and convince her to break the Binding, thus making all equal.
*spoilers*
HOWEVER THE BINDING
IS ALSO SAID TO TRAP CREATURES TOO HORRIBLE FOR THE REAL WORLD, ONES GUARANTEED
TO MAKE YOUR STOMACH CHURN, which Anna SEES for the first time properly, then
allows herself to fall under an illusion, sees it in her Third trip to the
binding spell and GOES BACK TO BREAK IT ANYWAY.
Which brings me to: I
HAD A HUGE PROBLEM TRUSTING ANNA ARDEN.
She was a child, with all her sixteen years of age, her
heart and mind FLUTTERED towards any man that showed her attention (including
her COUSIN and a man who was clearly also courting her SISTER) and her BIGGEST
desire in life was to be a part of society. Age is not usually an issue (almost
all YA heroines are sixteen) for me but Anna was immature and frankly, INCAPABLE OF MAKING A WORLD ALTERING,
MONSTER UNLEASHING DECISION BY HERSELF. She also refused to listen to others
around her, ask for help, try and UNDERSTAND her power and merely flounced
around talking about belonging in a world she intended to change.
I also kept flitting back to the Spiderman Quote, “With great power comes great responsibility”
and while Anna had a great power, I DIDN’T FIND HER RESPONSIBLE AT ALL, and
the power that she had – NOBODY UNDERSTOOD IT and so how could you possibly use
something so volatile to alter a centuries old spell?
There were also a lot of thins I really like about this book:
1) THE SETTING (You could tell how well researched it was - I loved what felt like the authenticity of Hungary, the names and the places, even the villagers and the Romani (Gypsy) people felt so REAL
2) The secondary characters like Noemi, Gabor, William and Matyas.
3) THE MAGIC and the orders. I was CRAVING more and I hope it will be there in the next installment
In conclusion, though I WANTED to fall in love with this book, I didn't. There were a LOT of good elements, and a few bad ones, and I will definitely be reading the next installment!
Rosalyn Eves grew up in the Rocky Mountains, dividing her time between reading books and bossing hersiblings into performing her dramatic scripts. As an adult, the telling and reading of stories is still one of her favorite things to do. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her chemistry professor husband and three children, watching British period pieces, or hiking through the splendid landscape of southern Utah, where she lives. She dislikes housework on principle. Her first book, BLOOD ROSE REBELLION, comes out Spring 2017 from Knopf.
Have you heard of Blood Rose Rebellion? Have you gotten your hands on it yet?
What are some of your favourite historical fantasies?
Also, which fantasy books have the PRETTIEST covers according to you?
I'll be replying to comments over the week (Finals have left me with NO TIME!) and I'm so sorry for the delay in visiting your lovely blogs.
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