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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I don't know why, but these books are super fun to read.
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED NOVEMBER 6, 2018
4 STARS
TW: PTSD, hallucinations, death and violence of war, terminal illness
All the way back in June, I did a buddy read of Rosemarked and ended up really enjoyed it! It was well worth my time, and I didn't regret picking it up based on that beautiful cover. It was a solid four star read, and once I knew Umbertouched was on the way, I made sure to get my preorder in AND to put an ARC request in on NetGalley (which was granted; thanks, NetGalley!).
I'm delighted to say the experience has been by and large the same with Umbertouched as it was with Rosemarked. Neither book has that BAM sort of feeling to it that would have made it a five star read for me, but both were still entertaining, and I really enjoy both Zivah and Dineas's characters, so four stars seems fitting.
Really, gorgeous covers aside, I think it's the characters that have made me stick with this series. No one is perfect or innocent, and there's a heavy question of morality hanging over almost everyone. Zivah is trapped between her vows as a healer, her own mortality, and the looming danger for the people of Dara, her family. Dineas is caught between his Shidadi heritage and upbringing, and the Amparan Dineas he became in Rosemarked, when he lost his memories and became someone else, someone without a life of trauma to shape him into someone cautious and guarded and sometimes gruff. Even Mehtap gets some time in the spotlight, which was interesting after her involvement in Rosemarked, and we see more of Zivah and Dineas's family and friends now that the fight has come home and the army is on their doorstep. We even get more of those delightful crows, though less of Diadem the snake, which is a bit of a shame. I'm terrified of snakes to be perfectly honest, but got quite attached to Diadem somewhere along the way.
I also got attached to too many characters who were primed and ready to die. Such are the casualties in a book about war on the doorstep, but MAN, why is it always the ones I get attached to? What is up with that?
All that said, I think Zivah's chapters were more interesting than Dineas's. I'm a sucker for characters forced to confront the values they hold most dear, and I'm especially a sucker for characters who hold to their principles, and I'm ESPECIALLY a sucker for characters who hold to their principles which happen to be principles of compassion. There's something that really strikes a chord with me about characters who risk their lives to help those in need, who take the steps no one else would dare take to see to the needs of others. Zivah is incredibly like that, and it delights me far more than Dineas's struggle to be trusted again among the Shidadi. That may be a more interesting conflict for some than Zivah's plight, but what can I say? That internal conflict and that personal drive to find resolution really catch my eye.
Zivah also spends more time in motion than Dineas, and seems more involved in the plot at large, with its consequences on the Amparan continent. As interesting as the war at home is supposed to be, the break provided by traveling back to Ampara and investigating there made a big difference in which of the two POVs I favored in the end. I need motion and decisiveness and the greater details of the more treacherous parts of the plot, and Zivah's POV delivered on that.
As does the ending. Without spoiling anything, it leaves room for a future, which is a nice way to wrap things up. I feel like this story is complete, but that if there were to be more, I would be ready to read it. There's a hopeful cast to it, despite everything, and I would love to come back someday and see where it went. At the same time, it feels resolved. That's a difficult balance to strike, but I feel as if it's been done.
Another thing that pleased me was the way faith is handled in this duology. Zivah and Dineas have different approaches to the gods and how best to revere them, and though it doesn't form a central part of the plot, I would be absolutely fascinated to get more information on the religion in this world. It has a sense of unexplored richness that I would love to dive into, and it gives me the itch to read even more fantasy that also boasts the potential for richly developed religions.
Really, my only complaint other than that lack of OOMPH that I can't quite put my finger on is that it's hard to get a full sense of time. It's mentioned that sometimes days or weeks go by, but I struggled to get a full scope of how long this war lasted and when the POVs matched up with one another, or who was ahead of who in the timeline as it stood. That kind of confusion can take away from the narrative a little, unfortunately.
In the end, though, Umbertouched was a satisfying conclusion, and I happily read it in one sitting! If you enjoyed Rosemarked, you'll probably enjoy the direction this takes Zivah and Dineas, forced to change the course of their lives after the events in Sehmar City, and if you haven't read Rosemarked yet but enjoy fantasy with political intrigue and potions (but interestingly, no magic), and enjoy slow burn romance with a tragic backdrop, then this might just be for you! Umbertouched hits shelves on November 6, 2018 (oh yes, that's just two days away from me posting this review!), and it's well worth the time!
EXPECTED NOVEMBER 6, 2018
4 STARS
TW: PTSD, hallucinations, death and violence of war, terminal illness
All the way back in June, I did a buddy read of Rosemarked and ended up really enjoyed it! It was well worth my time, and I didn't regret picking it up based on that beautiful cover. It was a solid four star read, and once I knew Umbertouched was on the way, I made sure to get my preorder in AND to put an ARC request in on NetGalley (which was granted; thanks, NetGalley!).
I'm delighted to say the experience has been by and large the same with Umbertouched as it was with Rosemarked. Neither book has that BAM sort of feeling to it that would have made it a five star read for me, but both were still entertaining, and I really enjoy both Zivah and Dineas's characters, so four stars seems fitting.
Really, gorgeous covers aside, I think it's the characters that have made me stick with this series. No one is perfect or innocent, and there's a heavy question of morality hanging over almost everyone. Zivah is trapped between her vows as a healer, her own mortality, and the looming danger for the people of Dara, her family. Dineas is caught between his Shidadi heritage and upbringing, and the Amparan Dineas he became in Rosemarked, when he lost his memories and became someone else, someone without a life of trauma to shape him into someone cautious and guarded and sometimes gruff. Even Mehtap gets some time in the spotlight, which was interesting after her involvement in Rosemarked, and we see more of Zivah and Dineas's family and friends now that the fight has come home and the army is on their doorstep. We even get more of those delightful crows, though less of Diadem the snake, which is a bit of a shame. I'm terrified of snakes to be perfectly honest, but got quite attached to Diadem somewhere along the way.
I also got attached to too many characters who were primed and ready to die. Such are the casualties in a book about war on the doorstep, but MAN, why is it always the ones I get attached to? What is up with that?
All that said, I think Zivah's chapters were more interesting than Dineas's. I'm a sucker for characters forced to confront the values they hold most dear, and I'm especially a sucker for characters who hold to their principles, and I'm ESPECIALLY a sucker for characters who hold to their principles which happen to be principles of compassion. There's something that really strikes a chord with me about characters who risk their lives to help those in need, who take the steps no one else would dare take to see to the needs of others. Zivah is incredibly like that, and it delights me far more than Dineas's struggle to be trusted again among the Shidadi. That may be a more interesting conflict for some than Zivah's plight, but what can I say? That internal conflict and that personal drive to find resolution really catch my eye.
Zivah also spends more time in motion than Dineas, and seems more involved in the plot at large, with its consequences on the Amparan continent. As interesting as the war at home is supposed to be, the break provided by traveling back to Ampara and investigating there made a big difference in which of the two POVs I favored in the end. I need motion and decisiveness and the greater details of the more treacherous parts of the plot, and Zivah's POV delivered on that.
As does the ending. Without spoiling anything, it leaves room for a future, which is a nice way to wrap things up. I feel like this story is complete, but that if there were to be more, I would be ready to read it. There's a hopeful cast to it, despite everything, and I would love to come back someday and see where it went. At the same time, it feels resolved. That's a difficult balance to strike, but I feel as if it's been done.
Another thing that pleased me was the way faith is handled in this duology. Zivah and Dineas have different approaches to the gods and how best to revere them, and though it doesn't form a central part of the plot, I would be absolutely fascinated to get more information on the religion in this world. It has a sense of unexplored richness that I would love to dive into, and it gives me the itch to read even more fantasy that also boasts the potential for richly developed religions.
Really, my only complaint other than that lack of OOMPH that I can't quite put my finger on is that it's hard to get a full sense of time. It's mentioned that sometimes days or weeks go by, but I struggled to get a full scope of how long this war lasted and when the POVs matched up with one another, or who was ahead of who in the timeline as it stood. That kind of confusion can take away from the narrative a little, unfortunately.
In the end, though, Umbertouched was a satisfying conclusion, and I happily read it in one sitting! If you enjoyed Rosemarked, you'll probably enjoy the direction this takes Zivah and Dineas, forced to change the course of their lives after the events in Sehmar City, and if you haven't read Rosemarked yet but enjoy fantasy with political intrigue and potions (but interestingly, no magic), and enjoy slow burn romance with a tragic backdrop, then this might just be for you! Umbertouched hits shelves on November 6, 2018 (oh yes, that's just two days away from me posting this review!), and it's well worth the time!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After the first book I had high hopes that they would end up together. The second book is much more focused on the fighting/war and much less on their relationship which isn’t always a bad thing. And I don’t really hate that they didn’t truly end up together I was just a bit disappointed when I first finished it.
Umbertouched is a strong conclusion to this Asian-inspired duology. A unique YA fantasy with themes of colonization, freedom, and terminal illness, the series follows a young healer named Zivah and a tribal warrior named Dineas as they seek to save their people from being absorbed by the Amparan empire.
Central to the plot is the Rose Plague- a highly contagious disease that leaves few survivors behind. The rare Umbertouched come through the illness unscathed and immune with amber-colored spots on their skin, but the Rosemarked recover only temporarily and will succumb again to the disease in a matter of months or years. Dineas is umbertouched, but Zivah is rosemarked and we see her come to terms with having a terminal illness through both books in the duology. This is a powerful theme that is rarely if ever seen in YA fantasy.
Umbertouched was well-paced, action-packed, and delivered a very satisfying ending. There is a very sweet romance that develops and I love that is founded on friendship and mutual care. There are battles, political intrigue, and very strong world-building. I think this is a very under-appreciated series! I received an advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Central to the plot is the Rose Plague- a highly contagious disease that leaves few survivors behind. The rare Umbertouched come through the illness unscathed and immune with amber-colored spots on their skin, but the Rosemarked recover only temporarily and will succumb again to the disease in a matter of months or years. Dineas is umbertouched, but Zivah is rosemarked and we see her come to terms with having a terminal illness through both books in the duology. This is a powerful theme that is rarely if ever seen in YA fantasy.
Umbertouched was well-paced, action-packed, and delivered a very satisfying ending. There is a very sweet romance that develops and I love that is founded on friendship and mutual care. There are battles, political intrigue, and very strong world-building. I think this is a very under-appreciated series! I received an advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
A solid sequel and duology closer. I loved seeing Zivah be able to heal again, and the progression of the characters felt real. I couldn't help but hate the tribes a little bit in this book. They were honestly the worst. Also, Zivah's snake, I didn't like her lack of presence in the story. She should have been included! She was one of my favourite parts of book one.
My main 'issue' is the ending.Without spoiling too much, I want to either be super happy because everything is tied up in a neat little bow or sobbing uncontrollably because it is devastating. Sure, hope is a powerful thing. But I actually felt that Zivah's death would have fitted the story. For once, killing off the main character would have made sense.
4.33 Stars overall and I would love to read more from Livia Blackburne.
My main 'issue' is the ending.
4.33 Stars overall and I would love to read more from Livia Blackburne.
4.5 Stars
This is definitely one of my favorite series. While I can’t say I liked this MORE than Rosemarked, it was still excellent, and a wonderful wrap up.
The action in this book is ramped up from the first book, and our characters are almost always on the move. In that way, it feels much more plot-driven than book one, but that makes sense if you think about these books as one story, which they really are.
I do wish we’d had a few more quiet moments sprinkled in here or there, but at the end of the day, this book is about a war. War is loud and messy.
I love Dineas and Zivah’s romance. Their romantic arc is so angsty, but not in an annoying way. They are kept apart by circumstances that don’t feel contrived. The reasons make sense for their characters and the world in which they live.
I don’t want to spoil anything about the ending, so I’ll just say this: it’s one of the most bittersweet endings I’ve ever seen in a YA fantasy. I went through the entire book expecting it to end a certain way, the easy way. But the author didn’t do that, and as much as I want it to be different, I loved the choices she made.
I said this on my Rosemarked review and I’ll say it again here. THESE BOOKS DESERVE MORE RECOGNITION. It is such a good series with good writing. It’s unique in its heroine. Her strength isn’t measured by her physical prowess. She’s a badass because of her intelligence and compassion, and I love that about Zivah.
Livia Blackburne has become an auto-buy author for me with this series, and I wish more people were reading these books because they are seriously missing out.
This is definitely one of my favorite series. While I can’t say I liked this MORE than Rosemarked, it was still excellent, and a wonderful wrap up.
The action in this book is ramped up from the first book, and our characters are almost always on the move. In that way, it feels much more plot-driven than book one, but that makes sense if you think about these books as one story, which they really are.
I do wish we’d had a few more quiet moments sprinkled in here or there, but at the end of the day, this book is about a war. War is loud and messy.
I love Dineas and Zivah’s romance. Their romantic arc is so angsty, but not in an annoying way. They are kept apart by circumstances that don’t feel contrived. The reasons make sense for their characters and the world in which they live.
I don’t want to spoil anything about the ending, so I’ll just say this: it’s one of the most bittersweet endings I’ve ever seen in a YA fantasy. I went through the entire book expecting it to end a certain way, the easy way. But the author didn’t do that, and as much as I want it to be different, I loved the choices she made.
I said this on my Rosemarked review and I’ll say it again here. THESE BOOKS DESERVE MORE RECOGNITION. It is such a good series with good writing. It’s unique in its heroine. Her strength isn’t measured by her physical prowess. She’s a badass because of her intelligence and compassion, and I love that about Zivah.
Livia Blackburne has become an auto-buy author for me with this series, and I wish more people were reading these books because they are seriously missing out.
First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to read and review this book: Umbertouched by Livia Blackburne.
As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.
I give this story 4 stars.
STOP! If you have not read Rosemarked, A LOT OF spoilers follow!
Synopsis: The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.
As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer’s vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable?
And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.
Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way.
Umbertouched was just as good as Rosemarked!
While I loved the ‘healerish’ parts of Rosemarked, Umbertouched focused more on intrigue and fighting and how not everything can be 100% black and white. Our hero and heroine have to make hard choices to stay alive and keep their friends and family safe and I LOVED how they focused on the most important things even in adversity!
Book Two or just a continuation?
I did struggle a little bit with the pacing and plot of Umbertouched. I understand that it’s part of a series but it didn’t seem to have much of its own story. While reading it, I wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to make Rosemarked a massive stand alone and just have added Umbertouched to it.
Overall, I loved seeing Dineas and Zivah again and I expect to see book three announced soon… there were a few loose ends.
Have you read Rosemarked? Umbertouched? What did you think?
Share this:
As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.
I give this story 4 stars.
STOP! If you have not read Rosemarked, A LOT OF spoilers follow!
Synopsis: The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.
As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer’s vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable?
And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.
Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way.
Umbertouched was just as good as Rosemarked!
While I loved the ‘healerish’ parts of Rosemarked, Umbertouched focused more on intrigue and fighting and how not everything can be 100% black and white. Our hero and heroine have to make hard choices to stay alive and keep their friends and family safe and I LOVED how they focused on the most important things even in adversity!
Book Two or just a continuation?
I did struggle a little bit with the pacing and plot of Umbertouched. I understand that it’s part of a series but it didn’t seem to have much of its own story. While reading it, I wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to make Rosemarked a massive stand alone and just have added Umbertouched to it.
Overall, I loved seeing Dineas and Zivah again and I expect to see book three announced soon… there were a few loose ends.
Have you read Rosemarked? Umbertouched? What did you think?
Share this:
There were a thousand things I loved about Rosemarked, so when I was approved through netgalley for Umbertouched in return for an honest review, I was stoked.
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy Umbertouched as much as it's predecessor, but the pros first!
I loved the internal debate with Zivah and her need to find her way after breaking her Healer Vows. I also enjoyed that Dineas still was dealing with his PTSD. Once I came to terms with Umbertouched having a different feel to it's narrative compared to Rosemarked, I did enjoy the overall story, especially when there wasn't a true happy ever after solution at the end.
However, as a sequel, I felt that Umbertouched left much desired. The character development and growth felt stagnant and the plot was too rushed in parts. Challenges that Zivah and Dineas faced were solved in a mere few chapters and other characters were killed off more for shock value and actual plot progression.
In the end, I would give Umbertouched 3 stars due to the fact it came off overall as unfinished in terms of narrative.
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy Umbertouched as much as it's predecessor, but the pros first!
I loved the internal debate with Zivah and her need to find her way after breaking her Healer Vows. I also enjoyed that Dineas still was dealing with his PTSD. Once I came to terms with Umbertouched having a different feel to it's narrative compared to Rosemarked, I did enjoy the overall story, especially when there wasn't a true happy ever after solution at the end.
However, as a sequel, I felt that Umbertouched left much desired. The character development and growth felt stagnant and the plot was too rushed in parts. Challenges that Zivah and Dineas faced were solved in a mere few chapters and other characters were killed off more for shock value and actual plot progression.
In the end, I would give Umbertouched 3 stars due to the fact it came off overall as unfinished in terms of narrative.
I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story takes place immediately after "Rosemarked" with Zivah and Dineas arriving back in the Dara village after fleeing the Ampara army. Along their way, they attempted to capture evidence that it was the Emperor Kivan and Baruva working together to weaponize the rose plague and that they were the ones who poisoned General Arxa's army on their first visit to the Dara village in "Rosemarked." They prove unsuccessful, finding only the word of Baruva's slaves and though they find that important and worthy, it is unlikely that the weight of the empire will find it to be of importance.
Meanwhile, Zivah and Dineas have a difficult time returning to the village. Zivah, of use despite her rosemarks while journeying to and from Sehmar City, is now no longer allowed to practice her healing and is back to being ostracized from her fellow villagers. Dineas, having taken potions to remove his memories while in Sehmar City so that he might better assimilate into Neju's Guard (General Arxa's army), is immediately branded a traitor amongst his Shidadi. After a series of confusing missteps, including helping Zivah leave the village undetected so that she might continue her search for evidence against Baruva, Dineas is forced out of the Shidadi with the Amparan army prepared to attack.
I enjoyed "Rosemarked" having received it in the Uppercase subscription box; I wouldn't have read it otherwise. (Note: I no longer subscribe to this box receiving three "realistic" fiction books in a row; I read to escape this wretched world.) I was interested to see where Zivah and Dineas' travels took them and how their relationship might change and I was pleasantly pleased by how confusing and messy it was. What relationship isn't? Their's was one that took time to grow unlike the love at first sight often found in novels.
And while I have not experienced this personally and might be wildly off-base, I appreciated the inclusion of Dineas' PTSD. It struck me as a realistic portrayal and a necessary one. He had experienced so much and it would have been off-putting had he come away unscathed. I was especially delighted to read the author's note in which Blackburne thanks a psychologist for assisting her to accurately portray the effects of PTSD. Well done.
This story takes place immediately after "Rosemarked" with Zivah and Dineas arriving back in the Dara village after fleeing the Ampara army. Along their way, they attempted to capture evidence that it was the Emperor Kivan and Baruva working together to weaponize the rose plague and that they were the ones who poisoned General Arxa's army on their first visit to the Dara village in "Rosemarked." They prove unsuccessful, finding only the word of Baruva's slaves and though they find that important and worthy, it is unlikely that the weight of the empire will find it to be of importance.
Meanwhile, Zivah and Dineas have a difficult time returning to the village. Zivah, of use despite her rosemarks while journeying to and from Sehmar City, is now no longer allowed to practice her healing and is back to being ostracized from her fellow villagers. Dineas, having taken potions to remove his memories while in Sehmar City so that he might better assimilate into Neju's Guard (General Arxa's army), is immediately branded a traitor amongst his Shidadi. After a series of confusing missteps, including helping Zivah leave the village undetected so that she might continue her search for evidence against Baruva, Dineas is forced out of the Shidadi with the Amparan army prepared to attack.
I enjoyed "Rosemarked" having received it in the Uppercase subscription box; I wouldn't have read it otherwise. (Note: I no longer subscribe to this box receiving three "realistic" fiction books in a row; I read to escape this wretched world.) I was interested to see where Zivah and Dineas' travels took them and how their relationship might change and I was pleasantly pleased by how confusing and messy it was. What relationship isn't? Their's was one that took time to grow unlike the love at first sight often found in novels.
And while I have not experienced this personally and might be wildly off-base, I appreciated the inclusion of Dineas' PTSD. It struck me as a realistic portrayal and a necessary one. He had experienced so much and it would have been off-putting had he come away unscathed. I was especially delighted to read the author's note in which Blackburne thanks a psychologist for assisting her to accurately portray the effects of PTSD. Well done.