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magnetarmadda's review
1.0
Just, soo cheesy, like the author was trying to write The Phantom of the Opera like a modern bad YA. And the mixing of Romani (called the g-word here) peoples' and Hindu religious beliefs extremely freely, that was not okay.
I really enjoyed both Splintered and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as re-told classic tales, but this was a mega bust for me.
I really enjoyed both Splintered and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as re-told classic tales, but this was a mega bust for me.
thebookwyrm400's review
4.0
Very enjoyable read, very nice references, an enjoyable romance even though the star-crossed lovers trope is one I don't really care for.
hellomadalyn's review
2.0
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Buckle up, y’all, because I have some seriously conflicting thoughts on this one. I went into RoseBlood incredibly excited: a Phantom of the Opera retelling that 1.) takes place at a music school in France and 2.) is a standalone? Sign me up! Unfortunately, though, this book took a paranormal turn that I wasn’t expecting, and one that I never quite got on board with over the course of the novel.
Overall, I thought the retelling element of this book was done well. The atmosphere of RoseBlood felt true to the original Phantom story– dark, angsty, romantic, and mysterious. The book blended elements of different genres, including paranormal, gothic, horror, and romance, which made it all the more intricate. Like any theater kid, I definitely went through a Phantom phase, and all the elements that drew me to the musical and the source material are present in RoseBlood. Fans of Phantom will recognize reimaginings of and references to some of the most iconic scenes from the source material, including the rooftop scene, the masquerade, and the Phantom’s Punjab lasso.
RoseBlood follows our main character, Rune, during her senior year of high school, when her family sends her to the prestigious RoseBlood school– a music conservatory for American high schoolers just outside of Paris, and rumored to have ties to the Phantom of the Opera. Rune’s operatic ability has always felt like more of a curse to her: anytime she hears an operatic aria, she immediately memorizes it and feels compelled to “purge” the music, to the point where these spontaneous performances make her physically ill. Her mother sends her to RoseBlood in hopes that she learns to master and control her talents. I’ll admit that I’m probably hypersensitive to these things because I am studying voice in music school, but some of the musical elements of the story bothered me immensely. For starters, why on Earth was this high school putting on a production of some obscure, challenging Prokofiev opera about demon possession?! It just seemed like such a strange choice on the author’s part. These kids should be studying, like, The Magic Flute or Pirates of Penzance. I suppose I see the parallels between The Fiery Angel and the story in RoseBlood, but this particular opera would be a horrible choice for high school students both in terms of vocal development and diction… American high school juniors and seniors performing an entire opera in Russian? Not really plausible. As far as other musical elements go, the students’ studies weren’t really discussed at all in the story, unless the opera production pertained to the plot. I was hoping the school would play a prominent role in the story, and it sort of does, just not in the haunted-boarding-school way I expected (after all, who doesn’t love a good boarding school book?). It’s more of a backdrop for the story than part of the story itself.
I’ve never read a book by A. G. Howard before, and I think I’ll steer clear of them in the future, because her writing just did not gel with me. Everything was described through lists upon lists of adjectives and adverbs. To use a popular writing metaphor, there was a whole lot of “telling” and not much “showing” going on in the prose. The author also frequently used the g*psy slur to refer to the protagonist’s Romani heritage, which is quite problematic. Authors should not be using this offensive word unless they are Romani themselves and using it in an effort to reclaim this slur. As a white author, A. G. Howard has no right to feature this word in her novels. This alone lessened my enjoyment of the novel significantly. Additionally, the story lacked diversity among its cast of characters, which was a bummer. In general, I could not connect with the characters in this story. The protagonist, Rune, has almost no discernible personality or voice, and the side characters felt very much like fillers. I empathized most with Rune’s love interest, Thorn, and with the Phantom himself (who is supposed to be the villain). I did really enjoy the romance between Rune and Thorn. It was… well, very romantic, in the tradition of the original Phantom.
In terms of the plot, I spent much of RoseBlood in a state of confusion. Almost nothing was clearly explained until much too late in the story, which contributed to the strange pacing of the book. Plus, like I mentioned before, I was so, so not a fan of the paranormal elements of the story. I won’t spoil them here, but I will say that I found them incredibly cheesy and far-fetched, and the paranormal twist really detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. Seriously, I’m pretty sure I laughed out loud when the paranormal elements came to light, because THEY WERE SO RIDICULOUS that it almost seemed like a parody of the YA paranormal genre… but, like, it was 100% serious. It made this story feel like a recycled mix of pieces of other books I’ve read before and enjoyed much more than RoseBlood.
All in all, I think there are many people who will enjoy this book. I would classify my personal thoughts and rating as an “it’s-not-you-it’s-me” situation. I think RoseBlood is worth a shot if you have read and enjoyed other books by A. G. Howard, if you are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, and/or if you enjoy paranormal retellings. Personally, though, I was quite disappointed.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Buckle up, y’all, because I have some seriously conflicting thoughts on this one. I went into RoseBlood incredibly excited: a Phantom of the Opera retelling that 1.) takes place at a music school in France and 2.) is a standalone? Sign me up! Unfortunately, though, this book took a paranormal turn that I wasn’t expecting, and one that I never quite got on board with over the course of the novel.
Overall, I thought the retelling element of this book was done well. The atmosphere of RoseBlood felt true to the original Phantom story– dark, angsty, romantic, and mysterious. The book blended elements of different genres, including paranormal, gothic, horror, and romance, which made it all the more intricate. Like any theater kid, I definitely went through a Phantom phase, and all the elements that drew me to the musical and the source material are present in RoseBlood. Fans of Phantom will recognize reimaginings of and references to some of the most iconic scenes from the source material, including the rooftop scene, the masquerade, and the Phantom’s Punjab lasso.
RoseBlood follows our main character, Rune, during her senior year of high school, when her family sends her to the prestigious RoseBlood school– a music conservatory for American high schoolers just outside of Paris, and rumored to have ties to the Phantom of the Opera. Rune’s operatic ability has always felt like more of a curse to her: anytime she hears an operatic aria, she immediately memorizes it and feels compelled to “purge” the music, to the point where these spontaneous performances make her physically ill. Her mother sends her to RoseBlood in hopes that she learns to master and control her talents. I’ll admit that I’m probably hypersensitive to these things because I am studying voice in music school, but some of the musical elements of the story bothered me immensely. For starters, why on Earth was this high school putting on a production of some obscure, challenging Prokofiev opera about demon possession?! It just seemed like such a strange choice on the author’s part. These kids should be studying, like, The Magic Flute or Pirates of Penzance. I suppose I see the parallels between The Fiery Angel and the story in RoseBlood, but this particular opera would be a horrible choice for high school students both in terms of vocal development and diction… American high school juniors and seniors performing an entire opera in Russian? Not really plausible. As far as other musical elements go, the students’ studies weren’t really discussed at all in the story, unless the opera production pertained to the plot. I was hoping the school would play a prominent role in the story, and it sort of does, just not in the haunted-boarding-school way I expected (after all, who doesn’t love a good boarding school book?). It’s more of a backdrop for the story than part of the story itself.
I’ve never read a book by A. G. Howard before, and I think I’ll steer clear of them in the future, because her writing just did not gel with me. Everything was described through lists upon lists of adjectives and adverbs. To use a popular writing metaphor, there was a whole lot of “telling” and not much “showing” going on in the prose. The author also frequently used the g*psy slur to refer to the protagonist’s Romani heritage, which is quite problematic. Authors should not be using this offensive word unless they are Romani themselves and using it in an effort to reclaim this slur. As a white author, A. G. Howard has no right to feature this word in her novels. This alone lessened my enjoyment of the novel significantly. Additionally, the story lacked diversity among its cast of characters, which was a bummer. In general, I could not connect with the characters in this story. The protagonist, Rune, has almost no discernible personality or voice, and the side characters felt very much like fillers. I empathized most with Rune’s love interest, Thorn, and with the Phantom himself (who is supposed to be the villain). I did really enjoy the romance between Rune and Thorn. It was… well, very romantic, in the tradition of the original Phantom.
In terms of the plot, I spent much of RoseBlood in a state of confusion. Almost nothing was clearly explained until much too late in the story, which contributed to the strange pacing of the book. Plus, like I mentioned before, I was so, so not a fan of the paranormal elements of the story. I won’t spoil them here, but I will say that I found them incredibly cheesy and far-fetched, and the paranormal twist really detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. Seriously, I’m pretty sure I laughed out loud when the paranormal elements came to light, because THEY WERE SO RIDICULOUS that it almost seemed like a parody of the YA paranormal genre… but, like, it was 100% serious. It made this story feel like a recycled mix of pieces of other books I’ve read before and enjoyed much more than RoseBlood.
All in all, I think there are many people who will enjoy this book. I would classify my personal thoughts and rating as an “it’s-not-you-it’s-me” situation. I think RoseBlood is worth a shot if you have read and enjoyed other books by A. G. Howard, if you are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, and/or if you enjoy paranormal retellings. Personally, though, I was quite disappointed.
red_cat9's review
2.0
The gothic vibe came off as dreary and sulky. The main character had almost no agency of her own (at least up until I put it down), and I couldn't get into the whole curse thing. I also didn't understand how a grown man and his young novice could live in a school for teenagers completely unnoticed. It had a great premise, but fell apart from the beginning.
jenacidebybibliophile's review
3.0
Disclaimer: This ARC copy was sent to me by the publisher, ABRAMS Kids, via NetGalley for an honest review.
Opinion: Usually when I come across a book that focuses on music, I normally avoid ever reading it. Due to RoseBlood being written by A.G Howard, and considering how much I LOVED the Splintered Series, I knew I had to go for it and request it from Netgalley. I am honestly so happy I branched out and decided to read this, because it was a really creative take on The Phantom of the Opera.
When Rune was the age of 4, her father played an opera song on his violin that changed her life forever. Now, many years later, anytime a new opera song is played around Rune she has the overwhelming urge to burst out singing…no matter how much she resists. In the hopes that Rune will get help, her mother sends her to a school called RoseBlood that focuses on Opera. Here they hope to help Rune control her gift, but the history of the institution begins to frighten Rune. With thoughts that RoseBlood is the home of the famous Phantom of the Opera, Rune also comes into contact with the mysterious boy named Thorn that lurks around the grounds. As the relationship between Thorn and Rune starts to strengthen through music, the plans that the real Phantom has for Rune forces Thorn to choose sides between his love and his father.
So obviously this is a fantastical spin-off of The Phantom of the Opera, where the original characters names are used and the past events are more or less the same. The reader is reintroduced to the original Phantom Eric, but also given a new character named Thorn (Etalon). Thorn is rescued by the Phantom at a very young age from a child human-trafficking ring (dark stuff I know), and makes the decision to go live with the Phantom and learn from him. Our female lead character, Rune, has the voice of Christine and the Phantom desperately wants her for her voice. I really liked how the author took this very famous story, kept most of the facts the same, and completely made an entirely new tale for readers to fall in love with. The story has strong gothic romance undertones in it, which was an absolutely perfect setting for me to get lost in. I love anything dark and eerie like that, so as soon as Rune stepped into her new school I knew that this was going to be something special.
I will say that the story can drag on a little at certain points, like in the beginning for example. That was SUCH a long and drawn out introduction of Rune and her mother sitting in the car, and I found myself tentatively rolling my eyes and skimming the “blah blah blah”. I also feel as if I didn’t get enough out of the character of Rune. I wasn’t very connected to her character as much as I was to Thorn. The troubled past that Thorn had gave me a sense of compassion for his character, but I really liked how put together he was all around. Rune’s character came off as boring to me most of the time, and I would have liked a better description on her singing. When Thorn sang as a child, he was described as an avenging angel that’s voice could force a person to face their most unforgivable sins. The description of the power that Thorn held over people with his voice was beautifully explained, but Rune’s voice wasn’t. Seeing as how this story centers around Rune and her voice, I think the author could have gone the extra mile to ensure that the reader felt how important and amazing her singing was.
With those small points aside, I overall really liked this book but felt that the character of Rune could have had more. The romance between Rune and Thorn was heartwarming and sweet, and I was constantly wanting more for these characters. I think that this is a really creative take on The Phantom of the Opera, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original story. Even if you are not familiar with the original, the reader is given enough explanation to understand the past events and be able to dive into this world.
Opinion: Usually when I come across a book that focuses on music, I normally avoid ever reading it. Due to RoseBlood being written by A.G Howard, and considering how much I LOVED the Splintered Series, I knew I had to go for it and request it from Netgalley. I am honestly so happy I branched out and decided to read this, because it was a really creative take on The Phantom of the Opera.
When Rune was the age of 4, her father played an opera song on his violin that changed her life forever. Now, many years later, anytime a new opera song is played around Rune she has the overwhelming urge to burst out singing…no matter how much she resists. In the hopes that Rune will get help, her mother sends her to a school called RoseBlood that focuses on Opera. Here they hope to help Rune control her gift, but the history of the institution begins to frighten Rune. With thoughts that RoseBlood is the home of the famous Phantom of the Opera, Rune also comes into contact with the mysterious boy named Thorn that lurks around the grounds. As the relationship between Thorn and Rune starts to strengthen through music, the plans that the real Phantom has for Rune forces Thorn to choose sides between his love and his father.
So obviously this is a fantastical spin-off of The Phantom of the Opera, where the original characters names are used and the past events are more or less the same. The reader is reintroduced to the original Phantom Eric, but also given a new character named Thorn (Etalon). Thorn is rescued by the Phantom at a very young age from a child human-trafficking ring (dark stuff I know), and makes the decision to go live with the Phantom and learn from him. Our female lead character, Rune, has the voice of Christine and the Phantom desperately wants her for her voice. I really liked how the author took this very famous story, kept most of the facts the same, and completely made an entirely new tale for readers to fall in love with. The story has strong gothic romance undertones in it, which was an absolutely perfect setting for me to get lost in. I love anything dark and eerie like that, so as soon as Rune stepped into her new school I knew that this was going to be something special.
I will say that the story can drag on a little at certain points, like in the beginning for example. That was SUCH a long and drawn out introduction of Rune and her mother sitting in the car, and I found myself tentatively rolling my eyes and skimming the “blah blah blah”. I also feel as if I didn’t get enough out of the character of Rune. I wasn’t very connected to her character as much as I was to Thorn. The troubled past that Thorn had gave me a sense of compassion for his character, but I really liked how put together he was all around. Rune’s character came off as boring to me most of the time, and I would have liked a better description on her singing. When Thorn sang as a child, he was described as an avenging angel that’s voice could force a person to face their most unforgivable sins. The description of the power that Thorn held over people with his voice was beautifully explained, but Rune’s voice wasn’t. Seeing as how this story centers around Rune and her voice, I think the author could have gone the extra mile to ensure that the reader felt how important and amazing her singing was.
With those small points aside, I overall really liked this book but felt that the character of Rune could have had more. The romance between Rune and Thorn was heartwarming and sweet, and I was constantly wanting more for these characters. I think that this is a really creative take on The Phantom of the Opera, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original story. Even if you are not familiar with the original, the reader is given enough explanation to understand the past events and be able to dive into this world.
ashkitty93's review
I just ran across some old friends' reviews and realized this wasn't on my list. Not that it needs to be, since it was a DNF, but... I just remember it being so ridiculous. Like, the text was red and thus barely legible on the page. WHO DOES THAT?
rosemccaskey's review
5.0
I loved this story. It was one of those stories that keeps you wanting to read more.
lilbeeemma's review
4.0
Rune, a seventeen year old with mysterious operatic talent, gets shipped off to a French school named Roseblood. It's a conservatory that's rumored to have ties to the famous tale, The Phantom of the Opera, one of Runes favorite story. There she makes friends while figuring out what's so different about her. She finds answers to long kept secrets in the halls of this school. Along the way, she finds friendship, love, and herself.
I wasn't sure about reading this book. It's a great idea and I liked that part, but when I had read the first book in the Splintered series, I was disappointed and ended up DNFing it. So I wasn't too excited to read this one. Yet, I read it anyway and I'm glad I did.
The Good:
This story is both creepy and awesome. Which I love in the books I read. A psychotic phantom and maybe some donuts for the cream of the crop. I was obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera and watched the movies so many times, I basically became the phantom, minus the killing part. Because of this, I had high expectations.
I think this was a retelling but it almost felt like a sequel of sorts. It's set in modern day and follows Rune (duh), who has the uncontrollable urge to break into opera singing like a Disney movie. Plus its set in an old opera house. Not sure how that happens, but I'll go with it. I wish I had gone to school there!
This is has dual POV's! When I ended Rune's chapter, I was so happy to see one from Thorn's POV. He totally stole the show with his. He was so cute and logical, and I loved how he thought about Rune.
I love how creepy this is. Haunting music, old buildings, graveyards, and bleeding roses. It all added to the atmosphere of the story. There are monsters in this book, and animals with different voices and it's all just so weird and different. Its an original, that's for sure.
Also, the moments between Rune and Thorn are adorable. This isn't a hot, smexy read, but it didn't need to be. Anymore and it would have ruined the interaction between them. I looked forward to their scenes the most, and fell in love with them. I liked that it wasn't instant, but you could feel the attraction between them.
The villain I wasn't too fond of but his part made sense. His reasoning was real ad believable, and while I didn't enjoy him, he was a great character. He was very gray in the way that it wasn't black and white. I felt that he wasn't traditionally evil, yet he was mad and chaotic, but sad and vulnerable.
The Bad:
This is a standalone. Usually I love standalone books because annoying strife happens in the others and the characters get torn apart and whatnot. I just wish there was more Tune (Rune, Thorn;) time. The story was very much centered around who she is, which is great don't get me wrong, but I would have loved more of the romance.
There are a bunch of opera terms used in this book, and unless you're really into that genre, a lot of it won't make sense. I had to google a few words and it was distracting.
I found it a bit hard to connect with Rune. I couldn't find myself liking her, but I didn't dislike her either. I just felt kind of meh toward her.
The ending felt kind of abrupt. The whole climatic part felt rushed and it still felt a little but unfinished.
I did enjoy this story way more than I thought I would, and I totally recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good retelling with monsters, romance, and music.
I wasn't sure about reading this book. It's a great idea and I liked that part, but when I had read the first book in the Splintered series, I was disappointed and ended up DNFing it. So I wasn't too excited to read this one. Yet, I read it anyway and I'm glad I did.
The Good:
This story is both creepy and awesome. Which I love in the books I read. A psychotic phantom and maybe some donuts for the cream of the crop. I was obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera and watched the movies so many times, I basically became the phantom, minus the killing part. Because of this, I had high expectations.
I think this was a retelling but it almost felt like a sequel of sorts. It's set in modern day and follows Rune (duh), who has the uncontrollable urge to break into opera singing like a Disney movie. Plus its set in an old opera house. Not sure how that happens, but I'll go with it. I wish I had gone to school there!
This is has dual POV's! When I ended Rune's chapter, I was so happy to see one from Thorn's POV. He totally stole the show with his. He was so cute and logical, and I loved how he thought about Rune.
I love how creepy this is. Haunting music, old buildings, graveyards, and bleeding roses. It all added to the atmosphere of the story. There are monsters in this book, and animals with different voices and it's all just so weird and different. Its an original, that's for sure.
Also, the moments between Rune and Thorn are adorable. This isn't a hot, smexy read, but it didn't need to be. Anymore and it would have ruined the interaction between them. I looked forward to their scenes the most, and fell in love with them. I liked that it wasn't instant, but you could feel the attraction between them.
The villain I wasn't too fond of but his part made sense. His reasoning was real ad believable, and while I didn't enjoy him, he was a great character. He was very gray in the way that it wasn't black and white. I felt that he wasn't traditionally evil, yet he was mad and chaotic, but sad and vulnerable.
The Bad:
This is a standalone. Usually I love standalone books because annoying strife happens in the others and the characters get torn apart and whatnot. I just wish there was more Tune (Rune, Thorn;) time. The story was very much centered around who she is, which is great don't get me wrong, but I would have loved more of the romance.
There are a bunch of opera terms used in this book, and unless you're really into that genre, a lot of it won't make sense. I had to google a few words and it was distracting.
I found it a bit hard to connect with Rune. I couldn't find myself liking her, but I didn't dislike her either. I just felt kind of meh toward her.
The ending felt kind of abrupt. The whole climatic part felt rushed and it still felt a little but unfinished.
I did enjoy this story way more than I thought I would, and I totally recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good retelling with monsters, romance, and music.