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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Not sure if I'll rate this, because it just wasn't for me. The synopsis sounded like my thing but it was very obvious from the get go that this was not my (writting/plot/pacing/character) style so I should've probably DNFed this
Okay so I’m definitely biased about this book, which is why I have it 4 stars. A few years ago I spent a summer working on a historical site in Transylvania. I visited most of the Romanian places this book talks about (plus Budapest as well). I knew a bit about the folklore and history from that and from a Balkan folklore course I took in grad school. So, needless to say, I definitely brought my own inferences and added details. I’m a bit starved for Slavic inspired books, and so that’s kind of an automatic +1 star for anything like that. I also really like books in which magic is studied academically.
(Somewhat) Objectively, though, there was some issues here. One was that I didn’t feel as if the characters were as full as they could’ve been. I also thought the resolution and ending were quite rushed. Also personally two things about the characters annoyed me: the adopted sibling (kind of) romance & the nicknames. Banshee? Empress? Whose dad goes around calling you solely by a nickname like Empress? Isn’t that a little weird? Also for 1937, some things felt off, like the whole house party drunken mistake part that takes place off stage, and the two American (mostly) teenagers galavanting in a pretty Red part of the world at that time. Was that common enough that hotel managers and shopkeepers wouldn’t bat an eye? I’m really not sure.
Overall a fun book. Kind of like a older teen version of the Egyptology books. Now I want one of those but for the occult artifact book Theo keeps mentioning in this novel!
(Somewhat) Objectively, though, there was some issues here. One was that I didn’t feel as if the characters were as full as they could’ve been. I also thought the resolution and ending were quite rushed. Also personally two things about the characters annoyed me: the adopted sibling (kind of) romance & the nicknames. Banshee? Empress? Whose dad goes around calling you solely by a nickname like Empress? Isn’t that a little weird? Also for 1937, some things felt off, like the whole house party drunken mistake part that takes place off stage, and the two American (mostly) teenagers galavanting in a pretty Red part of the world at that time. Was that common enough that hotel managers and shopkeepers wouldn’t bat an eye? I’m really not sure.
Overall a fun book. Kind of like a older teen version of the Egyptology books. Now I want one of those but for the occult artifact book Theo keeps mentioning in this novel!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I learned more about Vlad the Impaler than I ever thought I would
* I received a free digital copy of this from Edelweiss: Above the Treeline for an honest review. (Of course, I've just now gotten around to writing the review because procrastination, but better late than never, right? Sigh.)
The Lady Rogue is an adventurous historical fiction set in the 1930s, featuring Theodora Fox and her ex-but-kinda-current love interest, Huck, where they attempt to find her father after he disappears looking for a legendary ring that belonged to Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula).
I REALLY loved the premise of this book. The writing was compelling and imaginative, and the integration of historical Romania and the lore of Dracula was fascinating. The idea of a female lead in an adventurous historical setting was appealing - I liked the idea of a strong and fiery main character, like Pierce's Alanna of Trebond or Lee's Mary Quinn, but Theo unfortunately fell short of my expectations.
Because so much of the story centered around Theo and Huck's relationship, or lack thereof, the storyline fell a bit flat for me. I didn't appreciate the angsty teenage drama that seemed entirely out of place at times, and there was no real growth from either of them. There were fascinating moments in the story that I would have liked to see the author expand upon instead of focusing on past angst, BUT the writing really did make up for the characters' shortcomings. I was immersed in Romanian lore and suspenseful magical encounters, and I LOVED every bit of it!
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys some fluffy love and a solid historical adventure, and of course, dark magic and Dracula tales!
The Lady Rogue is an adventurous historical fiction set in the 1930s, featuring Theodora Fox and her ex-but-kinda-current love interest, Huck, where they attempt to find her father after he disappears looking for a legendary ring that belonged to Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula).
I REALLY loved the premise of this book. The writing was compelling and imaginative, and the integration of historical Romania and the lore of Dracula was fascinating. The idea of a female lead in an adventurous historical setting was appealing - I liked the idea of a strong and fiery main character, like Pierce's Alanna of Trebond or Lee's Mary Quinn, but Theo unfortunately fell short of my expectations.
Because so much of the story centered around Theo and Huck's relationship, or lack thereof, the storyline fell a bit flat for me. I didn't appreciate the angsty teenage drama that seemed entirely out of place at times, and there was no real growth from either of them. There were fascinating moments in the story that I would have liked to see the author expand upon instead of focusing on past angst, BUT the writing really did make up for the characters' shortcomings. I was immersed in Romanian lore and suspenseful magical encounters, and I LOVED every bit of it!
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys some fluffy love and a solid historical adventure, and of course, dark magic and Dracula tales!
I wish this had been a better book. The last Vlad Dracula book I read was The Historian so my expectations were rather high. This was just okay.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book wasn't nearly as good as I had hoped. It was tedious, and I couldn't connect to any of the characters. They were spoiled and annoying, and even the bad guy didn't seem all that menacing.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No