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trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"Guard your throats and hide your eyes.
He's not dead you fools. Legends never die."
I love that A.G. Howard tackles new and interesting ideas. The phantom of the opera story line does not have a lot of options out there for Young Adult so it's great that a new one popped up. But I have to warn you. True to this author's style. it will take you AT LEAST 5 chapters to really feel pulled into the story. You have to give her books 5 confusing chapters before you stop. Trust me.
This one did not disappoint. Full of lore and paranormal, love and music, it was easy to enjoy the story until the midway point - where I had to keep reading and devoured the book in just a few hours.
Rune is an odd character and one that took me time to really like. Thorn is equally confusing and a bit off putting because he is so secretive. Erik is an enigma most of the story. I liked hearing about the competing students, the friends she makes and her gut-wrenching need to sing. It had so many fascinating elements that kept me reading and wanting to know more. I love this author. I will continue to read all her books!
He's not dead you fools. Legends never die."
I love that A.G. Howard tackles new and interesting ideas. The phantom of the opera story line does not have a lot of options out there for Young Adult so it's great that a new one popped up. But I have to warn you. True to this author's style. it will take you AT LEAST 5 chapters to really feel pulled into the story. You have to give her books 5 confusing chapters before you stop. Trust me.
This one did not disappoint. Full of lore and paranormal, love and music, it was easy to enjoy the story until the midway point - where I had to keep reading and devoured the book in just a few hours.
Rune is an odd character and one that took me time to really like. Thorn is equally confusing and a bit off putting because he is so secretive. Erik is an enigma most of the story. I liked hearing about the competing students, the friends she makes and her gut-wrenching need to sing. It had so many fascinating elements that kept me reading and wanting to know more. I love this author. I will continue to read all her books!
booksandladders's review against another edition
DNF @ 6%
Oh man. I wanted to like this so much but it took me literally hours to read the first chapter and then I skimmed the second and I realized this was not the book for me. I'm only rating it so people can see my review because Goodreads is a b*tch like that where if you don't have a star rating, your review doesn't get filtered in with the rest, but I obviously cannot judge this book. I read two chapters. And wanted to tear my eyes out.
The first chapter was SO BORING. I think it was only 10 pages but it took me two hours to read it. I would read one sentence and then do something else on my phone and then agonize over going back to read another sentence. But I pushed through!!! Because I wanted to read this! And then I got to chapter two and it was like "let me vomit three quarters of the backstory into three paragraphs" and I was like "nah son" so after that I was like "hm should I continue" and I went to bed and woke up and was like "lol I'm not going to continue" and here we are.
I have seen other reviews say that this is REALLY slow to start and then picks up, but I have way too many other books (and good starting books) in my life to read crappy beginnings where it takes me longer to read a chapter than it does to read a whole book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oh man. I wanted to like this so much but it took me literally hours to read the first chapter and then I skimmed the second and I realized this was not the book for me. I'm only rating it so people can see my review because Goodreads is a b*tch like that where if you don't have a star rating, your review doesn't get filtered in with the rest, but I obviously cannot judge this book. I read two chapters. And wanted to tear my eyes out.
The first chapter was SO BORING. I think it was only 10 pages but it took me two hours to read it. I would read one sentence and then do something else on my phone and then agonize over going back to read another sentence. But I pushed through!!! Because I wanted to read this! And then I got to chapter two and it was like "let me vomit three quarters of the backstory into three paragraphs" and I was like "nah son" so after that I was like "hm should I continue" and I went to bed and woke up and was like "lol I'm not going to continue" and here we are.
I have seen other reviews say that this is REALLY slow to start and then picks up, but I have way too many other books (and good starting books) in my life to read crappy beginnings where it takes me longer to read a chapter than it does to read a whole book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
lucy_probooknerd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-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? Yes
4.75
nite0wl29's review against another edition
5.0
After reading the Splintered Series I didn’t think I’d fall as hard for these characters as I did Morpheus and Alyssa. I was wrong.
My only complaint is Rune and Thorn’s interactions were very few in between and I was left wanting more from them after finishing the story. The romance is exquisite and beautiful and, for some, it may come off as sounding cheesy and cliche. And maybe it is. But I’m also a sucker for stories with twin flame/soulmate romances and this was exactly what I needed to read. And thank god for there being no love triangle in this one!!
All around, this author has quickly become one of my all time favorites I’ve read this year. I can’t wait to read her other books and fall in love with her other characters.
My only complaint is Rune and Thorn’s interactions were very few in between and I was left wanting more from them after finishing the story. The romance is exquisite and beautiful and, for some, it may come off as sounding cheesy and cliche. And maybe it is. But I’m also a sucker for stories with twin flame/soulmate romances and this was exactly what I needed to read. And thank god for there being no love triangle in this one!!
All around, this author has quickly become one of my all time favorites I’ve read this year. I can’t wait to read her other books and fall in love with her other characters.
z_bookfluencer's review against another edition
3.0
RoseBlood is a captivating read, containing flowery passages of writing, a much-beloved villain, and horrific events wrapped up in an alluring cover.
Detailed Review:
I didn't think RoseBlood would work for me because Phantom of the Opera didn't work for me; the story wasn't my cup of tea even though I liked the writing of Gaston Leroux.
I liked the quotes in the chapter headings.
How the Story Read:
RoseBlood reads like a sequel to me like it's a continuation of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera and not just an inspired story. Saying RoseBlood is a retelling doesn't do the story justice, for how it truly read to me.
I felt the atmosphere and setting of the book were fantastic.
There were several passages with flowery writing, and sometimes these passages changed the setting to almost otherworldly.
The twist the author used, was unexpected and also works so well. Honestly, at first, I couldn't help thinking, "so we are going this route." As the story went on though, that twist just felt right, almost like it was an unspoken theme and/or understanding in Phantom of the Opera.
I felt the magic system was creative and unique.
All About the Characters:
The characterization was done well, and even the supporting characters had distinctive personalities. 'The Phantom', or Erik, received a lot more spotlight, more so than the original tale.
There is a decent size cast of quirky characters.
There is some romance, though not the slow burn kind, but more of the "I have always loved you but didn't know it" romance.
The main character Rune is likable, though she does make stupid decisions, not in an annoying way, but more of a teenager exploring different avenues of life, albeit sometimes incredibly dangerous.
Themes:
There were several dark and intense scenes and themes. There are some macabre moments.
A few of the characters experienced varying degrees of traumatic and tragic events as young children, including Rune. Some of those traumatic and tragic scenes do unfold and are not merely mentioned.
What I didn't like/Potentially Triggering Events:
There were some themes I didn't like and/or made me uncomfortable, as well as potential triggering events, such as but not excluded to human trafficking and watching a stranger sleep without their knowledge and/or permission.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, I felt RoseBlood was very well written and I would recommend it to those who like Phantom of the Opera, Dark Fantasy, and Dark Academia. A review will be posted soon.
Detailed Review:
I didn't think RoseBlood would work for me because Phantom of the Opera didn't work for me; the story wasn't my cup of tea even though I liked the writing of Gaston Leroux.
I liked the quotes in the chapter headings.
How the Story Read:
RoseBlood reads like a sequel to me like it's a continuation of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera and not just an inspired story. Saying RoseBlood is a retelling doesn't do the story justice, for how it truly read to me.
I felt the atmosphere and setting of the book were fantastic.
There were several passages with flowery writing, and sometimes these passages changed the setting to almost otherworldly.
The twist the author used, was unexpected and also works so well. Honestly, at first, I couldn't help thinking, "so we are going this route." As the story went on though, that twist just felt right, almost like it was an unspoken theme and/or understanding in Phantom of the Opera.
I felt the magic system was creative and unique.
All About the Characters:
The characterization was done well, and even the supporting characters had distinctive personalities. 'The Phantom', or Erik, received a lot more spotlight, more so than the original tale.
There is a decent size cast of quirky characters.
There is some romance, though not the slow burn kind, but more of the "I have always loved you but didn't know it" romance.
The main character Rune is likable, though she does make stupid decisions, not in an annoying way, but more of a teenager exploring different avenues of life, albeit sometimes incredibly dangerous.
Themes:
There were several dark and intense scenes and themes. There are some macabre moments.
A few of the characters experienced varying degrees of traumatic and tragic events as young children, including Rune. Some of those traumatic and tragic scenes do unfold and are not merely mentioned.
What I didn't like/Potentially Triggering Events:
There were some themes I didn't like and/or made me uncomfortable, as well as potential triggering events, such as but not excluded to human trafficking and watching a stranger sleep without their knowledge and/or permission.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, I felt RoseBlood was very well written and I would recommend it to those who like Phantom of the Opera, Dark Fantasy, and Dark Academia. A review will be posted soon.
mmk5110's review against another edition
I tried but this story was not developed well. It could have been so much more but it just wasn't...
emmirosereads's review against another edition
3.0
*3*
After reading a lot of negative reviews about this book I was a bit reluctant to start it, and wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. Overall I ended up enjoying this book a lot more then I expected I would. It wasn't my absolute favorite thing to read, and did take me a while to finish but I liked it.
I was initially really interested in reading this as I finally watched The Phantom of the Opera recently, and listened to the album for the musical and loved everything. I had never seen a retelling or Phantom inspired YA book so that really interested me. I really loved the parts of the book that mentioned and pointed back to the original story and being in that world again. At the same time I didn't feel at all like I would be lost if I had never seen or read the original work.
Many parts of this book had a very mysterious and some times creepy feel that really kept me on the edge of my seat. This book also had really great and unique characters, that I loved getting to know. I loved getting to know the sometimes heart breaking and tragic background of Rune and Thorn, especially. I will say if a lot of background bothers you, I would not recommend this book. I feel like a big chunk of this book is dedicated to telling Thorn's and Rune's background, weaved in and out of the novel.
I'm also a huge fan of very descriptive and flowery writing which I felt this book really had. The writing style really added to the whole feel of the book. At first it was strange to me when I found that Rune's POV was written in first person and Thorn's was written in third person limited, but I felt like it suited both of the characters well and again added to the stories feeling.
I will say that at times this book did seem a bit slow. At the same time I also feel like there should have been more to the story. I thought A.G. Howard's take on the original story was really interesting, and I like what she did with it but by the end of the book something felt missing almost? I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but all I can say is something felt off and the ending felt kind of sudden in a way.
Again, another hard review to write as I had a lot of mixed feelings on this book, but I still found it really interesting and did end up enjoying it for the most part leading me to rate it 4/5 stars.
After reading a lot of negative reviews about this book I was a bit reluctant to start it, and wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. Overall I ended up enjoying this book a lot more then I expected I would. It wasn't my absolute favorite thing to read, and did take me a while to finish but I liked it.
I was initially really interested in reading this as I finally watched The Phantom of the Opera recently, and listened to the album for the musical and loved everything. I had never seen a retelling or Phantom inspired YA book so that really interested me. I really loved the parts of the book that mentioned and pointed back to the original story and being in that world again. At the same time I didn't feel at all like I would be lost if I had never seen or read the original work.
Many parts of this book had a very mysterious and some times creepy feel that really kept me on the edge of my seat. This book also had really great and unique characters, that I loved getting to know. I loved getting to know the sometimes heart breaking and tragic background of Rune and Thorn, especially. I will say if a lot of background bothers you, I would not recommend this book. I feel like a big chunk of this book is dedicated to telling Thorn's and Rune's background, weaved in and out of the novel.
I'm also a huge fan of very descriptive and flowery writing which I felt this book really had. The writing style really added to the whole feel of the book. At first it was strange to me when I found that Rune's POV was written in first person and Thorn's was written in third person limited, but I felt like it suited both of the characters well and again added to the stories feeling.
I will say that at times this book did seem a bit slow. At the same time I also feel like there should have been more to the story. I thought A.G. Howard's take on the original story was really interesting, and I like what she did with it but by the end of the book something felt missing almost? I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but all I can say is something felt off and the ending felt kind of sudden in a way.
Again, another hard review to write as I had a lot of mixed feelings on this book, but I still found it really interesting and did end up enjoying it for the most part leading me to rate it 4/5 stars.
amandareadsmore's review against another edition
I dnf'd RoseBlood at 132 pages, I couldn't even finish reading the chapter I was on. I honestly only read at much as I did because I was trying to finish the book for book club. I don't know if it is just me or what it is, but RoseBlood is not the Phantom of the Opera retelling that I was expecting or even needing. the storyline moves slowly, like at a snail's pace. there were slight hints at magic and maybe even immortal human beings (or phantom? dun dun dun!) but it wasn't even enough to keep me interested. also, the side charcters stole the show, at least from what I was able to get through. I might have finished reading RoseBlood if the main characters had been Sunny, Jax, and Quan and not Rune and Thorne... but then it wouldn't have been RoseBlood right? oh well.
chainofnovels's review against another edition
DNF @ 8%
This is also a Phantom of the Opera retelling...
Though, now that I've finished Where Dreams Descend (another Phantom of the Opera retelling—lol, what a coincidence), I can't help comparing the two books.
Maybe I'll try Roseblood another day.
This is also a Phantom of the Opera retelling...
Though, now that I've finished Where Dreams Descend (another Phantom of the Opera retelling—lol, what a coincidence), I can't help comparing the two books.
Maybe I'll try Roseblood another day.
thebookishgarden's review against another edition
2.0
**2.5 stars
I enjoyed the initial idea of this novel, however there were parts that confused me and parts that were super underwhelming.
I enjoyed the initial idea of this novel, however there were parts that confused me and parts that were super underwhelming.