Scan barcode
abookishaffair's review
5.0
4.5 stars. "Blood Rose Angel" is the third book in the series that includes "Spirit of Lost Angels" and "Wolfsangel" by Liza Perrat. Although this book is part of a series, you don't have to have read the other books as the thing that links the books is a talisman. I would suggest reading the other books though because they are true treats for historical fiction fans. In this book, we meet Heloise, a midwife, that lives during the time of the Black Death.
This time period in France is one that I loved. It was so interesting to see how Heloise and her fellow village dwellers deal with the Black Death. There is so much tension and suspicion that is created by the disease that everyone is seen as the potential source. Because of Heloise's position as midwife and healer, she is seen as a suspect for bringing the Black Death upon the village. Superstitions abound throughout this book, which was fascinating to me!
I loved Heloise's character. She is a strong woman and one that is sure of her powers of healing. She oozes confidence through most of the book. I also liked how the author included a lot on the methods that Heloise would have used as a midwife during the time period. I love reading about old timey medical treatments. It's so interesting to me what people used to do in order to try to heal others! The author's note at the back of the book on this subject is absolutely fascinating!
Overall, this book was a good read! The characters are going to stick with me for a long time!
This time period in France is one that I loved. It was so interesting to see how Heloise and her fellow village dwellers deal with the Black Death. There is so much tension and suspicion that is created by the disease that everyone is seen as the potential source. Because of Heloise's position as midwife and healer, she is seen as a suspect for bringing the Black Death upon the village. Superstitions abound throughout this book, which was fascinating to me!
I loved Heloise's character. She is a strong woman and one that is sure of her powers of healing. She oozes confidence through most of the book. I also liked how the author included a lot on the methods that Heloise would have used as a midwife during the time period. I love reading about old timey medical treatments. It's so interesting to me what people used to do in order to try to heal others! The author's note at the back of the book on this subject is absolutely fascinating!
Overall, this book was a good read! The characters are going to stick with me for a long time!
elysianfield's review
4.0
I haven’t read the previous books but this works well as a stand-alone. I don’t think I’ve read anything set during the Black Death from the common people’s point of view so this was a change for me.
You can see how much superstitions affects everyday life, especially when something bad happens. Makes people accuse everyone from Jews to lepers and cats. How important midwives were to women during the dangerous time of childbirth, and yet how easy it was to accuse them of witchcraft, curses and heresy. Definitely not a safe occupation…
Héloïse can’t turn her back to the people affected by the plague but her husband doesn’t approve her work. I’m trying not to give anything away but I think he went way too far trying to prevent her from helping and I hoped Héloïse wouldn’t have forgiven him. I liked Raoul before that but after that I just couldn’t but hate him. Not an easy time to be a woman for sure.
I liked Héloïse who was strong and kind even after all the hate she’s gotten from the villagers. She didn’t give up trying to find a solution to defeat the plague.
You can see how much superstitions affects everyday life, especially when something bad happens. Makes people accuse everyone from Jews to lepers and cats. How important midwives were to women during the dangerous time of childbirth, and yet how easy it was to accuse them of witchcraft, curses and heresy. Definitely not a safe occupation…
Héloïse can’t turn her back to the people affected by the plague but her husband doesn’t approve her work. I’m trying not to give anything away but I think he went way too far trying to prevent her from helping and I hoped Héloïse wouldn’t have forgiven him. I liked Raoul before that but after that I just couldn’t but hate him. Not an easy time to be a woman for sure.
I liked Héloïse who was strong and kind even after all the hate she’s gotten from the villagers. She didn’t give up trying to find a solution to defeat the plague.
jo_kay's review
4.0
I loved reading about this specific time period from the viewpoint of common people, moreover, from the viewpoint of a heroine who is underprivileged even in commoners' terms, a woman frowned upon for her birth, often disregarded because of gender, and both valued and despised for her profession of a midwife and a healer.
Read full review on my blog, Beyond Strange New Words.
Read full review on my blog, Beyond Strange New Words.
More...