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3.13 AVERAGE
3.13 AVERAGE
There's a lot of time spent angsting about boys and little time developed to what actually is going on. Side characters get very little development, and what happened at the end did not surprise me at all.
This title is a mixed bag for me... I loved the endearing qualities of some of the secondary characters, but I found it really hard to feel anything for others or to even remotely connect with them. My biggest criticism of this book is more limited to the way the story seems to drag in places. It lacked that special quality that makes me want to drown in the pages of a story I really love. That said, it provides a starting place, and I'd be willing to visit the story again to see what happens to the characters I did come to love.
Gorgeous, atmospheric, and really unique. Great characters and riveting storytelling. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!
To the people who read this book all the way through, I applaud your patience and determination. The only reason why I didn’t DNF this at 10% was because my car broke down and while I was waiting for the mechanic to arrive, this was the only book I had in my car. Go fucking figure.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF at 55%. Ugh this is only my 2nd ever DNF and I hate not finishing books but I've been trying to get through this for a month and I just can't do it. Reading shouldn't feel like this much of a chore.
I actually loved the beginning of the book and really enjoyed everything up until the point where Anna left home. Learning about the magic system and seeing it in use was super interesting to me and I was actually excited about the book. And then a third of the way in it totally changed directions and got really slow and really boring. I wasn't a fan of the writing and it felt difficult to read because of how flowery the author tried to make it. I was either rolling my eyes at the metaphors or re-reading passages to try and figure out what was going on. This was not the book for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of the book.
I actually loved the beginning of the book and really enjoyed everything up until the point where Anna left home. Learning about the magic system and seeing it in use was super interesting to me and I was actually excited about the book. And then a third of the way in it totally changed directions and got really slow and really boring. I wasn't a fan of the writing and it felt difficult to read because of how flowery the author tried to make it. I was either rolling my eyes at the metaphors or re-reading passages to try and figure out what was going on. This was not the book for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! As the first book in a trilogy, I believe it was a good start. The book provided trials and tribulations, star-crossed love, a bit of back story, and a cliff-hanger that makes me think that the next book will be even better!
I thought the character development was good, though there were a few characters I wish I got just a little bit more out of! I loved the historical bit of the story, especially because it was not an era I was familiar with, so I love to expand my knowledge and learn something I didn't know before! I also liked that the main character stayed true to how she started the story - that kind of innocent, uncertain girl-next-door.
Overall rating: 4/5 stars!
Reread 10/18/21: Reread this book and assumed I would love it nearly as much as I did the first time. I did enjoy it, but it might be more of a 3-star this time around. The characters were fine, though my remembrance of them was quite different, especially one character I adored and the character did not have as much page time as I thought. I also saw a lot of tried and true YA tropes that I'm not as fond of nowadays. Still, the research for the history portions is still amazing and I definitely loved the era this novel takes place in.
I thought the character development was good, though there were a few characters I wish I got just a little bit more out of! I loved the historical bit of the story, especially because it was not an era I was familiar with, so I love to expand my knowledge and learn something I didn't know before! I also liked that the main character stayed true to how she started the story - that kind of innocent, uncertain girl-next-door.
Overall rating: 4/5 stars!
Reread 10/18/21: Reread this book and assumed I would love it nearly as much as I did the first time. I did enjoy it, but it might be more of a 3-star this time around. The characters were fine, though my remembrance of them was quite different, especially one character I adored and the character did not have as much page time as I thought. I also saw a lot of tried and true YA tropes that I'm not as fond of nowadays. Still, the research for the history portions is still amazing and I definitely loved the era this novel takes place in.
DNF at 40%
Initially I thought the Victorian setting, a secret society of magicians and Hungarian folklore would be for me.
Turns out, it's not.
I'm not going to rate this - it's been over a year and every time I go back to this I'm just "meh" about it.
This may be for some YA Fantasy readers, but I think anyone who's fairly savvy with the genre will be quick to see this for the unoriginal, slow story that it is.
Thanks for hanging with me for a year on this though - Netgalley! I just couldn't push through.
Initially I thought the Victorian setting, a secret society of magicians and Hungarian folklore would be for me.
Turns out, it's not.
I'm not going to rate this - it's been over a year and every time I go back to this I'm just "meh" about it.
This may be for some YA Fantasy readers, but I think anyone who's fairly savvy with the genre will be quick to see this for the unoriginal, slow story that it is.
Thanks for hanging with me for a year on this though - Netgalley! I just couldn't push through.
Blood Rose Rebellion is a magical novel by Rosalyn Eves. It is about a girl names Anna who doesn't seem to have any magic in a family filled with it. However, when she is around spells something weird seems to be happening to them. After being forced to go from England to Hungary, Anna finds out that she might have a purpose after all.
I would rate this book 4/5 stars. I wasen't too attached and didn't like the characters too much. Also, the beginning of the story dragged on and seems similar to another book that I've read recently. This is one of the books that is a little boring in the beginning but gets better at the end. The plot in the writing weren't too bad either. Overall, if you enjoy reading about magic and monsters I would think that you would like this book.
I would rate this book 4/5 stars. I wasen't too attached and didn't like the characters too much. Also, the beginning of the story dragged on and seems similar to another book that I've read recently. This is one of the books that is a little boring in the beginning but gets better at the end. The plot in the writing weren't too bad either. Overall, if you enjoy reading about magic and monsters I would think that you would like this book.
The first 200 pages were slow and kind of all over the place. The last 200 pages were better, but still not great. I do not think I will be continuing this series