Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
So RoseBlood is... interesting.
The tagline of being a Phantom of the Opera inspired (modern) retelling is what caught my eye. I'm a sucker for all things Phantom- the book, the musical, whatever I can get my hands on. Gaston Leroux basically owns my soul with how much I love the Phantom story.
So despite the bizarre summary, despite the atrocious red print that it's typed in, despite the ridiculous names of the characters, I picked it up. Because of the Phantom of the Opera, of course, I let my hopes get a little high.
RoseBlood is, in a word, absurd. The main plot points rest on some rather convoluted paranormal explanations and the writing is somewhat cringeworthy at points.
The Phantom is almost unrecognizable from Leroux's original creation, save for his obsession with Christine and living in the sewers.
Rune, the protagonist, is seriously bland. If it weren't for her "special power" there would be nothing compelling about her. Furthermore, she often uses g*psy to describe things about her powers which, for a character who is half-Romani (I think?) and thus could be reclaiming a slur (but isn't), is really really really not okay at all. There is no reason for the use of g*psy in 2017. Or ever. Find a different way to describe magic and strange powers.
Thorn, the love interest, is creepy in full Edward Cullen-style. He's dark and mysterious and pretty much gives Rune no reason to be attracted to him other than the cliched "special connection." He also makes ominous remarks about how they were destined to lovers. All in all, while he has a compelling backstory, he is reduced to be the contemporary-Phantom-stand-in to Rune's presumed role as contemporary Christine.
The writing is mostly technically sound, but switches from Rune's first-person perspective to a third-person limited from Thorn with literally no warning or indication of a perspective swap. I don't mind multiple perspective books, but mark the changes and be consistent in which tense and person they are written in (first present, third past, third present, etc).
Furthermore, there's a rather stunted side-plot about the resident diva and one of her friends that would have made for a far more interesting main story but, alas, it was overshadowed by AG Howard's desperate attempt to recreate a Phantom and Christine love story with Rune and Thorn.
But I gave this book 3 / 5 stars. Why?
Because, overall, RoseBlood is markedly average YA Paranormal Romance fodder. If you maintain that expectation, the book can be somewhat mindless fun. If it had no association with the Phantom of the Opera, I may never have picked it up but I may also have enjoyed it more. The classic novel is close to my heart, so I know that no retelling or reimagining will ever come close to it for me. Still, RoseBlood had potential to be an intriguing, dark story and I'm disappointed at the ridiculous story it became, despite taking itself very seriously.
Figuring out that I simply had to laugh rather than try to embrace its seriousness is what got me through it and I'll likely reread the book in the future in an attempt to make more sense of it, but with the knowledge now that it in no way overachieves for its genre.
Yes, RoseBlood is absurd, but somehow it manages to be endearingly so. Read it for fun, not for any serious, organized story.
The tagline of being a Phantom of the Opera inspired (modern) retelling is what caught my eye. I'm a sucker for all things Phantom- the book, the musical, whatever I can get my hands on. Gaston Leroux basically owns my soul with how much I love the Phantom story.
So despite the bizarre summary, despite the atrocious red print that it's typed in, despite the ridiculous names of the characters, I picked it up. Because of the Phantom of the Opera, of course, I let my hopes get a little high.
RoseBlood is, in a word, absurd. The main plot points rest on some rather convoluted paranormal explanations and the writing is somewhat cringeworthy at points.
The Phantom is almost unrecognizable from Leroux's original creation, save for his obsession with Christine and living in the sewers.
Rune, the protagonist, is seriously bland. If it weren't for her "special power" there would be nothing compelling about her. Furthermore, she often uses g*psy to describe things about her powers which, for a character who is half-Romani (I think?) and thus could be reclaiming a slur (but isn't), is really really really not okay at all. There is no reason for the use of g*psy in 2017. Or ever. Find a different way to describe magic and strange powers.
Thorn, the love interest, is creepy in full Edward Cullen-style. He's dark and mysterious and pretty much gives Rune no reason to be attracted to him other than the cliched "special connection." He also makes ominous remarks about how they were destined to lovers. All in all, while he has a compelling backstory, he is reduced to be the contemporary-Phantom-stand-in to Rune's presumed role as contemporary Christine.
The writing is mostly technically sound, but switches from Rune's first-person perspective to a third-person limited from Thorn with literally no warning or indication of a perspective swap. I don't mind multiple perspective books, but mark the changes and be consistent in which tense and person they are written in (first present, third past, third present, etc).
Furthermore, there's a rather stunted side-plot about the resident diva and one of her friends that would have made for a far more interesting main story but, alas, it was overshadowed by AG Howard's desperate attempt to recreate a Phantom and Christine love story with Rune and Thorn.
But I gave this book 3 / 5 stars. Why?
Because, overall, RoseBlood is markedly average YA Paranormal Romance fodder. If you maintain that expectation, the book can be somewhat mindless fun. If it had no association with the Phantom of the Opera, I may never have picked it up but I may also have enjoyed it more. The classic novel is close to my heart, so I know that no retelling or reimagining will ever come close to it for me. Still, RoseBlood had potential to be an intriguing, dark story and I'm disappointed at the ridiculous story it became, despite taking itself very seriously.
Figuring out that I simply had to laugh rather than try to embrace its seriousness is what got me through it and I'll likely reread the book in the future in an attempt to make more sense of it, but with the knowledge now that it in no way overachieves for its genre.
Yes, RoseBlood is absurd, but somehow it manages to be endearingly so. Read it for fun, not for any serious, organized story.
I fell in love with the concept of this book the moment I heard about it. I adore The Phantom of the Opera, and I couldn't imagine a classic tale I'd rather have re-told and spun into a YA novel.
Unfortunately, the magic and paranormal elements of this story just stretched the limits of believability a bit too far for me, and I did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I truly hope some of you like this book, because this author is amazing, and I'd love to discuss your thoughts in the comments.
My Review: TWO STARS
I want to start this review by discussing the things I felt that A.G. Howard did really well in this novel. The beginning was strong. I immediately liked Rune and was pulled into her story. The setting of the school in France was enchanting and there were some beautiful world building details that were very reminiscent of the classic Phantom novel.
In all of Howard's books she seems to explore the theme of sanity vs insanity. How people perceive and determine other's sanity. How we perceive our own sense of sanity. And how delicate the balance between the two can be. She didn't go as in-depth on that theme in this novel as she does in the Splintered series, but she still touches on it in a way that is important and thought-provoking.
My biggest problem with this book was that the magic and the paranormal elements just weren't believable. They felt kind of chaotic, like there wasn't a distinct magic system with set rules, which is so important in fantasy novels. It made everything feel almost too convenient and random. Though that type of style is very much A.G. Howard and worked BRILLIANTLY in an Alice and Wonderland retelling, it just didn't translate well into a Phantom retelling.
At the begging of the story I was really drawn into Rune and Thorn's connection with one another. I adored Thorn's backstory and felt that that it added a lot to the story for me personally. As the story progressed though, their relationship felt more creepy than captivating. I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters and their relationship almost bordered on incestuous at times.
I HATE giving this book a less than superior rating, because I so wanted to love it, and I very much like A.G. Howard as an author. Perhaps, I'm just too attached to the original Phantom story, but this was just a little too strange for me.
Cover Rating: FIVE STARS
This is a definitely a book to keep on the book shelf. The physical copy is quite simply stunning. From the incredible cover art, to the red ink, to the interior cover paper, it is beyond gorgeous.
Swoon Worthiness: TWO STARS
This book started out strong. I was feeling Thorn as a love interest. He was so mysterious and after reading his backstory, I was totally hooked. But as the story progressed he just felt creepier and creepier to me instead of dreamier and dreamier.
Unfortunately, the magic and paranormal elements of this story just stretched the limits of believability a bit too far for me, and I did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. I truly hope some of you like this book, because this author is amazing, and I'd love to discuss your thoughts in the comments.
My Review: TWO STARS
I want to start this review by discussing the things I felt that A.G. Howard did really well in this novel. The beginning was strong. I immediately liked Rune and was pulled into her story. The setting of the school in France was enchanting and there were some beautiful world building details that were very reminiscent of the classic Phantom novel.
In all of Howard's books she seems to explore the theme of sanity vs insanity. How people perceive and determine other's sanity. How we perceive our own sense of sanity. And how delicate the balance between the two can be. She didn't go as in-depth on that theme in this novel as she does in the Splintered series, but she still touches on it in a way that is important and thought-provoking.
My biggest problem with this book was that the magic and the paranormal elements just weren't believable. They felt kind of chaotic, like there wasn't a distinct magic system with set rules, which is so important in fantasy novels. It made everything feel almost too convenient and random. Though that type of style is very much A.G. Howard and worked BRILLIANTLY in an Alice and Wonderland retelling, it just didn't translate well into a Phantom retelling.
At the begging of the story I was really drawn into Rune and Thorn's connection with one another. I adored Thorn's backstory and felt that that it added a lot to the story for me personally. As the story progressed though, their relationship felt more creepy than captivating. I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters and their relationship almost bordered on incestuous at times.
I HATE giving this book a less than superior rating, because I so wanted to love it, and I very much like A.G. Howard as an author. Perhaps, I'm just too attached to the original Phantom story, but this was just a little too strange for me.
Cover Rating: FIVE STARS
This is a definitely a book to keep on the book shelf. The physical copy is quite simply stunning. From the incredible cover art, to the red ink, to the interior cover paper, it is beyond gorgeous.
Swoon Worthiness: TWO STARS
This book started out strong. I was feeling Thorn as a love interest. He was so mysterious and after reading his backstory, I was totally hooked. But as the story progressed he just felt creepier and creepier to me instead of dreamier and dreamier.
How do you make The Phantom of the Opera even scarier? Add that he is a part of entire race of energy vampires that has mingled with humanity over the millennia. And he can prolong his life. I got this book in my January Owlcrate and I was really hesitant because I read something else by this author and was underwhelmed (didn’t hate it but wasn’t blown away). But Roseblood really was enjoyable. Seeing the correlation between Rune and Thorn’s relationship and the one between Christine and the Phantom, seeing them dodge some of the pitfalls for the original couple, is interesting. The book takes about the first half or 2/3rds to reveal exactly what Rune does to people that she could leave a boy back home in the states in a coma. It got a bit frustrating because I just wanted them to spell it out already! This book combines a coming of age tale (if you count a succubus awakening as a teenager coming of age), scary story and high school drama all in one! I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes retellings of classics.
This book is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera which I haven’t read it but definitely want to. I have seen this cover along with others from this author and figured why not dive in! There are certain things I liked about this book but it didn’t live up to the hype and I am sad because the cover is everything.
When it comes to the characters, some felt a little flat. Another issue I had was connecting with them. Don’t get me wrong, they had interesting backgrounds but still I couldn’t connect. In this retelling, the Phantom is more of a background character until the very end as the story is more focused on Rune and Thorn. I think I would have rather had more Phantom since I didn’t like the relationship between Rune and Thorn as it felt to insta-love and that just isn’t for me.
The plot is decent and kept me fairly engaged but then a huge plot twist is thrown in and it was one I was not expecting or cared for. It felt unnecessary among other reasons but want to keep this spoiler free!
One thing I did enjoy was the lyrical writing. There are some great quotes in this book that are just beautiful! It also had a decent pace which is always good.
Overall, it was decent but not for me. There was no connection to the lyrical writing for me but I am sure others will enjoy this interesting retelling!
When it comes to the characters, some felt a little flat. Another issue I had was connecting with them. Don’t get me wrong, they had interesting backgrounds but still I couldn’t connect. In this retelling, the Phantom is more of a background character until the very end as the story is more focused on Rune and Thorn. I think I would have rather had more Phantom since I didn’t like the relationship between Rune and Thorn as it felt to insta-love and that just isn’t for me.
The plot is decent and kept me fairly engaged but then a huge plot twist is thrown in and it was one I was not expecting or cared for. It felt unnecessary among other reasons but want to keep this spoiler free!
One thing I did enjoy was the lyrical writing. There are some great quotes in this book that are just beautiful! It also had a decent pace which is always good.
Overall, it was decent but not for me. There was no connection to the lyrical writing for me but I am sure others will enjoy this interesting retelling!
2 stars. As someone who has seen Love Never Dies (twice! yuck!) this is not the worst thing to happen to Phantom of the Opera, trust me.
This had so much potential and I think it started off really good. I was interested, the setting was cool, the writing was good and I even liked our main character Rune. Once I got to the middle of the book though everything just went downhill so fast. The pacing was slow, Rune went from being an interesting character to an annoying, whiny and lovesick child and I couldn't deal with her anymore. She did stupid things for no reason but I guess it was suppose to make her seem 'selfless' and 'brave'. She just came across an idiot to me but I digress. Thorn had the personality of a spoon. He was literally every other boring, brooding and dark YA male love interest you can think of rolled into one. The side characters were cliches and the ending was ridiculous.
Overall, even if you're a big Phantom fan like myself I'd say skip out on this. It's not worth the headache that it will induce with how much it makes you roll your eyes in annoyance. You'll thank me later.
This had so much potential and I think it started off really good. I was interested, the setting was cool, the writing was good and I even liked our main character Rune. Once I got to the middle of the book though everything just went downhill so fast. The pacing was slow, Rune went from being an interesting character to an annoying, whiny and lovesick child and I couldn't deal with her anymore. She did stupid things for no reason but I guess it was suppose to make her seem 'selfless' and 'brave'. She just came across an idiot to me but I digress. Thorn had the personality of a spoon. He was literally every other boring, brooding and dark YA male love interest you can think of rolled into one. The side characters were cliches and the ending was ridiculous.
Overall, even if you're a big Phantom fan like myself I'd say skip out on this. It's not worth the headache that it will induce with how much it makes you roll your eyes in annoyance. You'll thank me later.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the spin A.G. Howard put on Alice in Wonderland in 'Splintered' so when I heard that she was writing a twist on the Phantom of the Opera, I had to read it.
This was an original take on The Phantom of the Opera - which in all honesty is a very weird book itself - and I love A.G. Howard. However overall this failed to resonate for me. I always felt as if the story was being pulled away from me. Part of the problem was that so much action takes place off-screen. Seriously I lost count of the number of times Rune is talking about things in retrospect. Not just back story but things which we probably should have seen happen. I have no idea if this was because the author was ordered to trim the book down or if it was a conscious choice to ape Leroux's admittedly very wobbly style but it just didn't work for me. I felt like there was character development and world building but we were only allowed to see snatches of it. Extremely irritating. I think I would have liked the characters more if I had had the chance to get to know them. Mythology wise there were no great surprises - I am a phan and a folklorist - and I'm just not convinced it worked. Ultimately this just didn't meet my expectations. I was left feeling as if someone had snatched the book away from me, with memories of characters I'd never had a chance to decide if I liked. It was weird without a suitable payoff and the romance was flat. Love A.G. Howard's style but this was more miss than hit.
I really enjoyed the spin A.G. Howard put on Alice in Wonderland in 'Splintered' so when I heard that she was writing a twist on the Phantom of the Opera, I had to read it.
This was an original take on The Phantom of the Opera - which in all honesty is a very weird book itself - and I love A.G. Howard. However overall this failed to resonate for me. I always felt as if the story was being pulled away from me. Part of the problem was that so much action takes place off-screen. Seriously I lost count of the number of times Rune is talking about things in retrospect. Not just back story but things which we probably should have seen happen. I have no idea if this was because the author was ordered to trim the book down or if it was a conscious choice to ape Leroux's admittedly very wobbly style but it just didn't work for me. I felt like there was character development and world building but we were only allowed to see snatches of it. Extremely irritating. I think I would have liked the characters more if I had had the chance to get to know them. Mythology wise there were no great surprises - I am a phan and a folklorist - and I'm just not convinced it worked. Ultimately this just didn't meet my expectations. I was left feeling as if someone had snatched the book away from me, with memories of characters I'd never had a chance to decide if I liked. It was weird without a suitable payoff and the romance was flat. Love A.G. Howard's style but this was more miss than hit.
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujkicE72pEs
I was very excited when I first heard about this book coming out almost 8 months ago. I immediately knew I needed to read it as I am a major Phantom phan. However once I started to read the book I got a little disappointed. I wasn't ready for psychic vampires of all things. I never associated vampires with Phantom of the Opera. The book did lag for me in some parts and I admit I did put it down for a couple of weeks. However the last part of the book did hold my attention more than the rest of it. I really enjoyed how she incorporated the inspirations for the original characters in this story.
This book is not bad it's just a new take/ continuation of the original tale with the paranormal thrown in. Every Phantom phan should at least read this book once in their lifetime.
* I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This book is not bad it's just a new take/ continuation of the original tale with the paranormal thrown in. Every Phantom phan should at least read this book once in their lifetime.
* I received an advanced copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I wanted to like this book but it was difficult to stay invested in. The last 100 pages were the best parts of the book, and i definitely could have seen that aspect of the story drawn out further. I felt that the beginning was too repetitive and that the build up was slow. The ending was wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking, but i enjoyed the overall story and the idea behind it.