Scan barcode
A review by mllejoyeuxnoel
Roseblood by A.G. Howard
4.0
Okay. Disclaimer: I'm giving this book four stars because I am most definitely its target audience; I will almost always enjoy things having to do with The Phantom of the Opera (or the Phandom, as the kids on Tumblr call it). In terms of hitting on the themes that always go with anything Phandom-inspired, the book hit the mark. The writing was also enjoyable.
However, I think I enjoyed this book almost purely because I tend to love all things Phantom. The plot had so much going on that it felt like every other page had a big reveal. The magic inserted into the book makes sense as a device and fits within the original parameters of the Leroux story as well as the musical, but there was also a LOT of it - something to be aware of that may be off-putting if unexpected. I think there were some elements of the story that were unnecessary to character development and seemed to clutter up the narrative. I would have liked to have actually seen one particular loose thread of the ending tied up, rather than simply having it referenced in dialogue; I won't say which here to avoid spoilers. And I found the heroine to be a bit flat. I didn't get much of a sense of personality from her, and I would have liked to have felt more like rooting for her.
Overall, I'd say if you're a fan of Leroux or ALW's Phantom, this is a fun read if you're in the mood to dip back into that world for a minute. But to non-fans, I wouldn't recommend it.
However, I think I enjoyed this book almost purely because I tend to love all things Phantom. The plot had so much going on that it felt like every other page had a big reveal. The magic inserted into the book makes sense as a device and fits within the original parameters of the Leroux story as well as the musical, but there was also a LOT of it - something to be aware of that may be off-putting if unexpected. I think there were some elements of the story that were unnecessary to character development and seemed to clutter up the narrative. I would have liked to have actually seen one particular loose thread of the ending tied up, rather than simply having it referenced in dialogue; I won't say which here to avoid spoilers. And I found the heroine to be a bit flat. I didn't get much of a sense of personality from her, and I would have liked to have felt more like rooting for her.
Overall, I'd say if you're a fan of Leroux or ALW's Phantom, this is a fun read if you're in the mood to dip back into that world for a minute. But to non-fans, I wouldn't recommend it.