Scan barcode
A review by ks2_alwaysreading
Roseblood by A.G. Howard
2.0
Not a fan of this genre but read it for a book club, and chose this book because of my obsession with The Phantom of the Opera. Despite only needing 3 days to read it, it seemed to drag on. Then once the magical twist was revealed, I was let down. Was really hoping for more. She wrote it based on some of the myths and legends about the Phantom, so it wasn't necessarily original in my mind.
Synopsis with *spoilers* below
Rune gets sent to this opera boarding school in Paris because she put a guy in a coma during a high school party (more on that later). She has synesthesia, so to Rune, sounds have colors. But her condition is connected to something else - She has an amazing voice but after she sings, she faints with exhaustion so she's hoping the school will "cure" her.
Her aunt works at the school and the school gives off serious haunted opera vibes. There are rumors that it's the operahouse that inspired the Phantom of the Opera. She sees this gardener dressed like the phantom and thinks the stories are true. Mean tricks are played on Rune, and she thinks it's partly the Phantom and also because she's an amazing singer and the popular girl is upset that Rune will upstage her. Eventually Rune gets lured into an underground chamber where she meets said "Phantom". It's actually Etalon, called Thorn, the adopted some of Erik the Phantom. The OG (Opera Ghost) is still alive and needs Rune and Thorn for his evil scheme.
Then she does some investigating and finds out the truth: Rune, Rune's aunt, Etalon, Erik the Phantom, and the late Christine are/were incubu/succubi. In this book, that means they are psychic vampires (they obtain energy from other people). So essentially they can kill other people by draining life/energy from others. This is how she almost killed someone in high school (she kissed him, and the excitement she felt drained his body of energy).
Rune and Etalon are two halves of the same soul, just like Christine and Erik the Phantom. The Phantom and Christine had a daughter but she was stillborn. Erik the Phantom believes that if he surgically removes Rune's vocal chords, he can transfer Christine's voice to his daughter and reincarnate her. (The why and how is poorly explained.)
Rune and Etalon team up with some others at the school to take down the Phantom so he doesn't kill Rune. They are successful but the opera school is partly destroyed in the process (the Phantom had some crazy booby traps set up). Rune and Etalon are together, and the Phantom is with his kind in Canada, away from the kids. (Totally random ending)
Synopsis with *spoilers* below
Rune gets sent to this opera boarding school in Paris because she put a guy in a coma during a high school party (more on that later). She has synesthesia, so to Rune, sounds have colors. But her condition is connected to something else - She has an amazing voice but after she sings, she faints with exhaustion so she's hoping the school will "cure" her.
Her aunt works at the school and the school gives off serious haunted opera vibes. There are rumors that it's the operahouse that inspired the Phantom of the Opera. She sees this gardener dressed like the phantom and thinks the stories are true. Mean tricks are played on Rune, and she thinks it's partly the Phantom and also because she's an amazing singer and the popular girl is upset that Rune will upstage her. Eventually Rune gets lured into an underground chamber where she meets said "Phantom". It's actually Etalon, called Thorn, the adopted some of Erik the Phantom. The OG (Opera Ghost) is still alive and needs Rune and Thorn for his evil scheme.
Then she does some investigating and finds out the truth: Rune, Rune's aunt, Etalon, Erik the Phantom, and the late Christine are/were incubu/succubi. In this book, that means they are psychic vampires (they obtain energy from other people). So essentially they can kill other people by draining life/energy from others. This is how she almost killed someone in high school (she kissed him, and the excitement she felt drained his body of energy).
Rune and Etalon are two halves of the same soul, just like Christine and Erik the Phantom. The Phantom and Christine had a daughter but she was stillborn. Erik the Phantom believes that if he surgically removes Rune's vocal chords, he can transfer Christine's voice to his daughter and reincarnate her. (The why and how is poorly explained.)
Rune and Etalon team up with some others at the school to take down the Phantom so he doesn't kill Rune. They are successful but the opera school is partly destroyed in the process (the Phantom had some crazy booby traps set up). Rune and Etalon are together, and the Phantom is with his kind in Canada, away from the kids. (Totally random ending)