Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

Blood Rose Rebellion (Blood Rose Rebellion, #1)

by Rosalyn Eves

"A magical tale unlike anything you've read before." Bustle

"[A] richly imagined 19th-century historical fantasy." EW, A-

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of
Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.
 
Her life might well be over.
 
In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.
 
As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romani, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

“A fast-paced historical fantasy full of magic, romance, and adventure!”—JESSICA DAY GEORGE, New York Times bestselling author of Silver in the Blood

Reviewed by readingwithwrin on

4 of 5 stars

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3.5 stars

"Some rebels are made, not born"

I went into this book completely blind. So when it turned out to be about powers I was very surprised, a good surprise though.

Anna feels like she is the disappointment of the family, due to her big sister always being the best at everything. Plus she feels guilty for something that happened to her little brother that has now made him be weaker than most boys his age. Between the guilt, she feels and always being second-best compared to her sister, she ends up making some questionable decisions on a big night for her sister. Choices that while understandable when looking at things from her point of view, but also wrong when looking at them from her family's point of view.

Overall I did find this book enjoyable, and I do want to continue on with the series to see what Anna and her family/friends get up to next. Anna does really act her age, this isn't one of those stories where the young teenager acts like she knows everything or has a real understanding of how things work in her world. Anna really is innocent and still has a lot to learn not only about how her magical world works but the non-magical world as well.
The friendships she makes and the family she learns about were very enjoyable to read as well. Her part in the rebellion did seem a little sudden and not really explained very well at times.
I did have a slight problem with how her family was acting towards her about powers and saying she's a disgrace, etc. I'm not going to lie though this book did remind me at times of the These Vicious Masks trilogy (In a good way), it was very different as well.

I do hope something are explained better in the second book.

Upon re-read I gave the book 4 stars due to the world building and the friendships between main characters.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 30 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 30 June, 2020: Reviewed
  • Started reading
  • Finished reading
  • 30 June, 2020: Reviewed