Blood Rose Rebellion

I received this free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Get on with it!
This book started off at a slow pace and… simmered out from there. Honestly, the entire book just dragged on and on and on. The main plot kept getting delayed by this thing or another and was then diverted by other characters and their introductions. It was like a book of 90% filler and only 10% actual plot.

Clipped and Jarring
This is likely just a writing style, meaning this author may not be for me, but I absolutely detested the way in which this book was written. Each chapter had multiple scenes within them, but the chapters were still of average YA length. In other words, the 4+ scenes per chapter were short, clipped, and lacked continuity. The story felt disjointed, which made it difficult to fully immerse myself and actually connect with anything that was going on.

Childish Narrative
The main character of the story, Anna, is sixteen and seventeen during this story. She’s a teenager and likely to make stupid decisions. That I can accept. However, when her voice in the story sounds more like a twelve-year-old than a teenager, I grow frustrated. I wasn’t expecting to read middle grade and, yet, that’s what much of the story felt like.

Oh look! A cliche…
Ugh! I can’t understand how cliches are still found in YA literature given the numerous debates and frustrations readers have about them, but I guess they sell and I guess people still enjoy them. I, however, do not. And I did not enjoy them in this book. I’m really over the whole: one of a kind, saves the world, all men love her, but all women hate her cliche. Like… can’t we get a new cliche, at least? Something a tad more original?

Oh, how little I care
I tried. I really did try to like this story, but I didn’t. Part of that was because of my dislike for the overly selfish, childish, idiotic main character. Unfortunately, because I cared little for Anna, it was difficult to care about anyone else, especially when she seemed to face every other person in the story with disdain. Thus, I can’t name a single character I cared about in this story and it’s only be sheer perseverance that I made it all the way through.

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves is full of action, magic, suspense and of course, love. The characters that are quirky, engaging and well developed along with a historical yet magical setting. Blood Rose Rebellion is a rich, imaginative, creative and amazing debut novel!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers, MS. Eves and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

**I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

I started out not very impressed by this book and really not liking Anna. It is pretty bad when you don't like the main character. As the story progressed, Anna grew on me and I found myself enjoying the story more. I think part of the problem was that the blurb compares it to a series that I love, so it gave me (possibly unattainably) high hopes. It ended up being a good story with some great characters.

This story is unlike anything I've read before. On the surface, it's a magical tale about a young woman finding her place in an elitist society. But there is so much more. The novel explores issues of class, prejudice, and the power of individuals to make choices in their own lives, all set in a beautifully imagined fantasy world. The writing was gorgeous and the story intriguing. I can't wait to see what is next for Anna, Gabor, and the other characters!

This started out really well but then just got really boring for me. Once I got half way I was forcing myself to try and read this. I think it's such an interesting idea and I loved the magic but I didn't really care for what was happening or even really care for most of the characters. I had a lot of hype for this and unfortunately it disappointed me.

I had been hearing about "Blood Rose Rebellion" for awhile and I was excited to give it a try. Sadly, the book just did not meet my expectations.

Overall, I just found Blood Rose Rebellion to be very boring. It took me over a week just to reach 100 pages. Every time I would pick up the book, I'd read maybe 10 pages before getting bored and putting it back down. The overall feeling of the book is just boring. I thought Anna was just a boring and dull character. She doesn't seem to have much a personality and I didn't really care for her. The whole thing of Luminate magic was boring and I felt like the same things were mentioned over and over about it. There was no spark or oomph to the writing that hooked me to want to know what happens next.

I know that Bustle.com is claiming that this book is "unlike anything you've read before", but I just don't find that to be true. Instead, it's a paint by numbers "YA fantasy heroine has to save her world from the baddies". I so wish I could write a review raving about Blood Rose Rebellion but I'd be lying if I said that I loved it.

Absolutely wonderful, magic, self discovery, let's not forget Hungary and high society. I fell into its magic and the story kept me there always waiting for the protagonist next move, and next event. Romance, did I hear "romance?" The author had written in everything a fantasy read should have. Not once did I doubt where the plot was going, I just wanted to get there, Pronto!

I love when a book transports me somewhere completely new. Blood Rose Rebellion did that for me. It’s packed with Hungarian history, a world so rich it jumps off the page. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a similar setting, which made this feel fresh. Anna was a great character, and while I know a lot of readers will find the romance one of the most compelling aspects of the book, I especially loved the family relationships here. —TN

This book drew me in immediately, and never let go. Beautifully written with an original plot line -- the Hungarian history and folklore make it unique--this story has a great combination of action, romance, and fantasy that should make it appealing to a wide variety of readers.
I loved the complex characters, and enjoyed not knowing what was coming for a change. I recommend this story highly.

Beautiful and atmospheric - Blood Rose Rebellion quickly transports you to another place and time. Filled with political unrest, romance, and more than a touch of magic, Rosalyn Eves' debut is the perfect blend of careful world building and rich historical detail. A must for historical fantasy fans.

Trashiest, slutty just sort of romance novel, disguised as a fantasy, marketed to middle schoolers. Virtually worthless, it will probably be a commercial success.

It begins seeming to be a fantasy novel, with a hint of promise.

Then... the rakish handsome caddish nobleman stealing a kiss that ruins everything... the rough yet noble and intelligent gypsy, whose muscular legs flex distractingly under his trousers… the horse named StarFire…. persistently florid similes and adjectives… and so on.

Yawn

Total trash.

Elegant, engaging, transporting. BLOOD ROSE REBELLION felt like a magical postcard to another place and time, a gorgeous escape to a world of spells and romance. I loved spending time in Eves' world, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

I loved the 19th century Hungarian magical world created in the Blood Rose Rebellion. The main-character, who craves to be part of a society that she is shut out from, has an honesty about her that I truly enjoyed. It's fast paced, well-written and easy to read. I look forward to the next book in the series!

There were so many problems with this book. The heroine is not likeable, not smart, not cunning, and not proactive enough to carry an entire book (or series). And the author is not a strong enough writer (or knowledgeable enough about story structure) to craft magical scenes. I was often confused by the action. There are subplots in this story that are woefully underdeveloped and feel tacked on. A savvy editor would have cut those. It looks like this is the first book in a series, but I could barely finish Book I. I just didn’t care enough about the protagonist and did not feel confident enough in the author’s ability to tell a good story.

There are many terrible reviews floating around out there which seem to be unnecessarily harsh. This story does lack many things (consistency in its characters, an interesting heroine, etc) but the world-building is done well and I appreciated the focus on Hungarian folklore and politics. This is an oft-overlooked facet of western culture and it deserves to be celebrated. At the end of the day, while I couldn't care less for the insipid main characters, I enjoyed the inclusion of Hungary as a central part of the story, along with the intriguing descriptions of magic. Just not enough to want to read more from this author.

This is a book unlike any other. I was transported into a world of magic, spells and a fairy tale about a young girl who cannot cast spells, only breaks them. Sure, this may not sound like a fascinating book, but I was absolutely rivited from the first page. I loved it. I wanted to follow the story and find out what happens.

Absolutely enthralling!

The Blood Rose Rebellion is a very intricate, beautiful, unique, YA fantasy that leaves you craving for more.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the rich history and the phenomenal writing. For this to be Rosalyn Eves debut novel it was well written and the story flowed flawlessly.

Anna is a Luminate who is barren. Meaning she has no magic. Since she was seven, she's been kept shielded, hidden away, not able to join in when magic was involved. Magic goes wrong when she's around. So when something goes terribly wrong at her sister's debut it's just natural that she is to be blamed.

This is Anna's story of finding herself. What one girl will do when she overcomes fear. Friendships she forms and a love that is forbidden.

Such an engaging and inventive fantasy! Set in alternate 19th century Hungary, Blood Rose Rebellion will completely transport you to a rich world of mystery, magic, and romance. Recommended for anyone who loves historical fantasy and political intrigue!

Very interesting story, but told in such a way that you walk away feeling like you missed crucial details. If this book had been maybe a little longer and the author expanded on some critical details, it could have been 5 stars. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not sure I'll read it again.

This is beautifully written and sucks the reader in from the very beginning. Part way through, however, the main character really frustrated me (She was making the wrong decision and she knew she was.) and I almost put it down. Don't put it down. Finish it. The author made it all work out in the end. Although the book starts out in England, it moves quickly to a much more unique setting--Hungary. If you like beautiful prose, strong characters, and a messy but satisfying ending (like real life), give it a go.