Blood Rose Rebellion

Quick heads up: I actually had some pictures taken, but I had over exposed them and rather than not wait an extra day to post this I thought I would post without. 

Blood Rose Rebellion

Rosalyn Eves

Blood Rose Rebellion, Book #1

This book was full of surprises. Honestly, I went into it with a set of expectations based on other books that this sounded like and I had read in the past, which really isn’t the best way to go into a book because it’s pretty unfair to both the current read and past ones. But as I read it—and let me clear this up, I actually listened to it on audible (and the narrator is absolutely stellar)—I would make guesses about where it was going and the ilk, only to find myself pretty much completely wrong the entire time. And not because the book is trying to surprise the reader in the same way something like Game of Thrones is, but because the story was just that original. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this one because it definitely deserves a lot more hype. 

First off, the plot: it’s pretty basic at its core. Anna has no magic in a family full of magic and in a society where magic is prized. So, she’s been the black sheep of her family and, because she’s also a bit of a rebel and has a penchant for breaking spells accidentally, she’s sent off to Hungary. Which is where more things happen (no spoilers I promise) and she becomes entangled in something that could change her world. But the setting and the characters (I’ll get to both in a minute) really elevate the story to a new level. Another thing I really appreciate is that while it has a very basic core the fact that she’s not the chosen one and still chooses to do things really pleases me. Anna is special… but also, not really. She has a specific set of skills that are very useful for her situation, but beyond that she really isn’t anything special within her world and it was a breath of fresh air. 

Okay, the setting. It’s a historical fantasy novel, which is somehow a fact I looked past every time I put this on another TBR list. And not just a historical fantasy novel set in England (which I would have enjoyed though it’s been done so many times). But a historical fantasy novel mostly set in Hungary. And wow I did not realize what a rich history Hungary has! I mean, I should have, but eastern Europe has been an unfortunately huge blind spot for me most of my life and that’s something I’m definitely going to change going forward. This book made me fall in love with the country. And, yes, there is an aspect of “white-hero” in this book, but the novel also does a good job of including characters of minority, and people actually from Hungary, when it comes to saving the day, which I really appreciated. And, since it does have its roots in actual history, there are real people in the story, too, which is always a plus. 

But the relationships! There are no love triangles in this book even though I kept expecting there to be. There are a lot of moments and people I kept expecting Anna to end up with, but she kept avoiding those AND actually managed to have both male AND female platonic friendships. The relationship she eventually ended up in is super healthy and actually really great even though it’s also not the most exciting relationship in all of YA literature right now. I’m also happy to say that the people I thought would die actually managed to get through this one. Going back to the female-female friendship, Noemi and Anna start off on the wrong foot because Anna is entitled (which is something she addresses through the novel, though she definitely still has some headway to make going into the next book) and comes from an important aristocratic family with a lot of money and she mistakes Noemi (her cousin) for a maid. Noemi’s response is totally justified, but they actually make up pretty before long and Anna apologizes (and it’s a good apology… and Noemi is just practically a Saint so that’s also a factor) and from there they become friends. Beyond all this, even when the characters disagree with each other, never do they actually turn on each other: it’s a really solid group of characters; they keep each other’s backs and it was just so cool to see all these healthy relationships.

Before I leave you I need to mention the magic. It wasn’t anything particularly unique, but the way it’s woven in with the historical elements and the real world politics was perfectly done. I think a good chunk of my early enjoyment came from learning more about Anna’s world and the forces within it. Also, visually, the magic is very pretty, and I would not say no to seeing this story play out on the big screen. However, I don’t think it’s a property that would be treated the way it deserves, so I’d also be okay with it never making it to the big screen.

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 Romanies, 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.

Rosalyn Eves grew up in the Rocky Mountains, dividing her time between reading books and bossing her siblings into performing her dramatic scripts. As an adult, the telling and reading of stories is still one of her favorite things to do. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her chemistry professor husband and three children, watching British period pieces, or hiking through the splendid landscape of southern Utah, where she lives. She dislikes housework on principle.