Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
Set in an alternate, magical version of nineteenth century England and Hungary, Blood Rose Rebellion features a heroine with the power to undo spells who soon finds herself caught in the middle of a dangerous rebellion and a dark, enchanted realm where she just might be their only hope for freedom.
Summary
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.
Book Detail
Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
Series: Blood Rose Rebellion
On Sale Date: March 28, 2017
Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Hardcover, 416 pages
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
My Review
Blood Red Rebellion introduces readers to the protagonist Anna Arden, who after inadvertently dismantling her sister elaborate spellwork for her "debut" ball, finds herself being sent away from England to her family's estate in Hungary.
This introductory part felt a bit sluggish and took the longest to read through. England just did not capture my attention like Hungary did and I was happy for Anna to be whisked away to it.
Right away I knew Anna was a bit of a rebel and hothead.
Athough she doesn't wield magic in the traditional sense, she sometimes, by accident, breaks spells causing mishaps and mischief while garnering the attention of the dangerous, magical group known as The Circle.
Starry-eyed, passionate, and even reckless, Anna lets us follow her as she goes from a naive young girl to one on the brink of a powerful and magical self-discovery. I'm often drawn to heroines who bravely wear their faults while they're mastering them. This is definitely a heroine who experiences some positive growth.
The standout feature in Blood Red Rebellion for me was the unique in-between world created, one full of mythological and folkloric creatures, trapped by a spell called "the binding."
Anna discovers this realm while with her grandmother in her native Hungary. It is here that Anna learns more about the nature of the powerful Luminates and their control on magic. It is also here where we meet her cousins and a handsome Romani boy.
Rebellion, folklore, and ancient magic mix in an enticing way.
I wish we could have spent the majority of the book exploring this enchanted realm caused by "the Binding", as it was completely fascinating to me.
The romance brewing between Anna and a certain Romani boy was sweet, though not epic. Anna ended up kissing more than just one boy before figuring out just who made her heart beat faster.
Overall, Blood Red Rebellion created a fascinating setting and cast of characters to follow and a series that is just beginning to reveal a unique and magical world. With a big ending, I'm curious to see where Rosalyn Eves takes this story next.
