Facts:
Title: Blood Rose Rebellion
Author: Rosalyn Eves
Genera: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Opinions:
My Rating: 4.4 STARs
An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review
To be completely honest, I was not expecting to receive an ARC copy of this book. In fact, I was rather shocked when I came home and found it waiting for me on my desk. It's not that I have never heard about this book or what not, I just was never told that I was approved to receive an ARC copy. I still remember the first time that I've heard about this book. It was in 2016 and it was a friend that introduced me to it. We were having coffee and talking about books (she too is a reviewer) when she brought up this book. She told me how she got super excited when she heard that this book was set in Hungary (since she went there once for a missions trip and absolutely loved it). She had me read the blurb on Goodreads and I too was intrigued with the idea. She told me that she had already contacted the publisher and was waiting on a response and that if I was interested in this book, she would send me her contact's email. I accepted her offer and later that day, I wrote to the publisher and requested a ARC. However, I didn't hear back from them for months. So I thought that maybe they have rejected me. That's why I was so surprised and excited when I found this book waiting for me at home. As soon as I got it, I hurried up and called my friend with the good news.
Because I was dealing with some issues this month, I didn't have a lot of time to read. Therefore, it took me twice as long as it should have to complete this book (along with a couple other March-Release ARCs). But I'm glad that I pushed through it because this book was wonderful!
I think my favorite thing about this book is the writing. Because I don't know much about Hungary, it was nice to be introduced to another culture. I loved that the author incorporated some Hungarian words into her writing (although it was hard at times since I would forget what some of the words meant). Having the characters speak Hungarian really helped make this book feel like it was based in another country. Because sometimes it is easy to forget that this book is taking place in another country if the author doesn't constantly remind you. So the Hungarian words really helped me remember and connect with the story better. Because I am not Hungarian, I am not sure if the words are correct or not but it was interesting trying to say the words as I read them. It made my reading experience 10 times better.
I really liked the idea of a Luminate society. Because I am a sucker for magic, it was really excited to read about what kind of magical world Eves cooked up in this book. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. I loved the idea that different Luminates have a certain area of magic they are good at. I enjoyed reading about the different kinds of magic and what they can do. I was also interesting reading about Anna (main character), who is Barren, try to find a way to receive magic. It was a interesting journey and I greatly enjoyed it.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read book 2! Highly recommend this book to people who liked Red Queen and are interested in reading about the Hungarian culture.
Happy Reading!
~Natasha Morriston~
