This is one of the most exciting fantasy books I have ever read! Right from the beginning the story threw me into some of the most disturbing and heinous abuse I’ve ever encountered in YA

I received a copy of Garden of Thorns from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐
DNF at 60%. I tried. I really really tried to get through this book. I was very excited about this book and the reviews made it sound so good. Everyone loved it, how could it not be amazing? Maybe my expectations were just too high going in but I just didn't enjoy it at all.

The romance felt so stereotypical that I just couldn't enjoy it. A boy kidnaps a girl. She doesn't trust him. They fight constantly while she slowly learns that he's not the monster she thought he was. And she apparently just forgets every way he treated her horribly because at least he's nice to other people sometimes and that's probably enough. I've read this exact romance so many times that it's just not interesting anymore. To be fair, I didn't actually finish the book so maybe in the end she gets some self worth, but I just don't see it going in that direction.

Not only does she forget the horrible way Rayse treats her, she seems to forget about the Gardner whenever Rayse is around. <spoiler>After their battle with the Gardener and the soldiers, she never asks what happened to the Gardener, if he was killed or if he escaped or anything. She's too busy literally trembling over seeing Rayse alive to care about the Gardener.</spoiler> Who needs revenge when you have cute boys who treat you horribly?

And now I'm just being petty but it's a huge book pet peeve of mine when a first person character has a secret that they're _constantly_ bringing up throughout the book, usually calling it "my secret" and "what they can never know". If you don't want your readers to know what your characters are thinking, don't write your characters in first person! Not to mention the secret was obvious from the beginning so it was just annoying to read.

In summary, Garden of Thorns had a really unique story idea that could have been told better. I actually did like many of the characters. I liked how Rose wasn't some perfect warrior with no fear. And Marin, you are amazing. But the focus of the book was really more on the romance than anything else, and the romance just wasn't very good.

The Garden-burlesque troupe of slave girls, has been Rose's life for the past 7 years. At 16 years old, she has an opportunity to escape but things do not go as plan when she randomly chooses the former heir to the throne, the leader of the rebellion against the Empire, Rayce.

Rayce isn't sure about Rose and her "randomness." And takes Rose hostage as he figures out if she was sent to kill him. Rose must prove her loyalty and convince Rayce to save her sisters in the Garden and finally come to terms with a secret, she has held since she was captured.

This book took longer to read and that is because I am an adult and had adult crap to do. But if I was able to put my time into this read like I wanted to, it would have been finished the day I started it.

From the beginning you are drawn in by the Garden not necessarily Rose. For a while, there was something about her that didn't capture me. The fight within and outside the Garden defined her and I understand it was her life but there was nothing else to her. This is not to say that she ruined the book because she didn't. The author was able to develop a story around the character that things moved along without Rose having a personality.

The plot was moving; even when things slowed down, there was something about the words that kept you at the edge of the seat. It really wasn't the secret that Rose was holding. Oddly enough the secret was clear but it wasn't what kept the book going. And it doesn't take long for Rose to "meet" with Rayce. My issue with Rayce is that he is perfect. I don't know if his perfect personality and stance on justice will be questioned in book two but he was too good at playing the hero roll.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would and I am looking forward to book two.

4 Pickles

Somewhere between 2'5-3☆

Although the book began as something new and different with the idea of the flowers: one girl dancing and the other girl having to pay for the mistakes of the dancing one; it pronto stopped being so different and evolved into a more "typical" book in which we find one of those flowers called Rose escaping and falling alongside the forces of the rebellion lidered by Rayce, which soons turns out to be the love interest of the heroine.
The Rebellion wants to change the world the Emperor is constructing, offering things like freedoom, justice, food for everyone, chance of being yourself, end of tirany and so on.

For me it was pretty obvious who Rose really was, although it was nice the way in which it was portrayed and delivered, and the characters were likeable and well rounded (at least the main ones, as the secundary ones don't show much evolution at all) even if they are a bit typical (damsel in distress that can kick ass, hero/love interest).
The book had a sound plot and was an okay read, although maybe it could have been shorter on some places.

Epic! I loved everything about this book. The story was unique and the characters had so much color and depth. The love story was touching, but not overwhelming like so many are. There was mystery in Rose's background, and it kept me wondering what her big secret was. I kept scream, "Tell him. You need to tell him." When she finally did, I was able to exhale a sigh of relief. Five stars for Garden of Thorns! Can't wait to read more from Amber Mitchell.

Amber Mitchell's world in Garden of Thorns is engaging, her story unique, and the characters vibrant. I was drawn in my the strong MC Rose, who - despite a life of servitude - is fierce and forced to "bloom" without the sun. Mitchell's writing is fast-paced and vivid, the book filled with action and poetic subtlety.

I recommend this book to any fan of YA fantasy, and I'm excited to see how Mitchell will expand this world in future volumes.

Garden of Thorns is a young adult fantasy by Amber Mitchell. I love the concept behind this book. The Garden is a captivity like setting where girls are taken and forced to join a burlesque type troop and perform. The main character Rose escapes and immediately tangled with a group of rebels. They take off on an adventure with differing end goals. I really liked the concept of Garden of Thorns, but the book ended up being just ok. Plus, I do have to point out how beautiful the cover is! I seriously love it!

Rayce and Rose are the two main characters in this story, and while I liked them both well enough, something was missing for me. I'm not really sure what it is, and that is the frustrating part. I guess I was just wishing for more on all fronts. I wanted more description for sure. I was very unclear on a lot of aspects of the garden. Where did they get the girls from. Was it illegal? was it legal? At the start of the story, I thought they were actually flowers. Like the talking flowers from wonderland. It wasn't until the performance scene that I knew any differently.

And then with the whole adventure, it was good. I did like the story more as it went on, but there was something holding me back from loving it. I found it to be a little predictable and a little easy. There wasn't anything compelling or gripping about the characters or the romance or really their situation. There isn't too much romance in the story, but the romance that there was felt very natural. It didn't feel rushed or forced, which I appreciated.

Bottom line: Garden of Thorns is a decent read with a very interesting concept. I wanted to love it more than I did. Don't get me wrong, I liked this book. It was a good read with good writing, and good characters. But I didn't love it. It was just kind of ehh. However; a ton of people have loved Garden of Thorns. (I will link to a couple of other reviews down below) However; if you are a concept driven reader, you will likely enjoy this very unique fantasy setup. Let me know what you think!

This was a wonderful standalone fantasy like novel with interesting characters and is action packed the whole way through.

I was blessed enough to be approved by the publisher via Netgally to receive a free ebook copy of the book in exchange for my honest review of the book which is as follows:

The writing in the book(in my personal opinion) feels like a painting; the descriptions are very well done.

“Rose” is a very strong and realistic character I couldn’t help but root for her. The “Rose” & “Rayce” romance was very realistic/believable and thankfully not “insta love” like in a lot of books. The book has a “Romeo and Juliet”/”The princess bride” feeling to it in my personal opinion so if you are into things like that I definitely think that you will like this book.

I wish that the magic was better explained than it was, is pretty much my only complaint about this book. The last half of the book blew me away and is a big part of why I’m rating this book a 9 out of 10.

It was around 60% that I just had to stop reading Garden of Thrones. What I had hoped would be a darker, edgier, and perhaps deeper YA fantasy ended up being a wooden, unbelievable sop-fest of a romance disguised as fantasy. The main characters were overidealized, their situations and personalities simplistic, and the plot so full of gaping holes in logic that one could drive a truck through it (or a large cart, in this case). Honestly, it all felt very silly.

Story: Rose has been a performer in a traveling circus called 'The Garden" for seven years. In reality, she is a slave kept in a cage with other girls. The performers are kept in line by bonding them with a partner who is then the 'sacrifice' if the girls do not perform or behave. Rose's best friend is Fern and Fern bears the scars of taking Rose's punishments. But Rose is not an ordinary girl and when Fern is found out to be a rebel and spy, her death will be the impetus for Rose to finally escape. Unfortunately, she chooses the wrong person in the crowd and ends up fleeing with the head of the rebellion - the young heir to the throne, Rayce. Romance ensues.

So, yes, this is a YA romance first - with all the cliches intact - with fantasy thrown in. Instaluv, speshul snowflake, sniffing of the guy all the time, interrupted confessions, rudeness that in real life would have ensured the girl was killed, a love interest who is so perfect that likely little birds comb his hair in the morning, heavy handed deus ex machina situations to make the heroine look good, create a romantic scene, or the hero look angelic, etc. etc. abound. Let's not forget that we have the typical girl cat fights and our speshul snowflake will be so full of admirable mettle that she'll turn enemy into friend! There wasn't an original word in the entire book.

Perhaps most problematic for me wwere the glaring plot and logic holes. It all felt wrong - that these aren't the way people would behave in the situations we are told they are in. Our feckless heroine has no emotional scarring that I can tell, the prince completely trusts her, shows her all his secret rebel spies/contacts, even takes her to his stronghold - because yeah, that would be smart. They have magical weapons that are a mystery to everyone - even though there is only one place you can get the magic rocks to power them AND someone has not only built the weapons but the knowledge to make the 'magical tattoos' that power them. And hey, of course our heroine has a secret connection to the prince AND the magic. But she has to keep all her speshulness a secret - because otherwise the plot would have been over by the first chapter. There are many, many, more plot and logic holes. I just couldn't turn off my brain enough to really ignore the problems.

The characters were wooden, overidealized, talked like modern teenagers (Heroine, "Excuse me! I can hear you whispering about me!"). The prince is handsome, worries about his people and takes big responsibility for them over his own well-being, and even bakes bread to our heroine while worrying about someone he sent on a mission. At one point, I kind of felt that this was the author daydreaming of the boy she hoped her daughter would bring home one day. There were no nuances, depth, or verisimilitude in any of the characters.

It's a shame I could only get through 60%. Honestly, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by the end since the 'surprises' and secret backgrounds were very well telegraphed. I think those who are undemanding readers will enjoy this as a sweet little romantic Summer read. As for me, I've read enough books that I expect much more. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One word. Predictable.
I cannot count how many times I found myself foretelling the outcome of every situation within this book.
After reading the synopsis and gazing at the cover for an unhealthy amount of time, I believed this book was going to exceed my expectations. Unfortunately, Garden of Thorns did not even meet my expectations. I was left utterly disappointed with the lack of world building and character development.
I did; however, admire the writing style. Though it was sloppy and confusing at times, I thought it united the story in places where the world building or plot failed to.
Overall, there was little to no world building. There are two countries and they are at war with one another. Besides that, we don’t really get any more information about how their society works. There are a few pieces sprinkled here and there, but they aren’t entirely useful to the plot.
The characters did not impress me. For the most part, they are your average oppressed group that desires a change in society. My biggest issue with the character was their abnormal healing speed. It is possible that I may have missed the explanation or they just have a high tolerance for pain. However, continuing to fight with a deep gash in your shoulder would surely be felt immediately.
I was not impressed with this book; however, it did have its moments. I would not completely rule this readout but I would also not place it as an urgent read.

From the very first page I knew I’d love this book. It’s dark and twisted and made of intrigue and the darkest forms of humanity. What happens when humans are reduced to numbers? When they become dispensable and money/greed reign supreme? You have the sparks of a rebellion and the vilest and most inhumane atrocities.

From the sinister descriptions to the unflinchingly honest voice of Rose, this story is gripping and despite the carnage, you won’t be able to look away. The Flowers, the Wilted, the whole hierarchy of these dancing, trafficked girls and the pain their Wilted faces every time one of the Flowers disobeys. It’s terrifying. From the clicking of the shears on their caravan cages to the pools of blood and threats made all too real; it’s gory, graphic, and sickening. The fear and anxiety will keep you on edge, it definitely had me flipping pages like mad hoping that Rose and the others made it out of whatever dangerous mission they happened to be on.

If there’s one thing this story excels at, it’s pacing and keeping the tension high. Whether it’s blossoming sexual tension or fear, it’s there in abundance.

The characters are full of life and strong voices. Every one of them is memorable and leaves you with something to thing about. They add to the story. They’re so much more than throwaway characters and after seeing so much of that lately, I am seriously impressed. I loved each and every one of them. Whether I liked them as characters was one thing, but they all had flaws and an energy that took over whenever they were present, despite the story being told from Rose’s POV.

Rose has suffered years of psychological and verbal abuse. And I’m not sure if this term is correct, but secondary abuse-having to watch someone she loves get punished in her place. Everything she’s seen, each horrific, bloody act, all the guilt she’s felt, all the pain, and still Rose rallies on, she fights, and she sacrifices everything for her Flower sisters. Her determination, her courage, and her humility are a powerful example and completely unexpected. Some other things I loved about Rose was that she admitted her mistakes, she thought through every situation, and she weighed the risks. And her voice was consistent throughout.

Rayce. Dear sweet gorgeous man. He’s playful and regal and brilliant and loves his people so fiercely that you can’t help but fall for him hard as the story progresses. The way her looks at Rose, how comfortable he feels with her, the honest way he confesses his fears and just listens to her, made of head over heels swoon. A noble and epic love interest that is more than worthy of Rose.

Some of the plot was a little iffy. I would have liked a stronger history lesson on why these two groups hate each other, why the intial rebellion happened, and the aftermath. What’s happening in Varsha? More of that backstory would have painted a clearer picture of the animosity between groups and better explained why blondes are discriminated against, etc.

Rose has been in the garden for a long time. Taken from her home performing for the garden is more of what she knows. Being blackmailed to keep her identity a secret she stays where she is at. Until her companion tells her to run and is quickly killed after. Though she couldn’t save her companion she determines to not let her death be in vain and finds a way to escape. She just happens to get entangled with the leader of the Rebellion and things get complicated. Wanting to save the other flowers from the garden she must learn to work with the rebellion.

In an Oyster Shell – It was a captivating fantasy read that was a little on the violent side but was a really good story.

The Pearls – The concept was unique. To have a show called the garden with girls that lose their identity to flower names was really interesting. Add a rebellion and a controlling emperor that needs to be overthrown. It made for a page-turning read.

The point of view of Rose made the story easy to follow. Seeing the story through her eyes was very fulfilling. Sometimes with a first person POV you feel like you don’t get the whole story. That was not true for this story.

The characters were beautifully crafted. Rose was a most excellent heroine I loved following her story. There were some great supporting characters. That really helped move the story along. The villains of the story were really gruesome as good villains should be.

Wonderful book, you felt like you were there with the characters. Rose was easy to relate to, she wasn't too strong heroine.

"everything he says sounds beautiful. like a dream. but i've learned far too many times that the most beautiful things are the most dangerous."

"dreams won't help me now."

reading garden of thorns totally confirmed my love for #epicfantasy. this was such a thrill to read. i was super excited to get my hands on a copy of it yesterday, and i immediately dropped everything and started reading. amber mitchell's debut introduces us to a world at war, where suffering and pain is common, where even the lightest entertainment has such a dark underbelly it's amazing that no one has bothered to look any deeper.

the garden is a traveling entertainment show, bringing beauty and delight to the people who are able to view it, but the cost of this entertainment is brutal. young girls are taken from their families and held in captivity. paired off from the start, one girl, the flower gets a new identity and is trained to perform; the other, the wilted, is also given a new identity but is destined to serve as the whip that keeps the flower in line. the wilted receive all the flower's punishments, an especially hideous kind of mental torture. the wilteds serve the flowers, they help them prep for the shows, they share their rooms and lives with them.

when rose's wilted, fern, is clipped--killed--rose knows that she needs to fulfill her last promise to her. she needs to escape the garden and save her sisters in captivity. she has no plan, only the chance to look for the right opportunity. one she gets at the performance the garden holds for delmar's spring festival. except her ideal hostage target is an enemy of delmar, rayce is the displaced heir to the throne and the leader of the zareeni rebel group.

immediately rose's plans are thwarted. and she is taken by the rebel group as they flee the chasing imperial soldiers. they don't trust her, she doesn't trust them. rose has more secrets than she is sharing, secrets that go beyond her life in the garden and extend to her childhood in varsha. her secrets explain what the gardener is doing with the emperor. and her secrets could be just what the rebellion needs in order to settle things with the emperor. in spite of this, rose is increasingly drawn to rayce. the more she sees of his leadership, of his kindness, his compassion, of the terrible choices he's had to make in the name of the rebellion. he's a man unlike any other she's ever known. and she worries that she's going to be another terrible choice he has to make in the rebellion's name.

but rayce is as drawn to rose as she is to him. the more he tries to deny it, the harder things get between them. and they already have enough hard stuff ahead of them. a dual mission to save the girls from the garden and to save the girl left behind when rose interfered with the previous plan to save her when she took rayce hostage. death is what they face if everything goes wrong. both rayce and rose can lose everything. and even as rose clings to her secrets, she has to wonder what she is holding on to. trusting rayce could set her free. she does trust him, she loves him. they were destined for one another before they ever knew of each other. they were always meant to heal their world together. and now they have to fight for that chance.

because in the end, trusting in each other will save them. and they go through the wringer to get the chance to prove that trust isn't unfounded. there's more battles to be fought, the zareeni cause has yet to prevail, but they stand a chance, especially if rayce and rose stand together.

"i am my own hope--and with this oath, i make my own light."

*4.5 out of 5 Stars*

Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell is an amazing debut YA fantasy novel that pulls you in from the first page through the last with its wonderful imagery and strong relatable characters. Filled with action, it kept the story moving forward.

Sixteen-year-old Rose has spent seven years as slave in the Garden, a burlesque troupe of slave girls, where each girl is paired with another. One as the Flower, the performer on stage, while the other is the Wilted, the emotional blackmail to make sure the Flower performs perfectly or the Wilted will suffer in her place.

From the beginning we are thrust into Rose's harsh and violent world. When she has a chance to escape during one of the performances, the hostage that she grabs is not one of the emperor's warriors but wanted leader of the Zareeni rebellion and nephew of the emperor, Rayce. Soon, Rose finds herself taken captive instead and needing to prove where her loyalties lie especially if she wants to rescue the other girls in the Garden.

I loved the characters of Rose and Rayce, both have experienced so much and have a great weight on their shoulders. I also liked the character of Oren, Rayce's mentor.

Overall, Garden of Thorns was a fun read that I happily recommend.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review.)

Thank you to Entangled Teen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

Garden of Thorns was a book that caught my eye immediately and I was so excited to get the opportunity to read an ARC of it that I absolutely flew through it, but was left feeling quite neutral about the book. The more I think about it, I definitely enjoyed it, and while it wasn't the five star book I was looking for, I can definitely see where others would love it!

Plot:
Rose has been a Flower in the Garden for seven years and during her most recent performance, she makes the decision to run away by taking a hostage. Little does she know that the hostage she picks is the leader of the rebellion, and the nephew of the Emperor, named Rayce. When Rose's escape plan backfires, Rayce takes her hostage and returns to the home of the rebellion. I'm going to stop there because it really almost sounds like I'm repeating the synopsis at this point, but I just wanted to lay a bit of groundwork for the plot. The beginning of this book opens with Rose in a cage with her best friend, Fern. As a Flower, she dances, and any punishment given to her is taken out on her Wilted, which is Fern. The Garden is run by, you guessed it, the Gardener, and he is disgustingly cruel. I cringed and wanted to cry at the treatment that these girls received and I was 100% behind Rose wanting to escape and help save her sisters. I just couldn't believe how awful this one man was! Outside of that, I really liked the political aspect of the book and how the rebellion was forming to try and create a better place for everyone. It was very fast-paced with a lot of action scenes that were very engaging and exciting, and it really allowed me to dive head first into this book and finish it quickly! I did enjoy that Rose and Rayce didn't have this insta-love thing going on (although I've seen a lot of people saying that they do?) and I really think that is due to her mistrust of others, especially males. They definitely did not give off a lovey-dovey vibe at first, but rather it built up over the book. Also, Rayce wasn't the typical YA dark and brooding male character with a dark past and if I could high five Amber Mitchell for that, I would. He was very caring, and one thing that stands out to me was towards the beginning when he returned to Zareen and received news about a caravan being attacked. He made it a point to deliver the news personally to the families of the deceased because he was the one who made the decision to send them out there, so he felt the need to take their deaths upon himself and tell the families about the loss of their loved ones. It was just something that made him stand out among all of the other male YA characters I've read about. One of my biggest complaints (and the reason I can't consider this a five star read) was because of Rose's secret. It was pointed out at the beginning that there was a secret Rose had that only she and the Gardener knew of, one that made her the star of the Garden. Okay, I'm interested! But then it was on almost every single page that Rose had a secret that no one else could know or else. I made a note about 17% in that her secret had been mentioned on nearly every page since I had started the book. I couldn't continue at about 27% because I was being driven insane by the number of times that this girl and her secret that no one can find out had been mentioned, and I actually put my Kindle down and walked away. Of course, I did pick it back up to finish it, but it was almost enough to make me want to stop. I understand wanting to emphasize the fact that she has a secret (which I totally guessed early on and it wasn't even that big of a deal to me) but moderation is key. Putting that aside, I did enjoy the plot and thought that the ending did wrap things up nicely, but also left an opening for a potential sequel, which I would totally be up for as I would love to read more about Rose and this world!

Characters:
I feel like all of the characters were very well written and I actually ended up rather liking them all. Rose was smart, but her years in the Garden made her very distrustful and seemed to hinder her ability to form relationships/friendships with others. But I think as the book progressed, she was able to grow and learn to trust more and kind of move past her...well, past. Rayce was fantastic and I loved how dedicated he was to being a leader! He was just so great and had so much heart, and once things started getting more serious with Rose and Rayce, I loved the two of them together. He is definitely on my top favorite male characters of all time because he was so different from your stereotypical YA male character and that was something I really needed. Oren, Marin, and Arlo were really great supporting characters and felt like they really fit in with the rebellion in their own ways. I will admit that even though he was awful, that the Gardener was written well, too. He was gross and creepy and awful, but it was very well done and definitely did the job of making him an incredibly disliked character. Just overall, the characters each stood on their own and fit in the story perfectly and just made the book much more enjoyable. They took the plot to the next level and made it a wonderful blend of a character and plot-driven story!

Writing:
Right after starting Garden of Thorns, I made a note regarding the writing of the book. It was so beautiful. I loved the description of the Garden (despite it being an awful place) and the dancing just painted an absolutely lovely picture in my mind. I also really liked the Zarenite and how it glowed when it came into contact with itself! Everything was just written so well and it was very easy to get lost in this world. The writing was the highlight of this book for me and I am so excited at the possibility of there being a sequel because of the way that the book ended!

Beautiful writing, enjoyable characters, and a fast-paced plot all added up together to make Garden of Thorns an exciting read! While there were a few things I didn't love about it, I did still find this a great pickup and would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a new YA fantasy that is easy to follow and has the potential for a sequel in the future!

Exciting YA tale that will draw readers in from the very first page. Amber Mitchell creates an interesting world that is dark, violent, and broken yet manages to weave hope, love, romance, and friendship to light up the cracks. Readers will be drawn into the lives of the main characters, Rayce and Rose. Rose has lived the past ten years with lies, heartache, terror, and tears in The Garden under the thumb of the evil Gardener. Forced to dance and entertain, Rose has struggled to survive and has lived in constant fear of her past coming back to destroy her and everyone she loves. Rayce has his own struggles trying to lead a dangerous rebellion against his cruel uncle, the Emperor. Can two people struggling under the weight of their past bring each other out of the darkness and rise from the ashes or will the weight crush them? Readers will be eagerly turning pages to find out. Definitely recommend!

Spoiler Free Review!

This is one of the most exciting fantasy books I have ever read! Right from the beginning the story threw me into some of the most disturbing and heinous abuse I’ve ever encountered in YA. It literally made my stomach churn. The Flowers and the Wilteds live in an absolutely unbearable, atrocious situation. To use The Wilteds in the manner they are used is diabolical and heartbreaking. I wanted so badly for them to escape, fight back, be rescued, anything to get them out of The Garden!

This novel involves a familiar trope in Rose's secret which I won't give away although it's easy to guess pretty early on. What truly makes this heroine special isn’t some undefined power or anything to do with her secret but rather it is the strength and aerial skills she developed due to the abuse she suffered for years at the hands of the Gardener. It allowed her to be able to ignore pain and taught her to be quick and agile. This certainly comes in handy when captured or fighting a battle! While the abuse made her distrustful and took away her self-confidence it didn’t make her weak. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger indeed!

I didn’t always like Rose’s decisions and I often had to remind myself that she wasn’t making her choices from a place of normality and confidence but rather from what she had learned from her past in the Garden which was full of fear, mistrust, pain, and misery. There was no chance of such a broken girl making good decisions! The romance bordered on insta-love but due to the constant danger and Rose’s background it is understandable that she would fall for the first kind and goodhearted (and good looking) man she spent any time with.

The action was pretty well constant with epic battles, chases and rescues leading one into the next with hardly enough time to take a breath in between. There are a few quiet, tender scenes but for the most part it is all action all the time. The plot is constantly pushed forward with nary a lull and there is no chance of boredom. Due to this the world building is minimal and mostly functional. There is some background history but only as it ties directly into the plot. It was enough information to be satisfying and certainly not overwhelming but I’m hoping future volumes in the series tell us a bit more about the world this story is set in. I'm also really hoping that the final version includes a map!

Excellent "medieval" tale of a young girl bound to a traveling dancing troupe as a slave. The owner, the Gardener, names all the girls after flowers. Rose is the star, a blonde varshan in a sea of dark heads. She has a secret only she and the gardener knows. Arriving in the Imperial City, Rose escapes with the rebels after the horrific death of her cell mate at the hands of the cruel masters of the show. Rayce, the leader of the rebels, fights for the rights of his countrymen and to overthrow the emperor. Drawn into their world, she fights to free her "sisters" in the show with the Zareeni rebels at her back, and their cause. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.