I tried to get into this book numerous times but it just doesn't seem to be the right time whenever I try. I actually own the entire trilogy now so I will be trying again in the future. The covers are gorgeous and the plot sounds good so I hope I am in the mood soon.

I tried reading this book but sadly I didn't make it very far while reading this book. I think that the different point of views made it a bit difficult to understand . I usually love this author's books and I hoped that this one would work out for me.

WHAT DID I THINK OF LOST CROW CONSPIRACY?
Lost Crow Conspiracy is the second of Rosalyn Eves’ Blood Rose Rebellion trilogy. On the whole it escapes second book in a trilogy slump and is a wildly interesting sequel. Lost Crow Conspiracy deals with what happens after Anna Arden has broken the Binding and the fall out from all of that. Also, we see what has happened to Matyas who we all thought was dead but is actually alive. And well, the motions are set for book three.

Friends, after listening to this book I actually am super excited to listen to the audiobook of the third and closing book of the series — even though I am actually not at all obligated to read it (I don’t have a review copy nor is it on my shelves in physical form). That’s actually some solid praise from me, because I don’t care to deviate from my obligations until I finish them. But, I want to know what happens to Anna, Gabor, Matyas and Noemi. Like, I actually feel invested and care.

Plus, I thought it was cool how this is fantasy but there’s some very real characters in here from the Hapsburg Empire. The world building is superb and we have my favorite thing which is politics. I know some of you hate politics, but for me I love fantasy congressional meetings much more than like a battle with swords and magic powers. Give me intrigue any day and PLOTTING. I’d for sure recommend you listen to this historical fantasy trilogy.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of Lost Crow Conspiracy is narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West. The two are absolute audiobook narrator professionals. So, as a product, this is a top notch listen. It’s well narrated, it is easy to follow. None of the narration feels off or weird. Plus, it actually makes me want even more and makes me so excited for the final book of the trilogy.

I absolutely LOVED this book. This is the very, very rare case of the second book in a series -- much less a trilogy -- being better than the first! I adore Anna and Gabor but my oh my, Matyas was my absolute favorite character in this book. Simply an incredible second in the series. I can't wait for book three!

Sadly not as good as the first one. I tried to read this book for months. I just couldn't get to the end. When I finally finished it I felt disappointed.

3.5*
Austria and Hungary are at odds because Austria is unwilling to give up its control, much to the aggravation of the Hungarians. Amidst this turbulent time we find Anna who is of a Luminate family but unlike other Luminates, she has no special powers. But somehow, though she cannot demonstrate power, she can break a binding. Out of sympathy, she has freed the Praetherians from their enslavement. Unfortunately, her act of compassion may have unleashed a hateful horde, intent on revenge. Her act also cost her the life of her dear friend Matyas. Anna is coming to realize her good intentions may come at a very high price.

In this sequel to Blood Rose Rebellion, the plot involves a dual narrative of Anna and the King of the Crows. As Anna comes to question her hopes for a positive outcome of her actions, the King of Crows is coming into his own powers. The story of the reborn King of Crows lacks focus and meanders too long. Though the new plotline has potential, it drags the story down. At the same time, Anna’s story focuses on her fear of being exposed for her actions. The Praetherian dilemma has left her country struggling both politically and from this additional threat.

Reminiscent of Lada’s story in White’s The Conqueror’s series, this historical fantasy uses the same warring countries as a backdrop. It’s a fascinating historical period and ripe for a scintillating plot. But this book isn’t as powerful or successful as White’s. The paranormal aspect plays a prominent role here and the history is less of a factor. The interesting element of Gabor and the Romani people is hardly in evidence in this sequel. Unfortunately, Gabor only makes an occasional appearance here and he is sorely missed.

Despite the muddled storyline of the King of the Crows, this re-incarnated figure does add another interesting element to the overall arc of the plot. Much of the story of the King of Crows lacks action, but the book does pick up by the end. This series needs a strong culmination in the final installment since there is real potential here. Hopefully Eves will provide it.

Note: This is book 2 of a series and may contain minor spoilers. You can find my review of the first book, BLOOD ROSE REBELLION, over here: http://www.happyindulgencebooks.com/2017/02/13/blood-rose-rebellion-review-freedom-magic-country-mythical-creatures/.

LOST CROW CONSPIRACY was an adequate sequel to its predecessor, and continues to follow Slavic and Hungarian folklore in this reimagined, magical tale of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. We’re dealing with the aftermath of the first book, when the Luminate (or noble) Anna discovers that she has special magical abilities as a chimera and breaks the oppressive Binding spell, releasing the fantastical beings known as praetheria into the world. The European forces (mostly eastern Europe countries) are still at political odds, and these creatures cause more discord than anything. While the land is in the cusp of revolution and change, how will Anna stay loyal to her cause, and the creatures she freed?

“‘I thought when we broke the Binding that everything would change. But it’s all still the same - anyone, anyTHING the least bit different is suspect and outcast. You and I are still trapped by social expectations. This isn’t what we fought for.’”

Anna finds herself powerless, however, as the praetheria she finds herself sympathizing with are seen as threats, and the Luminates are salty they’ve potentially lost magic. Furthermore, she finds herself at the attention of a certain prince of Austria, while her heart lies towards an intelligent and caring Roma guy, Gabor, who is deemed unfit for her. The romance was very minimal and sweet, while the politics were at the forefront of the story. This makes for less action as well, but I didn’t mind because I felt like the plot was still progressing, whether it’s due to Anna’s character development or the relationships she established at court.

Anna herself is a determined character who is at first hesitant to use her abilities as a chimera. She also finds herself at a loss, due to her lack of power as a noblewoman. She’s there to stand and look pretty, not take action. When she DOES take action in her own hands, she’s met with opposition and ridicule. However, this does not stop her and her stubbornness carries her a long way. Through betrayals and obstacles, Anna remains adamant in her pursuit of freedom and independence, and this helps guides her actions.

“I had seen a world shatter inside the Binding; I had seen a revolution beging to change the world. I wanted to be part of that change. I wanted to matter.”

While the first half does not have the fastest pace (as is the pattern with this series), there’s a lot that goes on politically. The dialogue and character interactions carry the plot, and the latter half sees the fruit from those interactions through what was gained from them, whether it’s interactions or alliances. Readers who didn’t mind the pacing of the first book will find themselves satisfied with this one. There’s also another surprise perspective introduced in this book that I enjoyed immensely, as it brings more depth and perspective to other sides of the story.

Overall, LOST CROW CONSPIRACY was a nice follow-up to an exciting, reimagined Hungary where political interactions are at the forefront and magical beings known as praetheria are directing the decisions being made. Anna is at the front of the changed world, being a praetheria sympathizer, but it will take more than stubbornness to keep the fragile alliances being made. Through dedicated actions and will, this Luminate will push through to build a new world welcome to both humans - no matter their nationality - and praetheria alike. Readers who enjoyed the first book won’t be disappointed by this one. If you’re a fan of politically-inclined fantasies with a more historical bent, I would recommend this series! It’s not the most exciting series out there, with regards to action, but it certainly provides a refreshing perspective of eastern European history.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Content/Trigger Warnings: alcohol usage, racism/discrimination, violence

Anna as been shipped off to her sister in Vienna, hopefully so her actions in Hungary can die down and Anna can potentially find a husband to take care of her. But Anna does not want a husband- she already has feelings for someone and she would rather take a stand against the injustices on the world instead of being a wife. Meanwhile, the magical creatures that she unleashed from breaking the binding are roaming freely among men, something those in power want stopped. A war is brewing just under the surface, and which side is just is anyone's guess.

Book 2 in the series jumps right back into the world we left in Blood Rose Rebellion without the recap that sometimes weighs down sequels. We have our main character Anna who has gone through a lot of tragedy as well as personal growth since the start of Blood Rose Rebellion. She now knows what she is capable of, where her loyalties lie as well as what she is willing to stand up for. I was impressed by her strength, both emotionally and physically with some of the tasks she is challenged with and I rooted her on. I will say I was a little let down with her bout of clinginess towards a certain cute Rominy boy- and her determination to be with him even when he basically shot her down in a spectacular manner. Don't get me wrong, he is a nice enough guy, but he barely showed up in this book (also had no character growth to peak my interest) and I would be ok if Anna discovered another love interest in the course of her journey- sorry for those who ship them!

I found Hunger very interesting at the end of Blood Rose Rebellion and I was so excited to see him show up in The Lost Crow Conspiracy. I was afraid that we were done with him, but I was pleased to be wrong this time (...even though Ann probably wants to be done with him). Hunger is enigmatic, with unknown motivations and desires, yet shows up all the time- sometimes to help, other to hinder. Ok, fine, he is my favorite character and I do not care if he has shady intentions, I just request more of his presence because he keeps me on my toes while I try to guess what he will do next.

Surprisingly, the story switched narration to a character who I never expected to hear from again. Sorry for the spoiler, but death may be only but a brief fate for some of the characters in this story. I loved that the Gods, or the original magical creatures, also have an agenda at play and the most of unlikely of heroes. I did like experiencing this character's point of view, so different from Anna that it made the plot seem like an entirely new concept. Side note, it was also interesting that Gods, or the creatures who believe themselves to be such, can also die- nobody is safe during this magical revolution!

I feel like three fourths of this book was build up, setting up the characters and the world for the conflict that was to come next. It was a little slow for my liking, it felt like more contemplation and emotional discoveries than any action actions. But boy did the last fourth of the book make up for it! Between one dangerous, action packed moment to the next, I flew through the section. And that ending! The King of Crows is fantastic and I am so excited to see how everything will play out in the next book, which is shaping up to be an epic conclusion to the series.

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The sequel to Blood Rose Rebellion was a more character-driven adventure, with Anna and friends dealing with the aftermath of the previous book. Creatures called Pretheria are roaming across Eastern Europe, wreaking havoc, and Anna is balancing her various love lives and political machinations to undo the damage that had been done.

Somehow, even less happened in this book, but the threads were far more focused. Anna gains another love interest in the form of Franz Jozef, who didn't do much except serve as justification for his mother. Other new characters are introduced, like Vasilia and Ginny, who were fascinating and I really wished she was the protagonist. There is a line Noemi spits at Anna about her not doing anything, and when the book is calling out, it's a problem. I hope Anna can finally get over her pining because there are still vaguely interesting tracks laid that I hope go somewhere.

I don't know if listening to this book on audio enhanced all the editorial problems, but one thing I could not get over was the repetition of two key facts: that Matyas was dead and the she is Chimera with two souls. It truly felt like the author was filling the page space with this dead air and it made for a very frustrating read.

Ultimately, sometimes you need to read a book to gain some perspective on what not to do and, with this one, I was hoping for an improvement, but I might finish the series if only for the aesthetic.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

A strong follow up that improves on <i>Blood Rose Rebellion</i>. Eves makes some really clever plot decisions in this book, and I'm definitely invested in seeing this series through to the conclusion, something I was a bit on the fence about after book one. Partly, that was because I didn't remember book one very well and I didn't want to reread, but Eves does a nice job fitting the salient points into the narrative, so I never felt lost. It all came back to me like I was Celine Dion.

There's an added POV in <i>Lost Crow Conspiracy</i>, something I knew from the added male narrator in the audiobook. Or I could have read the synopsis, but why would I do that? I was really afraid the new POV would be Gabor, afraid because the narrator is absolutely a white man and because adding a love interest in book two has pretty much never gone well. In fact, though, the introduction of the second narrator ends up working out really well. Even though he's named in the description from the publisher, I'm not going to say it, because I feel like it works better without that. So spoiler tags.

<spoiler>Matyas is alive! Brought back to life. This is generally one of my least favorite tropes, but I like it here for a few reasons.

1) It doesn't happen instantaneously. Anna has to deal with the guilt of what she's done for quite a while. Well, she doesn't so much deal with it as try to make sure no one finds out and worry, but you know.
2) Matyas didn't want to be brought back to life. He's now expected to help save the world again, but this time by doing real work and not through a noble sacrifice. His whole plot line emphasizes how much harder it is to LIVE a hero, and I think this really works, especially since there's so much martyrdom in fiction.
3) The internal world building absolutely allows for this. This is a world of magic and gods come to life, so a character coming back to life is improbable, yes, but not impossible.
4) He doesn't come back quite the same. Sure, he levels up really easily in powers, which was frankly ludicrous, like OH he was just never properly angry before but whatever. But I mean more that dying changed him. He's not nearly so happy-go-lucky anymore; he's the same guy, but he's grown up a lot, and he reacts to the world around him very differently.
5) His return doesn't magically fix everything. The fact that he is alive again doesn't take Anna off the hook legally or emotionally.</spoiler>

From looking at reviews of book one, I know that opinions are really mixed on Anna. I still think she's a really interesting character, and one who has grown quite a bit. Still, though she remains very much a teenager: she acts impulsively and sometimes throws temper tantrums. On the other hand, though, she has big dreams and believes in her power to change the world. She fights non-stop to get people to listen, even when she gets major pushback, like by the rulers of the Austrian Empire. Sometimes I don't like Anna much, but she's always interesting and I'm always hoping for her to grow into herself, to learn to think before she acts. Anna continues to make a lot of poor choices, but she does everything with a fuckton of commitment that's really impressive. Partly, too, it's a little tough to fault her when most of her bad choices stem from being overly trusting by nature, at least of everyone to whom she's not related. It's part of me to always feel for the girl who's straining against the box society wants to put her in.

The world building of this series is super cool, though I feel like this is one of those times I'll be unsure about certain elements until I see how everything plays out in the end. This book is such a mix of elements that I found completely unpredictable (like I would tell you) and ones that made me roll my eyes (like most of the second POV plot and what happens with Hunger). I still don't feel anything for the romance with Gabor, though separated from his Romani family, there's less of a fetish feel to it.

So yeah, for the most part, I was super into this book, and I really enjoyed the audio performances. The narrators fit the characters really well. Absolutely looking forward to the conclusion.

While slow for my tastes, I did enjoy this, perhaps even more so that the first. I love how the author was able to balance politics with fantasy elements smoothly and still easy to understand. I also loved the character growth in this one.

Lost Crow Conspiracy is the second book in the Blood Rose Rebellion series. While I was a bit on the fence about the first one, the ending was interesting enough to make me want to continue with the series. You absolutely need to read Blood Rose Rebellion before starting this one, it opens as society begins grappling with the aftermath from the events of book one.

Lost Crow Conspiracy is very politics heavy. As with the first book, I loved how the author melded real history with the fantasy aspects. It was interesting to see the repercussion of everything and I thought the author did an excellent job of making the complex political situation easily understandable. Anna really grew as a character in Lost Crow Conspiracy. I enjoyed watching her character growth as she struggled to find her voice in a society that discounted her solely based on her sex. However, I found Matyas’s chapters to be more interesting than Anna’s.

The main problem with this book was the pacing. It felt as if it stuttered a bit and generally uneven. As soon as I would start to become engrossed in the book, it would slow down and I would grow bored. Overall, Lost Crow Conspiracy did a good job of balancing politics with the more fantastical aspects. I enjoyed learning about the history and seeing the characters grow but the good parts weren’t enough to outweigh the pacing issues. If you enjoyed the first book, you’re likely to enjoy this one.

Picking up not long after Rose Blood Rebellion ends, Eves wastes little time getting readers right back into thick of things. Things are far from how Anna envisioned them. There's a lot that heavily weighs on her. Breaking the Binding seemed so easy, compared to all she endures in this book.

Anna's character journey is an interesting one. Not only is she still grieving the loss of someone close to her, she's now dealing with set backs from breaking the binding. On top of that, she also realizes that she is a girl in a man's world. This gives her the strength to let her voice be heard. Not only for herself, but for those who don't have a voice. I loved that she's not someone to be underestimated. This girl fights to overcome oppression, and make her voice heard. I was impressed with her fierceness, and her unwavering strength. Truth be told, she does have her weaknesses, and some of those do come back to haunt her, as they should. I really liked her boldness, her refusal to be silenced, and her stance in her beliefs, even if she's mocked for it, and is threatened for it.

I really enjoyed the twists in this storyline with the characters. I was not excepting some of those surprising turn of events. I was pleasantly surprised that this story is told not only from Anna's point of view, but another character's point of view as well. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but it was a shocker at first. In the beginning I wasn't feeling their revised role in the story. However, as their story unfolds along side Anna's, it makes more sense as to 'why'. Just as the 'why' is revealed the story ends, leaving me wishing I had the next book already!

Slow story pacing aside, one of my favorite elements to this story is the way Eves took historical references, and infused them into her own fantasy world. It was intriguing and educational. She retold the Austrian-Hungarian War, and the repercussions that were caused by it, and mixed into her series's richly detailed lore, and character history. I loved these elements. We see more how the repercussions from breaking the binding, and the death it caused weighed heavily on Anna, and have caused a lot of problems since the end of Blood Rose Rebellion. Something Anna wasn't excepting. I liked that, because in war, and life in general, all choices have consequences, but in war it's more costly, and can be down right deadly. Something Anna has learned.

Overall this was an intriguing storyline. I loved the historical elements, and getting a deeper look into the fantasy elements, and the mix of the two. I really enjoyed the character development. I should add characters, because the characters all had interesting storylines, and I was not excepting a lot of what happens, to happen. The pacing itself is slow in a lot areas, which made for me not loving the book as much as I wanted to. However, Eve's richly detailed storytelling definitely kept me hooked, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

On a side note, I already loved this cover, but love it so much more now after reading the book. Yes, there is a reason why a crow is on a the cover, and it's not just because of the title. Trust me, it's a good one!

Favorite Quotes:

"You think because I am a girl, I am weak. Because I speak for those who are given no voice here, my voice should matter less. You are wrong, on both counts." - Anna

A far better piece of the story than book one. I don’t know why I was more engaged this time around, but I definitely felt more connected to it.

Fantastic sequel to Blood Rose Rebellion! It's fast paced and sets up to for the third installment!

I was a bit wishy-washy after the first book but I wanted to see what would happen next. I just found that I wasn't as interested in the story anymore. There was nothing keeping me attached to the characters or the plot line. This book just wasn't for me.

The Lost Crow Conspiracy is the second installment in the Blood Rose Rebellion series. I did not read the first book in this series before picking up this one. I found that I had a hard time getting into this book and imagine it may have had something to do with this. The story is written in such a manner that series of chapters are told in the point of view of one character. The characters storylines do intertwine. Anna Arden tries to come across as a strong female, but this tends to get diluted by other societal ongoing. The writing was a bit odd for me. I felt like the author would just throw in foreign terms without really describing them, which was much needed for this type of book where the fantastical and real worlds merge. I appreciate a good historical fantasy, but felt that this one was a bit lacking.

Lost Crow Conspiracy is the much anticipated second book in the Blood Rose Rebellion series by Evelyn Skye, and I'm thrilled to finally get my hands on it! I read Blood Rose Rebellion last year and really enjoyed the uniqueness of the story, and I was super curious to see what was going to happen next in this sequel, especially after the ending of the first book.

One of the things that I've enjoyed the most about this series is that there are so many interesting characters, including the main character, Anna. I had found Anna to be a little frustrating during the first book, but did not have that issue this time around. Yes, she's still trying to find herself in this book, but she seemed much more confident in this book. During a time where most women are told to basically be quiet and look pretty, she was anything but. I liked how she stayed strong even when it seemed like everyone in the world had turned against her, and she stood up for what she believed in. I enjoyed reading the story from her point of view. We ALSO get the story from another character's point of view, but I'm not going to say who that person is, as I'm not really sure if it's too much of a spoiler or not, so read the book to see who I'm talking about. I actually loved this person's part storyline SO much!

The storyline for this book is both really unique, as well as really interesting! I haven't read too many books set during this time period or setting, but it's definitely interesting and makes me want to read more. I'm curious to know if this book is the final book in the series, or if we will get another, (or more), but I haven't found any definite information on that yet. The book definitely leaves off with some things undone, so I'm assuming that there may be a sequel, but I'm not entirely sure. If there will be another, I'm curious to see what happens next.

Overall; Lost Crow Conspiracy was an interesting sequel to Blood Rose Rebellion, and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to read it! I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for info on if there will be another book in this series or not, as I'm super curious to know if this was the end, or if we will get more.

Happy Reading!!

Lost Crow Conspiracy is the second installment in author Rosalyn Eves Blood Rose Rebellion series. The story alternates POV between Anna Arden and a second character who I will talk about later. As the story picks up, it is May 1848, and Anna is living in Vienna, Austria with her sister Catherine and her British diplomat husband. Anna's life hasn't been the same since she released the so called Praetheria from their thousand year old prison by breaking the binding.

Even though some call her the Heroine of Hungary, Austrians have not forgiven or forgotten her role in releasing Hungarian rebels in Buda-Pest and saving her friends lives. If they knew about her role in breaking the binding, she would be in even more trouble. Especially with the Luminates, who lost control over who can actually use magic or not, demanding answers to who was responsible. Now that Anna has broken the binding, people from any class have the ability to be a conduit for magic.

People are also not aware that Anna is a chimera, or a two souled person who can shatter spells. Not even her sister who notices almost everything. Thankfully, only 4 people are aware of that secret. Anna finds herself in the presence of Habsburg royalty in this story. Archduke Franz Joseph and Archduchess Sophie are pivotal to the stories political machinations as well as a whole slew of trouble for Anna.

But, Anna hasn't forgotten about her deal with Hunger for his help in Hungary, and on that issue, she enters the fray of a political world that has no love for the newly freed
Praetertheria. That brings Anna to the Congress of Praetheria which is convening to address the unwanted visitor to this new world of reality. The world is split on what to do with the Praetheria from Russia granting them all sanctuary, to England wanting to prevent this from happening. She's being courted by a royal, while her heart lies with a Romani who continues to believe they have no future together.

Anna faces a huge fallout from not telling certain people about what really happened to her cousin Maytas. It also means that we, as readers, get to see what really happened to Maytas. (Some think this is a huge spoiler. Sorry folks!) We get to meet a whole new cast of characters. Matyas' path to finding out who he really is and what path he will eventually take, and what he is actually capable of, leads him to the company of the Goddess of Hungary Boldogasszony and less righteous thieves and bandits.

Matyas story is the more action packed, while Anna's is the most politically driven. As the story works towards a world at war, it will be interesting to see how Eves resolves Anna's troubles and whether or not she will find happiness in the face of tremendous challenges and difficulties.

Would I recommend this story? Yes, I would. I love the historical figures that are intertwined into the story. I love how Anna takes the world on her shoulders and tries to survive without losing everyone she loves, including her own sister who has never been one of Anna's strongest supporters. Anna and Matyas stories

Favorite Quote(s):

"You think because I am a girl, I am weak. Because I speak for those who are given no voice here, my voice should matter less. You are wrong, on both counts." —Anna

"Magic comes from life force. Magic is not soul, but soul fuel magic. The stronger your soul, the stronger your magic. Humans are fools to think praetheria have no souls. It is because we have big souls, old souls, that we have such powerful magic. And you, because you are a chimera, you have two souls. You could have great magic, if you were not afraid." Vasilisa, Praetherian