what a compelling sequel....while slow at times, it built up into a conclusion that was wholly satisfying and stayed true to the complicated characters at the heart of this duology. I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Blackburne's work and the Rosemarked books are going to be at the top of my fantasy recommendations for a long time.

This story takes place immediately after "Rosemarked" with Zivah and Dineas arriving back in the Dara village after fleeing the Ampara army. Along their way, they attempted to capture evidence that it was the Emperor Kivan and Baruva working together to weaponize the rose plague and that they were the ones who poisoned General Arxa's army on their first visit to the Dara village in "Rosemarked." They prove unsuccessful, finding only the word of Baruva's slaves and though they find that important and worthy, it is unlikely that the weight of the empire will find it to be of importance.

Meanwhile, Zivah and Dineas have a difficult time returning to the village. Zivah, of use despite her rosemarks while journeying to and from Sehmar City, is now no longer allowed to practice her healing and is back to being ostracized from her fellow villagers. Dineas, having taken potions to remove his memories while in Sehmar City so that he might better assimilate into Neju's Guard (General Arxa's army), is immediately branded a traitor amongst his Shidadi. After a series of confusing missteps, including helping Zivah leave the village undetected so that she might continue her search for evidence against Baruva, Dineas is forced out of the Shidadi with the Amparan army prepared to attack.

I enjoyed "Rosemarked" having received it in the Uppercase subscription box; I wouldn't have read it otherwise. (Note: I no longer subscribe to this box receiving three "realistic" fiction books in a row; I read to escape this wretched world.) I was interested to see where Zivah and Dineas' travels took them and how their relationship might change and I was pleasantly pleased by how confusing and messy it was. What relationship isn't? Their's was one that took time to grow unlike the love at first sight often found in novels.

And while I have not experienced this personally and might be wildly off-base, I appreciated the inclusion of Dineas' PTSD. It struck me as a realistic portrayal and a necessary one. He had experienced so much and it would have been off-putting had he come away unscathed. I was especially delighted to read the author's note in which Blackburne thanks a psychologist for assisting her to accurately portray the effects of PTSD. Well done.

First of all, let me thank Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for the chance to read and review this book: Umbertouched by Livia Blackburne.
As always, these thoughts are my own. This review is spoiler-free and no main plot points are revealed.

I give this story 4 stars.

STOP! If you have not read Rosemarked, A LOT OF spoilers follow!



Synopsis: The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.

As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer’s vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable?

And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.

Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way.

Umbertouched was just as good as Rosemarked!
While I loved the ‘healerish’ parts of Rosemarked, Umbertouched focused more on intrigue and fighting and how not everything can be 100% black and white. Our hero and heroine have to make hard choices to stay alive and keep their friends and family safe and I LOVED how they focused on the most important things even in adversity!

Book Two or just a continuation?
I did struggle a little bit with the pacing and plot of Umbertouched. I understand that it’s part of a series but it didn’t seem to have much of its own story. While reading it, I wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to make Rosemarked a massive stand alone and just have added Umbertouched to it.

Overall, I loved seeing Dineas and Zivah again and I expect to see book three announced soon… there were a few loose ends.

Have you read Rosemarked? Umbertouched? What did you think?
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When an author can create a sequel that immediately sucks readers back into the world they have created, feeling as if they have never left, THAT is the sign of a great storyteller and a fabulous story!

UMBERTOUCHED by Livia Blackburne contains ALL of the intrigue, the unrest, the honor among allies, the heartbreak, the triumphs and even the romance of ROSEMARKED.

There is nothing black and white, even heroes will act questionably at times. Dineas and Zivah will betray much they hold dear for love of country, the greater good and peace. Will their efforts be for nothing? The clock is ticking for Zivah, her time is drawing near to leave the only world she has ever known and Dineas is no longer the man she fell in love with, but they have formed a bond that goes beyond romantic love.

Can Zivah save her people from certain death at the hands of the advancing enemy? Can Dineas convince his people he is not an enemy, that he has his memory and his identity as a Shidadi back? That he would die for his fellow soldiers?

Livia Blackburne has allowed her characters to push this story ahead with raw emotions, desperate missions, deadly battles, hard-fought decisions that will continue to haunt throughout this incredibly intense tale. This is more than a fantasy, it is a story of love and loss, longing and belonging and giving one’s all for those they love, consequences be damned. It’s a story of the search for inner peace and acceptance of an unknown future.

Vile villains, strong heroes, and all of the unfairness in life boldly colors this amazing tale. From start to finish, there isn’t a wasted word, a wasted scene or a wasted emotion. I can’t recommend UMBERTOUCHED or ROSEMARKED enough! A re-read for me, for sure!

<blockquote><i>”Save your honor for those who have honor themselves. Keep your piety for those who don’t spit on the gods.”</i></blockquote> <b>THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK</b>. Holy crap. This was seriously so emotionally draining for me that I had to just sit there for a few days and stew over everything that happened, because otherwise my review would just be a 25 minute audio recording of me crying and blubbering into the microphone. <i>Umbertouched</i> expanded and improved upon everything that occurred in <i>Rosemarked</i>, and I’m so happy that the series concluded in such a realistic and beautiful way.

When we left off at the end of <i>Rosemarked</i>, there were a lot (read: <b><i>A LOT</i></b>) of questions to still be answered, and I’m so satisfied with the answers we received. I loved every minute of this book.

<b>Characters</b>

Hi my name is Rachael and I would die for these characters. The development that was given to us in <i>Rosemarked</i> for Zivah, Dineas, and Mehtap is expanded upon in <i>Umbertouched</i>, and the morally gray parts of all their personalities really shine in this book. Nothing is black and white here, everyone has both redeeming and damning qualities, and I for one adore them all. NO character in this book is without my love except for probably that one asshole healer who shall remain nameless but if you’ve read this then you know who I’m talking about. That butthead.

The characters in this book are classic fantasy archetypes, but <i>Umbertouched</i> subverts these in a way that leads to a highly enjoyable reading experience, creating a book that feels both refreshingly new, and like a treasured story that I have read many times over.
<blockquote><i>”I killed men in the capital. Some fell to the snake I raise for venom, and others came to harm after I put them to sleep. I used my disease as a weapon to threaten others, and there were times when I was tempted to go beyond a simple threat. Yet after all this, I am still Rosemarked. After all this, Ampara comes ever closer to destroying us.”</i></blockquote>
Zivah always thought that saving her people and respecting her healer’s vows would go hand in hand, but she finds even more so in <i>Umbertouched</i> that that is not always the case. In this book, we see her try to strike a balance between these two core identities. She makes a lot of questionable choices that I probably wouldn’t have in the same situation, but still remains highly relatable and a good person. (She also apparently knows a bit too much about blood transfusions and I maybe had to skip a few pages because blood is gross. Maybe. )

Dineas is another character who continues to go through his character development, but this time in relations to his PTSD, memory loss, and trying to resist the fact that at his heart of hearts he is definitely a big softie/Hufflepuff. <b>This is my hill and I will die on it.</b> We get to see Dineas develop formerly unknown side effects of the severe medicines he was taking in the first book. I don’t want to say much about his character arc, as I think for him it’s best to go into this one not knowing anything, but I believe that readers of <i>Rosemarked</i> are going to enjoy seeing Dineas take this path to a healthier mind.

<blockquote><i>”You speak of Mehtap as if she’s an innocent child. She’s an assassin with a child’s face, and she’s lived an easier life than most.”</i></blockquote>
Mehtap is as much of a scene-stealer in <i>Umbertouched</i> as she is in <i>Rosemarked</i>. Literally if I’ve talked to you about this series for more than five minutes you probably know how much Mehtap’s character just blows me the fuck away. Her perceived innocence, willingness to kill to get the job done, refusal to lay down and let death come to her silently, and honestly just her utter Slytherin-ness all comes together to make a character who isn’t a hero?? But also isn’t a villain?? And definitely someone that <b>readers can rally behind.</b> Or at least I could.

We also saw the return of some of my favorite side characters in <i>Rosemarked</i>, which was a welcome surprise! The new characters we were introduced to were also well-written, even if they weren’t granted the same opportunities for growth as those who were in both books.

<b>Mehtap is a Trans Lesbian and There’s Nothing You Can Do About It</b>

And now, we take a little side trip in this review to talk about my personal fave Mehtap and why she is totally definitely gay and trans. My evidence to Mehtap being a trans lesbian is this: all the awesome shit she does to help people and also kick ass, take names just shows <b>evidence of chaotic gay energy.</b> So there. “but that’s not real evidence!!” well to you I say this: <b><u>I’m gay and I said so. </u></b>

<b>OTP: Do We Part as Friends? </b>
<blockquote><i>”We’ve been wandering in the dark this entire mission, taking steps as best we could and hoping not to trip and fall. I could yell at Zivah, tell her she should have done her part better. I could point at the shattered parts of myself and tell her that’s her doing. But then I would still be stumbling in the darkness, only this time, I’d be alone.”</blockquote></i> Y’ALL KNOW I love a good hate to love, and Zivah and Dineas have to be one of my favorite OTP’s that I’ve ever read in any YA book <b>ever.</b> Every time they talked or touched or thought about each other I was just sitting there in the background like <blockquote><img src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/1485903b751def2a05d7092a576dcaf0/tenor.gif?itemid=7888597" width="220" height="200" alt="description"/></blockquote> The two left off in <i>Rosemarked</i> with an awkward, but pretty good understanding of each other, and I loved seeing their relationship progress further in <i>Umbertouched</i>. I literally pretty much always hate romance in YA fantasies, but Zivah and Dineas have made me rethink that blind hatred.

<b>Plot</b>

Is this series pseudo-high fantasy? Yes. Does that make it any less enjoyable? <b>Hell no.</b> Or, at least, not for me. I tend to just rate books based on how much of a good time I have while reading them, and I had <i>such</i> an amazing time with <i>Umbertouched</i>, so five stars for you!

But, at the same time, the climax didn’t make a lot of sense to me?? The plot was super character-driven, which I loved, but the more I thought about the end battle scene/the scene on the boat, the more it didn’t make sense. <spoiler>I didn’t see the point of all the blocks they tried to carry, and a lot of me was like “there’s gotta be a better, easier way to do this like COME ONNNN”</spoiler>

Because the plot is so character driven, it does move pretty slowly. But I kind of liked that? At its heart, <i>Umbertouched</i> is about its characters, and if you love people-centric books then you’ll love the Rosemarked series.

<spoiler>However, I also wanted more of the plot dedicated to finding a cure for the Rose Plague, because that’s mostly what I cared about, because two of my faves have the Rose Plague and I WANT THEM TO BE OKAY.</spoiler>

<b>The Ending</b>

YES the ending of this book gets it’s own f*cking section because it made me cry seriously so much but it was also super satisfying! It wasn’t too happy, wasn’t too sad, just really bittersweet and <b>hopeful</b>.

I know a lot of readers aren’t going to like it, but I thought it was the most believable conclusion for the series. <b>It felt real,</b> and that’s what matters. I thought it was perfect and it also leaves room for a third book/novella if that were to happen sometime in the future!

SO, dear reader of this review, here’s what you need to do before <i>Umbertouched</i> comes out: <b>REREAD ROSEMARKED</b>. I’m so glad I did before I picked up this novel, because I remembered <i>so</i> much more about what plot points needed to be resolved. I loved this. I hope that everyone who reads it loves it. I love YOU if you’re reading this review. Hearts for days!
<blockquote><i>”’Our hearts are not so easily changed,’ I say. ‘Nor what runs through our veins.’”</i></blockquote>

There were a thousand things I loved about Rosemarked, so when I was approved through netgalley for Umbertouched in return for an honest review, I was stoked.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy Umbertouched as much as it's predecessor, but the pros first!

I loved the internal debate with Zivah and her need to find her way after breaking her Healer Vows. I also enjoyed that Dineas still was dealing with his PTSD. Once I came to terms with Umbertouched having a different feel to it's narrative compared to Rosemarked, I did enjoy the overall story, especially when there wasn't a true happy ever after solution at the end.

However, as a sequel, I felt that Umbertouched left much desired. The character development and growth felt stagnant and the plot was too rushed in parts. Challenges that Zivah and Dineas faced were solved in a mere few chapters and other characters were killed off more for shock value and actual plot progression.

In the end, I would give Umbertouched 3 stars due to the fact it came off overall as unfinished in terms of narrative.

One thing I hear fans of Robert Jordan, Bryan Jacques, Anne McCafrey, Frank Herbert, and of course J.R.R. Tolkein say quite often is that they wish they could read their favorite fantasy books again for the first time. Livia Blackburne's Rosemarked books can come close. A masterful world-builder and crafter of words, Blackburne's characters come alive in this satisfying Y.A. fantasy series.

As the cover suggests this book is more about umbertouched and the ways to become so. Zivah and Dineas have escaped the capital but not the continent. This follows their progress back to their homeland and what happens afterwards. Can they still fit in and where is their place now.
I enjoyed the relationship between Zivah and Dineas and how that continued to develop. The stress of being back home and back to their old lives was well thought out. The fighting and battle was interesting as well. I liked how each part from the first book to the very last page of this intertwined. Dineas's split personality is well documented and the problems that came from losing his memories in the first are seen.
My only problem was the ending. Is this a duology or will there be a third. I feel like if it is only two there is missing a key wrap up at the end. It feels incomplete. I do not know if that is what the author is going for but I feel a bit underwhelmed.

Note: This is the sequel and conclusion to a duology, which you can find my review of the first book here: http://www.happyindulgencebooks.com/2017/12/05/rosemarked-review-quiet-ya-fantasy-deserves-love/. This review will contain minor spoilers!

After reading and really enjoying ROSEMARKED by Livia Blackburne, I was super ready for UMBERTOUCHED! I couldn’t wait to dive back into Dineas and Zivah’s world and the politics that encompass their lives. While the romance was on the lighter side in this book, we get much more development on the warfront and the future of the different people that are fighting for freedom in this world. All in all, UMBERTOUCHED marks the end of a fantastic YA duology that centers around a mysterious rose plague, and the multitude of people affected by it.

UMBERTOUCHED picks up about a month after the end of ROSEMARKED, and as the blurb explains, Zivah and Dineas’s mission has failed. Honestly, I picked this book up about a year after the release of book 1 so I didn’t quite remember the recent events. Blackburne does a pretty good job in getting the reader back into the story, so after the initial confusion in the first couple of chapters, I was back in the game. Zivah is a healer who is infected by the rose plague, and has marks all over her body. Dineas is umbertouched and survived the rose plague. Both have vital information that could bring down the terrorizing regime of the Ampara empire, but no proof to support this information. UMBERTOUCHED focuses on the aftermath of ROSEMARKED and where the characters go from here on out.

I think the only thing I didn’t quite get onboard with in these books is the pacing. Weeks and months would happen within a line or two, and then the plot would progress from there. The way it was added just felt kind of odd and clunky. Otherwise, the characters were developed really well as they battle both internal and external conflicts. My heart went out the most to Dineas, who recently regained his memories but now is traumatized by his time as an Amparan soldier and a Shidadi spy. His two roles are mingling with each other, and even his clanspeople don’t know whether he is loyal or not. Zivah still has conflicts with her consciousness, as within her healer’s oath she cannot take lives, but war has made this hard to do. Both characters go through – and have already gone through – a lot, but throughout it all they grow and learn from their mistakes, and find support through surprising sources.

“How indeed have I changed? I arrived in Sehmar City a healer, and I left a spy.”

The romance was super light in this book, as both characters have feelings for each other but don’t really act on it, thinking the other doesn’t. It’s very confusing for them both, especially during this time of war, and it takes the majority of the book for them to sort it out. The plotting, politics, and character development have major roles in this book, pushing the romance and friendships towards the back. Honestly there was more friendship than romance.

I think I liked book 1 a bit more than this book, as I feel like a lot of introduced conflicts and subjects could have been explored a lot more. There were some really interesting characters that appeared only briefly in this book that I wanted more of. I guess the overall length of the book limited these explorations, but it ultimately lent an air of disconnect on certain conflicts. The ending itself is both resolute and bittersweet, although I could think of no better way to end it. The climax was a tad predictable, but nonetheless exciting to read as all the events pile up on top of each other for this event. All in all, UMBERTOUCHED is a fun conclusion to a YA duology – and honestly, I’m very biased towards duologies – but it lost a bit of the magic its predecessor had. I wasn’t TOO disappointed by it (unlike other duologies out there), but I do think an increase of word length would have better settled some of the conflicts that had arisen. Nonetheless, Blackburne writes an emotional and complex series that will call to YA fantasy fans. I would definitely recommend readers looking for heavy plot and politics to give this one a chance!

Content/Trigger Warnings: disease, PTSD, trauma, mild violence, hallucinations

Thank you Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for the review copy!

~~ I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~~

It's easy for the second book in a YA series to hit a sophomore slump. However, I think Blackburne's Umbertouched is much better than its predecessor. Umbertouched continues the story of Zivah and Dineas in their quest to liberate the Monyar region from the cruel Amparan soldiers. I enjoyed following the narrative and the pacing. The ending left me wondering if it was the final book in the series. Either way, I enjoyed this book.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

This is one of those books that I go back and forth on. I love the plot. The battle strategy. The medical edge. I love how Zivah is a strong female lead, strong in her gentleness and not some fantastic fighting skill. She is truly strong in her femininity, and we need more literary women like her. I love how Dineas suffers realistically for what he's been through, and he is determined and clever. I love the crows as companions/fighters. I love the enemy, I love the mystery, I love the idea of the Shidadi. I love the herbalism.

But at times, to be honest, the writing feels clumsy and slow. This might change, because the book is still in revisions, but it definitely isn't the kind of writing that really grabs me. The fight scenes are intense, but it's a detached kind of intense. Except for scenes when emotional things happen during fights. Beware of those. They're brutal.

I'm giving it a solid four stars!

Lives up to and surpasses Rosemarked. Suspenseful and morally complex, this story grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until you've turned the final page. The ending was brimming with hope and life affirming, and I couldn't have asked for better. This is one of my favorite fantasy series of the past few years.

I loved Rosemarked- I told everyone I know to read it. Umbertouched took the world and characters I love a blew things up to the next level. It destroyed me, I love it so much. I love that the repercussions of the memory issues from the first book were dealt with in a thoughtful way. I love the characters- Blackburne excess at crafting three-dimensional characters who know their own flaws.

I don't know what else to say, but I love it and the ending destroyed me- in a good way!

Like <i>Rosemarked</i>, with <i>Umbertouched</i> I'm left surprised and impressed. Though I've read a lot of fantasy over the years, this one manages to surprise me.

As with the first book, the pacing is slow. In some ways, that does make the book a bit less readable, but it also feels very realistic. When Zivah works on healing someone from a grievous wound, it take days. The war is tedium and anxiety between the occasional climax of a battle. There's so much time that passes over the course of this book, which, for YA fantasy at least, feels rather strange.

The plotting is of the sort where nothing is ever particularly convenient. Things don't wrap up in a neat bow. Everyone's impacted by all the terrible things that have happened to them. Some villains face punishment, but some do not. The ending actually really surprised me, because <spoiler>there's no miracle cure for Zivah. As of the end of the book, she has at most a year left to live. It's heartbreaking but wow I didn't see that coming at all. Blackburne plays with the anticipated trope and doesn't heal the heroine.</spoiler>

The ending does feel a bit rushed, as though it was a struggle to fit it all into the duology. Another hundred pages or so probably would have been beneficial. The emotional arcs are the ones to suffer primarily, though the plot resolution also feels very swift. I wish I'd gotten a few feels from this series, but I'm very impressed with the creativity of the plotting, and I can't wait to see what else Blackburne can do.

A strong sequel and closing to the duology. The development of Themes of Zivah and Dineas' slow burn romance was both nuanced and believable. The themes of inclusivity and diversity will resonate well in the current political climate.