Plot: In the 19th century, classes are divided by magic and there are the Have's and the Have-Nots. The magic is controlled by The Circle and while Anna seems to be apart of the Have-Nots, a night during her sister's Performance has some rebellious groups looking at Anna in interest.

Blood Rose Rebellion opened fairly strong despite its info-dumping. Anna's relationship with her family seemed strained and I wanted to learn why she was treated like a pariah by society. My interest in Anna's ability to corrupt magic waned around the half-way mark of the novel because the pacing was all over the place. Once Anna's life was uprooted from England to "uncivilized" Hungary. The novel was very stop and go; there were times of overwhelming info-dumping, then a lull in action, then the last few chapters were racing to the finish line. Not only that, but there was a lot going on for this novel. I understood that it was an introduction to a series, but there wasn't enough time to explore all of the conflicts in Blood Rose Rebellion. There was the power struggle with the Circle, government revolutions, and finally, the unfair treatment of the Romani people. There was too much and some of it was pushed to the side and made it easy to forget about.

Characters: If I were asked to describe the character's in one word, it would be "meh". Anna, while interesting in the beginning, lost her intriguing air as she was repeatedly told that she was the "only hope" for whichever group she happened to run into. Other than that, all of the characters seemed to run from hot to cold easily. When in Hungary, she met her cousin, Noemi, who didn't want anything to do with her English cousin. A few chapters later, they became bosom buddies. The same happened with our love interest, the mysterious Gabor. He made it known to Anna that she wasn't wanted by his people and mocked her English style. Then he was oddly enchanted with her and served as her protector. Their relationship wasn't defined enough to make me care.

I was also disappointed by the lack of exploration of the relationship between the Hungarians and Romani. There was vague mention to Romani traditions and beliefs, but I didn't walk away feeling as though I understand Gabor or anyone else in his family.

Worldbuilding: I would be lying if I didn't say I was impressed by the uniqueness of Blood Rose Rebellion. The idea that magic existed and that Eves managed to tie the Binding and the Circle to historical events (American Revolution, assassinations, etc.) was pretty cool. Despite this, I didn't feel that I could imagine Hungary from Eves description nor did I feel involved in the political climate of Hungary and Austria.

Short N Sweet: Blood Rose Rebellion was a great try, but misses in creating character connections and balancing the story line.

Not much of an introduction. You jump right in. And not everything makes sense because nothing is really explained. The author really isn't that great at describing characters or the setting. You don't feel like you're in the story, you're just reading it. Nevertheless, it is an interesting story. Not one that I would really recommend, call amazing, or want more of, but interesting.

Anna sounds like she's way too caught up in her own emotions most of the time. Does she know how spoiled/snobbish she is? How judgmental and even hypocritical she is? She's not really that great of a character. She's a just shallow rich girl who is forced into her circumstances and therefore forced to change. Her thought process goes on forever. Pages and pages of questions that she is asking herself in the middle of what is supposed to be dialogue. It doesn't really make sense and it's boring. I want a story, not a book full of the character's same thoughts using different words.

The magic part doesn't really make sense because, as I said before, nothing is really explained. Is this like wizards and muggles live among each other and know about each other, or what? It's honestly just bad writing. It's half baked. The idea is there, but the execution could use some work. Also the "romance" part feels very cliche. Very borrowed. Almost forced. I guess it just HAS to be part of every YA book, so it's just there. A compilation of other cliche romances.

A lot of the facts, words, and dates were wrong. This felt like cultural appropriation. As a researcher, I know how difficult it is to get the little details right when you're writing outside of your personal and cultural history. I've done it before. It takes a lot of time and effort. But the author needed to make that time and effort.

I had really high expectations of this book. It sounds amazing, and I really thought the idea behind it sounded awesome. And, yeah, the plot is original and could’ve been really great, but the execution was lacking on several points. The plot was really slow and I just couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters. The protagonist, Anna, really annoyed me in the beginning, but she did grow through the book.

I have mixed feelings about Anna.

In the beginning, she was way too spoiled and judgmental for my taste. And, okay, I get that the change from England to Hungary is a pretty big change, especially in the nineteenth century, but she was just so judging to everyone in Eszterházy. She was also really scared and indecisive. When she had to make a decision, she just drew it out as long as possible, and it really bothered me. The good thing was that she grew through the book, and by the end of it, she stopped letting her fear rule her decisions.

I didn’t really care about the rest of the characters.

The other characters are good enough, I guess, but I just didn’t care about them. I’m not even sure what the problem was, but I just didn’t care, which was another thing that made it difficult to get through.

The plot was really slow.

The idea behind the plot was great, I liked that it took place in Hungary and I liked the mythology and all of that, but it was way too slow. It wasn’t until I was halfway through the book that something interesting started happening, and I struggled with getting through the first half of the book.

The writing wasn’t convincing.

I just felt it wasn’t completely right for the time period. I felt like the author really tried to capture the right mood and the right language for the 1800s, but it really just felt stilted and awkward.

The ending was okay.

I liked the ending. It made sense, and although it wasn’t that surprising, it was good enough. With that ending, it could’ve worked as a stand-alone. To be honest, I’m not sure if I will read the sequel.

What brings my rating up a little is that the second half was better, Anna grew up and things started happening, and the mythology. Basically, I might recommend Rose Blood Rebellion if you don’t mind slow pacing. If you’re looking for a lot of action and fast pacing, this might not be the book for you.

inevitably, blood is spilled in revolution and in blood rose rebellion things are no different. there is blood, but also magic, love, loss, anger. anna arden has always believed she understood her place in the world. not that she was happy with it. growing up in a well-established luminate family, she was expected to wield magic, her bloodline promised powerful magic. but her confirmation was a disaster. and so she was raised as a barren, one devoid of magic. this would affect her social standing, and in this version of victorian london, society and it's mores are much the same as our version of victorian london.

even still she was different. she could feel magic. it called to her. and yet, something always went awry when magic was performed in her presence. it was as if she had the power to break spells, a talent that shouldn't be possible. a talent not easily explained by the teachings of luminate society.

when anna breaks the magic of her sister's spell during her debut, she inadvertently sets herself up on a collision course with the circle, luminate's society's order of government. her ability to break spells threatens the foundation spell of their magical society. the binding spell that allows the circle to control who has access to magic. to protect her, she is sent away with her grandmother to relatives in hungary. anna is both resentful of this banishment and excited to be away from the strictures of london society.

when she comes across a romani camp, gypsies, and sees that they are practicing some sort of magic, anna wants to learn more. how can these people harness magic if they are not luminate? she wants to learn more and convinces gábor, a young romani who she is drawn to, to teach her the romani's way with magic. except nothing works.

until anna is able to understand her true nature, nothing will let her get closer to magic. and she will also be a pawn in everyone else's game. there is a growing sense of unrest within luminate society. and everyone pulls at anna, demanding she take action or no action, trying to influence her in a way that leaves her with only impossible choices.

anna holds the fate of the world as she knows it in her hands. and she must decide if the risk of change is too great for action or if action is the only way forward. once she understands who she is, what it means for her to have been blessed? or cursed n this manner, only then can she find the way forward. this ya fantasy does a great job of balancing the light with the heavy. yes, there is romance and love triangles, and jealousy, but there is also political intrigue, class commentary, and real sacrifice. anna is forced to ask and answer some difficult questions. and the only way to know if they'll come out on the right side in the end.

it'll be the only way for us to know too. because there's no way there isn't more to this story.

This book made it really hard to like it and to get thru the story. I don't know how I feel about it I like a few concepts like the demons but that wasn't really part of the story too much and Hunger... he was pretty cool but everything else was just blah... hopefully the next one isn't as bad because of that ending I need to know!

I was very concerned this would be a rip off of Red Queen. The main lead Anna being barren and everyone else with magic seemed like a reverse situation but the same story none the less. That being said I was truly wrong. I did not find similarities between the two. Unfortunately it doesn't really matter that it stood on its own.
I was just not a fan of this. I REALLY wanted to be, I know it seems like I didn't because of I thought it was a copy at first but once I realized it was so much different I got excited. I don't know where to start the characters were so very flat. I know nothing about any of them really. I felt that there was no character development for any of the characters which in turn left me not caring about any of them or the "relationships" that formed. Why the quotes around that you may ask? With zero depth or character development the main relationship in this felt as if Anna pointed a finger and said "hmm yes he shall do" Even after she is madly in love with him I don't know why because I don't feel like we really got to know him.
Matyas is the only character had felt a connection too. He was not much more developed then everyone else but I had enough to feel more tethered to him. One last thing about Anna is I never felt like she had a real goal that she believed in. Even in the end I felt like her main goal was to fit in.
I think good things could have come from the twist, that is a twist I haven't seen a lot about. The lore of it that I know I felt like she could have done more. The last page of this book leaves me pondering who might be being spoken of. I will read the second one because of that last line.
Don't get me wrong this story has potential there just was not enough depth and development for me. Hopefully you all will feel different. 2 stars.

This quote though was life!
"Everyone feels that way who does not fit neatly into the role society gives them. I do. But it doesn't mean something is wrong with you, only that you are bigger than they can imagine."

This book was awesome. Although it is a series we get a full fledged story with a start, middle, and end. When I first started this one I wasn't to sure about it. Right at the start the author gives a lot of background about the world she has created. We get a few history lessons about the way magic works as well as the way their society works as a whole. In the end I ended up really loving how she did it. Because, although it is basically info dumping she did it in a way that makes it fun, and draws you into the story without giving you everything at once.

The author did so well with this world. I really loved the levels of magic, and the world at large. The creatures that she created were also one of a kind even though they weren't. This story made me think of the series All that Glows by Ryan Graudin and Alyxandra Harvey's Lovegrove Legacy and I think fans of those series will die hard love this one as well.
The pacing was not slow but not fast it was more a constant burn.

The characters I just fell in love with. Although Anna is somewhat of a good girl when push comes to shove she doesn't let anyone stand in her way. She goes after what she wants. The same goes for some side characters. I don't want to give anything away but people are not what they seem and just because you think you know someone doesn't mean you know them. I know this is kinda vague but I really don't want to give anything away. You will know what I'm talking about if you read this one. Which I think you totally should.

The setting for this story was great. We get that wonderful Victorian world but are thrust into Hungary and the surrounding areas. It was a great surprise that worked well for this story and I can't wait to get more. The timing couldn't be better. Its in the late 1800's so I am hoping we some WWII issues in the next coming books.

This is my favorite new author of the year so far and were only into March! As a debut this author did so well and she is now added to my favorite author list! She defiantly blew me away!


Book in a Pinch
Magic, Creatures, Danger, Romance
Go Into This One Knowing
No cliffhangers, No love triangles


PS. the only sad thing is I REALLY REALLY love this blue cover that is on my ARC and I am slowly sad that we are getting a white one. CRY!!!

So, I'm sure there are some mixed reviews and for some will probably not enjoy it. I did however enjoy it and want to read the next book. I'm usually not a fan of having historical aspects in a fantasy novel but for some reason it worked well with the characters and their stilted dialogue. The plot moved along at a steady pace, even though some areas it seemed choppy or too fast paced, it did not leave me confused at to what was going on. I felt there was some things that were left unanswered and there is a huge possibility that those issues will be cleared up in the next book. But I liked how it presented issues in cultural differences and the complexities within the female standards. I am intrigued with Hunger and his role in the future. I tend to enjoy the villains in stories so it's no surprise that I want to know more. My only hope is that this story doesn't fall to the popular happily ever after notion.

I have a sweet spot for YA fantasy. This novel goes a step further and adds historical fiction to the table with the story taking place during the Victorian era in the 1850s. The history and culture of Hungary is woven throughout. It is clear that Rosalyn Eves did her research. The magic system was a bit hard to understand, though I got a decent grasp of things. The protagonist is a firecracker and one worth admiring. She makes me excited to read further and see what happens next!

The first book in a new series that deftly mixes an alternate history of the real world with intrinsic elements of the supernatural/fantastic, Blood Rose Rebellion is a layered and detailed introduction to this world and this debut author. With creative story elements, strongly defined characters and intriguing takes on developing the magic/worldbuilding, Rosalyn Eve's long-anticipated novel makes quite an impression. This was a good start, for both the book and for the series planned. Imaginative, rich with detail, and rife with tension, Eves uses her story and cast to reflect on themes like classism, racism and even activism without being anachronistic to her imagined scenario.

Anna is a decent main character despite her somewhat cliched role at the outset of the novel; she's at least got some distinct personality traits and there's definite potential in her arc. I have to admire her personal agency in seeking out answers and the headstrong characteristics she demonstrates in doing so. She grows and matures in the course of this book already -- her trip to Hungary is pivotal for both personal and plot reasons. The author sets up the various plots and subplots at play in Blood Rose Rebellion deftly around Anna herself; there's political angles to consider, romances to contemplate, and not to mention family stressors weighing on the teenager. Blood Rose Rebellion is well-planned, and is also intentionally slow-moving at certain sections of the storyline. The ending is perhaps a bit overextended but also leaves plenty of room for further continuation of the storyline in the following book(s).

Immersive and creative, this supernatural historical fiction is ably blended with the fantastic and also home to an innovative magic system. At times turns of the plot can feel a bit facile but the overwhelming impression is a solid and entertaining one. The slowly building atmosphere of anger, resentment and revolt is enveloping and created additional tension alongside the more magical concerns facing Anna, her cousins and Gabor. There's a lot going on in these pages but the author uses all four hundred of her pages. Featuring strong historical and supernatural elements, Blood Rose Rebellion is a close readalike for fans of These Vicious Masks, These Ruthless Deeds.

Ughhhh, so unfortunately this one didn't pull through for me. I started off really strong and really intrigued, some chapters were "ohhhhhhh!!!" but others were just "eh." This is a story about a girl, Anna, whose family has magic yet she carries none of it, things that no one can explain starts to happen and Anna is always in the middle of it. The characters were okay, none of them really stood out. Eventually I got way to unmotivated to pick this book up, and the fact that I could barely finish a chapter at a time I had to end it at 25% in. It's unfortunate, and honestly every single DNF is. I hate doing it and I always will hate it. I had such high hopes for this book. I saw ARCs all over Instagram and Twitter and I entered every giveaway hoping I'd win one, and then I got approved for this and I was ecstatic! I felt the potential but however it fell too flat for me to be able to continue, I don't doubt others will enjoy this book. I looked at a few reviews and this is a book where you love it or don't. So don't let my review trick you into not reading this, still give it a try for yourself!

Unfortunately, this one just really let me down, and after trying to read this for so long, I ended up just giving up on this one for numerous reasons.

-This is a historical fantasy. I love fantasy, okay? Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, even though I haven't really read it too much this year (and I must solve that problem). But, this is historical fantasy. I really don't like historical fiction, personally, so seeing this was basically just court politics that took place in Hungary around the 1800s except with magic made me extremely disappointed.

-I didn't care about any of the characters. So we have the main character, who was easily forgettable and boring. We also have Catherine, who is, stereotypically the mean older sister who's catty towards our main character. And that's as far as I got to. I mean, there are some other adults and Freddy, who's her temporary suitor in the beginning of the book, and, again, bland and lifeless and boring, and I just didn't care.

-It was incredibly slow-moving. I just couldn't handle how bored and uninterested I was around the entire thing, even from the beginning. I know I've said this already, but it's just so disappointing, because I was so hyped for this book, but it was just couldn't get into it. I tried so hard to get into this one, multiple times, but there was nothing in the chapters that kept me going.

All in all, after seeing so many other people DNF this book as well at a later point than I could ever attempt to reach, I decided to just go ahead and join them. I really don't recommend this one, but, again, I'm never one to dissuade someone from reading a book they're excited in, so feel free to check it out if it really interests you!

I liked the magical aspect of the book, and thought it unfair for a class system to monopolize magic for themselves. Rosalyn Eves does a wonderful job in creating emotions to captivate her readers. I felt I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next. The class system Eves created was interesting with the Luminates growing power hungry leaving others without any source of power. Though I did think it was weird to let the main character be kissed by her cousin; that I found rather disgusting since they're related. I liked reading about the different classes and how they view magic like the Romani.

This was a difficult book for me. It had many positive aspects but many negative ones as well. I'm going to start with the negative, then move to the positive to end on a good note.

First off, the writing seemed all over the place to me. I really struggled to place myself in the story and the character's world and this was largely due to the writing style not matching the story. It is hard to explain but I do not think the writing was consistent with the depth of the story and the world if that makes sense. That being said, the writing quality did improve as the book went on and that was nice to see. On top of the lackluster writing, the plot was lacking the action typical of this genre that gets me into the book and hooked on the story. The plot was interesting sure, but I was not that invested in what was going to happen. And the way this book ended I have no idea how there are going to be two more books in this series. With a chapter or two more, this book could have tied everything up and been a fine standalone fantasy novel. The epilogue left a little bit open as to when the consequences of the end of the book are but not enough that I'm dying to read the next installment. One final thing I want to mention is something that conspired between two characters that really bothered me. We have multiple instances of distant cousins kissing, while this take place in the 1800s and that may be something that was more normal back then, it still left me uncomfortable every time it happened. These characters are most likely not endgame for Rosalyn Eves, but I still do not think it was necessary to the story.

As for the positive aspects of this book, the magic system is by far the best part of this book. We have this fascinating magic system that I really wish we had more backstory and information about. There definitely was not enough world building done to fully explain the magic system and how the binding worked and how things were before the Circle. But this idea of a magic reservoir that people dip into when they go to cast a spell is unique and I even enjoyed the little bit of information we got about the different castes within the magic system. There are a lot of different powers that I wish we had gotten to delve further into. Maybe that will happen in subsequent books but not sure based on how this one ended. I'm not sure I will continue with this series, I may pick up subsequent books but I have no need to do so as I do with other first books in series.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book!*

I have mixed feelings about this book; the beginning was awesome and I loved the main character and her strengths; I just knew this would be a "keeper" as I could not put the book down. Mid way the main character went to another country with her grandmother and gradually the pace declined for me. It picked up more at the end. I think the premise was strong and with some tweaking this could be an outstanding book. I really wished she had stayed in England with her family and that the entire story occurred there. I do think however that the book it worth reading so that you can judge for yourself what you think. I received this book free in exchange for honest review from Net Galley.

I really enjoyed the blend of historical and fantasy in this book. It seemed extremely well-rooted in actual history, while also having strong fantasy world-building woven in. The writing is solid, the setting different - Hungary, rather than France or England, etc., The plot isn't hugely unique, but it's a fun ride! Though the book is the first in a trilogy and there's certainly more to explore, it has a satisfying enough conclusion that you won't feel frustrated when it ends and you have to wait more than a year for the next one.

I enjoyed this book. Following the heroine from her sister's "coming out ball" to her journey to Hungary and growth into a true hero was a satisfying read. The elements of magic, folklore, and Austro-Hungarian history and culture all came together to create an interesting story. The secondary characters helped add depth to the book, and I would recommend it.

I'd heard quite a bit about this one and was excited to get my hands on an ARC. Although I planned on reading this over several days (at 412 pages, it's not a quick read), I ended up getting so drawn into the world that I read it one day.

Anna is the daughter of a family in the elite society of England around the late 1840's and enjoys all of the luxuries of that time. There's one twist-magic. The upper class, also known as the Luminate, not only holds financial and political power, but in this story, are the only individuals born with the ability to control magic. Except for Anna. She's barren, which means there isn't a drop of magical blood in her bones. Still, being a member of the upper class, her life of luxury is guaranteed. When Anna's older sister has her coming-out ball, where she's not only to announce her ability to court possible suitors but demonstrates her magical abilities, Anna accidentally ruins the entire thing and falls under scrutiny of other elite members. And so it begins.

The author has definitely done her historical research, and it was interesting to enter this time frame with all of its town, castles and (in some cases) historically inspired characters. The tumult of the time and the societal attitudes create a rich background for an often overseen period-Hungry's struggle for independence from Austria. Especially the clash between classes comes across nicely as do the prejudice attitudes toward outside groups such as the Romani.

There's a large array of characters, each with their own opinions, goals, quirks and personalities. While some are easy to pin-point, others surprise and keep the plot on its toes. Especially Anna comes across as an average teenager of that time, her concerns focused on the ideals (in the beginning) that was expected. There were moments in the first half of the book, where some of her decisions/thoughts didn't make sense, but these only happened a few times, and by the second part of the book, disappeared into a more mature, level-headed character.

Historical tidbits and descriptions accompany the plot the entire way through. They hold a careful balance to the tension and action, and although heavy at times, never weigh the story down. There are quite a few layers of intrigue- some concerning the historical battle and others surrounding the magical side, which keep the general pace high. Even when not visibly present, the threat of impending danger always lurks in the background. So it feels like Anna doesn't get time to take a breath very often.

Romance weaves throughout the tale but doesn't overtake the main plot. In the beginning, Anna hits it hard with three kisses on three different guys, which causes a hiccup, but to her defense, it's not really her fault. It does, however, set her apart as a 'special snowflake', which will bother some readers. In general, though, the romance weaves in well with the plot.

The logic behind the magical world flows well in the beginning but gets fairly complex by the end, and leaves a few holes. Several things which were presented in the beginning as threats, lost a little impact by the end. But this is only the first book in the series, so many of these things will probably still be touched upon.

Summed up, I enjoyed the read and was completely caught up in the world. It's a solid YA read with a very rich world, which offers a lot of possibilities in the rest of the series. I can't wait to see book two and would have already read it if it were available.