adventure and good twist on classic story

Rooks and Romanticide is a romance intended for mature audiences. Readers may be uncomfortable with the sexual content.

Rooks and Romanticide is a bleak but lyrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set against the backdrop of an alternate Victorian London. New London is a city torn apart by the continued feuding of the Dietrich and Ruslaniv families. Gangs of supporters trade gunfire across the streets killing enemies and innocents alike. Bodies are left bleeding and broken on the cobblestones for the undertaker to gather and cart away.

The young Dietrich Earl, Cain saw his parents strewn lifeless on Lovers' Lane. He suffered dearly at the hands of their murderers. He wants one thing, revenge for his family and for himself. Levi is the disillusioned heir to the Ruslaniv family. Thrust at the head of BLACK, it is Levi's task to serve the interests of the Ruslaniv family while sabotaging the Dietrichs. One night changes everything, and what starts as a tentative friendship planned as a deceit turns into a tumultuous love affair between the two desperate, damaged men. With peace far from the horizon, and deception, bullets and bloodshed a constancy, there is no foreseeable future for Cain and Levi and only one way to end the conflict.

Radke does an excellent job delving into the complex psyches of the two lead characters. The shadows of their pasts are ever present and play a major role in the development of the plot. It is not only New London that is at war, Cain and Levi each fight internal battles, pitting history and responsibilities against individual whims and desires. Though each family mouths a desire for peace, neither takes action. Justice is a foreign concept that has no place on the streets of New London. Though both Levi and Cain are ostensibly in positions of power neither has the ability to enact change. Their doomed love is their most powerful act of rebellion.

Rooks and Romanticide is beautiful and troubling, a steampunk flavored romance inspired by Shakespeare's iconic tale. The sexual content makes this a novel for mature readers only.

4/5 Rooks and Romanticide is available for preorder and will be released July 28, 2015.

I received a copy of Rooks and Romanticide from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

Thank you for the chance to review this title. My review is now live on my blog and Goodreads and the full transcript is below:

When I requested this title, I expected a blow by blow MM version of Romeo and Juliet in a steampunk setting; however, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. While J. I. Radke uses Shakespeare's tale as a springboard and does include iconic moments readers will recognise, he takes the story in its own direction, creating something new and intriguing. I was invested in both story and characters right from the start. The novel really gets inside Levi and Cain's heads, making for great drama. Rooks and Romanticide is a page-turner that provides an exciting plot and emotional punch. My final rating is 4.5*