SERIES: Blood Rose Rebellion, Book #1
AUTHOR: Rosalyn Eves
NARRATORS: Fiona Hardingham
PUBLISHER: Listening Library
PUBLICATION DATE: March 28, 2017
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 11 hrs and 27 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical
In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.
Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister's debutante spell an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic Anna finds herself exiled to her family s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.
Her life might well be over.
In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noemi to the fierce and handsome gypsy Gabor. Not the society she's known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can't seem to stop herself from breaking spells.
As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and gypsies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.
I was so excited about this 2017 debut, but I was underwhelmed.
The setting of the book starts off in London in 1847. The main character, Anna Arden, unintentionally ruins her sister’s debut into the magical Luminate society. This is a time when her sister was supposed to shine and show off her magical skills for the opportunity to be invited to apprentice under one of the Luminate members. Instead, Anna somehow broke her sister’s spell and ruined the occasion.
I found the start of the book to be very interesting. I enjoyed learning about the Luminate society and how the Luminate’s Binding spell keeps the magic held within the Circle. The benefit of this is that a spell-caster can draw on the power of the magic from the Binding, giving him more power than he would ordinarily have. The rebels say that it keeps the magic away from lesser members of society, and that only the rich benefit from it as they are usually the ones who become Luminate members.
Anna, herself, is said to be barren or without magic. Yet, somehow, Anna is able to disrupt spells without trying. Her Confirmation at the age of eight supposedly didn’t take. What it was supposed to do was bind her to one of four orders and activate her magical gift. The four orders are: Coremancers who can distinguish and manipulate thoughts and emotions, Elementalists who control light and non-living things, Animanti who affect living things and some may even communicate with animals and have the power to heal, and the Lucifera who shape forces such as space, gravity and electricity.
Anna’s parents send her off to Hungry with her grandmother to live with her cousins. Someone finds out about Anna’s knack for breaking spells and asks for her help in breaking the Luminate’s Binding spell which would unleash the magic and cause a rebellion. Anna must decide whether or not to use her gift to break the Luminate’s control of magic.
The premise of the book sounded so exciting! I think the book had a lot of potential, and the world-building was good and leading up to what I hoped to be some great excitement so I'm not really sure what happened in the middle. I think there was a lot of unnecessary filler. For me, it was very “meh” and kind of boring. At this point, I don’t think that I will continue on with the series.
Narrator Fiona Hardingham was wonderful. Had I been simply reading, I don’t think I would have finished the book. However, the narration kept me listening because it was so well done. Here is a sample of the narration:
MY RATING:
The setting of the book starts off in London in 1847. The main character, Anna Arden, unintentionally ruins her sister’s debut into the magical Luminate society. This is a time when her sister was supposed to shine and show off her magical skills for the opportunity to be invited to apprentice under one of the Luminate members. Instead, Anna somehow broke her sister’s spell and ruined the occasion.
I found the start of the book to be very interesting. I enjoyed learning about the Luminate society and how the Luminate’s Binding spell keeps the magic held within the Circle. The benefit of this is that a spell-caster can draw on the power of the magic from the Binding, giving him more power than he would ordinarily have. The rebels say that it keeps the magic away from lesser members of society, and that only the rich benefit from it as they are usually the ones who become Luminate members.
Anna, herself, is said to be barren or without magic. Yet, somehow, Anna is able to disrupt spells without trying. Her Confirmation at the age of eight supposedly didn’t take. What it was supposed to do was bind her to one of four orders and activate her magical gift. The four orders are: Coremancers who can distinguish and manipulate thoughts and emotions, Elementalists who control light and non-living things, Animanti who affect living things and some may even communicate with animals and have the power to heal, and the Lucifera who shape forces such as space, gravity and electricity.
Anna’s parents send her off to Hungry with her grandmother to live with her cousins. Someone finds out about Anna’s knack for breaking spells and asks for her help in breaking the Luminate’s Binding spell which would unleash the magic and cause a rebellion. Anna must decide whether or not to use her gift to break the Luminate’s control of magic.
The premise of the book sounded so exciting! I think the book had a lot of potential, and the world-building was good and leading up to what I hoped to be some great excitement so I'm not really sure what happened in the middle. I think there was a lot of unnecessary filler. For me, it was very “meh” and kind of boring. At this point, I don’t think that I will continue on with the series.
Narrator Fiona Hardingham was wonderful. Had I been simply reading, I don’t think I would have finished the book. However, the narration kept me listening because it was so well done. Here is a sample of the narration:
MY RATING:
2 stars!! Meh, it was just "okay." Thanks again to Listening Library for the opportunity to review this audiobook!
This book qualifies as:
Design by Parajunkee Design
Wow the premise and world sound interesting, so it's a bummer the story was meh.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 2nd Big Books Summer book! I was really intrigued by your plot description I'm sorry to her the novel didn't live up to your expectations. It happens!
ReplyDeleteHope your next book blows you away!
Sue
2017 Big Book Summer Challenge