Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne Published by Disney-Hyperion on November 7th 2017
Pages: 400
Goodreads
A healer who cannot be healed . . .
When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she’s destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill.
A soldier shattered by war . . .
Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he’ll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.
Thrust together on a high-stakes mission to spy on the capital, the two couldn’t be more different: Zivah, deeply committed to her vow of healing, and Dineas, yearning for vengeance. But as they grow closer, they must find common ground to protect those they love. And amidst the constant fear of discovery, the two grapple with a mutual attraction that could break both of their carefully guarded hearts.
This smart, sweeping fantasy with a political edge and a slow-burning romance will capture fans of The Lumatere Chronicles and An Ember in the Ashes.
4.5 Nuts
When I was sent this book from the lovely people at Disney I was told that it was a special book that the publicist was very excited about. So of course I have no self control and had to read it immediately instead of reading the books I had in my TBR for the month. Whoops.
Fast forward to the time you’re reading this. It’s been several months. I know, I’m the worst. But I couldn’t help it. I read this book in 2 sittings, something that for a Kindle book is usually impossible. It’s usually so hard for me to read on that screen. But there I was and there it was and suddenly it was over. Just like that.
I love plague books. The way in which diseases can take down a species as complicated as we are (even in fiction) is both terrifying and kind of beautiful. This book handled that so well as it shows the plague taking hold on whole communities and dismantling them with no regard for wealth or station.
The romance in this story is so different, being that the MC is falling for a character who essentially doesn’t exist. She also falls for his real self, albeit much slower. It’s an incredibly satisfying love story, which for a person who doesn’t care for romance that much, is nice. There are so many characters to love in this book, from the MC, to the love interest, to the colorful side characters . They’re all so fun and interesting. Yes please, we want more!
The more I read the more I knew that this book was not going to end with a final conclusion. A second book was a necessity or the ending was going to be unsatisfying. And so as the book came to a close and I realized another book was going to be coming I sighed to myself thinking about how painful this wait was going to be. The story is compelling to the point of being addicting.
This book was fabulous, and a great look at how different classes even in fiction can handle such problems as disease. The twists are fantastic, the story obsessively addicting, and now I really have to go read some more of Livia’s books. I recommend this book to all YA fantasy fans.
What’s your favorite YA fantasy? Share in the comments.
From my shelf to yours,
Erin
Leave a Reply