Monday, November 6, 2017

Review: Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

Series: Rosemarked #1
Publication Date: November 7th, 2017
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: 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.

My Rating
4/5 stars

My Review
Rosemarked is a beautiful political fantasy novel, with amazing characters, great world building and an incredible plot.

Zivah is a healer, and just as she completes her training she is infected with the Rose Plague. Some people die right away, others are able to fight the plague and go on living their lives, and then there is the Rosemarked. Neither alive nor dead, the Rosemarked continue to live, but they must stay in isolation as they are still highly contagious, until the plague claims their life within a matter of months. Zivah happens to be Rosemarked, and nothing kills her more than not being able to help people, so when an opportunity presents itself where she can go and help other's with the plague she accepts it, only it comes with a cost of bringing Dineas, who's only mission is to take down the Amparan Empire from within.

I instantly fell in love with the whole idea behind this story, its very unique and one that I can't even compare to another series. This book is political, action packed, and has slight hints of magic (if you think of Zivah's healer abilities as magical). The whole idea of the healer helping a soldier forget who he is and bring him into the enemy ranks is extremely creative, and I loved every minute of it.

I absolutely loved Zivah. She's very intelligent and hard working right from the beginning, and as the book goes on we see just how determined she is when she keeps fighting even though the whole world is against her. Usually when people are told they're dying they simply give up, but not Zivah! Whether she's trying to find the cure or save her village, she is always moving forward. She may not be a soldier or a thief, but she is definitely a very strong woman, and someone I would definitely be best friends with in real life. 

The romance between Zivah and Dineas is absolutely perfect. There is no insta-love, and no love triangle. Zivah and Dineas start off on a bad note, and both have impenetrable walls around their hearts. Neither of them was looking for love, but it eventually happens when Dineas loses his memory and is able to forget his painful past. By the end of this book, I was definitely shipping the couple and waiting for moments when they would be together again. 

This book was so close to being perfect, I loved the world, I loved the plaque and I loved the characters. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. While this book didn't have a cliff-hanged ending, it definitely had an ending where it didn't feel like an ending. It didn't feel like the right place to end the book, and when I got to the end I was crying out for more.

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next book to come out. I will definitely be reading it as soon as possible because I need more of Zivah and Dineas.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

2 comments:

  1. Great review. I've only heard of this book last month, but I instantly fell for it. Hopefully, I will get my hands on it very soon.

    Happy readings! ;)
    Tânia @MyLovelySecret

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yesterday, I had never heard of this book and now I'm seeing it everywhere! I'm glad you love it though! I'm adding this to my TBR.

    Thanks for sharing,
    ~Brittany @ Brittany's Book Rambles

    ReplyDelete

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