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Rosemarked
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.
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.
390 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2017
179 people are currently reading
13954 people want to read
About the author
Livia Blackburne
24 books1,328 followersNew York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne wrote her first novel while researching the neuroscience of reading at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then, she’s switched to full-time writing, which also involves getting into people’s heads but without the help of a 3 Tesla MRI scanner.
She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTER OF DUSK, and ROSEMARKED (an Amazon best book of the month and YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee).
Visit her online at www.liviablackburne.com
She is also the author of MIDNIGHT THIEF (an Indies Introduce New Voices selection), DAUGHTER OF DUSK, and ROSEMARKED (an Amazon best book of the month and YALSA Teens Top Ten Nominee).
Visit her online at www.liviablackburne.com
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February 17, 2017Edit 2/17/17: The book description is now up on the goodreads page!
I’m soooo excited about this book, guys. And I’ve been having a blast researching it, from archery and stick fighting lessons to conversations about memory loss with my old classmate at MIT. And I can’t wait to share it with you.
I’m soooo excited about this book, guys. And I’ve been having a blast researching it, from archery and stick fighting lessons to conversations about memory loss with my old classmate at MIT. And I can’t wait to share it with you.
August 29, 2017
(3.5 stars)
This is a novel of that strange genre that has the feel and setting of a high fantasy, but doesn't actually contain any fantastical elements. (I like to call it 'pseudo-high fantasy. Possibly it could also be described as spec fic, but I've always found that definition to be almost uselessly broad.) The plot relied heavily on political machinations rather than containing magic, although it could be argued Zivah's potions have some element of magic.
This is rather an atypical YA. It has a romance, but not a love-triangle, and the romance was subtle and not forced at all. Whereas I wouldn't exactly say I liked it, being a pretty unromantic person in general (and also thinking it would have been more interesting if the romance had been between Zivah and Mehtap tbh), I could tolerate it, which is actually quite impressive if you consider how apathetic I am to romance.
The pacing was quite slow, which I felt worked for most of the book but there wasn't much action, and when the stakes were raised you could pretty much tell what the outcome was going to be. Also, there weren't any particularly shocking turns or twists in the plot and by the end of the book I didn't really feel that anything had particularly been resolved.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to read the next one. The plot wasn't quite gripping enough, and I don't know if I want to read the second only to find that nothing has still been resolved and I'll have to read a third one to find out what happens.
Definitely promising though, and I'll keep an eye out for the author's next books (and perhaps go through her backlog, although writers' abilities tend to develop as time passes so idk if her previous ones will be better... might check them out if the blurb is interesting tho)
The book reminded me a lot of The Winner's Curse, except the two protagonists were both oppressed by the Empire instead of one of them being privileged, with added plague - always good -, with added character development, and basically better in every way so if you liked that book you'll LOVE this one (and if you didn't like that book then read this anyway because it's twenty times better)
This is a novel of that strange genre that has the feel and setting of a high fantasy, but doesn't actually contain any fantastical elements. (I like to call it 'pseudo-high fantasy. Possibly it could also be described as spec fic, but I've always found that definition to be almost uselessly broad.) The plot relied heavily on political machinations rather than containing magic, although it could be argued Zivah's potions have some element of magic.
This is rather an atypical YA. It has a romance, but not a love-triangle, and the romance was subtle and not forced at all. Whereas I wouldn't exactly say I liked it, being a pretty unromantic person in general (and also thinking it would have been more interesting if the romance had been between Zivah and Mehtap tbh), I could tolerate it, which is actually quite impressive if you consider how apathetic I am to romance.
The pacing was quite slow, which I felt worked for most of the book but there wasn't much action, and when the stakes were raised you could pretty much tell what the outcome was going to be. Also, there weren't any particularly shocking turns or twists in the plot and by the end of the book I didn't really feel that anything had particularly been resolved.
Overall I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to read the next one. The plot wasn't quite gripping enough, and I don't know if I want to read the second only to find that nothing has still been resolved and I'll have to read a third one to find out what happens.
Definitely promising though, and I'll keep an eye out for the author's next books (and perhaps go through her backlog, although writers' abilities tend to develop as time passes so idk if her previous ones will be better... might check them out if the blurb is interesting tho)
The book reminded me a lot of The Winner's Curse, except the two protagonists were both oppressed by the Empire instead of one of them being privileged, with added plague - always good -, with added character development, and basically better in every way so if you liked that book you'll LOVE this one (and if you didn't like that book then read this anyway because it's twenty times better)
November 12, 2017
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne
Book One of the Rosemarked series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from 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.
What I Liked:
Perhaps this is my impression of the book and its marketing, but it seems like this book is flying under the YA radar. Which is a real shame, because it is excellent. I hate to say it but it seems like this book is going to be a seriously underrated publication of 2017 and that is so sad. Hopefully I'm wrong - maybe there are armies of people that are excited about this book, and my tiny corner of the YA blogosphere is the only quiet one. I'm so happy that I enjoyed this book because my favorite book-related thing to do is gush about books. So here I go!
Zivah is a talented healer who has just become the youngest high healer of Dara... only to succumb to the rose plague. Now covered in rosemarks and isolated from the rest of Dara, Zivah lives in a cottage and tends to venomous snakes and scorpions. One of the many people she treated before she became rosemarked was Commander Arxa, one of the most powerful Amparans in the empire. He invites her to live in Sehmar City among the rosemarked, and treat those inflicted with the rose plague. She would no longer be in isolation, but she would have to leave Dara indefinitely. She almost refuses the offer, but fate throws Dineas in her path. Dineas is a warrior of a nomadic tribe caught in the middle of the Amparan wars. Dineas wants nothing more than to cut down every Amaparan who captured and tortured him, and when an opportunity presents itself for him to go to Sehmar City and pose as an Amparan soldier, he doesn't refuse. Dineas and Zivah didn't see eye-to-eye on anything at first, but circumstance and love for their homelands has drawn them together. They sacrifice everything they have to live a lie in Sehmar City, where they could be caught and killed for betrayal.
I've read Midnight Thief, and Daughter of Dusk, and the short story Poison Dance. But I have to say, Rosemarked is Blackburne's strongest novel yet. I love seeing an author grow as he/she writes and publishes more books. It was so clear to me that Blackburne's craft has gotten better since Midnight Thief. I really enjoyed Midnight Thief, her debut, but Rosemarked outranks the book any day.
This book is written in dual first-person POV, present tense. I love dual narratives but oftentimes, I don't like one of the characters as much as I like the other. That was not the case with this story. I adored Zivah, and I adored Dineas, and I loved reading from both of their POVs.
Zivah is a dedicated healer, and she is an accomplished scientist (though she wouldn't be called that, in this world). She is so smart and creative, with her experiments and conjectures relating to the rose plague, and her duty to studying the venom of her pets. Zivah is a kind healer with a spine of steel. She isn't a warrior heroine that kicks butt in a physical sense, but she is just as kickbutt. She wields the power of a good brain, and a strong will. She is quietly strong, and one of the most likable YA heroines I've come across in a while.
Dineas is a warrior and a soldier through and through. He is quite a skilled soldier and he also has a talent with commanding crows. Dineas is the physically strong, brave, selfless hero puts lives like he has nothing to lose. He is hardened and stubborn, and he is determined not to like Zivah at first. He puts everything on the line for his people, including letting himself lose his memories while they are at Sehmar City.
Losing his memories is a huge part of this story. Going through forced amnesia isn't easy, but Dineas does it willingly, to protect himself and Zivah (since he is posing as a rosemarked soldier looking for a place in Arxa's army). It was heartbreaking to see him lose himself as he retained no memories of himself. Zivah gave him temporary antidotes when they communicated with each, which meant that she had to watch him lose himself every time she and him finished their meetings. Blackburne wrote this aspect of the story so well, though it broke my heart every time.
There are a lot of pieces set in motion in this story. It isn't just about Dineas and Zivah going to Sehmar City to spy on the empire and Arxa and the prince. The rose plague is spreading, and no one can figure out how and why... especially when it starts to spread to higher ranks. Meanwhile, Dineas loses parts of himself every time he fights in Arxa's army. The rose plague is such an interesting part of the story - it definitely makes the book even more unique.
This story was exciting and intrigued from page one. I was hooked and didn't stop reading until I was finished - and I was looking for the rest of the story. I so thought this book was a standalone, and I was about to be quite upset! I'm glad there will be a sequel.
There is a subtle romance, as the synopsis implies. Dineas and Zivah fall for each other very slowly, and more visibly on Zivah's side. Well, on Dineas's too, but remember that his memories are taken away and given back and taken away. In any case, the romance is there and it's sweet, and also love-triangle-free. I'm rooting for more of a romantic presence in book two, because it's barely there in this book. It's there though, and a perfect amount, honestly.
I really enjoyed Rosemarked, possibly even more than I expected. While I liked Midnight Thief a lot, I didn't enjoy Daughter of Dusk. But I'm glad I gave Rosemarked a shot. It is Blackburne's strongest book, and it was an excellent read.
What I Did Not Like:
I'm curious to see if there are repercussions to all of the memory-hopping that Dineas has to go through... he takes a potion to lose his memories, and then takes a temporary antidote for every time he and Zivah communicate in person. But then that wears off and he is back to being amnesiac. Zivah has a permanent antidote so it isn't like he is stuck amnesiac forever, but it seems too clean, to be able to go back and forth between having full memories and being a completely blank slate.
I wouldn't have minded more romance. It's there, and I like it, but I'm hoping the sequel will have more. The romance in this book was sweet but also a little sad.
Would I Recommend It:
YA fantasy fans should definitely pick this book up. I don't usually compare books to other books, but the synopsis of the book is pretty accurate so I will use it - this book definitely compares to An Ember in the Ashes, and in a good way. It features a world just as brutal and hopeless as EMBER's, with a likable cast of protagonists, and villains you aren't sure are completely villainous. There are people on both sides of fight that are fighting for the "right thing" on their side. This book blurs that line and really makes you think about who is "right", in a war.
Rating:
4.5 stars. This book was spectacular and one that I'll be thinking about in the future. It's funny - I love the warrior/healer trope in adult romance novels; it's a trope that really works for me. You don't see it often in YA though, especially not from a romantic sense. But this book features a warrior and a healer and they do slowly fall in love... I love it. And of course there are many parts of this book that I loved, besides the trope. I highly recommend the book!
Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne
Book One of the Rosemarked series
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from 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.
What I Liked:
Perhaps this is my impression of the book and its marketing, but it seems like this book is flying under the YA radar. Which is a real shame, because it is excellent. I hate to say it but it seems like this book is going to be a seriously underrated publication of 2017 and that is so sad. Hopefully I'm wrong - maybe there are armies of people that are excited about this book, and my tiny corner of the YA blogosphere is the only quiet one. I'm so happy that I enjoyed this book because my favorite book-related thing to do is gush about books. So here I go!
Zivah is a talented healer who has just become the youngest high healer of Dara... only to succumb to the rose plague. Now covered in rosemarks and isolated from the rest of Dara, Zivah lives in a cottage and tends to venomous snakes and scorpions. One of the many people she treated before she became rosemarked was Commander Arxa, one of the most powerful Amparans in the empire. He invites her to live in Sehmar City among the rosemarked, and treat those inflicted with the rose plague. She would no longer be in isolation, but she would have to leave Dara indefinitely. She almost refuses the offer, but fate throws Dineas in her path. Dineas is a warrior of a nomadic tribe caught in the middle of the Amparan wars. Dineas wants nothing more than to cut down every Amaparan who captured and tortured him, and when an opportunity presents itself for him to go to Sehmar City and pose as an Amparan soldier, he doesn't refuse. Dineas and Zivah didn't see eye-to-eye on anything at first, but circumstance and love for their homelands has drawn them together. They sacrifice everything they have to live a lie in Sehmar City, where they could be caught and killed for betrayal.
I've read Midnight Thief, and Daughter of Dusk, and the short story Poison Dance. But I have to say, Rosemarked is Blackburne's strongest novel yet. I love seeing an author grow as he/she writes and publishes more books. It was so clear to me that Blackburne's craft has gotten better since Midnight Thief. I really enjoyed Midnight Thief, her debut, but Rosemarked outranks the book any day.
This book is written in dual first-person POV, present tense. I love dual narratives but oftentimes, I don't like one of the characters as much as I like the other. That was not the case with this story. I adored Zivah, and I adored Dineas, and I loved reading from both of their POVs.
Zivah is a dedicated healer, and she is an accomplished scientist (though she wouldn't be called that, in this world). She is so smart and creative, with her experiments and conjectures relating to the rose plague, and her duty to studying the venom of her pets. Zivah is a kind healer with a spine of steel. She isn't a warrior heroine that kicks butt in a physical sense, but she is just as kickbutt. She wields the power of a good brain, and a strong will. She is quietly strong, and one of the most likable YA heroines I've come across in a while.
Dineas is a warrior and a soldier through and through. He is quite a skilled soldier and he also has a talent with commanding crows. Dineas is the physically strong, brave, selfless hero puts lives like he has nothing to lose. He is hardened and stubborn, and he is determined not to like Zivah at first. He puts everything on the line for his people, including letting himself lose his memories while they are at Sehmar City.
Losing his memories is a huge part of this story. Going through forced amnesia isn't easy, but Dineas does it willingly, to protect himself and Zivah (since he is posing as a rosemarked soldier looking for a place in Arxa's army). It was heartbreaking to see him lose himself as he retained no memories of himself. Zivah gave him temporary antidotes when they communicated with each, which meant that she had to watch him lose himself every time she and him finished their meetings. Blackburne wrote this aspect of the story so well, though it broke my heart every time.
There are a lot of pieces set in motion in this story. It isn't just about Dineas and Zivah going to Sehmar City to spy on the empire and Arxa and the prince. The rose plague is spreading, and no one can figure out how and why... especially when it starts to spread to higher ranks. Meanwhile, Dineas loses parts of himself every time he fights in Arxa's army. The rose plague is such an interesting part of the story - it definitely makes the book even more unique.
This story was exciting and intrigued from page one. I was hooked and didn't stop reading until I was finished - and I was looking for the rest of the story. I so thought this book was a standalone, and I was about to be quite upset! I'm glad there will be a sequel.
There is a subtle romance, as the synopsis implies. Dineas and Zivah fall for each other very slowly, and more visibly on Zivah's side. Well, on Dineas's too, but remember that his memories are taken away and given back and taken away. In any case, the romance is there and it's sweet, and also love-triangle-free. I'm rooting for more of a romantic presence in book two, because it's barely there in this book. It's there though, and a perfect amount, honestly.
I really enjoyed Rosemarked, possibly even more than I expected. While I liked Midnight Thief a lot, I didn't enjoy Daughter of Dusk. But I'm glad I gave Rosemarked a shot. It is Blackburne's strongest book, and it was an excellent read.
What I Did Not Like:
I'm curious to see if there are repercussions to all of the memory-hopping that Dineas has to go through... he takes a potion to lose his memories, and then takes a temporary antidote for every time he and Zivah communicate in person. But then that wears off and he is back to being amnesiac. Zivah has a permanent antidote so it isn't like he is stuck amnesiac forever, but it seems too clean, to be able to go back and forth between having full memories and being a completely blank slate.
I wouldn't have minded more romance. It's there, and I like it, but I'm hoping the sequel will have more. The romance in this book was sweet but also a little sad.
Would I Recommend It:
YA fantasy fans should definitely pick this book up. I don't usually compare books to other books, but the synopsis of the book is pretty accurate so I will use it - this book definitely compares to An Ember in the Ashes, and in a good way. It features a world just as brutal and hopeless as EMBER's, with a likable cast of protagonists, and villains you aren't sure are completely villainous. There are people on both sides of fight that are fighting for the "right thing" on their side. This book blurs that line and really makes you think about who is "right", in a war.
Rating:
4.5 stars. This book was spectacular and one that I'll be thinking about in the future. It's funny - I love the warrior/healer trope in adult romance novels; it's a trope that really works for me. You don't see it often in YA though, especially not from a romantic sense. But this book features a warrior and a healer and they do slowly fall in love... I love it. And of course there are many parts of this book that I loved, besides the trope. I highly recommend the book!
December 3, 2017
DNF @ 63%
I really, really, hate to do this, but I have to put this book down. I've been working on it since November 1st (so, just over a month), and I'm only at 63%, despite many other books having come and gone in the last month. I just can't seem to get attached enough to the story or the characters to finish it.
The book alternates perspectives between Zivah, a young healer, and Dineas, a rebel soldier, both of whom have been cursed with the rose plague. The illness leaves its victims in one of two states: rosemarked - which leaves the individual with red scars, a dormant and contagious illness, and inescapable death within a few years - or umbermarked - which leaves them with brown scars, fully healed, non-contagious, and free to live out the rest of their happy little lives. Zivah is the former, Dineas is the latter, and together, they set out on a task to spy on the army that has invaded and conquered their homes.
There's nothing wrong with the book - the writing is easy to read and finely done, the characters are decent, and the story is fairly interesting - but with all the YA fantasy that I read, occasionally I meet one that, while not a bad book, just isn't bringing anything new to the table, and that is certainly the case for Rosemarked.
I only give star ratings to books that I've DNFed if I make it pretty far into them, and I feel like 63% is far enough. I don't think I've ever given 3+ stars to a DNF title before - usually, it's 2 stars or less - but I genuinely believe this book could be incredible for many people. I'm just probably not one of them! I am totally open to the idea of trying this author's future endeavors, for what it's worth.
I really, really, hate to do this, but I have to put this book down. I've been working on it since November 1st (so, just over a month), and I'm only at 63%, despite many other books having come and gone in the last month. I just can't seem to get attached enough to the story or the characters to finish it.
The book alternates perspectives between Zivah, a young healer, and Dineas, a rebel soldier, both of whom have been cursed with the rose plague. The illness leaves its victims in one of two states: rosemarked - which leaves the individual with red scars, a dormant and contagious illness, and inescapable death within a few years - or umbermarked - which leaves them with brown scars, fully healed, non-contagious, and free to live out the rest of their happy little lives. Zivah is the former, Dineas is the latter, and together, they set out on a task to spy on the army that has invaded and conquered their homes.
There's nothing wrong with the book - the writing is easy to read and finely done, the characters are decent, and the story is fairly interesting - but with all the YA fantasy that I read, occasionally I meet one that, while not a bad book, just isn't bringing anything new to the table, and that is certainly the case for Rosemarked.
I only give star ratings to books that I've DNFed if I make it pretty far into them, and I feel like 63% is far enough. I don't think I've ever given 3+ stars to a DNF title before - usually, it's 2 stars or less - but I genuinely believe this book could be incredible for many people. I'm just probably not one of them! I am totally open to the idea of trying this author's future endeavors, for what it's worth.
January 22, 2018
Rating: 3 stars
Rosemarked is a first book in new duology by Livia Blackburne. It tells a story of 17 years old Dara's healer named Zivah who is a victim of the rose plague, an illness which can't be healed; and a young rebel soldier named Dineas. Both of characters are living in a country occupied by Ampara's soldiers. Several months later their paths cross while they take on a mission of freeing their country from Ampara. We can explore their lives and actions thanks to chapters with alternation POV.
I had some difficulties getting into this book. I had to force myself to continue reading it. This book is really not bad. It's written in simple language, descriptions aren't long nor complex. Worldbuilding is executed in a nice way, although I would love to learn some more about the history of the country. I felt like the book was lacking in this aspect.
Characters are decent. However, some of their actions were questionable. I couldn't find any logic in those deeds. I understand that both of characters weren't perfectly prepared for their mission, but still... I would prefer if they think twice before acting or saying something.
Also, I don't notice any chemistry between Dineas and Zivah. Sorry, but after reading the first book I don't ship them. If they are going to be close, I would really appreciate more focus on their relationship. So far it was just bland, plan, dry, etc.
Overall, the book was a fine read. It had a lot of potential. I feel a little bit disappointed with it because it was one of my most anticipated to-be-read books of 2017. I really hope to like the 2nd book way more than I liked this one.
Rosemarked is a first book in new duology by Livia Blackburne. It tells a story of 17 years old Dara's healer named Zivah who is a victim of the rose plague, an illness which can't be healed; and a young rebel soldier named Dineas. Both of characters are living in a country occupied by Ampara's soldiers. Several months later their paths cross while they take on a mission of freeing their country from Ampara. We can explore their lives and actions thanks to chapters with alternation POV.
I had some difficulties getting into this book. I had to force myself to continue reading it. This book is really not bad. It's written in simple language, descriptions aren't long nor complex. Worldbuilding is executed in a nice way, although I would love to learn some more about the history of the country. I felt like the book was lacking in this aspect.
Characters are decent. However, some of their actions were questionable. I couldn't find any logic in those deeds. I understand that both of characters weren't perfectly prepared for their mission, but still... I would prefer if they think twice before acting or saying something.
Also, I don't notice any chemistry between Dineas and Zivah. Sorry, but after reading the first book I don't ship them. If they are going to be close, I would really appreciate more focus on their relationship. So far it was just bland, plan, dry, etc.
Overall, the book was a fine read. It had a lot of potential. I feel a little bit disappointed with it because it was one of my most anticipated to-be-read books of 2017. I really hope to like the 2nd book way more than I liked this one.
November 7, 2017
ARC received from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for an honest review
"And I can’t help but think how easy it is for a thing of this world to be destroyed, and how quickly something beautiful can disappear."
Rosemarked is told from alternating views and tells the story of a young healer that catches a disease that she cannot cure and a man who has overcome the disease and must go on a mission with the healer to infiltrate the capital city as spies.
The Story-The pacing of this book was slow but steady. There weren’t many climactic points that had me at the edge of my seat, and when there was one, it was somewhat short lived. I had hoped with the espionage and a trained soldier there would have been a little bit more nail-biting time. Regardless, I was still entertained the entire time. The story was not very complicated which gave more time for character development.
The World Building-I liked the idea of a country that has been ravaged by an empire overtaking it. Either lay down and let them control you and occupy your land or rebel and be slaughtered. Our characters were found from both sides-the healer catching the plague from the men that have occupied her country and a soldier that has history from the empire that haunts him. Since the characters do travel throughout the book I was hoping there would be a little more time spent in some sweeping landscape. I also would have liked to read a little bit more on the culture of the people and what life was like in the country before the invasion maybe. I appreciated the inventiveness of the plague and the stages that go with it.
The Characters-Our two main characters were definitely the most complex things about this book. The fact that Zivah is a healer but has an incurable disease is something that she has to grow and accept. I feel like it helps her transform from her naïve self to someone with a little more purpose with her life. There is something about a person’s impeding death that has them questioning how they will spend their remaining time: Sit in a cottage and slowly dieor use my knowledge for something good, something meaningful.
Dineas on the other hand has a second chance at life and somehow finds himself on a mission back to where he managed to escape from. It was really interesting to see his personality bounce back and forth throughout his mission to the point where he finally becomes whole by the end, accepting all parts of himself.
Overall, it seemed like a decent start to a series, and I am curious to see how their mission affects their world and how the characters continue to grow. I really hope to see a little more action or suspense in the next installment. There is a lot at risk, and I really want to feel the anxiety that these characters must be feeling.
"And I can’t help but think how easy it is for a thing of this world to be destroyed, and how quickly something beautiful can disappear."
Rosemarked is told from alternating views and tells the story of a young healer that catches a disease that she cannot cure and a man who has overcome the disease and must go on a mission with the healer to infiltrate the capital city as spies.
The Story-The pacing of this book was slow but steady. There weren’t many climactic points that had me at the edge of my seat, and when there was one, it was somewhat short lived. I had hoped with the espionage and a trained soldier there would have been a little bit more nail-biting time. Regardless, I was still entertained the entire time. The story was not very complicated which gave more time for character development.
The World Building-I liked the idea of a country that has been ravaged by an empire overtaking it. Either lay down and let them control you and occupy your land or rebel and be slaughtered. Our characters were found from both sides-the healer catching the plague from the men that have occupied her country and a soldier that has history from the empire that haunts him. Since the characters do travel throughout the book I was hoping there would be a little more time spent in some sweeping landscape. I also would have liked to read a little bit more on the culture of the people and what life was like in the country before the invasion maybe. I appreciated the inventiveness of the plague and the stages that go with it.
The Characters-Our two main characters were definitely the most complex things about this book. The fact that Zivah is a healer but has an incurable disease is something that she has to grow and accept. I feel like it helps her transform from her naïve self to someone with a little more purpose with her life. There is something about a person’s impeding death that has them questioning how they will spend their remaining time: Sit in a cottage and slowly dieor use my knowledge for something good, something meaningful.
Dineas on the other hand has a second chance at life and somehow finds himself on a mission back to where he managed to escape from. It was really interesting to see his personality bounce back and forth throughout his mission to the point where he finally becomes whole by the end, accepting all parts of himself.
Overall, it seemed like a decent start to a series, and I am curious to see how their mission affects their world and how the characters continue to grow. I really hope to see a little more action or suspense in the next installment. There is a lot at risk, and I really want to feel the anxiety that these characters must be feeling.
November 22, 2018
"The rosemarked healer and the soldier with no fear of her disease. Together somehow, we are to steal Ampara's secrets."
... and guess what?? They don't steal shit
Is this one of the most frustrating and boring books I've ever read? Hell yeah it is
The first part (40-50 pages) was good, full of action and the two protagonists were promising, especially Zivah.
Well, it all went downhill fast. So so so so so fast.
Basically Zivah and Dineas have to act as spies and steal the empire's secrets and in order to do so Zivah - who's a healer - has prepared potions to give Dineas temporary amnesias (he needs them because he's been tortured by the empire and has panic attacks when he thinks about it).
So we almost never get to see the real Dineas, Zivah mainly interacts with I-don't-remember-who-I-am Dineas and uhm .... how are we supposed to care about him or the romance between them if he's another person entirely without his memories? It's a mistery
And the plot is so boring. Nothing happens. Literally nothing. They discover one major thing but don't steal any proof to back it up, so what was the point of the book? They're back to square one!
Zivah was the only reason I decided to give two stars instead of one, she was smart and rational and I hope she gets her happy ending (even if I won't ever touch the sequel).
... and guess what?? They don't steal shit
Is this one of the most frustrating and boring books I've ever read? Hell yeah it is
The first part (40-50 pages) was good, full of action and the two protagonists were promising, especially Zivah.
Well, it all went downhill fast. So so so so so fast.
Basically Zivah and Dineas have to act as spies and steal the empire's secrets and in order to do so Zivah - who's a healer - has prepared potions to give Dineas temporary amnesias (he needs them because he's been tortured by the empire and has panic attacks when he thinks about it).
So we almost never get to see the real Dineas, Zivah mainly interacts with I-don't-remember-who-I-am Dineas and uhm .... how are we supposed to care about him or the romance between them if he's another person entirely without his memories? It's a mistery
And the plot is so boring. Nothing happens. Literally nothing. They discover one major thing but don't steal any proof to back it up, so what was the point of the book? They're back to square one!
Zivah was the only reason I decided to give two stars instead of one, she was smart and rational and I hope she gets her happy ending (even if I won't ever touch the sequel).
June 2, 2017
What a fantastic book! I loved Zivah and Dineas and can't wait for book two!
April 6, 2018
I could have literally finished this book in a day but thanks to uni it took me two weeks :)) But moving on, I found the world building in this quite interesting especially with the incorporation of the plague and the biological references! The romance was nice but it didn't quite meet my expectations tbh. The pace was kind of slow as well... all the shit really goes down in the last few chapters and it was exciting but seemed so fast paced compared to the rest of the book like?? Wish the events could have been spaced out better throughout the story, which would have made it a lot more fun to read about *sigh*. BUT I really liked the split personality aspect and I really hope the next book brings more plot twists and more romance so my ship can peacefully sail pls
July 21, 2017
This is a highly political fantasy that focuses on one mission between two would-be enemies. I think all the elements of this story are so well thought out, and the politics clear and intriguing.
I loved that the magic of the book is based in healing and that we have two very strong personalities butting heads throughout the story.
Overall, I think high fantasy fans will really enjoy Rosemarked.
I loved that the magic of the book is based in healing and that we have two very strong personalities butting heads throughout the story.
Overall, I think high fantasy fans will really enjoy Rosemarked.
November 15, 2017
**Thank you to Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
3 stars!!!
Finally, I'm done with this book. This was another pretty average read for me. I guess what got to me the most was the pacing. It's a very slow read and nothing much happens. However, the book does have it's plus points which I will go into further detail below.
Firstly, I did like the descriptions and imagery in this novel. They were rather vivid especially in terms of the symptoms of rose plague, the healing potions, the history of the world, the belief system and so forth. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get a handle as to how the world was really like as in what was the inspiration behind it. I guess it was a mix of Persian or something or the other. I gathered this from the names of the characters and places. But it was still rather confusing. In saying this, the world didn't feel immersive enough, in my opinion.
Secondly, what I loved most about this book was the character development. I think Zivah and Dineas have well fleshed out characters. As the book is told from both their POVs, we get a clear picture of who they are as people. Their emotions, how they interact with others and their vulnerabilities. I also how this book, although a fantasy, didn't focus too much on one single person having a special power or gift. The disease affects everyone and all characters go through the same feelings of being isolated as well as dealing with their own mortality. This, in effect, helped us to see how compassionate the MC Zivah was. We see her resilience, independence and her passion for healing. In Dineas, on the other hand, we see a boy who is haunted by his past and how he tries to overcome his insecurities and tries to let Zivah see the real him. In terms of the minor characters, I felt they played a solid enough role. However, I would have liked to learn more about Commander Arxa and Mehtap. I feel the friendship between Mehtap and Zivah wasn't explored too deeply enough. This would have elevated the storyline even further.
Thirdly, the budding romance between Dineas and Zivah was phenomenal. As a reader, it was a pleasure to see how their friendship and feelings for each other grew. How they learned to trust each other regardless of their differences. Plus, there was no love triangle as is the usual case in YA novels which was a relief. It made the interactions between them all the more enduring.
Overall, I think the story was structured well. It flowed seamlessly without much info-dumping. There were some plot reveals but these weren't as shocking. The plot devices used helped with the story progression. The focus of the book was mainly based on politics, the effects of war and disease, family, espionage, and deceit. However, there wasn't much action. The book was not fast paced and I would have liked to have seen more thrilling scenes. I did like the aspect of how Dineas had a connection with the crows. But, as with many elements of the book, this wasn't explored or explained more. The book is a good start to the duology but it could have been better, I guess. I wouldn't say I was majorly disappointed but I was just expecting more out of a fantasy novel. Hopefully, the sequel will be more enticing. I would recommend this book if you want something a little bit slower.
3 stars!!!
Finally, I'm done with this book. This was another pretty average read for me. I guess what got to me the most was the pacing. It's a very slow read and nothing much happens. However, the book does have it's plus points which I will go into further detail below.
Firstly, I did like the descriptions and imagery in this novel. They were rather vivid especially in terms of the symptoms of rose plague, the healing potions, the history of the world, the belief system and so forth. Unfortunately, I couldn't really get a handle as to how the world was really like as in what was the inspiration behind it. I guess it was a mix of Persian or something or the other. I gathered this from the names of the characters and places. But it was still rather confusing. In saying this, the world didn't feel immersive enough, in my opinion.
Secondly, what I loved most about this book was the character development. I think Zivah and Dineas have well fleshed out characters. As the book is told from both their POVs, we get a clear picture of who they are as people. Their emotions, how they interact with others and their vulnerabilities. I also how this book, although a fantasy, didn't focus too much on one single person having a special power or gift. The disease affects everyone and all characters go through the same feelings of being isolated as well as dealing with their own mortality. This, in effect, helped us to see how compassionate the MC Zivah was. We see her resilience, independence and her passion for healing. In Dineas, on the other hand, we see a boy who is haunted by his past and how he tries to overcome his insecurities and tries to let Zivah see the real him. In terms of the minor characters, I felt they played a solid enough role. However, I would have liked to learn more about Commander Arxa and Mehtap. I feel the friendship between Mehtap and Zivah wasn't explored too deeply enough. This would have elevated the storyline even further.
Thirdly, the budding romance between Dineas and Zivah was phenomenal. As a reader, it was a pleasure to see how their friendship and feelings for each other grew. How they learned to trust each other regardless of their differences. Plus, there was no love triangle as is the usual case in YA novels which was a relief. It made the interactions between them all the more enduring.
Overall, I think the story was structured well. It flowed seamlessly without much info-dumping. There were some plot reveals but these weren't as shocking. The plot devices used helped with the story progression. The focus of the book was mainly based on politics, the effects of war and disease, family, espionage, and deceit. However, there wasn't much action. The book was not fast paced and I would have liked to have seen more thrilling scenes. I did like the aspect of how Dineas had a connection with the crows. But, as with many elements of the book, this wasn't explored or explained more. The book is a good start to the duology but it could have been better, I guess. I wouldn't say I was majorly disappointed but I was just expecting more out of a fantasy novel. Hopefully, the sequel will be more enticing. I would recommend this book if you want something a little bit slower.
October 5, 2017
She had dedicated her life to healing the sick, but when she must heal the enemy who has come into her land with a deadly and incurable plague, Zivah is forced to live an life isolated from her family and her people when she becomes another victim, another of the ROSEMARKED. Her life can end ostracized and alone or it can end on her own terms, healing others who are afflicted like her, but the chance to help others will come at a price and she will be forced to trust an enemy soldier who thirsts for vengeance against those who tortured him.
They say all is fair in war, but can a woman devoted to healing and an emotionally wounded soldier become allies in a dangerous game of spycraft neither is prepared to handle on their own? Will they find a common ground that could lead to so much more?
ROSEMARKED by Livia Blackburne is NOT a fantasy about war, it is a story about people, about the fact that no matter how vast the differences, even the enemy feels love, fear and loss. Ms. Blackburne focuses on the human element, compassion and the personal growth of her characters, as well as their flaws. Definitely not a fast-paced tale, there is far too much depth to rush through each scene. Feel the atmosphere of a world in chaos, the fear and devastation of the Rose Plague and the efforts of one woman to bridge the differences in people and to protect those who need her most, even if one of them happens to be a soldier she once saw as an enemy. He may be the one who needs her most.
Fabulous storytelling that brings it characters to life, in a tale that is both uniquely told and deeply intriguing, built in a flawed fantasy world that is ultimately not unlike our own.
I received an ARC edition from Disney Hyperion in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Rosemarked - Book 1
Publisher: Disney Hyperion (November 7, 2017)
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
They say all is fair in war, but can a woman devoted to healing and an emotionally wounded soldier become allies in a dangerous game of spycraft neither is prepared to handle on their own? Will they find a common ground that could lead to so much more?
ROSEMARKED by Livia Blackburne is NOT a fantasy about war, it is a story about people, about the fact that no matter how vast the differences, even the enemy feels love, fear and loss. Ms. Blackburne focuses on the human element, compassion and the personal growth of her characters, as well as their flaws. Definitely not a fast-paced tale, there is far too much depth to rush through each scene. Feel the atmosphere of a world in chaos, the fear and devastation of the Rose Plague and the efforts of one woman to bridge the differences in people and to protect those who need her most, even if one of them happens to be a soldier she once saw as an enemy. He may be the one who needs her most.
Fabulous storytelling that brings it characters to life, in a tale that is both uniquely told and deeply intriguing, built in a flawed fantasy world that is ultimately not unlike our own.
I received an ARC edition from Disney Hyperion in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Rosemarked - Book 1
Publisher: Disney Hyperion (November 7, 2017)
Publication Date: November 7, 2017
Genre: YA Fantasy
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Read
January 26, 2019The perfect read for fans of
An Ember in the Ashes
and The Winner's Curse, Rosemarked is one of those rare and special high fantasies where there's no magic, but the author paints such a vivid secondary world that it feels magical.
Blackburne pays careful attention to detail in her worldbuilding – I loved reading about the theories on rose plague, and the differences between the Amparan and Dara approach to the body – and Zivah is a great protagonist. It's refreshing to see a female character who doesn't need to be a brilliant fighter to make a difference to the world.
Blackburne pays careful attention to detail in her worldbuilding – I loved reading about the theories on rose plague, and the differences between the Amparan and Dara approach to the body – and Zivah is a great protagonist. It's refreshing to see a female character who doesn't need to be a brilliant fighter to make a difference to the world.
January 31, 2018
Zivah has dedicated her life to becoming a healer so she can serve her people but when an outbreak of the rose plague affects Amparan soldiers currently visiting her village she ends up getting infected herself while treating her patients. There are only three possible outcomes to the rose plague and the vast majority of people don't survive the first infection. Rare survivors end up Rosemarked which means they're still highly infectious and can continue to spread the disease even though they no longer have symptoms, the disease always flares back up at some point and will invariably lead to death but there is no way to tell how long it will be before that happens. Even rarer survivors can become Umbertouched, they are now completely immune to the plague and are no longer contagious so are allowed to return to their lives rather than remain in quarantine. Unfortunately for Zivah she becomes Rosemarked and now instead of serving her village as a healer she is forced to live alone on the outskirts unable to touch or be touched for fear of spreading the plague.
As Zivah quietly experiments on herself hoping to find a cure to the plague her life is turned upside down when her village leader asks her to help with a secret mission. The village has been coming under increasing threat from the Amparan Empire and along with the Shidadi Tribe they have a plan to infiltrate the Amparan army with an Umbertouched soldier but they need Zivah's help to pull it off. Dineas was tortured by the Amparan's and is seeking revenge but at the same time he wants to protect his people and the best way to do that is to find out more about the threats they face.
I absolutely loved this story, it's a bit of a slow build so don't expect lots of high stakes action from the very first page, but I was completely captivated from very early on and enjoyed the clever world building and realistic characters. I loved seeing the way the plague effected both Zivah and Dineas, initially they have pretty low opinions of each other but they gradually become friends as they work together against a common enemy. Life isn't easy for either of them and the deeper they get into their undercover work the harder it is to know who the real enemy is. You do have to suspend belief a little about the way Zivah was able to remove Dineas' memories using her healing skills but could bring them back for short periods of time when she needed to talk to him but it added such an interesting dimension to Dineas' interactions with the people he met that it didn't bother me at all.
The slightly slower pacing in the beginning really pays off in the second half of the story when things start to get much more complicated and we start to uncover some interesting secrets. The ending was edge of your seat stuff and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Umbertouched. It's funny because I've not seen much buzz around this book in the blogosphere but it's one of the most unique series I've come across in a while and it's definitely one I'd recommend to YA fantasy fans.
As Zivah quietly experiments on herself hoping to find a cure to the plague her life is turned upside down when her village leader asks her to help with a secret mission. The village has been coming under increasing threat from the Amparan Empire and along with the Shidadi Tribe they have a plan to infiltrate the Amparan army with an Umbertouched soldier but they need Zivah's help to pull it off. Dineas was tortured by the Amparan's and is seeking revenge but at the same time he wants to protect his people and the best way to do that is to find out more about the threats they face.
I absolutely loved this story, it's a bit of a slow build so don't expect lots of high stakes action from the very first page, but I was completely captivated from very early on and enjoyed the clever world building and realistic characters. I loved seeing the way the plague effected both Zivah and Dineas, initially they have pretty low opinions of each other but they gradually become friends as they work together against a common enemy. Life isn't easy for either of them and the deeper they get into their undercover work the harder it is to know who the real enemy is. You do have to suspend belief a little about the way Zivah was able to remove Dineas' memories using her healing skills but could bring them back for short periods of time when she needed to talk to him but it added such an interesting dimension to Dineas' interactions with the people he met that it didn't bother me at all.
The slightly slower pacing in the beginning really pays off in the second half of the story when things start to get much more complicated and we start to uncover some interesting secrets. The ending was edge of your seat stuff and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Umbertouched. It's funny because I've not seen much buzz around this book in the blogosphere but it's one of the most unique series I've come across in a while and it's definitely one I'd recommend to YA fantasy fans.
January 29, 2018
what an enthralling story! the main characters are likeable, the premise is intriguing, and the pacing is solid. i was thoroughly entertained whilst reading this and am very much looking forward to the next book when it comes out.
4 stars
4 stars
March 13, 2018
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!!!!
August 3, 2022
Overall Rating : B
I feel like I've been giving a lot of 3 stars lately but this one was just, plain boring. The plot was vague and obtuse. And the love story was confusing and made me uncomfortable .
It's like they fell headfirst into enemy territory with no clue why they were there - oh wait that is what they did!!😤 Very frustrating reading them plodding along with no clear direction.
But it's an okay book, but don't expect to be on the edge of your seat for any of it.
I feel like I've been giving a lot of 3 stars lately but this one was just, plain boring. The plot was vague and obtuse. And the love story was confusing and made me uncomfortable .
It's like they fell headfirst into enemy territory with no clue why they were there - oh wait that is what they did!!😤 Very frustrating reading them plodding along with no clear direction.
But it's an okay book, but don't expect to be on the edge of your seat for any of it.
November 7, 2017
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
A healer who cannot be healed is joined by a soldier shattered by war, together they will take on infiltrating the Empire... When Zivah catches the deadly rose plague her life as a healer is cut off from her, in order to recapture her life and practice her art she will become a daring spy. After being tortured and thrown out with the garbage, Dineas will undertake a mission that will mean abandoning who he has become to change the future.
It took me quite a while after I finished this book to wrap my head around it... I requested it spur of the moment having NOT read the books marketing compares it to (The Lumatere Chronicles and An Ember in the Ashes), based solely on the emotional impressions the blurb gave me... I.E. MY GUT said to give it a go.
One of my main questions is... What genre is it?!
It is set in an alternate world, of a medieval nature, with an Empire honing in on other people's land. There is NO MAGIC, nor any fantasy or paranormal aspect or creature. It's not historical in nature but you can tell the writing was informed by a knowledge of world history. Due to the herblore and rampant plague I call this combination of world building fantasy realism.
It takes the realistic details of a fantasy world and plays them out without any of the actual fantastical elements. A pretty neat, almost slice of life sort of world if a fantasy world were real. Due to there being NO fantasy elements, there is conflict but it is a tone and pace to life in the real world rather than the bookish one. In fact, ALL of the drama, twists and conflict is more akin to realism or real life. So while there were two pretty mega twists they are "small beans" if you compare them to your typical fantasy story.
If magical realism is a favorite of your then this has a complimentary feel...
Can a "sort of" fantasy story be good without fantastical elements?!
YES! While the premise of an Empire dominating the area is not a new one, the details make it pop as well as the realistic nature of the story. Dineas' use of crows as messengers was pretty special! I LOVE the use of animals in stories, even common ones like birds! And his weaponlore positions him as the man who can infiltrate the army.
I was really quite taken with Zivah's knowledge of herblore and her use of poisons. She's been trained as a healer and uses all of her skills to help Dineas in his role as spy. These two elements are at the core of the story and plays out in spectacular "realistic" fashion. It is definitely a unique balance as you do have to suspend disbelief that his birds and her herbs can have this affect (look at the author's credentials!) but if you do then it makes events super compelling.
The plot though is well developed for both characters. Dineas must earn trust in the army and Zivah works in quarantine to find out about the outbreak in her area. And where those cross over there is a little something special brewing...
Obviously with two main characters, one of each sex, this is a romance, right?
Right, BUT do not expect the story to get swept aside for the romance! These two have NO REASON to fall in love. They each have some pretty bitter feelings toward life and love is NOT going to suddenly make everything they've gone through better. Again it was amazingly true to life without those hopeless tropes that make readers view romance in such an idealistic light!
There was NO love triangle, NO insta-love (far from it) and really if they hadn't both taken on this task to infiltrate the Empire they NEVER would have fallen in love! I know readers are looking for books with LESS LOVE but this truly is one of the best YA romances I've read as far as pacing of their relationship and the uniqueness of their circumstances! Plus we get both characters POV which is a really great change from it being solely from the female perspective...
The important question is... WAS IT GOOD?!
I quite loved it! Everything was well researched and well developed and the storytelling was spot on... A truly superior dual POV narrative! Each character rang true to the personality developed and had their own unique voice that sucked you into the POV. The skills a writer has are normally hit or miss, developed over a career but here our author seems to have those skills well in hand.
As a Reader...
I am CHOMPING at the bit to read the next book!! At the end of this book everything has gone to hell and so you have NO CLUE where this duology is headed... that excites me as I HOPE Blackburne is able to duplicate and heighten the special mix of details and realism that she captured so well in Rosemarked.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Premise & World Building
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cover & Title
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Development & Storycraft
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing & Narrative
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Relationships
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Feelings
BOTTOM LINE: Fantasy Realism with Slowburn Romance = Winner!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
A healer who cannot be healed is joined by a soldier shattered by war, together they will take on infiltrating the Empire... When Zivah catches the deadly rose plague her life as a healer is cut off from her, in order to recapture her life and practice her art she will become a daring spy. After being tortured and thrown out with the garbage, Dineas will undertake a mission that will mean abandoning who he has become to change the future.
It took me quite a while after I finished this book to wrap my head around it... I requested it spur of the moment having NOT read the books marketing compares it to (The Lumatere Chronicles and An Ember in the Ashes), based solely on the emotional impressions the blurb gave me... I.E. MY GUT said to give it a go.
One of my main questions is... What genre is it?!
It is set in an alternate world, of a medieval nature, with an Empire honing in on other people's land. There is NO MAGIC, nor any fantasy or paranormal aspect or creature. It's not historical in nature but you can tell the writing was informed by a knowledge of world history. Due to the herblore and rampant plague I call this combination of world building fantasy realism.
It takes the realistic details of a fantasy world and plays them out without any of the actual fantastical elements. A pretty neat, almost slice of life sort of world if a fantasy world were real. Due to there being NO fantasy elements, there is conflict but it is a tone and pace to life in the real world rather than the bookish one. In fact, ALL of the drama, twists and conflict is more akin to realism or real life. So while there were two pretty mega twists they are "small beans" if you compare them to your typical fantasy story.
If magical realism is a favorite of your then this has a complimentary feel...
Can a "sort of" fantasy story be good without fantastical elements?!
YES! While the premise of an Empire dominating the area is not a new one, the details make it pop as well as the realistic nature of the story. Dineas' use of crows as messengers was pretty special! I LOVE the use of animals in stories, even common ones like birds! And his weaponlore positions him as the man who can infiltrate the army.
I was really quite taken with Zivah's knowledge of herblore and her use of poisons. She's been trained as a healer and uses all of her skills to help Dineas in his role as spy. These two elements are at the core of the story and plays out in spectacular "realistic" fashion. It is definitely a unique balance as you do have to suspend disbelief that his birds and her herbs can have this affect (look at the author's credentials!) but if you do then it makes events super compelling.
The plot though is well developed for both characters. Dineas must earn trust in the army and Zivah works in quarantine to find out about the outbreak in her area. And where those cross over there is a little something special brewing...
Obviously with two main characters, one of each sex, this is a romance, right?
Right, BUT do not expect the story to get swept aside for the romance! These two have NO REASON to fall in love. They each have some pretty bitter feelings toward life and love is NOT going to suddenly make everything they've gone through better. Again it was amazingly true to life without those hopeless tropes that make readers view romance in such an idealistic light!
There was NO love triangle, NO insta-love (far from it) and really if they hadn't both taken on this task to infiltrate the Empire they NEVER would have fallen in love! I know readers are looking for books with LESS LOVE but this truly is one of the best YA romances I've read as far as pacing of their relationship and the uniqueness of their circumstances! Plus we get both characters POV which is a really great change from it being solely from the female perspective...
The important question is... WAS IT GOOD?!
I quite loved it! Everything was well researched and well developed and the storytelling was spot on... A truly superior dual POV narrative! Each character rang true to the personality developed and had their own unique voice that sucked you into the POV. The skills a writer has are normally hit or miss, developed over a career but here our author seems to have those skills well in hand.
As a Reader...
I am CHOMPING at the bit to read the next book!! At the end of this book everything has gone to hell and so you have NO CLUE where this duology is headed... that excites me as I HOPE Blackburne is able to duplicate and heighten the special mix of details and realism that she captured so well in Rosemarked.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Premise & World Building
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cover & Title
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Development & Storycraft
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing & Narrative
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Relationships
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Feelings
BOTTOM LINE: Fantasy Realism with Slowburn Romance = Winner!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
December 8, 2017
4.5/5
I’ve been craving a sweeping YA fantasy story since the beginning of the year, and sadly before I read Rosemarked, I could not find it. Then came this brilliant book, which completely swept me off my feet and took me on an amazing journey. Engrossing stories like this are why I simply adore reading. By the end of Rosemarked, I was desperate for the sequel – I mean, isn’t that just a sign as to how amazing this book was?
In YA fantasy, I’ve always loved side-characters that are healers. It’s such an intriguing element, especially with the mirroring of reality, but healers are hardly ever the center of a fantasy series, so it was refreshing to see that here in Rosemarked. There’s a lot of rich history, world-building and politics in this book. The author does a stunning job at making her world come to life here with her prose. I sometimes find YA fantasy tedious to read because it can get very entangled quickly, but here everything flows smoothly, and I was able to pick up every detail. Then, there’s the plague itself, the rose plague, which is at the center of this story, and which felt a lot like a character. I thought it was absolutely terrifying, yet intriguing. There was lots to learn about this plague, and I liked how Livia Blackburne, only slowly revealed to us its true extent and secrets.
Of course, a YA fantasy can’t be a top read without a well-developed cast. In Rosemarked, we get the points of view of two lovable characters, Zivah and Dineas. As you can probably tell, I loved these two. Zivah with her huge heart, her generosity and her utmost love for her family and village stole my heart. She was a character who was incredibly easy to connect with. It broke my heart watching her go through the plague, and then having to upend her life to go serve the sick people of a neighboring city. What was empowering about Zivah was how she was muttered not a word of complaint as she went through hell and more. She has a secret weapon, her skills in making potions, that wield incredible power. We see immense growth in her character, and I’m excited to watch her grow into an even more powerful young woman.
Dineas was also a fantastic character here. This fighter’s abuse-riddled past just about shattered me, and I was incredibly nervous for his well-being as he volunteered to infiltrate the Army to spy on the secret-riddled Amparan empire. He does so with the help of Zivah’s potions that pushes him into an amnesiac state. His point of view was especially interesting to me because we essentially see two versions of him, the soldier with amnesia, and the real Dineas. It was fascinating, but simultaneously nerve-wracking that he had to put himself in this position. He did accept the position willingly, but it was still daunting, and emotionally-draining. As the spy, he was more flirty and charming. As the real Dineas, he was tougher and more guarded with his emotions. A subtle romance develops between the two, as they find comfort and companionship with each other in this otherwise harsh circumstance. As you can imagine, it has some of its complications, but it was still a satisfying romance.
You can probably tell that I loved pretty much every aspect of Rosemarked. The only thing I don’t like is that I now have to wait for the sequel to be out, but if that will be anything like Rosemarked, then it will be worth the wait.
I’ve been craving a sweeping YA fantasy story since the beginning of the year, and sadly before I read Rosemarked, I could not find it. Then came this brilliant book, which completely swept me off my feet and took me on an amazing journey. Engrossing stories like this are why I simply adore reading. By the end of Rosemarked, I was desperate for the sequel – I mean, isn’t that just a sign as to how amazing this book was?
In YA fantasy, I’ve always loved side-characters that are healers. It’s such an intriguing element, especially with the mirroring of reality, but healers are hardly ever the center of a fantasy series, so it was refreshing to see that here in Rosemarked. There’s a lot of rich history, world-building and politics in this book. The author does a stunning job at making her world come to life here with her prose. I sometimes find YA fantasy tedious to read because it can get very entangled quickly, but here everything flows smoothly, and I was able to pick up every detail. Then, there’s the plague itself, the rose plague, which is at the center of this story, and which felt a lot like a character. I thought it was absolutely terrifying, yet intriguing. There was lots to learn about this plague, and I liked how Livia Blackburne, only slowly revealed to us its true extent and secrets.
Of course, a YA fantasy can’t be a top read without a well-developed cast. In Rosemarked, we get the points of view of two lovable characters, Zivah and Dineas. As you can probably tell, I loved these two. Zivah with her huge heart, her generosity and her utmost love for her family and village stole my heart. She was a character who was incredibly easy to connect with. It broke my heart watching her go through the plague, and then having to upend her life to go serve the sick people of a neighboring city. What was empowering about Zivah was how she was muttered not a word of complaint as she went through hell and more. She has a secret weapon, her skills in making potions, that wield incredible power. We see immense growth in her character, and I’m excited to watch her grow into an even more powerful young woman.
Dineas was also a fantastic character here. This fighter’s abuse-riddled past just about shattered me, and I was incredibly nervous for his well-being as he volunteered to infiltrate the Army to spy on the secret-riddled Amparan empire. He does so with the help of Zivah’s potions that pushes him into an amnesiac state. His point of view was especially interesting to me because we essentially see two versions of him, the soldier with amnesia, and the real Dineas. It was fascinating, but simultaneously nerve-wracking that he had to put himself in this position. He did accept the position willingly, but it was still daunting, and emotionally-draining. As the spy, he was more flirty and charming. As the real Dineas, he was tougher and more guarded with his emotions. A subtle romance develops between the two, as they find comfort and companionship with each other in this otherwise harsh circumstance. As you can imagine, it has some of its complications, but it was still a satisfying romance.
You can probably tell that I loved pretty much every aspect of Rosemarked. The only thing I don’t like is that I now have to wait for the sequel to be out, but if that will be anything like Rosemarked, then it will be worth the wait.
June 14, 2018
update 6/14/18
have I mentioned that mehtap is my favorite character in this book and probably one of my favorite secondary characters of all time
no?
well let's establish that as a fact
AND NOW I GET TO READ UMBERTOUCHED OMGG
--
4.5
When I picked up this book, I thought it was going to be another cliche, poorly plotted fantasy novel with an unoriginal and badly written romance.
I was wrong.
So, so wrong.
I wasn't expecting what Rosemarked actually is: a political fantasy novel dealing with the ethics of healing, spying, tyranny, and radicalized patriotism with remarkable world-building, beautifully written and flawed characters, and a slow-burn romance that was enjoyable to read and didn't feel at all forced.
Zivah is a lot of what made this book for me. Her internal struggles dealing with her status of a healer and using that status and her medicines for harm were surprisingly poignant and very realistic. She is SO dynamic and her friendship with Mehtap is so sweet.
Dineas was a little bit of a brooder, but, unlike most "brooders," he definitely wasn't the typical deep angst love interest in most YA novels nowadays. He has PTSD and struggles a lot, but still is able to forge connections with people. I absolutely hate the "male love interest seems like a bad guy and he doesn't treat the main female character well but twist! he is a good person and a good guy" trope that seems so prevalent in YA fiction nowadays (it perpetuates rape culture and the 'not all men' movement, which makes me want to barf), and at first I thought that Dineas would fit that trope. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that he didn't. He is a well-rounded, fleshed out character who loves his family and friends. He is working hard to get back into the world after suffering for many years. I went from liking him to not being his biggest fan to liking him again. I look forward to see where his character goes next.
I am always a sucker for well-written YA fantasy, and this is the best one I've read since the False Prince trilogy. I am highly excited to see where this series goes.
have I mentioned that mehtap is my favorite character in this book and probably one of my favorite secondary characters of all time
no?
well let's establish that as a fact
AND NOW I GET TO READ UMBERTOUCHED OMGG
--
4.5
When I picked up this book, I thought it was going to be another cliche, poorly plotted fantasy novel with an unoriginal and badly written romance.
I was wrong.
So, so wrong.
I wasn't expecting what Rosemarked actually is: a political fantasy novel dealing with the ethics of healing, spying, tyranny, and radicalized patriotism with remarkable world-building, beautifully written and flawed characters, and a slow-burn romance that was enjoyable to read and didn't feel at all forced.
Zivah is a lot of what made this book for me. Her internal struggles dealing with her status of a healer and using that status and her medicines for harm were surprisingly poignant and very realistic. She is SO dynamic and her friendship with Mehtap is so sweet.
Dineas was a little bit of a brooder, but, unlike most "brooders," he definitely wasn't the typical deep angst love interest in most YA novels nowadays. He has PTSD and struggles a lot, but still is able to forge connections with people. I absolutely hate the "male love interest seems like a bad guy and he doesn't treat the main female character well but twist! he is a good person and a good guy" trope that seems so prevalent in YA fiction nowadays (it perpetuates rape culture and the 'not all men' movement, which makes me want to barf), and at first I thought that Dineas would fit that trope. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that he didn't. He is a well-rounded, fleshed out character who loves his family and friends. He is working hard to get back into the world after suffering for many years. I went from liking him to not being his biggest fan to liking him again. I look forward to see where his character goes next.
I am always a sucker for well-written YA fantasy, and this is the best one I've read since the False Prince trilogy. I am highly excited to see where this series goes.
November 26, 2017
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
In ROSEMARKED, the rose plague affects every part of the novel, from setting to characters. There are frank descriptions of everything, from infections to the remote, and desperate, lives of the infected. There is no magical cure and no kindness for those who are rosemarked. There’s a fantastic balance between exposition and description as each chapter examines Zivah and Dineas. However, the real gem of the novel is that, although there are only two main characters, there are three POVs as one of the characters goes undercover.
Zivah has trained to be a healer for most of her life. It’s her purpose and what she believes she was meant to do. When she contracts the rose plague and is left a carrier of the disease, she’s left without direction. Even though she joins the rebellion, Zivah remains the moral centre throughout the novel. She values her healing, her religion, and her country. Zivah is the embodiment of ‘do no harm’. Although there are times when her skills are almost too handy (knowing every venom or herb for any situation), it never feels like a deus ex machina.
Surprisingly, Dineas is the standout character of the book. Dineas is introduced as angry and tortured. His character grows throughout the novel as you experience two different men that Dineas can be: the fierce warrior who hates his enemies and the new soldier who is loyal to his friends. Betrayal is a constant part of spywork, it’s worse when you make friends along the way.
I wish there had been more breathing room near the end of the book. The middle of the novel lingers on the Zivah and Dineas’ learning and growth, but the last few chapters are a race to the finish line. Greater focus on Zivah’s friendships within the rosemarked village, would have added more emotion to the final stages of the book. With complex character and world building, ROSEMARKED never flinches from depicting the consequences of actions.
In ROSEMARKED, the rose plague affects every part of the novel, from setting to characters. There are frank descriptions of everything, from infections to the remote, and desperate, lives of the infected. There is no magical cure and no kindness for those who are rosemarked. There’s a fantastic balance between exposition and description as each chapter examines Zivah and Dineas. However, the real gem of the novel is that, although there are only two main characters, there are three POVs as one of the characters goes undercover.
Zivah has trained to be a healer for most of her life. It’s her purpose and what she believes she was meant to do. When she contracts the rose plague and is left a carrier of the disease, she’s left without direction. Even though she joins the rebellion, Zivah remains the moral centre throughout the novel. She values her healing, her religion, and her country. Zivah is the embodiment of ‘do no harm’. Although there are times when her skills are almost too handy (knowing every venom or herb for any situation), it never feels like a deus ex machina.
Surprisingly, Dineas is the standout character of the book. Dineas is introduced as angry and tortured. His character grows throughout the novel as you experience two different men that Dineas can be: the fierce warrior who hates his enemies and the new soldier who is loyal to his friends. Betrayal is a constant part of spywork, it’s worse when you make friends along the way.
I wish there had been more breathing room near the end of the book. The middle of the novel lingers on the Zivah and Dineas’ learning and growth, but the last few chapters are a race to the finish line. Greater focus on Zivah’s friendships within the rosemarked village, would have added more emotion to the final stages of the book. With complex character and world building, ROSEMARKED never flinches from depicting the consequences of actions.
October 17, 2017
Read an early version and, if I may I say so myself, this story is even more richly imagined than her last! The stakes are higher, the romance is more complicated. You're sure to love it!
June 19, 2017
I'll be honest. Most of the time when I get an ARC, I tend to lower my expectations. Most of the ARCs I get are first time authors and the writing and story isn't spectacular.
That was not the case with Rosemarked. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I thought the setting was original, the characters were intriguing, and the story was so...interesting. I couldn't keep it down because the dynamic between Zivah and Dineas AND Dineas was so gripping.
Really enjoyed this story. I hope that the second one comes out sooner rather than later.
That was not the case with Rosemarked. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I thought the setting was original, the characters were intriguing, and the story was so...interesting. I couldn't keep it down because the dynamic between Zivah and Dineas AND Dineas was so gripping.
Really enjoyed this story. I hope that the second one comes out sooner rather than later.
December 26, 2017
The use of memory loss in this book was really interesting as well as the depiction of someone with a chronic illness. The movement of the story other than the development of the characters was a bit slow, however, and this book was mostly setup for what is probably a trilogy.
November 14, 2022
3.5 Stars ✨
Slow to start but picked up around 50% ended up being a good read, curious to see where things go from here.
Slow to start but picked up around 50% ended up being a good read, curious to see where things go from here.
December 1, 2019
Overall: 4.5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Rosemarked is a fantastic YA fantasy for someone looking for political intrigue, a complex and fascinating world, and amazing characters.
“And I can’t help but think how easy it is for a thing of this world to be destroyed, and how quickly something beautiful can disappear."
Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter||Reviews
// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, War Themes, Illness, PTSD, Amnesia//
- Premise -
Rosemarked is told in dual-POV, following Zivah, a healer forced to live in isolation after falling ill to the rose plague and ending up rosemarked, and Dineas, a rebel warrior desperate to free his tribe from the Amparan Empire. Together, the two embark on a mission to gather information on the Amparan Empire.
- Setting -
This fantasy world is beautifully crafted. It has no magic or paranormal aspects, but instead is focused heavily on politics and war. The healing in this book was the closest to magic there is. It was fascinating to read about, and very well developed.
"To take on an empire, you must have nothing to lose."
- Writing -
I haven't read any of Livia Blackburne's books before this one, but I'm thinking of giving them a try. This book was well written. The writing style was easy to understand and jump in to, but still elegant and beautiful.
- Plot-
The plot is the only area of this book I didn't love. Mostly, it's slow. There's some action in the beginning, and action at the end, but the middle is focused more on political maneuvering, spying, and character development. That said- it is still absolutely amazing if you're willing to push through. It discusses a lot of heavier themes-- PTSD, ethics in war, etc-- and handles them beautifully.
“It was indeed like being alive again, the heady illusion of possibility and hope. My only regret is that such a thing could never last.”
- Characters -
The characters in this book really stand out. Zivah is an amazing protagonist. I loved seeing her wrestle with her beliefs as a healer while also trying to help Dineas and fight against the Empire in her own way. Dineas is definitely a complex character. He is willing to sacrifice everything to protect those he loves, even his sense of self. Their relationship was absolutely beautiful. It was definitely a slow-burn, and very subtle in comparison to your typical YA novel, but I adored it. It takes a back seat to the rest of the plot, but the scenes between the two characters, and their dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the book. Also, there is some LGBT rep (YAY), and adorable animal sidekicks that I really wished I could have. Nothing is better than a pet snake, or highly trained crows.
- Conclusion -
Pros- Amazing and complex characters, deep themes, fascinating world.
Cons- Very slow
Overall- 4.5/5 stars.
Rosemarked is the type of book you love more and more every time you look back on it. If you're willing to dedicate yourself to this story, you will fall in love with every page.
Characters: 5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Plot and Themes: 3/5
Awesomeness Factor: 4.5/5
Review in a Nutshell: Rosemarked is a fantastic YA fantasy for someone looking for political intrigue, a complex and fascinating world, and amazing characters.
“And I can’t help but think how easy it is for a thing of this world to be destroyed, and how quickly something beautiful can disappear."
Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter||Reviews
// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Assault, War Themes, Illness, PTSD, Amnesia//
- Premise -
Rosemarked is told in dual-POV, following Zivah, a healer forced to live in isolation after falling ill to the rose plague and ending up rosemarked, and Dineas, a rebel warrior desperate to free his tribe from the Amparan Empire. Together, the two embark on a mission to gather information on the Amparan Empire.
- Setting -
This fantasy world is beautifully crafted. It has no magic or paranormal aspects, but instead is focused heavily on politics and war. The healing in this book was the closest to magic there is. It was fascinating to read about, and very well developed.
"To take on an empire, you must have nothing to lose."
- Writing -
I haven't read any of Livia Blackburne's books before this one, but I'm thinking of giving them a try. This book was well written. The writing style was easy to understand and jump in to, but still elegant and beautiful.
- Plot-
The plot is the only area of this book I didn't love. Mostly, it's slow. There's some action in the beginning, and action at the end, but the middle is focused more on political maneuvering, spying, and character development. That said- it is still absolutely amazing if you're willing to push through. It discusses a lot of heavier themes-- PTSD, ethics in war, etc-- and handles them beautifully.
“It was indeed like being alive again, the heady illusion of possibility and hope. My only regret is that such a thing could never last.”
- Characters -
The characters in this book really stand out. Zivah is an amazing protagonist. I loved seeing her wrestle with her beliefs as a healer while also trying to help Dineas and fight against the Empire in her own way. Dineas is definitely a complex character. He is willing to sacrifice everything to protect those he loves, even his sense of self. Their relationship was absolutely beautiful. It was definitely a slow-burn, and very subtle in comparison to your typical YA novel, but I adored it. It takes a back seat to the rest of the plot, but the scenes between the two characters, and their dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the book. Also, there is some LGBT rep (YAY), and adorable animal sidekicks that I really wished I could have. Nothing is better than a pet snake, or highly trained crows.
- Conclusion -
Pros- Amazing and complex characters, deep themes, fascinating world.
Cons- Very slow
Overall- 4.5/5 stars.
Rosemarked is the type of book you love more and more every time you look back on it. If you're willing to dedicate yourself to this story, you will fall in love with every page.
April 29, 2018
It's just the two of us this time; the rosemarked healer and the soldier with no fear of her disease. Together, somehow, we are to steal Ampara's secrets
* * * *
4 / 5
Soft and almost melodic, Rosemarked is a lengthy, slow-burn YA fantasy novel. We follow two lovely characters: Zivah, a gentle healer who loves her people but must be quarantined due to a plague, and Dineas, a young warrior who serves his people, the Shidadi, in resisting the onslaught of the Empire. Rosemarked wasn't the most fast-paced, exciting, or even believable book I've read recently, but it was fun and enjoyable and eloquently written and made me feel things, which was all just what I needed.
"We are never really orphans in this tribe," he says. "Shidadi blood runs deep"
The Amparan Empire has been expanding for many years, turning it's greedy eyes to country after country. Dineas' people, the Shidadi tribes, are fighting back, leading resistance parties and shooting the soldiers of the Empire on sight. Zivah's people, the Dara, are quiet village dwellers who have surrendered to the rule of the Empire. Zivah has just passed her trials to become a well-respected healer when soldiers stationed in her village are infected with the Rosemarked plague: most die, and those who do not bear the angry red marks of the disease, a warning that they will become sick and die in a number of sparse years. A very lucky few are Umbertouched: they recover fully from the plague and are now immune.
Dineas is Umbertouched whilst Zarah becomes Rosemarked and quarantined from the rest of her village. She is just becoming accustomed to her solitary life when Dineas crashes into her life, bringing with him a plot to infiltrate the Amparan Empire. This is where the plot requires a bit of suspended disbelief: Zivah uses her skills as a healer to wipe Dineas' memory, able to restore it with just a few herbs when convenient, so that he might join the army and gain secret knowledge without being aware that he is a spy and so arousing less suspicion. It did strike me as a bit ridiculous and farfetched, but also led itself to some fairly humorous scenes involving the "other, memory-less Dineas".
"I'm sorry," Zivah says softly. "Sorry?" Sorry is a word for a stubbed toe, a keepsake gone missing. Not the betrayal of your soul
I loved the slow burn and the sweetness of Dineas and Zivah's interactions; at first they are hostile, she thinks he's a blood-seeking warrior who thinks only of vengeance, he thinks she's a peace-loving delusional woman whose people are cowards. But they put this aside for the sake of their families and learn to trust each other. I also empathised with Zivah and her quest to reinterpret herself: she devoted herself to becoming a healer and just when it became possible, her future was torn away from her by a plague.
Perhaps there could have been a little more action, a few more heart-pounding moments or clever twists of intrigue, but Rosemarked is solidly enjoyable and I look forward to reading the second book in this duology.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* * * *
4 / 5
Soft and almost melodic, Rosemarked is a lengthy, slow-burn YA fantasy novel. We follow two lovely characters: Zivah, a gentle healer who loves her people but must be quarantined due to a plague, and Dineas, a young warrior who serves his people, the Shidadi, in resisting the onslaught of the Empire. Rosemarked wasn't the most fast-paced, exciting, or even believable book I've read recently, but it was fun and enjoyable and eloquently written and made me feel things, which was all just what I needed.
"We are never really orphans in this tribe," he says. "Shidadi blood runs deep"
The Amparan Empire has been expanding for many years, turning it's greedy eyes to country after country. Dineas' people, the Shidadi tribes, are fighting back, leading resistance parties and shooting the soldiers of the Empire on sight. Zivah's people, the Dara, are quiet village dwellers who have surrendered to the rule of the Empire. Zivah has just passed her trials to become a well-respected healer when soldiers stationed in her village are infected with the Rosemarked plague: most die, and those who do not bear the angry red marks of the disease, a warning that they will become sick and die in a number of sparse years. A very lucky few are Umbertouched: they recover fully from the plague and are now immune.
Dineas is Umbertouched whilst Zarah becomes Rosemarked and quarantined from the rest of her village. She is just becoming accustomed to her solitary life when Dineas crashes into her life, bringing with him a plot to infiltrate the Amparan Empire. This is where the plot requires a bit of suspended disbelief: Zivah uses her skills as a healer to wipe Dineas' memory, able to restore it with just a few herbs when convenient, so that he might join the army and gain secret knowledge without being aware that he is a spy and so arousing less suspicion. It did strike me as a bit ridiculous and farfetched, but also led itself to some fairly humorous scenes involving the "other, memory-less Dineas".
"I'm sorry," Zivah says softly. "Sorry?" Sorry is a word for a stubbed toe, a keepsake gone missing. Not the betrayal of your soul
I loved the slow burn and the sweetness of Dineas and Zivah's interactions; at first they are hostile, she thinks he's a blood-seeking warrior who thinks only of vengeance, he thinks she's a peace-loving delusional woman whose people are cowards. But they put this aside for the sake of their families and learn to trust each other. I also empathised with Zivah and her quest to reinterpret herself: she devoted herself to becoming a healer and just when it became possible, her future was torn away from her by a plague.
Perhaps there could have been a little more action, a few more heart-pounding moments or clever twists of intrigue, but Rosemarked is solidly enjoyable and I look forward to reading the second book in this duology.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
May 13, 2019
4
I didn't like it as much the second time around, so I'm dropping it to 4 stars.
Rosemarked was definitely a unique and fascinating story. I don't think I'd read a fantasy in which biological weapons were used before.
The book was split into two POVs, Zivah a healer who falls victim to a plague and has very little to lose. And Dineas a rebel who escaped certain death and who will do whatever it takes to bring the enemy down. They compliment each other very well and their relationship develops slowly and thankfully, doesn't take over the story.
It was certainly fascinating to read Sivah, who swore an oath to never harm with her medical knowledge, fighting. In a way, she's so much more dangerous than Dineas, as she employes mind controlling herbs, poisons, and dangerous reptiles, and herself - as she is an infectious plague carrier. Meanwhile, Dineas is just fighting with a sword and knife, boring! Overall, I found Dineas' point of view really boring. Plus, I found the whole forgetting and remembering aspect kind of hard to believe, so it drew me out of the story.
The novel itself is fairly fast paced and overall, enjoyable and interesting to read. There was a little something missing, but I'm not sure what it is. Overall, I recommend it.
I didn't like it as much the second time around, so I'm dropping it to 4 stars.
Rosemarked was definitely a unique and fascinating story. I don't think I'd read a fantasy in which biological weapons were used before.
The book was split into two POVs, Zivah a healer who falls victim to a plague and has very little to lose. And Dineas a rebel who escaped certain death and who will do whatever it takes to bring the enemy down. They compliment each other very well and their relationship develops slowly and thankfully, doesn't take over the story.
It was certainly fascinating to read Sivah, who swore an oath to never harm with her medical knowledge, fighting. In a way, she's so much more dangerous than Dineas, as she employes mind controlling herbs, poisons, and dangerous reptiles, and herself - as she is an infectious plague carrier. Meanwhile, Dineas is just fighting with a sword and knife, boring! Overall, I found Dineas' point of view really boring. Plus, I found the whole forgetting and remembering aspect kind of hard to believe, so it drew me out of the story.
The novel itself is fairly fast paced and overall, enjoyable and interesting to read. There was a little something missing, but I'm not sure what it is. Overall, I recommend it.
November 15, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars!
Same Review Also Posted In My Blog: Dreamy Addictions
I loved Livia Blackburne’s debut novel Midnight Thief and this is my second book by her. I’ve been sitting on the fence whether to read this book or not but after hearing so many great things about It, I finally decided to give it a shot. After finishing the book, I had hard time rating it because I was torn between 3.5 and 4 stars, but after some thought I gave it a 3.5. This book was really an enjoyable fantasy read that has an engaging plot, but to be honest it didn’t excite me as much as I thought it would. There wasn’t much action in the book and there are no magical elements. It’s a political fantasy novel set in a medieval world. The whole plot felt like another typical fantasy novel but the main characters are pretty much interesting though. I really loved Zivah and Dineas. They’re definitely the best part of this book.
Seventeen year Old Zivah always wanted to become a High Healer. After lots of hard struggle, She finally earns it but unfortunately, she soon falls prey to the dangerous rose plague after taking care of the plagued Amparan Soldiers. No one has found the cure for the plague yet and they don’t know how it spreads. Although Zivah survived the Plague fever, she’s rosemarked and she knows death is imminent for her because when the fever attacks her once again she won’t survive it. To keep her family safe from her, She lives in isolation and does experiments on herself to find the cure but nothing seems to work. When she learns about the threat to her village from the Amparan empire, she agrees to help her people by going to the capital where she would get the opportunity to study about the advanced healing methods. Dineas is a rebel warrior of the Shidadi Tribe who has been brutally tortured by the Amparan’s and left for dead. Luckily he has escaped and finally re-united with his tribe but the torture has left him broken. He vows to take revenge by bringing down the Amparan Empire. Zivah and Dineas are pretty much opposite to each other but in order to save their loved ones, they agree to go on a dangerous spy mission that could kill them both.
Zivah is a pretty likable character! She’s strong, smart, brave, caring and very determined. She might be a healer but don’t think of her as a soft character. She raises some dangerous pets that could kill anyone in minutes. She owns poisonous snakes, deadly spiders and Scorpions. She could take down anyone easily with her poisonous pet snake named Diadem who obediently listens to her every command. That’s totally badass btw. Dineas is a bit complex character. The torture by the Amparans has turned him bitter. I really loved the two sides of him where one is sweet, the other one is cold. I wish I could tell you guys more about his character but it’s a minor spoiler. OMG, I almost forgot to mention Dineas’s three crows who acts as messengers in this book. Among the three, Slicewing is my favorite. I don’t know how they could understand everything but their actions seemed so adorable. There is a light slow burn romance in this book. It felt like a triangle to me but it’s definitely not a triangle. You will get it after reading this book. The secondary characters are good but they’re not interesting enough to mention.
The plot was interesting and engaging! Although it seems unoriginal, it has an interesting storyline. I really enjoyed it but, I still had some issues with it. Due to the lack of action in the first half, the story felt a bit slow for me. There are not many twists in the book which made it less suspenseful. And also It would’ve been great if the author has provided more back story about The Amparans, The Shidadi Tribe, and the Rose plague. I enjoyed the author’s compelling writing style and I loved the dual POV[first-person]. There’s not much world building in this book but It’s satisfying enough. I really hope we get to explore more of this world in the next book.
Overall, I really liked it! Despite issues, I enjoyed the story! It was really an entertaining YA fantasy read with dynamic characters, and interesting plot. I’ll definitely look forward to the next book.
Same Review Also Posted In My Blog: Dreamy Addictions
I loved Livia Blackburne’s debut novel Midnight Thief and this is my second book by her. I’ve been sitting on the fence whether to read this book or not but after hearing so many great things about It, I finally decided to give it a shot. After finishing the book, I had hard time rating it because I was torn between 3.5 and 4 stars, but after some thought I gave it a 3.5. This book was really an enjoyable fantasy read that has an engaging plot, but to be honest it didn’t excite me as much as I thought it would. There wasn’t much action in the book and there are no magical elements. It’s a political fantasy novel set in a medieval world. The whole plot felt like another typical fantasy novel but the main characters are pretty much interesting though. I really loved Zivah and Dineas. They’re definitely the best part of this book.
Seventeen year Old Zivah always wanted to become a High Healer. After lots of hard struggle, She finally earns it but unfortunately, she soon falls prey to the dangerous rose plague after taking care of the plagued Amparan Soldiers. No one has found the cure for the plague yet and they don’t know how it spreads. Although Zivah survived the Plague fever, she’s rosemarked and she knows death is imminent for her because when the fever attacks her once again she won’t survive it. To keep her family safe from her, She lives in isolation and does experiments on herself to find the cure but nothing seems to work. When she learns about the threat to her village from the Amparan empire, she agrees to help her people by going to the capital where she would get the opportunity to study about the advanced healing methods. Dineas is a rebel warrior of the Shidadi Tribe who has been brutally tortured by the Amparan’s and left for dead. Luckily he has escaped and finally re-united with his tribe but the torture has left him broken. He vows to take revenge by bringing down the Amparan Empire. Zivah and Dineas are pretty much opposite to each other but in order to save their loved ones, they agree to go on a dangerous spy mission that could kill them both.
Zivah is a pretty likable character! She’s strong, smart, brave, caring and very determined. She might be a healer but don’t think of her as a soft character. She raises some dangerous pets that could kill anyone in minutes. She owns poisonous snakes, deadly spiders and Scorpions. She could take down anyone easily with her poisonous pet snake named Diadem who obediently listens to her every command. That’s totally badass btw. Dineas is a bit complex character. The torture by the Amparans has turned him bitter. I really loved the two sides of him where one is sweet, the other one is cold. I wish I could tell you guys more about his character but it’s a minor spoiler. OMG, I almost forgot to mention Dineas’s three crows who acts as messengers in this book. Among the three, Slicewing is my favorite. I don’t know how they could understand everything but their actions seemed so adorable. There is a light slow burn romance in this book. It felt like a triangle to me but it’s definitely not a triangle. You will get it after reading this book. The secondary characters are good but they’re not interesting enough to mention.
The plot was interesting and engaging! Although it seems unoriginal, it has an interesting storyline. I really enjoyed it but, I still had some issues with it. Due to the lack of action in the first half, the story felt a bit slow for me. There are not many twists in the book which made it less suspenseful. And also It would’ve been great if the author has provided more back story about The Amparans, The Shidadi Tribe, and the Rose plague. I enjoyed the author’s compelling writing style and I loved the dual POV[first-person]. There’s not much world building in this book but It’s satisfying enough. I really hope we get to explore more of this world in the next book.
Overall, I really liked it! Despite issues, I enjoyed the story! It was really an entertaining YA fantasy read with dynamic characters, and interesting plot. I’ll definitely look forward to the next book.
August 23, 2017
Rosemarked will take you on one plague ridden adventure that you won't soon forget. Livia Blackburne knows how to write a beautiful story filled with death and despair that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Rosemarked... oh how I love your title and your cover. Rosemarked comes from the rose plague which infects the people of Zivah and Dineas' time. When one becomes ill with the rose plague, they develop your typical symptoms of fever and delusions, but they also develop rose colored splotches all over their skin. For the fortunate, they break out of the clutches of the plague but remain rosemarked. They retain the red splotches on their skin, are carriers to the disease, and will one day succumb to the fever and illness which will claim their life. The very fortunate not only persevere, but they will also come out on the other end with their splotches turned brown, and their body fully immune to the rose plague. Those lucky enough to escape the clutches of death are called the umbertouched.
The book starts off with us following Zivah as she goes through her trials of becoming a healer. However, shortly after passing the trials, the capital's guard who have been stationed in her area, are showing signs of the rose plague. It's Zivah's duty to care for those in need and she sets forth to do all that she can to either cure these men, or at least give them some peace for their last days on earth. Sadly, Zivah becomes infected and ends up rosemarked. No longer able to do what she's trained all her life to do, she is sort of excommunicated to live her remaining days outside the village. Except until a rebel leader shows up and joins forces with her village's leader. Soon Zivah is put on a massive mission. She's to accompany an umbertouched rebel soldier into the heart of the capital while posing as a rosemarked healer to their rose plagued citizens. Not only will her purpose help unravel what the capital is up to, but she may also gleam some knowledge into not only curing those with the rose plague, but hopefully saving herself in the process.
The romance that is mentioned is a really weird one... but in a good way. Dineas drinks a potion that makes him lose his memories, thus allowing him to blend in with the enemy without sticking out. When he's under the potion, he develops feeling for Zivah and she for him. However, every time Dineas comes back to himself (in order to report back to his rebel leader) he not only has all the memories about what he's done since he last "resurfaced" but he also feels his conflicting feelings during that time frame as well. That disconnect between the two Dineas' was so complex and well written that he felt like two completely separate characters. It's amazing the kind of person Dineas would have turned into if he hadn't been hardened by war.
Okay, that's all I'm giving you guys. I don't want to go too far into it and give away the awesomeness that is this book. It was nothing like I thought it would be. We got to follow both Zivah and Dineas during their mission and it was so hard watching them both struggle with their task. Zivah is a healer and yet she comes across some brutal decisions to make that goes against all she believes in. Not to mention, Dineas is fighting with and for the men who tortured him not that long ago for about a year straight. So, needless to say, he's disgusted with himself every time the potion wears off and he remembers all the things he's done and felt while in his other state. Both of their conflicting emotions is felt through the pages and I found myself holding my breath and wishing that they didn't have to make certain choices when the time came.
Rosemarked... oh how I love your title and your cover. Rosemarked comes from the rose plague which infects the people of Zivah and Dineas' time. When one becomes ill with the rose plague, they develop your typical symptoms of fever and delusions, but they also develop rose colored splotches all over their skin. For the fortunate, they break out of the clutches of the plague but remain rosemarked. They retain the red splotches on their skin, are carriers to the disease, and will one day succumb to the fever and illness which will claim their life. The very fortunate not only persevere, but they will also come out on the other end with their splotches turned brown, and their body fully immune to the rose plague. Those lucky enough to escape the clutches of death are called the umbertouched.
The book starts off with us following Zivah as she goes through her trials of becoming a healer. However, shortly after passing the trials, the capital's guard who have been stationed in her area, are showing signs of the rose plague. It's Zivah's duty to care for those in need and she sets forth to do all that she can to either cure these men, or at least give them some peace for their last days on earth. Sadly, Zivah becomes infected and ends up rosemarked. No longer able to do what she's trained all her life to do, she is sort of excommunicated to live her remaining days outside the village. Except until a rebel leader shows up and joins forces with her village's leader. Soon Zivah is put on a massive mission. She's to accompany an umbertouched rebel soldier into the heart of the capital while posing as a rosemarked healer to their rose plagued citizens. Not only will her purpose help unravel what the capital is up to, but she may also gleam some knowledge into not only curing those with the rose plague, but hopefully saving herself in the process.
The romance that is mentioned is a really weird one... but in a good way. Dineas drinks a potion that makes him lose his memories, thus allowing him to blend in with the enemy without sticking out. When he's under the potion, he develops feeling for Zivah and she for him. However, every time Dineas comes back to himself (in order to report back to his rebel leader) he not only has all the memories about what he's done since he last "resurfaced" but he also feels his conflicting feelings during that time frame as well. That disconnect between the two Dineas' was so complex and well written that he felt like two completely separate characters. It's amazing the kind of person Dineas would have turned into if he hadn't been hardened by war.
Okay, that's all I'm giving you guys. I don't want to go too far into it and give away the awesomeness that is this book. It was nothing like I thought it would be. We got to follow both Zivah and Dineas during their mission and it was so hard watching them both struggle with their task. Zivah is a healer and yet she comes across some brutal decisions to make that goes against all she believes in. Not to mention, Dineas is fighting with and for the men who tortured him not that long ago for about a year straight. So, needless to say, he's disgusted with himself every time the potion wears off and he remembers all the things he's done and felt while in his other state. Both of their conflicting emotions is felt through the pages and I found myself holding my breath and wishing that they didn't have to make certain choices when the time came.
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