Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Arden is barred from society by a defect of blood. Though her family is part of the Luminate, powerful users of magic, she is Barren, unable to perform the simplest spells. Anna would do anything to belong. But her fate takes another course when, after inadvertently breaking her sister’s debutante spell—an important chance for a highborn young woman to show her prowess with magic—Anna finds herself exiled to her family’s once powerful but now crumbling native Hungary.

Her life might well be over.

In Hungary, Anna discovers that nothing is quite as it seems. Not the people around her, from her aloof cousin Noémi to the fierce and handsome Romani Gábor. Not the society she’s known all her life, for discontent with the Luminate is sweeping the land. And not her lack of magic. Isolated from the only world she cares about, Anna still can’t seem to stop herself from breaking spells.

As rebellion spreads across the region, Anna’s unique ability becomes the catalyst everyone is seeking. In the company of nobles, revolutionaries, and Romanies, Anna must choose: deny her unique power and cling to the life she’s always wanted, or embrace her ability and change that world forever.

My review: 4.75 out of 5 stars

The thing I love most about this book is that it's unique. Most books that I've read are normally the person-with-powers-is-the-outcast. Don't get me wrong, I love those types of books, but Blood Rose Rebellion offers something different. The person without powers is the outcast. I think this is totally knew and totally cool. AND because all the people in power have magic the author takes real history events and reshapes them to encompass magic!

The book is filled with romance (something I can't live without in a book) but oddly enough the romance was where it slightly fell short. Emphasis on slightly. The MC in this book, Anna, was wildly boy crazy (I admit I am to) but I think it went overboard a bit. Before even a third of the book she had kissed three different guys! True two of them weren't of her choosing and she pushed them away so it wasnt really her fault. Plus the first guy that she thought she was in love with made her out to be such an idiot. She would literally do whatever he asked of her. Of course I think this was all part of her character growth because she goes from loving someone who society thinks is appropriate to caring for someone out of her own heart. I can't fault it for that. My main issue was how cliche it was. I personally love cliche and I would have loved this romantic plot but with the rest of the plot being so new and refreshing I feel the romantic aspect should have been as well. (I still loved it. I'm to much of a sucker for these types of romantic plots not to.)

Keeping on the theme of romance... The romantic plot with her cousin?!?! I've read a number of reviews that totally hate it but I loved it! We don't typically marry people we are related to but back in that time period it wasn't uncommon for cousins to get married. If anyone's ever read or seen The Secret Garden the movie ends (spoiler) with Colin and Marry (cousins) getting married. So it's not that weird at all. Especially if you take a deeper look at the character reactions. The MC doesn't go 'gross, you're my cousin' when he kisses her she pushes him away because she just ended a really heartbreaking romance.  I think the author made a brilliant choice to add this in. I've never read a book with that aspect incorporated.

One last thing, I absolutely adored the MC's inability to make choices. I think a problem I have with some books is that the MC's don't take time to ponder what it is they're doing. Weighing the pro's and con's. Anna takes time to think over her decision. True she changes her mind (A LOT) but it's because she's gaining new information. She's actually taking time to ponder whats right and whats wrong. And to top it off, there is actually consequences for whichever one she chooses! I don't know about you but I think that's totally not cliche.

So despite the cliche romance the rest of the book is completely fresh and original. I think this is defiantly a must read and I would highly recommend it.   

I'm going to start using my own pictures of the books I read in posts. Hope you like them!