Weekend Reads: Blood Rose Rebellion (Lauricia)

 I have a huge reading problem this time of year – I don't do a lot of reading for fun. I'm usually hip-deep in analytically reading a classic or two for one of the classes I'm teaching. On top of that, I like to help judge a few novel competitions, and I can't really talk about the stories I'm judging because of non-disclosure agreements. It's a happy problem, really, but sometimes it makes it difficult to find books to recommend. It's times like this when I reach into the past, to a time before I blogged for Lands Uncharted, looking for books I've read but haven't recommended yet on this blog. With that in mind, my recommendation for you this weekend is one such novel: The Blood Rose Rebellion (Blood Rose Rebellion, Book One) by Rosalyn Eves. [A third round of research revealed that I did, in fact, mention this book as part of a post in 2019, but that was forever ago in terms of internet time, and this book deserves it's own blog post, so here you go.]

Anna Arden has a problem: she's magic-less in a world where social rank is determined by magical ability. More than that, she's known for the uncanny way spells go wrong when she's around. After this ability ruins the social debut of Anna's sister, their mother sends Anna away, hiding her in Hungary until her sister is safely married. But there's more to Anna's lack of magic than anyone in her family could understand. So much more that Anna gets caught up in a rebellion set to change her world forever.

Set in Victorian England, Blood Rose Rebellion is an alternate history fantasy filled with the nuances and social critique of a Jane Austen novel. I enjoyed it for its detailed world building and realistic character development. Anna is easy to relate to and to identify with, as are the major support characters, and the decisions she makes, as well as the twists in the plot, are believable and satisfying. Blood Rose Rebellion is a great read for fans of Pride and Prejudice and Les Miserables, as well as those who would enjoy Victorian England with a magical flare.

I hope you enjoy this story. If you read it, I'd love to know what you think. Tell me your thoughts below.

Until next time, happy reading!