Book Review: Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

#1 in the Rosemarked series
Pages: 400
Released: November 11, 2017
Publisher: Disney
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

I really wasn't planning on reading this book either, but this is twice now that Disney has sent me a book I didn't plan on reading and I ended up enjoying it a whole lot. So, points to you, Disney.

The thing is, while the plot sounds right up my alley (fantasy, conspiracy, hate-turned-love romance, war, spies, etc.), Livia Blackburne's books and I have a love-hate relationship. I adored her short story Poison Dance, and I was so excited to read the series it was setting up, but when it came to the actual novel I couldn't even finish it. It felt like it was written by a completely different author. I figured the short story was a fluke and I pretty much wrote off anything else she wrote. Which is why I hadn't even bothered considering Rosemarked.

And, to be honest, it was all smooth sailing. There was this distance with the characters that made their narrative voices feel muffled and monotone. Sure, there was emotion, but it felt dull and muted like it was underwater. Had the book not been so long, giving me enough time to really get to know them better and become invested in their stories, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

But, the book is long, and so we got to spend a lot of time together. The chapters alternate between Zivah and Dineas's narrative focus and that switching combined with fairly short chapters and a slow-burn plot kept me engaged. Their voices were distinct enough, though I appreciated the chapter headings indicating who was speaking. By about halfway through I solidly cared about them and that feeling only grew as I read more.

As the plot progresses the emotions run deeper and deeper and I found myself invested not just in the characters and the story, but also in the idea. I know that doesn't make much sense, but there's an almost philosophical conundrum the characters experience that made me wish I was reading this with a book club so we could discuss all the angles and ramifications. 

The plot and world building are intriguing and I enjoyed reading about them in their own right. The crows, snake, and disease were interesting and well thought-out. I could wish for a little more depth to the empire/conquered peoples, but maybe that will unfold more in the sequel.

I was disappointed when the book ended because even though it was long, I wanted to keep reading. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one.

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DNF Explanation: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Read: 123 of 368
Received: ARC from publisher, via NetGalley
Released: July 8, 2014
Goodreads

What can I say about Midnight Thief that hasn't already been said in pretty much every review I've already read for this book?

Not much. For once, my opinion seems to align with the norm. Hooray! It's nice to be able to join the popular crowd's table once in a while.

I just wish that didn't mean I ended up disliking the book. Because, oh boy, I did NOT like this book.

So, echoing practically everyone, I loved the set up—assassins, thieves, magic, hate-turned-love—basically all the ingredients of a perfect book. And, after reading the prequel novella and loving it, I figured it was a pretty safe bet I'd love Midnight Thief to pieces.

Wrong, wrong, oh so wrong. Sure the ingredients are great, but you can't make a great cake with expired and low-grade ingredients.

(Though, I was just recently fed a sweet potato casserole that was made, unbeknownst to me until AFTER I had consumed a far-too-large portion, with milk that had expired a month ago and miraculously was not spoiled. It was actually the best sweet potato casserole I've had, so I dodged food poisoning and came out ahead, which is completely undermining my analogy here. But, anyway.)

Or, in the case of a book, you can't make a good story with mediocre world building, hollow cliches, weak writing, and (the gravest sin of all) bland, stupid characters.

The final straw for me was when orphan-helping thief (yet righteously pure, can you tell she irritated me?) Kyra joins the assassins' guild because she'll get paid a lot but then rants and gripes about how killing is wrong and all the members of the assassins' guild are evil meanies. Please, I'm picking up a book about thieves and assassins because I want them to be badass thieves and assassins. I don't want Sister Superior (irrationally and hypocritically) raining on my parade for 368 pages.

(So, no, unlike old milk, apparently, there is no hope for books with rotten ingredients.)

There's apparently a twist at around the 3/4 mark that redeems things (to a point, so I hear), but I couldn't bring myself to push through to that point. I DNF-ed a third of the way in and although I keep getting lured in by the siren song of that premise, I'm quickly reminded of all the reasons why I DNF-ed in the first place and the urge to pick it up again is squelched. WANTING this book to be something more than it is just doesn't make it so.

Bottom line

If I were (a lot) younger and hadn't had my expectations bar set super high by the awesome novella, I might have actually liked Midnight Thief. Maybe. At least, more than I did. I probably would have at least finished it.

As it is, nope. Go back to the drawing board, clean up the writing issues, flesh out the world, and develop those characters! Midnight Thief could have been so much more.  

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Mini Review: Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne

#0.5 in the Midnight Thief series
Publisher: Lion's Quill Press
Pages: 47
Received: review copy from author
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Mini Review

Poison Dance is a novella, and it's a short novella (unlike Bourne), so there's only so much going on.

That said, there's A LOT going on in Poison Dance.

- There's a dancing girl with a secret past and a secret assassination mark for a secret reason

- There's a dead assassins' guild leader and the fallout that brings

- There's a budding romance

- And the world building! I'm gobsmacked by how clear a picture I already have of this world, and how many layers I want to unfold to learn more about it

Then there's the characterization, which is fabulous and deep and detailed. (New book boyfriend? OH YES). Especially when considering the large cast size and how few pages Livia Blackburne had to develop them in.

Bottom line

If this is what Livia Blackburne can do with 47 pages, I cannot wait to see what she does with Midnight Thief. I was already highly, highly anticipating that book (thieves, assassins, vengeance, enemies working together and maybe falling in love), but now that I've read Poison Dance, wow, Midnight Thief is now one of my top most coveted books releasing in 2014!

FYI, Midnight Thief will be published by Disney, so I'm guessing it'll have an appropriately Disney rating. Poison Dance is NOT a Disney rating kinda book. While it's not outright graphic, it's more along the lines of Maria V. Snyder, Robin LaFever's content. So, YA appropriate, but upper YA.

On a totally unrelated note, I love the author's posts on learning how to write in a male voice (brilliantly titled Operation Chest Hair!)

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Poison Dance that I haven't addressed?
Feel free to ask in the comments!

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