ROSEBLOOD is, for lack of a better word, a bit weird. Billed as a young adult retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, it reads more like a sequel to its inspiration, rather than a retelling. Dark and mysterious, ROSEBLOOD has a lot going for it, but it just didn't live up to what I felt it could have been.

One thing that is important to me when I read is the cast of characters of the book. Unfortunately, the characters of ROSEBLOOD never felt more than one-dimensional, and all could easily fit into a nice little box - none were very complex, save one adult who mostly just went from heartbroken to scary.

The magic in ROSEBLOOD felt almost like an afterthought, like halfway through the book the author decided they needed a reason for something and added it in. What I felt was "the big reveal" was casually remarked upon and then not explored much further.

As the original phantom is a character in ROSEBLOOD, but the main characters are two teenagers, like I mentioned, it reads more like a continuation of the original Phantom of the Opera story, which could have been quite cool, but ended up failing in a few major ways. The ideas were creative, and the story well written, but the characters fell flat and the mythology just wasn't developed enough. If you liked the original Phantom of the Opera, you might like ROSEBLOOD out of curiosity, but I wouldn't recommend it for everybody.

Roseblood is the first book I've read by author A.G. Howard, though I've had her Splintered series on my TBR for way too long. I was super excited when a copy of Roseblood showed up on my doorstep one afternoon, and I absolutely couldn't wait to get started on the story. That cover, it's almost too gorgeous to resist! I'm thrilled to have finally read something by A.G. Howard.

The storyline for the book is based around The Phantom of the Opera, which I ashamedly know next to nothing about. (When I say next to nothing, I seriously mean next to nothing. Sigh.) This book definitely left me curious to know more about the original though, and one day I'll have to make sure to check it out. While the book is a modern retelling, it also has an interesting paranormal twist to it that I really didn't expect, but found rather interesting. I also liked that this was a standalone novel, and everything wrapped up rather nicely in the end.

There are a lot of fascinating characters in the story, including the two main characters, Rune and Thorne, who both have had great sadness in their pasts. I was curious to discover how the bond between them came about, and why it was already so strong when they finally meet in person. It's a pretty interesting story! There were a lot of great secondary characters in the story as well, some I wish we could have read more about, like all of Rune's friends, for instance. They were seriously the best!

Overall; Roseblood was definitely an interesting story! And now that I've finally reading something by Howard, I'm totally curious to read more! I'm hoping to start the Splintered series, hopefully soon. Check these books out for yourself!

Happy Reading!

Rune’s mother has decided to send her to a special boarding school to develop her beautiful voice. Rune, however, is terrified at the talent she views as a curse. Compelled to sing, Rune is convinced her voice has the power to drain the lives of others, including her beloved deceased father. When Rune encounters a strange masked man who wants to help her conquer her voice, the legend of the Phantom that haunts the school becomes more than fiction. A great update on the Phantom of the Opera, couldn’t put this one down. Just the right amount of horror/romance/mystery.

Pub Date Jan 2017

A Phantom of the Opera retelling? *grabby hands* I went crazy for this book’s cover and then the synopsis! I was all for it, you guys! But then… I started reading the actual book and… I got bored. It was a snooze-fest for me. I tried and tried to keep reading, but it was impossible. Finally, I admitted defeat and marked it was DNF.

When I started the book, I was actually very intrigued by Rune and what she could do when she would hear some type of melody from anything. I wanted to learn more about her and her voice so I kept reading. When Thorn was introduced, I was all giddy, waiting for them to meet. Well, I couldn’t even get to them meeting because everything moved at an extremely slow pace. I kept drowsing off, confusing the characters because I couldn’t care for any of them. I simply wasn’t liking anything. Nothing held my interest.

I got to the 29% and I was planning on reading some more to see if it could get better, but a blogger saved me from wasting my time! She shared her thoughts on her blog and I immediately read the review, which pretty much said what I thought: I wasn’t going to get any better.

One thing that bothered me was that until the 29% mark, there was barely any dialogue! It was mostly just reading Rune’s thoughts. I love when I get to spend time reading a character’s thoughts but this took it to a whole other level. I haven’t read any other book by this author, but I’ve heard this is her writing style, and it’s definitely not for me. Maybe it could be a perfect read for you, though!

Overall, RoseBlood really disappointed me. I was looking forward to reading this retelling, but it kept boring me to no end.

Something you should know about me: I love The Phantom Of The Opera. LOVE IT. The first time I encountered the story was an animated version on TV when I was probably 10 or 11. I was completely swept away.

Several years later my friends and I bought tickets to see it downtown Chicago as our post-prom activity. That is when I really fell in love with it. A few years later I got to see it on Broadway again and it's place in my heart grew ever more secure. The music sweeps over me like nothing else. I can get teary eyed just thinking about All I Ask Of You. Gah.

When I saw the cover for RoseBlood, I wondered if there was a connection to the Phantom. And when I saw it was, I immediately begged for an ARC. I needed to read this. Did it ever blow me away! 

RoseBlood is part YA, part gothic novel, and 100% unputdownable. I was spellbound from the start, wondering how much influence the original story would have. This is almost a spin off because while the Phantom does indeed have plans for Rune, this takes place after the original story. 

When Rune arrives at her new French boarding school, she is grieving the death of her father a couple years prior and still untangling complicated family dynamics...like her grandma trying to drown her. Grandma's in jail not to far from Rune's new school and while Rune welcomes the opportunity to get to know her aunt (her father's sister), she has no interest in giving her grandmother another chance. At the same time, she's trying to figure out her unusual singing ability. She becomes ill if she doesn't sing but is also left physically drained when she does. She also worries her voice could harm others. And she's also caught up in the mystery of the school itself, as well as the disappearing gardener Thorn.

I loved Rune's friends at the school and the part each ultimately plays. I also loved her burgeoning friendship with Thorn and getting to see things from his point of view as well. The way Rune and Thorn bond over music is beautiful, as is the way Thorn's virtuoso violin playing helps Rune better understand her gift.

There's some solid character growth and I was seriously agonized at some points, wondering how it would all work out, particularly Thorn's battle over what his heart wanted vs. what his foster father wanted.

I don't want to spoil the plot so I'll leave it here. Even if you know the Phantom of the Opera well, you'll be surprised by the story's twists and turns. It's obvious Howard loves her source material and it plays off in such wonderful ways. I loved how much history was included- from Leroux, Paris itself, and Rune's family tree.

One of the best parts of this book was the way the author brought music to life. The descriptions were incredible, not only in how Rune and Thorn felt about their gifts but the actual musical pieces themselves. It made me want to track down more than a few operas so I can aurally experience the ones Howard included. It also made me want to read Gaston Leroux’s novel and see how it differs from the Broadway show.

I haven't read anything else by A.G. Howard before but I plan on diving into her backlist. Based on how much I loved this one, I'm sure to enjoy the rest of her work.

Roseblood was a beautifully descriptive book that had some intricate details. While the words were beautiful, I felt the story dragged on a little too long. The moment for Rune and Thorn to meet took forever. Thirty percent into the book and they barely meet? Plus I felt some scenes were unnecessary and did not need to be put into the story. Overall, it wasn't a bad book and I enjoyed most of it. I liked that this was an original story because I have never read a retelling of the Phantom before. I can't wait for the author's next book.

I haven't read or seen Phantom of the Opera so I was really interested to learn about it in this retelling. I also enjoyed A.G. Howard's Splintered so I was excited to read another book from her. 
There was quite a bit of info dumping, especially in the first few chapters. I thought there was more complicated backstory than necessary but once I got past that, I enjoyed the book a lot more.
I really liked the concept of this book. It was so weird but I loved the odd and creepy aspect of the RoseBlood. The whole book was really creative and different. 
The characters were fine. I didn't hate them or find them annoying but I didn't fall head over heels with them either. But I think others could really love Rune.
There wasn't a whole lot of action like I expected (I don't even know why I expected a lot of action and excitement but I did) so it did get a bit slow for me but it wasn't terrible.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think if I had connected with the characters more and there had been more action, I would have loved this book. But that's totally a personal preference so that shouldn't really stop you from trying this book out. If you're a fan of Phantom of the Opera, I think you'll love RoseBlood.

This was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2017. I thought it a little present that I was getting for Christmas. Roseblood. Roseblood. Another phenom coming from the talented A.G. Howard. I have to respectfully say, that I couldn't stomach this book. I honestly felt that another author wrote this one...and surely not the one that delivered the Splintered series to the world. 

The book is based on the legend of the Phantom of the Opera. Which I love. I thought it would be some tragic love story based on this...but frankly it was nothing of the sort. I actually had to stop reading on my eReader, click off to the home page and check that I was actually reading THE ROSEBLOOD by A.G. Howard and not some similarly named rip-off that I had accidentally requested. Can you see my surprise here at the tragedy that was this book? I truly am. I expected to be amazed. I got cliches, clumsy plotting, wishy-washy characters, nefarious evil villains that confess their plot while plotting evil for evil's sake...if ever there was a hot mess, it would be this book. It was like a forced idea that was forced into a YA algorithm: 

Insert "chosen one" YA female character here. Insert boarding school here. Insert mean girl here. Insert supernatural element here. 

I regretfully must state that Roseblood by A.G. Howard was just another typical YA paranormal romance and I could have looked past this if it was delivered properly. But, it wasn't. The story was clumsy and forced and it broke my heart. I wanted to love this book.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first A.G. Howard novel and I can't wait to read more! If you don't already know, this is a Phantom of the Opera retelling and I had huge expectations for it. I was beyond excited since I absolutely love the original story and the huge role that music plays in it. The beginning of this story was immensely intriguing and my mind was soon making leaps into predictions. A.G. Howard showed us a unique twist on this classic love story and I basically loved every moment of it. 
This book follows Rune, our heroine who is possessed by music in every definition of the word. Her upbringing was a bit unorthodox and I was invested in it right from the start. Her hardships were so unique; I've never read about a character who has such an intense and negative experience with music. I loved seeing her character development play out and it might just be one of my favorites. I also really liked her relationship with her mom and would have liked to see more of it. I also wished I had seen Rune's friends more than we did, they were all so distinguishable and interesting that I couldn't get enough.
Speaking of distinguishable character, Thorn, our evading male character, was S.E.X.Y and the most unforgettable one. JEEZ-us, that guy drove me off the wall with his attractiveness and his beautiful heart. Give me a man in a sexy mask any day and I will love you forever, but give me Thorn in a mask one day and I will die of bliss forever. His tragic childhood had me crying without mercy and my brother can vouch for me. I read most of this book in our living room and he was there as I broke into pieces. I couldn't stop crying whenever they so much as mentioned his childhood, let alone when they went into detail. 
The chemistry between these two was nothing short of INTENSE. It was off the charts and it made me seethe with jealousy, repeatedly. I had to take breaks in order for the temperature in my room to become bearable again. I was surprised my Kindle didn't catch fire in my hands. 
This book did have a slow start but that might have been the fact that I had a splitting headache for the first few days I tried reading it, which in turn made me focus on something else other than the story. Besides the 'slow' start, it did have an unrelenting dark tone from the very first word that had me yearning for more. The entire time that the Opera school was being described had me itching to explore it and become one with it. 
I was a bit confused by a couple of things and was going to give this 6 stars but I had to hold back since the ending wasn't as fulfilling as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful just... not what I expected? I was proud of every character in this story by the end but I also wanted more drama than I was given. 
I think the fact that I didn't read this in one sitting enabled me to miss the story with a passion whenever I wasn't near it. I couldn't stop thinking about it in every second of the day and I was replaying the story in my mind for more. If I had read it all in one sitting, I don't think I would have felt the same way about it as I do.  All in all, I am in love with this world and I would most definitely recommend it to every one who loves Phantom of the Opera!
5.5/5 stars!

DNF @ 35%

It's been nearly 2 weeks since I picked this one up and I guess it just wasn't working for me. it might have been because this month has been kicking my ass school-wise because I really WAS looking forward to Roseblood and I loved the premise.

recently I was going back and forth about pushing through or just giving up and I tried to push through up to the part at 35% in the eARC in which I noticed the author used a slur (g***y) which has been pointed out to be continuous throughout the novel; the author is also not Romani so :/ pretty disappointed and surprised that I've only seen very few people bringing this part up. but anyway. life's too short to read problematic books and books you're just really not into. :/

Atmospheric, lush, and inventive, ROSEBLOOD is a book for Phantom fans and romance lovers.

I'm sorry but I didn't enjoy this book, and especially didn't enjoy the usage of the word "gypsy." It's not correct to use that word and it's hurtful. Even if it's "historically correct" to say, it's wrong for a white author to use the word.

I don't know why, but I BARELY made it through this book. I just wasn't engaged and nothing happened. Until the end of the book, literally almost nothing interesting (in my opinion) happened. It was all Thorn creepily watching Rune and Rune worrying about a boy she hurt with her magical opera voice. I nearly DNF'd at 50% but I was curious how it ended up, so I skim-read the second half, only reading carefully when something exciting happened. I did a lot of skim-reading. 

Lots of my friends enjoyed this book, so maybe it was just me? I simply couldn't connect to it, though I will say that the ending got a lot more interesting. I'm giving this one 1/5 Stars because it was as close to a DNF as I get.

A retelling of Phantom of the Opera? A.G. Howard? Um... yes to all please. :) I enjoyed her other retelling of Wonderland so I was pretty sure I would enjoy my time here. I was not wrong.

I really liked how the story of the phantom unfolded and gave me a few twists and turns I did not expect. I did like Rune and Thorn and the idea of twin flames, but the romance felt weak until the end. I think all the secrecy just interfered with me getting to know them as a couple especially when they really spent so little time actually together. What stole the show was a cat and a swan. Both a familiar of sorts to the ones they have chosen to help. Both have a mind of their own and feel they know what is best for their people. If nothing else read it for those characters. I just wish they had more time in the book.

I do think that the paranormal twist in this book may not appeal to some. I didn't mind it and even appreciated it when I read the author's notes. It doesn't quite flow with the characters naturally as you first read it, but upon reflection you can see why the author took that direction.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. If you like retellings, if you like twists (I really did not see one of them coming) then you need to pick up this book. It was a fun time and I really enjoyed her author notes at the end which tells how she got the idea and some of the history involved. I also understand that the book has some of Christine's (the Phantom's bride) journal entries in it. I wish the ARC had it so I guess there is a book I need to buy. Twist my arm. LOL

Oh and that cover! 💓

The Phantom of the Opera is my favourite musical ever. I’ve seen it so many times, and I’ve watched the movie more times than I could probably count. I love the story, I love the Phantom himself. I love everything about it. So when I heard that Howard was writing a retelling of this story I love so much I was so excited, as I loved her Splintered trilogy.

Alas, I didn’t end up loving RoseBlood one as much as I had hoped I would.

For one, RoseBlood is not a retelling. The Phantom is very much still alive. And there are references to the canon text and the people the people that inspired it, too. When I go into a book expecting a retelling and instead am reading an interpretive sequel I’m always disappointed. This hasn’t happened too many times, but I am never a fan of when it does. Especially since I was looking forward to a retelling of PotO so very much.

I understand that with every “retelling” the author brings their own elements, otherwise it would be boring and not to mention just straight up plagiarism of someone else’s story. But some of the elements that were brought into RoseBlood were just … weird. I guess what I’m about to say next is a spoiler, so just jump to the next paragraph if you don’t want to read ahead. As it turns out, Rune and the Phantom, and the Phantom’s adopted son are all psychic vampires. Yep – psychic vampires. Except the terms succubus and incubus are also used to describe them, incorrectly since succubi and incubi have sex with sleeping people rather than draining life force from auras as the psychic vampires in RoseBlood do. When I came across this part of the story I was just weirded out, to be honest. I didn’t even know what to make of it because it was so incredibly odd.

I really and honestly feel like RoseBlood needs trigger warnings on the back, or the first page or something. Because, around halfway through, it’s revealed that Thorn, the Phantom’s adopted son (which he treats like shit, fyi) was in a sex trafficking situation when he was about ten years old. I don’t know about anyone else, but I think if you’re going to put something that extremely heavy into a YA book for ages fourteen and up, there needs to be some kind of warning. On top of that, there is no exploration of Thorn’s feelings on the topic – it’s all very removed and it seems like that part of his life hasn’t even affected him at all.

Continuing on from this, the Phantom treats him absolutely terribly, and once again there was no exploration of this. He was hit by the Phantom when he was a child, and the Phantom continually emotionally abuses and manipulates him. Again, I’m not on board for introducing these themes to create a “broken, fragile, tortured” love interest and just leaving them at that. There needed to be so much more exploration of the effects these things can leave behind on the person that’s experienced them. Beyond just making them someone that the MC wants to fix with their love.

Rune, the MC, was pretty much your run of the mill special snowflake who hates the very things that makes her so special. I didn’t really feel much of anything towards her, especially since she was making outrageous decisions, being a terrible friend to people who randomly decided to care deeply about her after knowing her for a few weeks, and was completely selfish as far as I’m aware (the ‘I’m being terrible but for the benefit of my friend!!11!’ thing didn’t change this).

There is more that I could mention that made me not fall in love with this book – like the casual use of the word g*psy instead of just not being racist and using the word Romani, the way the Phantom turned into a horrible person (I know he was completely not perfect, but I didn’t like the portrayal of his character in this book), the lack of diversity beyond one half Asian side character and a bitchy girl who was very lightly inferred to be in love her female best friend, and the way it dragged on and on without anything happening.

Overall, I was really disappointed in RoseBlood, probably more so because I had been so very excited for it.

© 2017, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4 Stars

I started reading this book expecting to be completely blown away. I was about 200 pages in before I couldn't put it down.

While the main character, Rune, is very likeable, her actions don't always seem to follow her personality. Without giving away spoilers, she seems to accept her fate more quickly than I thought she should. Some of the other characters, such as Jax and the other students at the conservatory, seemed somewhat cookie-cutter. However, my favorite character of those had to be Audrey for her hardworking personality.

That's not to say that this book isn't mesmerizing. Howard has taken the original myth of the Phantom and spun it into a delightful fantasy. I loved the mystical elements woven into the plot, and was in awe of the backstories she created.

Overall, anyone who is a fan of the musical or original novelization will enjoy this book.

I…am still not sure what to think of this book. I did enjoy it as I read it but it was also just very…odd. I love anything Phantom of the Opera and so I was super excited when I saw this. I’ve heard great things about A.G. Howard’s books, although I haven’t read any myself. This isn’t a retelling of Phantom as much as it is a sequel. I loved that idea, and for the most part, I think the story is executed very well. But this book also fell a little flat for me.

Writing: the writing was beautiful, and I can see why people are drawn into Howard’s story. The prose is lyrical and haunting, perfect for this story. But it is also so overly detailed. I got lost in the story, because the writing was sometimes confusing and overshadowed the plot. This story is not very fast-paced to begin with. I almost DNF’d 3 times in the first 50%, but pulled through. I did like the dual POV, as I thought it added more depth and interest.

Characters: I think I liked the characters. That may be a weird thing to say, idk. But they had so much potential, and I think I liked who they could have been. But again, it was overshadowed by a lot of the weirdness going on in the book. For the most part, Rune knew what was going on was creepy af, so any bad decisions she made, she knew they were bad. I loved her group of friends, and wish we got more of them in the story. I loved Thorn and the relationship with the Phantom, and thought that part of the story was well-done.

Plot: The plot definitely could have been better. I like the idea of the plot. And the way it played out wasn’t terrible. But as I mentioned, the book dragged for the first half. And then I feel like everything happened too quickly all at once at the end. And did I mention that this book was just weird? Don’t get me wrong, I love weird. But this book had me wondering what the heck is going on right now way too much to actually enjoy it. The whole destined lovers definitely put me off, as it was not romantic, just creepy.

I can see why people would love this book, and just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it’s not for you. I was waffling between giving this book 2 or 3 stars, but after mulling on it for a few days, I went with 2. I enjoyed it while reading, but my thoughts after the fact are mostly just meh. (Also, has no one else mentioned her use of g*psy, multiple times? It soured the end of the book for me, quite frankly. I know that she has an answer for why, but I don't agree or think her reasoning sufficient). While I would still love to pick up Splintered, this one unfortunately was just not for me.

I am a huge fan of A. G. Howard after reading "Splintered" the first book in her delightfully dark and twisted "Alice in Wonderland" universe. I was ecstatic when she announced she was writing a YA reboot/companion to Gaston Leroux's famous novel, "Phantom of the Opera". My review, written for Netgalley, is below. Let me know what you thought in the comments!

You’re “not stepping into a musical. It’s a horror story. With a side of obsession and gore.” - Rune

A. G. Howard’s much anticipated literary tribute to classic musical phantom who transcended screen and print is eerily dark and mysterious. When I first saw the cover reveal on her twitter account I was ecstatic but also wary. There have been many adaptations of Gaston Leroux’s novel (including the infamous musical and its lesser known sequel, “Love Never Dies” by Andrew Lloyd Weber). Considering the power of its fanbase, how would Howard’s young adult novel hold up? If you’re a fan of Howard’s take on her Alice and Wonderland universe “Splintered” series, you won’t be disappointed. But if you’ve never read or seen Phantom of the Opera fear not. Howard expertly interweaves her characters’ backgrounds to draw in the reader to the new retelling without alienating them. There are also plenty of allusions for hard core phantom fans. From the text:  “In the Phantom Book, a similar roof played a pivotal and romantic role in the storytime. It’s where Christine met with Raoul and claimed their undying love”.

Rune Germain is a phenomenal singer but is cursed by a mysterious ailment that leaves her  drained and often renders her unconscious after she performs, specifically arias and operas. As a child this ostracizes her from her friends and leads to two attempted murders by her insane grandmother in an attempt to “purify” Rune. The only way Rune finds peace is by learning to garden with her father and singing along to his Stradivarious symphonies.  But a tragic accident involving Rune leaves a teenage boy hospitalized and Rune’s mother believes the best way to cure her daughter is by honing her talent, not concealing it. Thus, Rune agrees to spend her senior year at a music conservatory in France called “RoseBlood” where she hopes to at last tame her musical demons. More so, Rune hopes to discover what the truth is behind the rumors that her new school has ties to Leroux’s infamous “Phantom of the Opera”, her musical idol.

Upon arriving at RoseBlood Rune catches a glimpse of a mysterious figure in the garden who seems to make flowers wilt with his touch. She is startled to discover that he wears a white half mask just like the Phantom! Rune also befriends a delightful, if vaguely flushed out caricature, cast of secondary characters. This includes a mysterious boy named Thorn whose violin playing skills calm her violent episodes, just like her father’s playing once did. But Thorn’s ominous past and mysterious, rich benefactor threaten to unearth his ulterior motives to befriending Rune. As much as they fight it Thorn and Rune begin to fall for one another as a darker mystery unfolds that entwines both of their fates, and the phantom’s.

Here are a few things I didn’t like: The pacing of this novel is incredibly slow. You don’t even begin to unwrap Thorn’s backstory and connect his character to the overall plot until 60% of the way through the book. Also, I feel like Howard tried to tie in too many mystical/supernatural elements into her characters (psychic vampires, succubus, AND twin flame soulmates? The main point of the story seems to be about Thorn and Rune’s ethereal and blossoming relationship and the secondary characters seem like wooden props that are underdeveloped.The Phantom in himself is a tertiary character whose redemption arch is resolved in a matter of seconds.

As far as the writing style, Howard paints a vivid, gothic landscape and her imagery is exquisite, “Glistening trees bend over us like sequined actors taking their final bow”.  True phantom fans will rejoice and novice fans who just love gothic romances will enjoy the journey of Rune and Thorn and the modern day "Phantom of the Opera" love story. For additional phantom retellings check out “The Jumbee” by Pamela Keyes and “Phantom” by Susan Kay. For classic gothic retellings with a twist be sure to read, “The Madman’s Daughter” series by Megan Shepherd, which tackles "The Island of Dr. Moreau", "Frankenstein", and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

Overall rating:  3.5-3.75 stars. Would definitely re-read. It has a good story but it was presented like fluffy fanfic so it wasn't rated higher.

Rune Germaine has always had a beautiful voice but feels a pull towards singing that she doesn’t quite understand and can even feel sick or drained at the end of a performance. Now Rune’s mother has talked Rune’s aunt into pulling a few strings to get Rune bumped to the front of the line to attend Roseblood, a boarding school outside of Paris at an opera house that’s been turned into a music conservatory.

Rune knows the history of the opera house and shortly after arriving she sees a mystery boy that vanishes as quickly as he appears which has her questioning whether the stories are real or not. But Rune doesn’t have time to dwell on whether something otherworldly is in play quite yet when her pull to sing interrupts auditions being held much to the dismay of others.

RoseBlood by A.G. Howard is a young adult fantasy retelling of the Phantom of the Opera. First with the good about this book, I really felt that the author did a wonderful job taking the well known story of the Phantom and incorporating it into a young adult fantasy read. The story moved along quite nicely and while there were some of the normal young adult tropes involved I think it go creative enough with a well known story as the basis to make the story interesting.

But there were a couple of things with the book that brought my rating down a bit to finally setting on giving this one 3.5 stars. First, not really a big deal but something that bugged me while reading was the use of O.G., now this probably wouldn’t stand out but I had just had to explain that O.G. stood for original gangster no more than a week before reading this so every use had me thinking that version in my head. Also, hopefully without saying anything spoilery here I’ll just say that for me I think the explaining what was going on in the story as far as the fantasy/paranormal explanation felt a bit off with the wording being used.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

ROSEBLOOD is a modern spin-off of The Phantom of the Opera. The story is centered around Rune, a teenage girl with an extraordinary talent for opera. Rune is uprooted from her Texas home and sent to school in France, more specifically, a school that is housed in an old opera house that has ties to the Phantom of the Opera.

I thought ROSEBLOOD was a pretty good read. It starts off a bit slow and Rune a little getting used to in the beginning, but overall I enjoyed reading her story. That being said, I feel like something is missing from it. It was a well-crafted novel, but there’s just this element that could have made it even better.

I really like the twist to the original story of The Phantom of the Opera. It was a really different and fresh take on an old story that incorporated its history as an explanation. But I felt like the plot was kind of unbalanced. In the beginning, it was a slow build and then things started to get more interesting in the middle of the novel. After that it was a really exciting read, only to end in a tacked on conclusion. The rest of the novel was full of descriptions and focused on Rune discovering things but at the end, the last chapter especially, it was just bam bam bam. It was like, okay no time left, just tell everyone instead of showing them.

The characters themselves were fun to read about. Their psychology and reasons for their actions is quite interesting once you solve the mystery of their backgrounds. The romance was interesting for another reason. You had your typical high school romances and then you had the concept of soul mates. I’m just going to stop there before I spoil anything.

In conclusion, I enjoyed reading ROSEBLOOD. It was a refreshing take on The Phantom of the Opera and well-written action with a shroud of mystery. But it was missing a spark that could have made it even better. For the most part I liked Rune and the romance, but felt like the plot was unbalanced and a little let down by the conclusion.