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.

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.

What I Liked

-I enjoy re-tellings and while this was a little more of a spin-off than a re-telling, it still worked for me. I’ve always been a Phantom of the Opera fan (well, except maybe when I was pretty young and my family used to listen to the soundtrack on road trips and it kind of scared the crap out of me at the time…but I definitely grew into it) and it’s definitely a unique topic in the YA market.

-The duel narration completely saved this book for me. We get Rune’s 1st Person POV and Thorn’s 3rd Person POV (I’m not really sure why they didn’t both get 1st Person, but that’s ok). While with Rune we were often stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out what was going on, with Thorn we get background and answers and insight. With him we get to see the actual Phantom of the Opera that I had been hoping for when I picked up this book. As a character I found him so much more interesting than Rune and I was always counting the pages until we got to see him again.

-The romance. Though it appears to be “insta-love”, it does have a good excuse for it. I liked Rune and Thorn together and shipped them.

-That cover. It’s beautiful.

-The Author Note at the end of the book where Howard details a lot of information from her research was almost more interesting than the book. A lot of the historical information in the book was accurate and it made me want to read more about the original book and it’s inspiration.

What Didn’t Quite Work For Me

–**MILD SPOILER**   Two words: Psychic Vampires

-Ok, a few more words: This was a lot more supernatural than I was expecting it to be. While it, of course, needed a certain amount of fantasy elements there were a lot more than I expected or wanted. If you go into this knowing that, though, then I think you would probably like it.

-I spent a good portion of this novel confused. I think it took far too long to get to the point. Howard is an extremely detailed writer and I know a lot of readers love that, but for me a ton of description is hard for me to get through. Add that to the long chapter length and I found this book took me a lot longer to get through than a book normally does.

-Rune’s new “friend” Sunny. I HATED her. She did occasionally have redeeming moments, but she spent the whole book sneaking around and spying and crossing all sorts of friendship lines that I found myself kind of hoping she’d be killed off. The fact that Rune viewed her as this great friend kind of enraged me.

Overall

RoseBlood was a very interesting idea that didn’t quite live up to it’s potential for me. Two likable main characters (especially Thorn) and lots of references to the original Phantom of the Opera story were really well done. However, the major fantasy/supernatural elements were unexpected and hampered my enjoyment a bit. I also thought it was a little too long and too descriptive. I do think that fans of Howard’s Splintered series and those who are looking for a different type of re-telling will enjoy it.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

Such a beautiful, haunting, dark, but romantic story! I love what A.G. fid with the Phantom of The Opera story! It's not a retelling but taken from Phantom and built upon so that it's in the modern world with new characters and it's absolutely spellbinding and gorgeous! You will all fall for Rune and Thorn oh and Diable I adored that damned cat lol

With Howard's imaginative take on Alice in Wonderland with her Splintered series, it wasn't a surprise that I would want to see what she could do with another classic like Phantom of the Opera. A classic already riddled with dark intent, mystery, and an obsession that bordered the line of love and hate and most of all one that transcended time.

I wouldn't of expected anything short of fabulous and anything less than the strange, unusual, and the fantastical.

Howard has a skill to not only recreate a classic but completely twist it up and give it not only a darker edge but one that makes it feel completely new. She never fails to create something almost unimaginable and yet so very believable all at the same time. Something beautiful and almost poetic in execution and design.

This was a beautiful story that held true to the classic but still managed to hold up as its own story and was every bit as enchanting as the classic.

RoseBlood is a modern day spin on Gaston Leroux's Gothic classic Phamtom of the Opera with more than a nod to Mary Shelley's Frankentstein.

Seventeen year old Rune Germain is an operatic virtuoso, except that she has a mysterious ailment peculiarly related to her operatic talent. She's also hiding a horrifying mistake, one she hopes doesn't follow her to France. Hoping to spurn Rune's creative direction, her mother enrolls her into an exclusive French music conservatory rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera.

At the school, Rune's strange ability to read auras as well as her overwhelming compulsion to sing leads her to embark on a secret relationship with Thorn, an elusive violinist who guides her musical transformation. While these two form an otherworldly connection, it becomes apparent that Thorn's motive are not all that innocent. The son of the famed Phantom, he must make some difficult choices: help the only father he's ever known carry out a dark plan which will lead to Rune's ruin or stand against him to unite with his soul mate.


What I liked...

The cover art - just breathtaking!
The concept of blending characters and themes from these classics into a modern story.
I've never read Phantom of the Opera but want to. I know the basics of the story and characters. Howard does an fantastic job of paying homage to the original in a creative way that will appeal to contemporary YA readers. Frankenstein is one of my favorite books ever written. I enjoyed just the smattering of influence of this piece in RoseBlood. There are times that Erik aka The Phantom reminds me so much of Victor Frankenstein in his scientific pursuits.
Howard's lush, vivid imagery and detailed descriptions.
Readers familiar with the Splintered series should know that this is her forte. Passages throughout are really like little word-pictures transporting us as if we are really in the converted opera house in France--the creepy rooms and secret passages, the dilapidated garden, cemetery and chapel.
What I didn't love...

Rune...
Following Alyssa as a female protagonist is hard work. Rune just didn't do it for me. I wanted her to be a more active player in the grand scheme of things. While she does play her part, I wanted her to be a bit more kick-butt and snarky than she is actually portrayed.
The POV changes...
I get that moving from Rune to Thorn advances the plot but I think I would have enjoyed the narrative more if the whole story was from Rune's POV, blended with more shared dreamscapes between her and Thorn to piece together the rest of the puzzle. This is just me being picky as a reader. The overall flow of the narrative works but as a standalone novel, I was left wanting to know more about the origins of Thorn's and Runes abilities, how it works and how Rune will go about learning and mastering her gifts. It all go wrapped up a bit too nicely.
The ending...
As I said, I wanted more resolution to the end. Still enjoyable but more please!
PS: A.G. can we have a couple short stories? PRETTY PLEASE?!?!?

Overall, I recommend this typically for the female YA reader looking for a supernatural inspired, twisted tale. Again, it is nice that it is a standalone but fans will be hankering for more!


Final rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @aghowardwrites


#RoseBlood #PhantomOfTheOpera #Frankenstein #opera #romance #YAlit #teen #mystery

I apologize to you, the publisher, and to the author that I was unable to finish this book. I am sure that it will be very appealing to some readers. However, after several attempts at reading, I had to stop and was unable to finish. I realize that this could be my own personal preference, and therefore am choosing not to leave a review.

This is a stunning continuation of the original story, that is both haunting and beautiful. I loved both Thorn and Rune's characters, they both have lived very tragic lives, filled with misery and torment, but have both grown into very strong and talented people. They have an otherworldly connection that is what really makes this book work. Thorn's need to protect Rune at times is overwhelming, but he always manages to pull back enough to allow her to defend herself when she needs to. The supernatural aspect of the book is just amazing as well, but I don't want to give anything away, just know it is what makes this book so beautiful and creative.

The setting of the book, RoseBlood academy is wonderful. The historical opera house turned into a high school for musically talented teenagers is just amazing. Rune's interactions in the school setting are very realistic and typical of any high school. I loved all of Rune's friends, and how they all work to help each other to achieve their dreams. The teachers are also a delightful mix of normal and eccentric.

I don't know if you read author notes, but I highly suggest that you read the one for this book. It gives you a lot of insight as to how the author came up with her ideas for this book. I know that this is a stand alone, but I would love to see more about Thorn and Rune and their lives together, maybe a novella?

Finally that cover, just awesome! I love that it is Rune's face covered by the mask and the thorns surrounding her as well as the contrast of the red with the blues and blacks. Perfect!

From the author of one of my favorite series, Splintered, comes a dark and twisty spin on The Phantom of the Opera. Rune Germain lost her father at a young age. She has memories of him playing arias on his violin and she singing along, having never learnt the song, perfectly and beautifully. When she's caught drunk and sends a boy to the hospital in a coma, music begins to imprison her. She can't keep the melodies inside, but after releasing them, she is plagued with sickness or pain. Her mom doesn't believe in the superstitions and auras Rune and her dad, as well as his family, believed in, which creates tension between the two of them. When Rune's aunt offers to pay her way at a prestigious opera arts academy, Roseblood, Rune's mom hope it will help her get over her "stage fright." Rune has become obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera rumors that are linked to the school. Soon, Rune is hearing whispers and violin melodies through the vent in her room. Could it be the elusive Phantom, THE Phantom? Could this be the key to helping Rune work through the pain that singing causes her?
Full of mystery and intrigue, as well as family secrets, Roseblood is a beautifully descriptive fantasy novel complete with some steamy romance as well as elements of darkness and evil. Highly recommend! This book is a standalone and I felt the story ended perfectly without any cliffhangers, although I wouldn't say no to a continuation of the story! 4 stars to the fact I felt it was slow starting off.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amulet books for this review copy! All opinions are my own. Roseblood releases January 10, 2017!

The story idea was great, but I didn't like where the story line progresses. I thought that Thorn was an interesting character, but I didn't really like the book.

Having read Splintered I was looking forward to reading Roseblood too. One of my favourite things about Howard’s books is that the text is not in black, which means I can read it comfortable without needing my overlay. However, this made it difficult for me to read on a basic kindle, I cannot waiit to reread it in physical form.

I found this book just an unpredictable as splintered, even thought I’m a Phantom Of The Opera fan. For me, that made it entirely worth the time it took me to read it.

I appreciated that rather than being a complete retelling, it was more of a modern continuation. Sounds confusing, but it makes complete sense when you read it.

This story is beautifully written. Rune is very relatable, whils Thirn was a perfect match for Rune and very likeable.

My only issue with this book is probably that is started kinda slow and took a little while for me to get into it.

I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

This book with it's twists and turns with a Phantom of the Opera theme woven throughout had me excited for this read. At times, the book was a little different and creepy, yet others made me not able to put it down. For the most part I enjoyed this book, there were times it was a little lack-luster and did not keep my full attention. An enjoyable read with exciting premise!

DNF @ 6%

Oh man. I wanted to like this so much but it took me literally hours to read the first chapter and then I skimmed the second and I realized this was not the book for me. I'm only rating it so people can see my review because Goodreads is a b*tch like that where if you don't have a star rating, your review doesn't get filtered in with the rest, but I obviously cannot judge this book. I read two chapters. And wanted to tear my eyes out.

The first chapter was SO BORING. I think it was only 10 pages but it took me two hours to read it. I would read one sentence and then do something else on my phone and then agonize over going back to read another sentence. But I pushed through!!! Because I wanted to read this! And then I got to chapter two and it was like "let me vomit three quarters of the backstory into three paragraphs" and I was like "nah son" so after that I was like "hm should I continue" and I went to bed and woke up and was like "lol I'm not going to continue" and here we are.

I have seen other reviews say that this is REALLY slow to start and then picks up, but I have way too many other books (and good starting books) in my life to read crappy beginnings where it takes me longer to read a chapter than it does to read a whole book. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Rune Germain is in possession of a gift: a talent for opera that is unsurpassed by any other. In an attempt to help Rune overcome her stage fright and train her voice, her mother sends her to a French arts conservatory located in an opera house that is rumored to be connected to The Phantom of the Opera. It is there that Rune meets Thorn – an elusive young man who helps her through her musical transformation and also understands her in a way that no one else can. But Thorn has a secret, and it is this that will lead to the crucial decision he will be forced to make - Rune’s safety or the wrath of the phantom that has been like a father to him all these years.

If you’re anything like me and you find The Phantom of the Opera fascinating, I think that you’ll enjoy RoseBlood. It’s an odd book filled with strange coincidences and eerie details, but these seem sensible things considering the source material Howard drew on. It doesn’t mean I didn’t roll my eyes a time or two, particularly when details were a little too pointed or convenient, but it definitely didn’t hinder my reading experience. In fact, the weirdness was what kept me reading! No, what actually proved to be bothersome in the end were the characters. I just could not find it in me to really care about any of them, even though I could see the effort put into giving them unique personalities. Still, Howard deserves credit for writing a tale that perfectly captures the feel of The Phantom of the Opera while also being an oddly fascinating story that stands all on its own.

For die-hard fans of the original story. And then if they don't mind succubi (???)

Full Review & Giveaway posted at Among the Authors - https://amongtheauthors.com/2017/01/01/off-the-shelf-roseblood-review-giveaway/

When I was around seven years old, my parents took me to see a touring production of Phantom of the Opera. It might not be something you would expect a seven year old to enjoy, but I was captivated by it. I still remember the thrill of seeing the Phantom appear inside Christine’s mirror and the heart-stopping moment when the chandeleir crashes to the stage. My mother and I listened to the soundtrack (on cassette, no less, until the cd came out) any time we were in the car, and I can recall trying to mimic Christine on the high notes (unsuccessfully).

When I told my mother that I was reviewing a retelling of Phantom of the Opera, she was immediately taken aback. “Oh no, there’s nothing that can beat the original.” And I agree. There’s nothing better than the original story. BUT A.G. Howard doesn’t try to retell the original story. She plays off the characters and what might have happened if Erik’s story had continued. There’s no doubt that A.G. Howard has thoroughly researched the story and the lines that blur between fact and fiction of its history, and in turn she crafts a mysterious tale of love, obsession, and fate that answers the question – what would happen if the Phantom’s story continued into the modern day?

Things I Liked:

I adored A. G. Howard’s Splintered series, an Alice in Wonderland retelling. She always has a unique perspective, and she writes in such a way that she makes the story her own. The beautiful, gothic settings that she builds in RoseBlood are totally immersive and almost as haunting as the characters themselves.

Rune and Thorn are both tortured souls that find each other in a most unique twist of fate. There are so many complexities behind their characters that will draw you in, and I found myself really enjoying the romantic elements in their story. The story was a bit slow to start, but once these two characters found each other, I couldn’t put the book down. Their story will seduce you, and it’s entrancing to watch as all of the layers finally come together.

There are fantasy/paranormal elements to this story that I can’t reveal to you, but I have to say that these are the factors that I believe really set this story apart. At first, I was a little unsure that I would enjoy the story going this route, but I can honestly say it brought in an entirely new perspective on the history of the Phantom.

Things I Didn’t Like:

Like I said, the story is a bit slow to start. I found myself more than a little confused at what exactly would happen to Rune when she would sing and about what secrets she was trying to hide from. It takes some time before you start to see the bigger picture, but I think the slow unveiling helps to build the story. I would have liked a little faster pacing at the beginning, but I also get that Rune had to get established at her new school and we had other characters we needed to meet to make this story work.

Overall, there wasn’t much that I disliked about this book. I still have some reservations about the ending, particularly with what becomes of Erik and his relationship with Thorn. Things are almost too neat and tidy in that regard; however, when it comes to the ending for Thorn and Rune, neat and tidy is exactly what I was wanting and it was delivered. The Phantom, while I would consider him a main character in the story, isn’t seen very much, and I found myself wishing for more of that. There’s a lot of his history, but I’d have liked a little bigger glimpse at the modern Phantom.

Overall Rating:

4/5 I adore the original story of the Phantom of the Opera, but this book is really stunning in its own regard. The history is so entwined in this story that it truly feels like an extension of the original. You can feel feel the music coming from within the pages, and the spellbinding romance will seduce you till the final page. A. G. Howard can truly WRITE – and I highly recommend that you check out not only RoseBlood, but her other books as well!