Bloodrose is supposed to be about the war against the Keepers and building an alliance between the Guardians and the Searchers in order to win this war. And, eventually it was. But the first part emphasized nothing but the love triangle. Ren or Shay? Shay or Ren? I got really tired of Calla's moaning and complaining about her decision. Even the first "battle" episode was so dull -- it didn't make my heart pound or make me tense at all. Then, it seems all the other characters start matching up romantically, and really, it was all I could take. After about 175 pages, I decided to skim. I just wanted to know the outcome. I didn't really care how we got there.
Then, at around page 200, things started picking up. The tension builds and we actually get some thrills and some tense moments. Again and again. The focus shifts to the war, and I really began to get into Bloodrose (finally.)
Because it had been so long since I had read the previous books, Nightshade and Wolfsbane, I forgot some of the characters and their roles. I got confused whose on which side, but it didn't really matter. The basic plot makes sense, even if I'm not always sure who is speaking and "what" they are.
Bloodrose gets my vote for one of my favorite endings EVER. I don't think the ending could have been more perfect, and it really surprised me.
So, I have mixed feelings about Bloodrose. I almost gave up, but I'm glad I didn't. I enjoy a good love triangle, but I really thought Bloodrose lost focus for a long time at the beginning. However, the plotting, action, and creativity of the last part of the book really makes up for the loss of focus.
There's no reason I can think of that you shouldn't read the finale of the Nightshade trilogy if you've read the first two books. You simply HAVE to find out what happens. It's a doozy. And, I really liked the first two books even better than Bloodrose, so you should get started if you haven't.
Published by Philomel, 2012
Copy obtained from the library
406 pages
Rating: 3/5
I was really disappointed with this one. I felt like all the things I loved about Calla were gone and I didn't know the person in this book. I also didn't understand her choice in her plot twists. I do love the first two books in this series though.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this eventually picked up for you! And it's awesome that you loved the ending so much. I can't even think what my favorite ending in a book series is offhand. The love triangle in this one really wore on me, but that might have been because I was at a saturation point at the time. I think I'd be more receptive if I re-read now. Awesome review! :-)
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