Review: Roseblood by A.G. Howard

Hello everyone!
I recently finished reading Roseblood by A.G. Howard which is a Phantom of the Opera retelling. It follows Rune Germain as she is attending a French boarding school called Roseblood. Her mother forces her to attend because she thinks she has a real potential to become an opera singer. Little does her mother know, Rune's voice controls her. Any time an operatic song plays, Rune can't stop herself from bursting into song. Once she gets to Roseblood, she sees a mysterious man wandering the grounds wearing a mask and Victorian era style clothing. This is peculiar to her since she is obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera and begins to wonder if the book is a true story. Everyone tells her there is no such person, and she begins to question herself especially when she begins to hear things through her vents and inside her walls. Who could be lurking in the shadows?

Not only do you get Rune's point of view, but you get Thorn's point of view. It is told in the third person and is done wonderfully. You get a look at his thoughts and feelings as the story unfolds. Thorn has grown up in the shadows. He has a dark childhood, and somehow feels a connection to Rune. 

I really enjoyed this book. I don't think there's anything bad that I could say about this book. I really liked all of the characters in this story. They each had their role to play in keeping the story alive. Thorn was so mysterious and the whole time I wanted to go into the book to give him a hug. He has gone through some terrible things in his life that I can't imagine. Rune keeps blaming herself for something in her past that she can't change. When they meet, they need each other. 

This book kept me wondering the whole time. From the beginning, you want to know what the Phantom wants with Rune. He has a weird fascination with her, and you don't really understand why until about halfway through. This book kept me flipping pages because I wanted to know what and happened every second. I didn't want to put this book down. 

The setting was wonderful. Roseblood is an old opera house that has been accommodated to be a school. I think it was the perfect setting for this story, and the author had a beautiful writing style. I loved the descriptions and feeling behind the words. It almost felt like I was there with Rune going through the problems she encounters with her. 

This cover is absolutely gorgeous. I love the font they chose for the title and the background. The roses and thorns they used really added to the meaning behind the story. I absolutely loved everything about this book. I kinda wish there was a sequel, but it did end with no loose ends just as a stand-alone should.

I have nothing bad to say about this book. It was amazing, and I already want to reread it. It was the first A.G. Howard book I read, and it makes me want to check out her Splintered trilogy to see if it's just as good. I gave this book 5/5 stars and highly recommend to Phantom of the Opera fans. 

Thanks for stopping by.

~Abby