Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, YA Fantasy | Release Date: 8 June 2022 | Series: Royal Blood | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 252 | Indie Author | Review
“No blood but your blood shall spill your blood…”
Adina Chiles
Overview:
Secrets of a Rose is an exciting start to a new YA fantasy series, and I’ve been lucky enough to read an e-ARC of this beauty thanks to the generosity of Adina Chiles and Book Sirens! This story starts with our heroine, Mellana (Mel), being fitted with a beautiful dress for the upcoming Zyranian Ball. Little does she know, it’s at this ball that her life is going to fall apart…
A coup takes place at the castle, and soon Mel and her friends are racing for safety. They need to get away from the infamous (and murderous) Prince Lorian; the Prince is intent on ruling over everyone, and won’t stop even at the borders of his newly acquired kingdom. Mel and her companions are tasked with trying to find magical articles and keeping them safe from Prince Lorian, but it’s a race against time. Can Mel make the right decisions on this quest? Will the sudden reappearance of magic, after more than a century, upset everything? The Barren Realm is coming to life…
Happiness Boost:
There were a lot of revelations in Secrets of a Rose, and Adina very cleverly put them in at just the right moments! You know how some authors hit you with everything right at the beginning? Or even do a big information dump halfway through? We didn’t have those problems here; Adina sprinkled them in exactly where they would shine brightest!
Every single character has some kind of unique quality, even if that doesn’t include a magical ability. We aren’t given a cookie cutter model with these people. And I’m also going to tell you there’s a lot of fun banter in Secrets of a Rose, so that the action is never too heavy for us to wade through. Of course there’s serious moments, but we’re not just left there, floundering in the darkness. While I doubt I’d have had the same presence of mind that Mel does at the age of 16, it’s nice to imagine that I could rise to a challenge just like she does. And that’s what these tales are about, isn’t it? To let us dream and aspire to be more? Secrets of a Rose certainly does that.
Downside:
I admit, it took me a couple of minutes to get the ‘lay of the land’, as it were. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anything regarding the differences in magical abilities, so I spent a bit of time with the prologue and small list at the beginning of the book. If I had just been less pedantic though, it would’ve been cleared up the further I read! So it’s not really a downside of the book per se, more that I’m telling you to trust the author, unlike me. Adina knows what she’s doing!
Final Thoughts:
Secrets of a Rose is a YA fantasy about an epic quest, the misuse of magic, and the bonds of friendship. Adina Chiles has started this Royal Blood series with such an impressive first book! I am telling you, if you love a tale of deadly consequences, magical artefacts, and the promise of relationships forged in fire? Click for this beauty right away! It is such a brilliant read, and I *highly* recommend it.
You can preorder via my Amazon link: Secrets of a Rose
