A review by riverlasol
A Curse of Roses, by Diana Pinguicha
5.0
First of all, HUGE huge thanks to @entangledteen for this arc!! I feel so lucky to have gotten one! This was one of my most anticipated debuts for the year, but I never could’ve anticipated (see what I did there?) how utterly spellbinding this book was.
A Curse of Roses is a sapphic historical fantasy based on portuguese myth. This entire premise had pretty much won me over since sapphic, historical fantasy, and mythology/legend are basically my top three things that draw me to a book at this point. Then I started reading, though, and I was even more in love. I admit that the writing style was unlike anything I’d ever read before and it took me a little while to get into the groove of it, but once I did I was absolutely hooked. I spent my mornings of thanksgiving break laying in bed with this in my hands (basically heaven).
To get a little more specific here, allow me to break it down. The characters were wonderful, especially Yzabel. I absolutely loved seeing such a kind and deep-feeling character in YA and I easily sympathised with her story. The plot and the magic were fascinating and original. The romance was very realistic and the historical details made for an in-depth reading experience. I feel I must mention that there are several trigger warnings (which I was very grateful for). There was some very intense material in this book, which ultimately made it unforgettable and created a powerful message. However, before you add it to your tbr please check them out to see if this book is the right fit for you!
I can sincerely say that this is one of my new favourite books, one that I will never forget. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves sapphic fantasy/historical fiction (though please do keep in mind the trigger warnings). It is out as of yesterday! Yay!!
A Curse of Roses is a sapphic historical fantasy based on portuguese myth. This entire premise had pretty much won me over since sapphic, historical fantasy, and mythology/legend are basically my top three things that draw me to a book at this point. Then I started reading, though, and I was even more in love. I admit that the writing style was unlike anything I’d ever read before and it took me a little while to get into the groove of it, but once I did I was absolutely hooked. I spent my mornings of thanksgiving break laying in bed with this in my hands (basically heaven).
To get a little more specific here, allow me to break it down. The characters were wonderful, especially Yzabel. I absolutely loved seeing such a kind and deep-feeling character in YA and I easily sympathised with her story. The plot and the magic were fascinating and original. The romance was very realistic and the historical details made for an in-depth reading experience. I feel I must mention that there are several trigger warnings (which I was very grateful for). There was some very intense material in this book, which ultimately made it unforgettable and created a powerful message. However, before you add it to your tbr please check them out to see if this book is the right fit for you!
I can sincerely say that this is one of my new favourite books, one that I will never forget. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves sapphic fantasy/historical fiction (though please do keep in mind the trigger warnings). It is out as of yesterday! Yay!!