RoseBlood by A.G. Howard had me from the moment I read the summary. I LOVE The Phantom of the Opera story and I enjoyed how Howard put a twist on the original story.

Rune is seventeen and after doing something she isn’t proud of, she is on her way to Roseblood, a conservatory in France, to help her with her problem. See, Rune is an amazing singer but ever since her father passed away, she has had a difficult time controlling herself and the impulse to sing certain music. Roseblood isn’t just a conservatory though, it is an opera house that has ties to The Phantom of the Opera and that means something to Rune.

I liked Rune. She clearly doesn’t want to be headed to Roseblood but her mom hasn’t really given her a choice. Immediately Rune sees there is something different about Roseblood and in her exploration, she befriends Thorn, a masked man who helps her with her musical issues. Rune is drawn to Thorn but she knows there is something going on with him and he definitely has a secret.

Thorn is an interesting character. He absolutely struggles with the commitment he made because of the feelings he has for Rune. I actually really liked how his story was developed and revealed. I can’t say a lot about it because I don’t want to give anything away but Thorn’s background helped to reveal a bit about Rune and her heritage. As Thorn comes to realize what is important to him and what he wants his future to be, he also realizes what he needs to do.

The group of friends that Rune makes when she gets to Roseblood are an interesting mix. I’m still not sure how I really feel about them, mostly Sunny. The problem I had with her is that she really didn’t have any boundaries and did whatever she wanted. Nevertheless, they all helped to move the story forward.

There is a bit of a paranormal twist to this story that I wasn’t really expecting and I didn’t mind it. I thought it added something to the story that otherwise may have been a bit flat. This story has a slower pace and there were times that I felt like I had to push through. I am happy I did because in the end, I did enjoy the story that Howard told.

Overall I thought this was an interesting read. There were some things I liked and other things that I wasn’t completely sure about but in the end this was a story that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next for the characters. If you have an interest in retellings, enjoy a bit of romance, and appreciate a bit of deception and mystery within your books, consider checking this one out.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.