Immortal Rose (Immortal Rose Duology #1) by Alexandra Bracken
Members of the ancient House Rosebourne have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.
When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.
Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers.
As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.
But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom—and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.
Review: Thank you to Avon Books for an ARC of this book, which is out now!
This is such a gorgeous and atmospheric fantasy with a wonderfully unique magic system. I absolutely loved the regency-inspired setting and the political intrigue as different players compete behind the scenes for power and control. A slow burn romance that is worth the wait!
I truly fell in love with the main characters in this. Viola is shaped by her family history and her difficult upbringing. She is scrappy and stubborn and often underestimated. And Hugh has also experienced a great deal that he shouldn't have had to. He is tormented by the things he has to do in the name of the greater good. His whole household was so fun to slowly uncover and learn more about as the book went on, as the servants in his employ are more than they first appear.
I will caution readers that this is a slow build that is meant to introduce a world, characters, and relationships that will carry over into another book. I did find the first half of this slower as the author is setting the scene for what is to come. If you are quick to DNF, you will miss out on an action-packed second half. There were so many twists in the end of this that I absolutely did not see coming. As expected, the ending of this left me with lots of unanswered questions and I wish I had book two already.
I will say I wanted a little more urgency to make the special Immortal Rose perfume already. Viola and Hugh have so many errands and conversations and all the time the king is supposedly wasting away.
Also, just a trigger warning that there are some really evil characters in this and some really violent acts. Much of them occur off the page but you still get the stories secondhand.
Favorite quotes:
"Some of us do not have the privilege of living our life, my lord. We survive it."
"It is often better to be underestimated than admired."
"I am a stranger,' I reminded him. 'You are the exception,' he said curtly. 'To my every rule.'"
"Because if you were to disappear, I would blaze through this godforsaken world and every soul who stood between us until I found you again."
"I want you.' His eyes burned with everything I felt. 'But I refuse to be your regret.'"
"Nothing mattered but having her, loving her, driving himself deep into her body until his yearning soul met hers."
"I could die from want of you,' he whispered in her ear. 'I would follow you, your devoted, worshipful servant, across lifetimes, the way the sun chases the moon across the sky. I would weave my soul through yours so no man or god could ever part them."
"Can you not feel it? The way my soul beckons to yours?"
Stars: 4
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