Rosemarked by Livia Blackburn

 

This is an interesting read for sure. The plot revolves around a healer and a warrior teaming up to infiltrate an empire, the catch being that the warrior (Dineas) has to become an amnesiac in order to be believable in the role, and the healer (Zivah) is infected with a deadly disease. Rosemarked is the rare sff book where the fantastical elements are much more than an excuse to have cool adventures and fun worldbuilding. Rather, they are central to the books theme. There's something very cerebral about this book, which is always interesting to see in fantasy, usually being the domain of scifi. Rosemarked, however, is very interested in meditating on its philosophical ideas surrounding identity and belonging in the face of empire. This book asks some very difficult questions, particularly with the romance between its two leads. The core conflict of their romantic arc surrounds the idea that Zivah finds it easier to love the version of Dineas that has forgotten the cruelty of empire - and honestly that's such a fascinating and horrifying idea. There's something deeply haunting and true about the way Zivah is willing to set aside the ugly realities of the world she lives in (and suffers under) in favour of a cleaner, prettier version where the man she loves isn't haunted, where the general she lives with isn't a cruel torturer, and where there might be a cure for the disease running through her veins. Her having to face those truths provides a fascinating, if haunting and uncomfortable, character arc. There are, unfortunately, times where this book gets caught up in its own philosophy. I was much more intellectually captivated than I was emotionally, and it's hard to say why to be completely honest. I love thinky books, but for them to truly wow me, there has to be a deep emotional core which this book just doesn't seem to have for whatever reason. I also find the fact that it's been marketed as YA to be slightly odd. I probably would have found it to be quite a dry read if I'd come across it as a teenager, and given the other reviews it has, this seems to be a common occurrence. The romance isn't really one you're meant to become deeply invested in, rather, it's a meditation on the broader themes of the book. I think I would be quite disappointed if I'd come to this book looking for the raw emotionality and heart pounding action of typical YA. Ultimately, pretty good though. Final Rating: 4/5 Stars Representation: POC main cast, mental health issues, chronic illness (fantastical) Content Warnings: plague and pandemic themes, ableism, and mental health issues. Also one of the MCs is very into creepy crawly critters.