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Immortal Rose Trilogy #1
Desolate
A wedding massacre. An innocence stolen. Mortality stripped away.
In a single night, everyone Roseline Dragomir has ever loved is slaughtered before her eyes. Alone in the world and bound by a solemn marriage vow to a vicious murderer, she must find a strength buried deep within her to keep going or risk completely losing herself.
When a mysterious stranger crosses her path, Roseline will discover that not all immortals are evil. Some even bear emotional scars that run just as deep as her own.
Will she uncover a will not just to survive...but to fight back?
***DESOLATE is the first book of the prequel trilogy to my YA paranormal romance AROTAS trilogy. This book contains elements that may be sensitive for some YA readers. Please download a sample before purchasing this book to ensure it is suitable for your teen***
Desolate is book I of the Immortal Rose trilogy, prequel to the Arotas series.
This series will include:
DESOLATE
SAVAGE
REFUGE
In a single night, everyone Roseline Dragomir has ever loved is slaughtered before her eyes. Alone in the world and bound by a solemn marriage vow to a vicious murderer, she must find a strength buried deep within her to keep going or risk completely losing herself.
When a mysterious stranger crosses her path, Roseline will discover that not all immortals are evil. Some even bear emotional scars that run just as deep as her own.
Will she uncover a will not just to survive...but to fight back?
***DESOLATE is the first book of the prequel trilogy to my YA paranormal romance AROTAS trilogy. This book contains elements that may be sensitive for some YA readers. Please download a sample before purchasing this book to ensure it is suitable for your teen***
Desolate is book I of the Immortal Rose trilogy, prequel to the Arotas series.
This series will include:
DESOLATE
SAVAGE
REFUGE
ebook
First published March 14, 2014
283 people are currently reading
1533 people want to read
About the author
Amy Miles
66 books599 followersAmy Miles is the author of multiple published novels, including her bestselling young adult immortals books, The Arotas Series. Unwilling to be defined by any one genre, she has written paranormal romance, science fiction/fantasy, post-apocalyptic, romance, inspirational, and plans to continue to explore new genres. She is the co-Founder of Red Coat PR, a firm helping indie authors build a marketing base for their career. Amy is also the co-Founder of Penned Con, an annual two day convention held in St. Louis MO bringing readers and authors together with industry professionals to learn, grow and give back. She and her husband are heavily involved in charity work through Action for Autism, a St. Louis based organization aiding families with autism and founded the Penned Con scholarship to benefit area families. She is an avid reader, urban homesteader, weekend golfer and netflix binge addict who lives with her husband and son in South Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
September 30, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
This book is really gruesome. I had to sort of glaze over a few things, but even still I found the book to be very good. I loved how the author wrote the book, her style, and the way I could picture all of the things she wrote about... uh.. the not so gruesome parts!
This is a book about vampires at their most macabre! There is no lovey dovey, I have feelings and I'm awesome in this book.. wait.. I digress, there is Fane, he is a good guy. Okay, so there is one in the whole group!
You have Vlad, yes "THE" Vlad that is getting married to Roseline Dragomir in the beginning of the book. This is supposed to be a happy, wonderful day for Roseline..NOT. After the nuptials, Vlad and his brother Lucien massacre everyone and turn Rose into a vampire. Okay, that is all of the spoilers, although it says some of that in the blurb.
Rose is not happy to say the least. She doesn't want to be a vampire and there are many atrocities done to her... very bad atrocities.
Like I said, this is a very gruesome book and I would not run out and let your children read it! But, there is some goodness in the book. I mentioned Fane, he is an immortal, but he tends to stay off to himself as a warrior instead of staying at Castle Bran. Vlad has him take care of Roseline when she needs healing and when she needs to train for a tournament. I am not going to tell you about this tournament, you will just have to read the book :)
I loved how the author described the scenery, I just loved so many of the scenes in the forest.
Even though this book is hard to take at times because of the cruelty to women and I have to sort of skim over some of that, I am going to read the other books that will come later. I loved the ending, there was some revenge in there, and I want to see where it's going to go. The author left it at a really good stopping point!
*I would like to thank NETGALLEY and RED COAT PR for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.*
This book is really gruesome. I had to sort of glaze over a few things, but even still I found the book to be very good. I loved how the author wrote the book, her style, and the way I could picture all of the things she wrote about... uh.. the not so gruesome parts!
This is a book about vampires at their most macabre! There is no lovey dovey, I have feelings and I'm awesome in this book.. wait.. I digress, there is Fane, he is a good guy. Okay, so there is one in the whole group!
You have Vlad, yes "THE" Vlad that is getting married to Roseline Dragomir in the beginning of the book. This is supposed to be a happy, wonderful day for Roseline..NOT. After the nuptials, Vlad and his brother Lucien massacre everyone and turn Rose into a vampire. Okay, that is all of the spoilers, although it says some of that in the blurb.
Rose is not happy to say the least. She doesn't want to be a vampire and there are many atrocities done to her... very bad atrocities.
Like I said, this is a very gruesome book and I would not run out and let your children read it! But, there is some goodness in the book. I mentioned Fane, he is an immortal, but he tends to stay off to himself as a warrior instead of staying at Castle Bran. Vlad has him take care of Roseline when she needs healing and when she needs to train for a tournament. I am not going to tell you about this tournament, you will just have to read the book :)
I loved how the author described the scenery, I just loved so many of the scenes in the forest.
Even though this book is hard to take at times because of the cruelty to women and I have to sort of skim over some of that, I am going to read the other books that will come later. I loved the ending, there was some revenge in there, and I want to see where it's going to go. The author left it at a really good stopping point!
*I would like to thank NETGALLEY and RED COAT PR for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.*
May 2, 2016
Original Post: Desolate (Immortal Rose 1) at FLYLēF (www.flylef.com) with 2.5 of 5
I HAD NO idea what I was getting into…
Don’t let the YA genre mislead you. Desolate touches upon some very mature concepts that even I, definitely an adult, felt highly uncomfortable with whilst reading it. The topics that were woven throughout—despair, abuse, hatred, violence—were discomfiting at the best of times, and suffocating at the worst of times. Even though Amy Miles does not go into graphic details, atmospherically, it is still disturbing.
I had a really hard time connecting with the characters. The one person I connected somewhat with is Rosaline. I think it's solely because the story is from her POV and I spent a lot of time seeing events through her eyes. For much of the story, I read it in a state of detachment; it would be too emotionally draining otherwise. Rosaline is abused night after night by her husband, Vladimir. This puts her in a state of despair and self-pity that spirals until she becomes self-destructive.
It isn't until a mysterious ranger, Fane, is introduced that Rosaline dares to hope. Where Vladimir is death and brutality; Fane is life and compassion. He offers Rosaline solace and kindness. More importantly, he teaches Rosaline to defend and protect herself. To solidify her position as Vladimir's rightful wife, she is to partake in a vampyre tradition in which she must survive 10 of Vladimir's strongest and deadliest brethren for one night—the longest night in her immortal life. But, she has no intention of being the hunted and every intention of being the huntress. This new spark in her personality and her quest to survive takes the story to a fever pitch.
The story ends much better than it started. It was a breath of fresh air when Ms. Miles empowers Rosaline with the strength and fortitude to withstand her adversity. I enjoyed seeing her transform into a strong heroine.
This is my first book by Amy Miles, and it is a very memorable one—just not in the way I was hoping. Her style is a bit too dark even for a dystopian fan like myself.
{ I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, especially to the author and publisher, for giving me an opportunity to review this title. }
February 2, 2017
I was drawn to Desolate because of the beautiful cover and also because I was looking for something different and thought a non-glittery vampire book would be an interesting diversion. Unfortunately, the book lives up to its title. This is definitely a bleak - unrelentingly so - story full of horrible, violent characters. I struggled with this one - when I hit the 35% mark and was still reading page after page of the main character being tortured, I knew I could never rate this one favorably. While books like Twilight water down the vampire world, books like Desolate may return them to their dark, murderous roots but it is excruciatingly painful to read at times. I think I’ll try Anne Rice next time I need a vampire fix.
The writing overall is fine though I did do a double take with the “tales become myth and myth becomes legend” line which feels like a reworking of the “history became legend, legend became myth” line in The Lord of the Rings.
Another negative for me is the use of present tense, something I rarely like. I’ve never found it the best way to tell a story, unless it is used to separate two distinct times lines, even then, it can be distracting if not done with skill. Miles does a decent job with it in Desolate but I still do not like it.
If you are disturbed by gruesome scenes of torture as well as sexually-abusive situations, I would avoid Desolate. It is a brutal, grim read.
I received a copy of Desolate from Netgalley and Red Coat PR.
The writing overall is fine though I did do a double take with the “tales become myth and myth becomes legend” line which feels like a reworking of the “history became legend, legend became myth” line in The Lord of the Rings.
Another negative for me is the use of present tense, something I rarely like. I’ve never found it the best way to tell a story, unless it is used to separate two distinct times lines, even then, it can be distracting if not done with skill. Miles does a decent job with it in Desolate but I still do not like it.
If you are disturbed by gruesome scenes of torture as well as sexually-abusive situations, I would avoid Desolate. It is a brutal, grim read.
I received a copy of Desolate from Netgalley and Red Coat PR.
February 15, 2017
I was given this ARC by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This story was, and is, extremely dark, brutal and, just as the title says, desolate. Unfortunately, I could not finish it. It was too much for me and I must warn future and potential readers that this is not a light or quick or happy read. If you have had any sort of traumatic experience, abuse or, to put it in a classic way, “have a delicate disposition” this story will not be for you.
Having said that, I must give the author a tremendous amount of credit for creating such a dark story that made my skin crawl and haunted me in my dreams.
I would recommend this story to anyone, who is looking for a very engaging and dark read.
This story was, and is, extremely dark, brutal and, just as the title says, desolate. Unfortunately, I could not finish it. It was too much for me and I must warn future and potential readers that this is not a light or quick or happy read. If you have had any sort of traumatic experience, abuse or, to put it in a classic way, “have a delicate disposition” this story will not be for you.
Having said that, I must give the author a tremendous amount of credit for creating such a dark story that made my skin crawl and haunted me in my dreams.
I would recommend this story to anyone, who is looking for a very engaging and dark read.
June 16, 2017
I'm afraid I didn't get terribly far in this book. Even after so many books which have done so much to change my opinion, I still don't like the present tense. It fights me as a reader. It's – well, it's like so many other things – done well, it's irreplaceable, and done badly it's unreadable.
So that was my first negative reaction. The book begins after something terrible has happened at a wedding – and it's not a good sign that what I was thinking in the midst of blood and carnage was "a white wedding in 1690?" (Because they weren't, usually.) A few minutes later is mention of "the clapboard homes nearby"… I don't know. My immediate association with "clapboard" is New England, but who knows? Maybe it's plausible in 1690 Romania. Unfortunately, my trust in the author had already deteriorated by that point, and I didn't buy it.
I've said before that if I highlight a lot a book it's either a really good thing or a really bad thing – either I'm expressing appreciation for phrasing or I'm collecting errors. Here's some of what I highlighted in the small amount I managed to read of Desolate, and I don't think it's hard to tell which was the case here:
"My leg muscles coil and I am sent careening backward"
"A rusty nail impales through Petru’s shoulder"
"My bronze hairs feel heavy laden"
"stunted horror"
Then of course there were the outright errors "the ringing of the bells that peeled" and "leaching blood" and such. The narrator mentions feeling "the dull ache of remorse", when there is absolutely no reason for her to feel remorse. I think the author might have meant grief or mourning or something like that; remorse was what I felt over choosing this book on Netgalley. The beginning was so unrelentingly grim, yet almost comically badly written, that I kept thinking of all the other books sitting waiting on my Kindle and just couldn't spend any more time on it.
So that was my first negative reaction. The book begins after something terrible has happened at a wedding – and it's not a good sign that what I was thinking in the midst of blood and carnage was "a white wedding in 1690?" (Because they weren't, usually.) A few minutes later is mention of "the clapboard homes nearby"… I don't know. My immediate association with "clapboard" is New England, but who knows? Maybe it's plausible in 1690 Romania. Unfortunately, my trust in the author had already deteriorated by that point, and I didn't buy it.
I've said before that if I highlight a lot a book it's either a really good thing or a really bad thing – either I'm expressing appreciation for phrasing or I'm collecting errors. Here's some of what I highlighted in the small amount I managed to read of Desolate, and I don't think it's hard to tell which was the case here:
"My leg muscles coil and I am sent careening backward"
"A rusty nail impales through Petru’s shoulder"
"My bronze hairs feel heavy laden"
"stunted horror"
Then of course there were the outright errors "the ringing of the bells that peeled" and "leaching blood" and such. The narrator mentions feeling "the dull ache of remorse", when there is absolutely no reason for her to feel remorse. I think the author might have meant grief or mourning or something like that; remorse was what I felt over choosing this book on Netgalley. The beginning was so unrelentingly grim, yet almost comically badly written, that I kept thinking of all the other books sitting waiting on my Kindle and just couldn't spend any more time on it.
nevermind
May 15, 2018DNF at 40%
There's nothing really wrong with this overall. I'm just not feeling it (and, honestly, I could do without the first person present tense).
There's nothing really wrong with this overall. I'm just not feeling it (and, honestly, I could do without the first person present tense).
December 14, 2016
I got this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
4.5 Stars
**rape trigger
**Lots of violence and blood and gore
Well, that was a surprising turn of events. From the very first chapter this book was intense and crazy. It was dark, intense and full of lost of gore.
I am not one to normally read vampire books but the premise of this book and the cover drew me in and it was ON from chapter one.
Downside, this was released in 2014 and none of the others are out yet which is unfortunate.
4.5 Stars
**rape trigger
**Lots of violence and blood and gore
Well, that was a surprising turn of events. From the very first chapter this book was intense and crazy. It was dark, intense and full of lost of gore.
I am not one to normally read vampire books but the premise of this book and the cover drew me in and it was ON from chapter one.
Downside, this was released in 2014 and none of the others are out yet which is unfortunate.
August 16, 2019
Rating: 0.5/5 stars
Characters: 2/10
Plot: 1/10
Enjoyment: 0/10
As you can see I did not like this book at all and now I'm gonna rant about it :) so I hope you enjoy.
TW: Rape, violence
(Very Slight spoilers ahead)
The reason I got this book was because it was free on amazon kindle and I wanted to get some free books, I bought this one because I thought the cover was gorgeous and the description sounded really good so I was excited to read and I thought I would really enjoy it but unfortunately I didn't.
The only good thing about this book was the first chapter. It was really good and I really hoped that the rest of the book was like that but it wasn't. This book is not suitable for younger readers, this book is full or rape, sexual assault, abuse and violence. I am fine with violence but the amount of rape was horrendous, you couldn't go a chapter without Roseline being abused or raped. There was so many points when I wanted to DNF this book but I managed to read it.
The only character I liked was Roseline and even then there were points that I disliked her. I hated every other character.
Overall I absolutely hated this book and I definitely wouldn't recommend it, but if you like vampire books which feature sexual violence and torture then you will probably like this book.
Bye
Characters: 2/10
Plot: 1/10
Enjoyment: 0/10
As you can see I did not like this book at all and now I'm gonna rant about it :) so I hope you enjoy.
TW: Rape, violence
(Very Slight spoilers ahead)
The reason I got this book was because it was free on amazon kindle and I wanted to get some free books, I bought this one because I thought the cover was gorgeous and the description sounded really good so I was excited to read and I thought I would really enjoy it but unfortunately I didn't.
The only good thing about this book was the first chapter. It was really good and I really hoped that the rest of the book was like that but it wasn't. This book is not suitable for younger readers, this book is full or rape, sexual assault, abuse and violence. I am fine with violence but the amount of rape was horrendous, you couldn't go a chapter without Roseline being abused or raped. There was so many points when I wanted to DNF this book but I managed to read it.
The only character I liked was Roseline and even then there were points that I disliked her. I hated every other character.
Overall I absolutely hated this book and I definitely wouldn't recommend it, but if you like vampire books which feature sexual violence and torture then you will probably like this book.
Bye
March 30, 2016
Holly mother of vampires !!!
It's been a while since I read a GOOD horror/vampire book.
Don't let the YA mislead you. This book displays a lot of violence and domestic/sexual abuse. This story is gore , intense and dark.
"Roseline Dragomir is dead. Now I'm nothing more than a hollow shell of the girl I once was, young and foolish. I have learned much since the day I died."
Without her will Roseline is forced by her father to marry Vladimir. Little they all know that in the day of her marriage Roseline's family gets annihilated by Vladimir and his brother Lucien.Our girl is being transformed into a vampire and Vladimir takes her to Bran Castle..
Forger all the juicy , erotic love stories between a vampire and a mortal girl. This is not the case.There is no romance between this couple. Vladimir tries to break her in every possible way.He had hundreds of wives so far and they all ended up broken and dead. Yet,in his odd and twisted sadistic way, he seems to care about this one as he is forbidding and swears to punish whoever tries to touch Roseline. She seems to be marked .
But that doesn't stop him from beating and raping her on every occasion
"Vladimir Enescue is a demon clothed in beauty [...] I shudder as the memory of his brutality, for I know all too well what wickedness lies within the depths of my husband's eyes."
Sick of all the violence she tries to commit suicide but the painful reality strikes again. She is now immortal.
Worse than that, Lucien kidnaps her in a dungeon and more torture follows.
"Lucien's beauty is deceiving. A demon wearing the face of an angel. "
No matter how much Vladimir tried, Roseline yet refuses to accept and act like her kind. So Lucien decides to take matters into his own hand and breaks our girl even more.
His goal is "to carve out the fear and weakness from your flesh."
What Lucien tries to do :
"I want you to slaughter thousands. To crave the scent of death , just as you long for a fresh fountain of blood to spill from the neck of a young girl. I want you to yearn for it. "
But Roseline feels :
"I had thought darkness would be a comfort, thought it only feels like a prison.[...]I have been transformed into a predator."
A mysterious character roams through the story and helps Roseline escape from the dungeon. His name is Fane and he is there to train her for the big hunt. A hunt that will take place very soon and Roseline will be hunted by all the vampires who want to take part. If she survives the blood moon night then she will gain her place among the vampires. She will prove herself and only then she will be Vladimir's wive for eternity.
Roseline doesn't like the thought that she will live an eternity with Vladimir on her side, so she is more than happy to let herself get killed by the others.
Only she slowly develops a friendly relationship with Fane. He is the only one who understands her human emotions, because he was once human too. Fane also falls for her and he wants her to win. Because he needs her help to kill Vladimir.
Vladimir also believes in Roseline and he wants her to win. So when he is asked to stop the beatings he does cut her some slack.
But because he can't think straight when his animal instincts kick in , he tries to abuse her again. For the very first time Roseline stands up for herself.
But of course her words only angers Vladimir, so things doesn't end too well for our girl.
"You do not fear death, you fear living."
The feelings that she has for Fane and the thought that she might have a chance to love - these are the only things that gives Roseline hope and she decides to fight for her life.
But Fane is forced to leave and she is left with a promise of returning back for her.
Until then she must stay alive .
(Fane is shorten from Stefan)
Now as a side note.
It was pleasant to hear so many familiar names (including my surname was mentioned a couple of times). From my position I can say that the author did her research before writing this story.With a few minor mistakes, but I'm not even gonna mention them as they are pointless and they don't affect the story at all. After all it is a work of fiction.
I am happy to say that I just discovered a new author and I can't wait to read other books by Amy Miles. I'm not sure if there will be a second book under the Immortal rose trilogy , but I saw that The Arotas trilogy continues the story of Roseline Enescue.
Sure as hell this trilogy is on my "to read" list.
It's been a while since I read a GOOD horror/vampire book.
Don't let the YA mislead you. This book displays a lot of violence and domestic/sexual abuse. This story is gore , intense and dark.
"Roseline Dragomir is dead. Now I'm nothing more than a hollow shell of the girl I once was, young and foolish. I have learned much since the day I died."
Without her will Roseline is forced by her father to marry Vladimir. Little they all know that in the day of her marriage Roseline's family gets annihilated by Vladimir and his brother Lucien.Our girl is being transformed into a vampire and Vladimir takes her to Bran Castle..
Forger all the juicy , erotic love stories between a vampire and a mortal girl. This is not the case.There is no romance between this couple. Vladimir tries to break her in every possible way.He had hundreds of wives so far and they all ended up broken and dead. Yet,in his odd and twisted sadistic way, he seems to care about this one as he is forbidding and swears to punish whoever tries to touch Roseline. She seems to be marked .
But that doesn't stop him from beating and raping her on every occasion
"Vladimir Enescue is a demon clothed in beauty [...] I shudder as the memory of his brutality, for I know all too well what wickedness lies within the depths of my husband's eyes."
Sick of all the violence she tries to commit suicide but the painful reality strikes again. She is now immortal.
Worse than that, Lucien kidnaps her in a dungeon and more torture follows.
"Lucien's beauty is deceiving. A demon wearing the face of an angel. "
No matter how much Vladimir tried, Roseline yet refuses to accept and act like her kind. So Lucien decides to take matters into his own hand and breaks our girl even more.
His goal is "to carve out the fear and weakness from your flesh."
What Lucien tries to do :
"I want you to slaughter thousands. To crave the scent of death , just as you long for a fresh fountain of blood to spill from the neck of a young girl. I want you to yearn for it. "
But Roseline feels :
"I had thought darkness would be a comfort, thought it only feels like a prison.[...]I have been transformed into a predator."
A mysterious character roams through the story and helps Roseline escape from the dungeon. His name is Fane and he is there to train her for the big hunt. A hunt that will take place very soon and Roseline will be hunted by all the vampires who want to take part. If she survives the blood moon night then she will gain her place among the vampires. She will prove herself and only then she will be Vladimir's wive for eternity.
Roseline doesn't like the thought that she will live an eternity with Vladimir on her side, so she is more than happy to let herself get killed by the others.
Only she slowly develops a friendly relationship with Fane. He is the only one who understands her human emotions, because he was once human too. Fane also falls for her and he wants her to win. Because he needs her help to kill Vladimir.
Vladimir also believes in Roseline and he wants her to win. So when he is asked to stop the beatings he does cut her some slack.
But because he can't think straight when his animal instincts kick in , he tries to abuse her again. For the very first time Roseline stands up for herself.
But of course her words only angers Vladimir, so things doesn't end too well for our girl.
"You do not fear death, you fear living."
The feelings that she has for Fane and the thought that she might have a chance to love - these are the only things that gives Roseline hope and she decides to fight for her life.
But Fane is forced to leave and she is left with a promise of returning back for her.
Until then she must stay alive .
(Fane is shorten from Stefan)
Now as a side note.
It was pleasant to hear so many familiar names (including my surname was mentioned a couple of times). From my position I can say that the author did her research before writing this story.With a few minor mistakes, but I'm not even gonna mention them as they are pointless and they don't affect the story at all. After all it is a work of fiction.
I am happy to say that I just discovered a new author and I can't wait to read other books by Amy Miles. I'm not sure if there will be a second book under the Immortal rose trilogy , but I saw that The Arotas trilogy continues the story of Roseline Enescue.
Sure as hell this trilogy is on my "to read" list.
August 12, 2019
Desolate by Amy Miles
Desolate is a story about a girl who was turned against her will into a vampire. It tells the story of her the complete annihilation of her family and the struggles to continue life without consuming blood. At least not human blood. It tells of her multiple rapes from her husband, Vladimir, and the complete joy he and his brother, Lucien, get out of destruction and pain. It also tells of her budding relationship with Fane and how he attempts to save her. It also tells the story of the budding love between her and Fane as he attempts to save her from the harm that she deals with daily and her attempts to per herself out of her own misery and from the worst part of this new life she must now lead. He attempts to at least help her to learn how to defend herself and to live in this world and shows her that it is not a requirement to drink blood, that it just helps in the healing.
Desolate displays a lot of violence and domestic abuse to the point that Rose should have died several times and would have had she not been forced to drink blood or she were still human.
This is the beginning of a trilogy of prequels to the Arotas series. I did not know about the books that were already out that starring Rose, so this was a beginning that I really enjoyed and I think that I’m glad that I got to read it before reading the Arotas series. I like Ms. Mile’s writing style and this book left me wanting for more.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher, Red Coat PR, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Desolate is a story about a girl who was turned against her will into a vampire. It tells the story of her the complete annihilation of her family and the struggles to continue life without consuming blood. At least not human blood. It tells of her multiple rapes from her husband, Vladimir, and the complete joy he and his brother, Lucien, get out of destruction and pain. It also tells of her budding relationship with Fane and how he attempts to save her. It also tells the story of the budding love between her and Fane as he attempts to save her from the harm that she deals with daily and her attempts to per herself out of her own misery and from the worst part of this new life she must now lead. He attempts to at least help her to learn how to defend herself and to live in this world and shows her that it is not a requirement to drink blood, that it just helps in the healing.
Desolate displays a lot of violence and domestic abuse to the point that Rose should have died several times and would have had she not been forced to drink blood or she were still human.
This is the beginning of a trilogy of prequels to the Arotas series. I did not know about the books that were already out that starring Rose, so this was a beginning that I really enjoyed and I think that I’m glad that I got to read it before reading the Arotas series. I like Ms. Mile’s writing style and this book left me wanting for more.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher, Red Coat PR, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
May 2, 2017
TW: rape, violence
The only reason I made myself finish this book was because I received a copy from Netgalley, and it was cluttering up my Dashboard and sinking my review rate. Initially, I had requested this when I first joined Netgalley, and I didn't spend too much time looking at the summary. I saw a pretty cover and that it was "read now" and that was that.
The book opens with utter carnage. The protagonist, Roseline, wakes among the bloodied and burning remains of her family members. Her new husband, Vladimir, has murdered everyone who gathered for their wedding and turned Roseline into a vampire. The opening chapter is engaging; Miller is good being descriptive. That is the only good thing I can say about this book.
After a wedding that puts the Red Wedding to shame, we are treated to hundreds of pages of Roseline being raped and tortured by her husband and his brother, Lucien, for no reason at all. In fact, very little of what the characters in this book do makes sense except to contribute to the utter bleakness of the plot. There are no nuanced characters here. All the men are rapists in waiting, all the women are jealous whores. Too many characters are introduced for no reason, as they are all essentially cardboard cutouts of each other. Fane, the love interest, is inexplicably a Good Guy, despite also being a vampire. Why has he alone managed to remain kind? Because plot.
And speaking of plot. I may have been stomach all the gratuitous torture and sexual violence had there actually been a coherent plot. It is only once we are three-quarters into the book that a hint of plot is even mentioned - apparently Roseline has to compete in some sort of hunt in order to win the right to be Vladimir's wife for eternity. Not only is this mentioned way too late, the hunt itself begins 90% into the book, which leaves very little time for closure and means the narrative structure of the book is way, way lopsided. The ending is abrupt and answers little. The hunt itself makes no sense, and its rules seem to contradict each other.
There is no chance for us to get to know Roseline. Almost every scene she is in involves her being tortured in some way. She is constantly terrified, constantly abused. I'm not sure what the author was going for here - in the foreword it seems like she hopes this will be an empowering novel for abused girls, but I see very little of that here that isn't badly written. Even Roseline's supposed development from scared girl to "confident woman" happens abruptly and seems to hinge only on her relationship with Fane, Inexplicable Good Guy. There is mention several times that Roseline was chosen by Vladimir and Lucien for some kind of "destiny" but this is only hinted at seemingly to make Roseline seem more special than Vladimir's previous wives, as we are given absolutely no clue as to what this "destiny" might be or how Lucien discovered it.
I had hoped that perhaps since this was the first in a series, that the second and third books would deliver more on their message of "empowerment" with Roseline now in her position as Vladimir's wife. Unfortunately, according to the second book's summary, it contains more and more torture of Roseline. It seems that her elevated status has granted her no respect and little protection, which really makes me wonder what the point of this entire series is. I know it's a prequel series for another set of novels, so does it really just exist to take us through Roseline's constant torture in excruciating detail?
Sometimes, random, obscure books turn out to be gems. Other times, like this one, they turn out to be horrible little books that make you grimace and roll your eyes as you force yourself to turn to the final page.
The only reason I made myself finish this book was because I received a copy from Netgalley, and it was cluttering up my Dashboard and sinking my review rate. Initially, I had requested this when I first joined Netgalley, and I didn't spend too much time looking at the summary. I saw a pretty cover and that it was "read now" and that was that.
The book opens with utter carnage. The protagonist, Roseline, wakes among the bloodied and burning remains of her family members. Her new husband, Vladimir, has murdered everyone who gathered for their wedding and turned Roseline into a vampire. The opening chapter is engaging; Miller is good being descriptive. That is the only good thing I can say about this book.
After a wedding that puts the Red Wedding to shame, we are treated to hundreds of pages of Roseline being raped and tortured by her husband and his brother, Lucien, for no reason at all. In fact, very little of what the characters in this book do makes sense except to contribute to the utter bleakness of the plot. There are no nuanced characters here. All the men are rapists in waiting, all the women are jealous whores. Too many characters are introduced for no reason, as they are all essentially cardboard cutouts of each other. Fane, the love interest, is inexplicably a Good Guy, despite also being a vampire. Why has he alone managed to remain kind? Because plot.
And speaking of plot. I may have been stomach all the gratuitous torture and sexual violence had there actually been a coherent plot. It is only once we are three-quarters into the book that a hint of plot is even mentioned - apparently Roseline has to compete in some sort of hunt in order to win the right to be Vladimir's wife for eternity. Not only is this mentioned way too late, the hunt itself begins 90% into the book, which leaves very little time for closure and means the narrative structure of the book is way, way lopsided. The ending is abrupt and answers little. The hunt itself makes no sense, and its rules seem to contradict each other.
There is no chance for us to get to know Roseline. Almost every scene she is in involves her being tortured in some way. She is constantly terrified, constantly abused. I'm not sure what the author was going for here - in the foreword it seems like she hopes this will be an empowering novel for abused girls, but I see very little of that here that isn't badly written. Even Roseline's supposed development from scared girl to "confident woman" happens abruptly and seems to hinge only on her relationship with Fane, Inexplicable Good Guy. There is mention several times that Roseline was chosen by Vladimir and Lucien for some kind of "destiny" but this is only hinted at seemingly to make Roseline seem more special than Vladimir's previous wives, as we are given absolutely no clue as to what this "destiny" might be or how Lucien discovered it.
I had hoped that perhaps since this was the first in a series, that the second and third books would deliver more on their message of "empowerment" with Roseline now in her position as Vladimir's wife. Unfortunately, according to the second book's summary, it contains more and more torture of Roseline. It seems that her elevated status has granted her no respect and little protection, which really makes me wonder what the point of this entire series is. I know it's a prequel series for another set of novels, so does it really just exist to take us through Roseline's constant torture in excruciating detail?
Sometimes, random, obscure books turn out to be gems. Other times, like this one, they turn out to be horrible little books that make you grimace and roll your eyes as you force yourself to turn to the final page.
April 1, 2014
To see my full review:
abookvacation.com/2014/04/02/blog-tou...
This is my first novel by Amy Miles, but it certainly won’t be my last! Desolate, the first in a prequel series to the bestselling Arotas trilogy, is indeed a beautiful novel, and though dealing with difficult topics such as abuse, rape, and attempted suicide, Miles eloquently addresses these issues, breaking Roseline down before building her back up again. I can’t say I didn’t cringe as the story unfolded, but I will say that it is a beautiful portrayal of resilience and self-worth.
As Desolate deals with incredibly sensitive issues, I was thankful that Miles didn’t flaunt the events, or give the gritty details. She glosses over many, instead giving the reader just enough information to make the peril and torture Rose is experiencing obvious for readers, but also leaving much to the imagination. But even so, it is enough to cause my heart to bleed for Rose. Miles has put herself in the shoes of an abuse victim and shown the inner depths of hatred, fear, and loss of innocence.
The characterization of this novel was superb, and though I absolutely hate Rose’s husband, a forced union knit together through sociopathic tendencies on his part, Miles portrays a true sociopath vividly, putting the reader right in the midst of events. And while I truly don’t want to experience anything Rose goes through in this novel, Miles makes it impossible not to feel as the novel unfolds. Rose in my hero.
I will admit that some of the events in the novel proved to be a bit much for me; I can’t fathom anyone reading this novel and walking away unscathed, but Miles has done a superb job expressing Rose’s experiences, and I can’t wait for the next novel in the series, and to read the Arotas trilogy itself, as I know Rose becomes stronger for all her suffering.
abookvacation.com/2014/04/02/blog-tou...
This is my first novel by Amy Miles, but it certainly won’t be my last! Desolate, the first in a prequel series to the bestselling Arotas trilogy, is indeed a beautiful novel, and though dealing with difficult topics such as abuse, rape, and attempted suicide, Miles eloquently addresses these issues, breaking Roseline down before building her back up again. I can’t say I didn’t cringe as the story unfolded, but I will say that it is a beautiful portrayal of resilience and self-worth.
As Desolate deals with incredibly sensitive issues, I was thankful that Miles didn’t flaunt the events, or give the gritty details. She glosses over many, instead giving the reader just enough information to make the peril and torture Rose is experiencing obvious for readers, but also leaving much to the imagination. But even so, it is enough to cause my heart to bleed for Rose. Miles has put herself in the shoes of an abuse victim and shown the inner depths of hatred, fear, and loss of innocence.
The characterization of this novel was superb, and though I absolutely hate Rose’s husband, a forced union knit together through sociopathic tendencies on his part, Miles portrays a true sociopath vividly, putting the reader right in the midst of events. And while I truly don’t want to experience anything Rose goes through in this novel, Miles makes it impossible not to feel as the novel unfolds. Rose in my hero.
I will admit that some of the events in the novel proved to be a bit much for me; I can’t fathom anyone reading this novel and walking away unscathed, but Miles has done a superb job expressing Rose’s experiences, and I can’t wait for the next novel in the series, and to read the Arotas trilogy itself, as I know Rose becomes stronger for all her suffering.
November 29, 2015
*WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL SCENES AND MAY BE TOO GRUESOME FOR SOME YOUNGER OR MORE SENSITIVE READERS*
*The publisher provided this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.*
Her entire family is murdered on her wedding day, while she watches, her mortality and innocence are stripped away by her new animalistic husband.
With everyone she ever loved dead she has no option but to depart with her cruel husband, Vladimir Enescue, and savage brother, Lucien, to Castle Bran. Suddenly she finds herself alone in the midst of savages, bound by her wedding vows and her fear of her husband, she has to be strong or else she's going to certainly lose her mind.
A mysterious stranger crosses her path and she discovers she's not alone and that nor all immortals are evil, even if the most part is cruel to the core.
How will she be able to survive in the midst of such evil and cruelty?
I have to start by stating that this book is brutal, in much more than one way. Your first view of this story is of dead bodies, I'm not spoiling anything I swear, and of a freaked out bride. Brutallity lies before her, everyone is dead... Well, everyone except her husband and his brother, two savage men. She soon finds out that she looks different and that her cravings are different.
I loved Roseline's characther and I think this is one of the characthers that evolved the most in just a few pages between every single book I've read. Yes, her story is quite gruesome and cruel and completely insane but it's refreshing to read a book in which the vampires are not all good and dreamy. Yeas, they are beautiful but they are as far from an angel as you can imagine!
This author was able to write a genious tale about a common girl that turns a vampire and has to learn how to live with them and not just survive. Between being "possessed" by her husband in public, to being almost violated and evolving from being a frightened teenager to a warrior, Rosaline Dragomir Enescue has it all.
Vladimir is a combination of the Wallachian prince, Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, with and horrific personality and a big fascination for cruelty and the appearance of an angel, that would almost be able to cover his cruelty, wouldn't it be that he is known by all and feared by all.
If you're looking for a book that has substance and quality and don't mind torture, sex and love (or some kind of love) in a beautiful and addicting combination then you should try and read this book.
Note: The author suggests that you download a sample of this book before you buy it, so you can evaluate yourself whether you can (and want to) read it or not.
On my blog at:
http://thebewitchedreader.blogspot.pt...
*The publisher provided this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.*
Her entire family is murdered on her wedding day, while she watches, her mortality and innocence are stripped away by her new animalistic husband.
With everyone she ever loved dead she has no option but to depart with her cruel husband, Vladimir Enescue, and savage brother, Lucien, to Castle Bran. Suddenly she finds herself alone in the midst of savages, bound by her wedding vows and her fear of her husband, she has to be strong or else she's going to certainly lose her mind.
A mysterious stranger crosses her path and she discovers she's not alone and that nor all immortals are evil, even if the most part is cruel to the core.
How will she be able to survive in the midst of such evil and cruelty?
I have to start by stating that this book is brutal, in much more than one way. Your first view of this story is of dead bodies, I'm not spoiling anything I swear, and of a freaked out bride. Brutallity lies before her, everyone is dead... Well, everyone except her husband and his brother, two savage men. She soon finds out that she looks different and that her cravings are different.
I loved Roseline's characther and I think this is one of the characthers that evolved the most in just a few pages between every single book I've read. Yes, her story is quite gruesome and cruel and completely insane but it's refreshing to read a book in which the vampires are not all good and dreamy. Yeas, they are beautiful but they are as far from an angel as you can imagine!
This author was able to write a genious tale about a common girl that turns a vampire and has to learn how to live with them and not just survive. Between being "possessed" by her husband in public, to being almost violated and evolving from being a frightened teenager to a warrior, Rosaline Dragomir Enescue has it all.
Vladimir is a combination of the Wallachian prince, Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, with and horrific personality and a big fascination for cruelty and the appearance of an angel, that would almost be able to cover his cruelty, wouldn't it be that he is known by all and feared by all.
If you're looking for a book that has substance and quality and don't mind torture, sex and love (or some kind of love) in a beautiful and addicting combination then you should try and read this book.
Note: The author suggests that you download a sample of this book before you buy it, so you can evaluate yourself whether you can (and want to) read it or not.
On my blog at:
http://thebewitchedreader.blogspot.pt...
August 1, 2016
What an awful book. There is cruelty for the sake of cruelty, without having another thought as to create a new method of cruelty. In the author's note the writter says she took a lot of effort to put herself on the skin of an abuser as Vladimir and Lucien are, and that it also took a lot to put herself on Rosaline's shoes. And that we all can survive because an abuser doesn't define us, or some such.
That said, I expected the book to reflect about survival, about the resolve of Rosaline to grow and be cunning and... no. None of that. 60% on the book and she is still whinning and still being abused and wishing to day until she is presented with the chance to do so and then she decides she will try to survive: his husband has organized a hunt for her. If she survives she remains with him. If she doesn't... she doesn't. But alas! She has the help of Lucien, who has appeared a couple of times prior to save her and then leave her at the hands of her tormentors, and who has the same attractive as a sidewalk.
Plain characters, absurd plot and cruelty and abuse just because. No, thank you.
That said, I expected the book to reflect about survival, about the resolve of Rosaline to grow and be cunning and... no. None of that. 60% on the book and she is still whinning and still being abused and wishing to day until she is presented with the chance to do so and then she decides she will try to survive: his husband has organized a hunt for her. If she survives she remains with him. If she doesn't... she doesn't. But alas! She has the help of Lucien, who has appeared a couple of times prior to save her and then leave her at the hands of her tormentors, and who has the same attractive as a sidewalk.
Plain characters, absurd plot and cruelty and abuse just because. No, thank you.
February 25, 2014
Reading this book, although a dark journey through Roseline's past, really opens your eyes to what she went through especially if you've already read the Arotas Series. It's an intense, cruel, abusive journey, but how she keeps going shows you the strength of this character. This story is how she meets Fane, how she was turned, what happened to her family and how she deals with the struggles she has been handed. It's not easy and she has trying moments and I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for us!
Thank you Amy Miles for allowing me to preview this book, it was an enjoyable book that I couldn't put down!
Thank you Amy Miles for allowing me to preview this book, it was an enjoyable book that I couldn't put down!
July 31, 2016
Desolate by Amy Miles is a sci-fi and fantasy read.
A wedding massacre.
An innocence stolen.
Mortality stripped away.
In a single night, everyone Roseline Dragomir has ever loved is slaughtered before her eyes.
very good read.
bit slow but I managed to read it all the way through.
I liked liked the story and the characters.
the story and the characters didn’t connect with me.
4* from me.
thanks to netgalley for the arc.
#tbconfb.
A wedding massacre.
An innocence stolen.
Mortality stripped away.
In a single night, everyone Roseline Dragomir has ever loved is slaughtered before her eyes.
very good read.
bit slow but I managed to read it all the way through.
I liked liked the story and the characters.
the story and the characters didn’t connect with me.
4* from me.
thanks to netgalley for the arc.
#tbconfb.
Read
November 20, 2015
Arc Kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Did not finish this book. It took me forever to get into it. It had a very slow pace and I struggled to get through half of it. I finally put it aside for later hoping when I came back to it I could better enjoy it but unfortunately I was not able to.
Not that it was bad per say just not for me.
Did not finish this book. It took me forever to get into it. It had a very slow pace and I struggled to get through half of it. I finally put it aside for later hoping when I came back to it I could better enjoy it but unfortunately I was not able to.
Not that it was bad per say just not for me.
March 6, 2019
Review to come :-)
***
***
December 11, 2017
Before purchasing this book, I read several of the reviews about the dark and cruel nature of what I was going to be reading. Perhaps that was why I had prepared myself for the worst and I expected to be shocked by the horror I was going to read. I'm not sure how much of a difference this made when I picked up the book to read it or not. I am an adult, not a teen, and I've tried to read a variety of books (I haven't wanted to just stick to one genre). With that said, I was not as shocked as I have been with other reads. For a YA novel, the author might have done a good job touching on subjects that are difficult to read about. But it was not nearly as gruesome as some reviewers implied by any means, in my opinion. Most situations only hinted at the brutality the heroine faced, it doesn't go into detail hardly at all.
This is a novel I might suggest parents being cautions about if their teen reads it, because as other reviewers have stated, the book is filled with rape, abuse, torture, and attempted suicide. However, I did not find this read as engrossing or horrifying as others have.
I found it difficult to connect with the main character and, I'm sorry to say, this was not well-written enough for me to even feel much compassion, sympathy, or horror on her behalf. The author did not describe the setting or characters very well and she made statements about the characters without any evidence to back it up. For example, she repeatedly told the reader that the heroine was "curious" or "inquisitive" by nature and yet the heroine asked very few questions. Or as another example, the author would state that the heroine knew she could be "cunning if she had to be" throughout the novel and yet there is absolutely no evidence of this in her behavior and actions until the very end. I don't enjoy it when authors do this, I want to be SHOWN that a character is curious or cunning, not told repeatedly without anything to back up these statements.
I also think that the author has a poor understanding of what it means to break a person and how much that person changes after abuse and torture. There was very little transition for the heroine throughout the novel save until the very end and then she seems to jump from being scared and frightened so much she can hardly move, to being brave and becoming a fighter/survivor.
The author also seemed to steal lines from other novels, which I found distracting and irritating.
Even though I didn't hate the book, I don't have a lot of positive things to say about it either and I will not be continuing the series.
This is a novel I might suggest parents being cautions about if their teen reads it, because as other reviewers have stated, the book is filled with rape, abuse, torture, and attempted suicide. However, I did not find this read as engrossing or horrifying as others have.
I found it difficult to connect with the main character and, I'm sorry to say, this was not well-written enough for me to even feel much compassion, sympathy, or horror on her behalf. The author did not describe the setting or characters very well and she made statements about the characters without any evidence to back it up. For example, she repeatedly told the reader that the heroine was "curious" or "inquisitive" by nature and yet the heroine asked very few questions. Or as another example, the author would state that the heroine knew she could be "cunning if she had to be" throughout the novel and yet there is absolutely no evidence of this in her behavior and actions until the very end. I don't enjoy it when authors do this, I want to be SHOWN that a character is curious or cunning, not told repeatedly without anything to back up these statements.
I also think that the author has a poor understanding of what it means to break a person and how much that person changes after abuse and torture. There was very little transition for the heroine throughout the novel save until the very end and then she seems to jump from being scared and frightened so much she can hardly move, to being brave and becoming a fighter/survivor.
The author also seemed to steal lines from other novels, which I found distracting and irritating.
Even though I didn't hate the book, I don't have a lot of positive things to say about it either and I will not be continuing the series.
November 27, 2017
1690, Brasov, Romania. Roseline Dragomir (wife, daughter/sister, narrator), watched in horror as her new husband Vladimir Enescue & Lucien Enescue (Vladimir’s brother) his accomplice covered the floor with her family’s blood.
Castle Bran. Alamesia (f), Atticus, Cyra & Emeline greet the newlyweds.
Vladimir (Vampyre, aka Impaler), Roseline & Amadeus (Vlad’s counselor) feasted well into the night.
Emory (35+), Marcus, Verity (twin sister), & Cassius (twin brother) introduced their-selves.
Winter has changed things in the household.
What were Fane & Roseline discussing?
Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written paranormal romance book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great paranormal romance movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. It was just OK for me so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; BookSends; Amy Miles Books; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Castle Bran. Alamesia (f), Atticus, Cyra & Emeline greet the newlyweds.
Vladimir (Vampyre, aka Impaler), Roseline & Amadeus (Vlad’s counselor) feasted well into the night.
Emory (35+), Marcus, Verity (twin sister), & Cassius (twin brother) introduced their-selves.
Winter has changed things in the household.
What were Fane & Roseline discussing?
Warning: This book is for adults only & contains extreme violent or graphic adult content or profanity &/or sexually explicit scenarios. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written paranormal romance book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great paranormal romance movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. It was just OK for me so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; BookSends; Amy Miles Books; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
April 2, 2018
**WARNING** This book is pretty gruesome, especially the first half. There's even a precursory note from the author warning that this isn't for delicate sensitivities. I'm really conflicted about my rating; I thought it was a masterful work from start to finish, but the topic and content was so depressing and awful, it's hard to say I really liked it.
What I like best about this book is the transition of the main character. Awful, terrible things happen to Roseline; she's broken in body, mind and spirit, but something happens to break her out of it: love. By the end of the book I was cheering for Roseline and her newfound warrior spirit and determination. I will definitely read the next in the series, because I want to find out what happens next. I would love to give this 5 stars because it was so well put together, but I'm going to have to go with 2 just because I didn't much care for the torture. It was necessary for the growth of the character, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, you know?
What I like best about this book is the transition of the main character. Awful, terrible things happen to Roseline; she's broken in body, mind and spirit, but something happens to break her out of it: love. By the end of the book I was cheering for Roseline and her newfound warrior spirit and determination. I will definitely read the next in the series, because I want to find out what happens next. I would love to give this 5 stars because it was so well put together, but I'm going to have to go with 2 just because I didn't much care for the torture. It was necessary for the growth of the character, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, you know?
November 3, 2016
Another book I couldn't finish. I feel bad bailing on books, but I value my sanity more.
This book is a classic example of when a writer wants to make their prose lyrical or, I suppose, set a certain mood, but doesn't have a real grasp on the language they are attempting to use or, in far too many cases, what words actually mean.
I don't intend to be overly mean, but I couldn't even try to focus on the characters or story because I wasn't able to get past my issues with the writing. I won't attempt to comment on those elements.
Here are a few examples of things I highlighted within the first couple chapters:
"The material was once white and adorned with bits of lace along the them, accustomed for a wedding." (pg. 4) I think here the author meant something like that the white nature of the dress was customary for a wedding, but my roommate thought perhaps she meant it was custom made for the event? So clearly the language here is ineffective.
"My bronze hairs feel heavy laden..." (pg. 7) I don't think this needs commentary.
"I should be perished on a night such as this..." (pg. 11) You cannot BE perished. You can perish. You can have perished. But you cannot BE perished. This is basically just word soup at this point.
"... my back is raw and leaching blood." (pg. 12) So, my first reaction when I read this sentence was "oh, is this a new vampire thing like sparkles? In this story do they somehow suck blood through their backs instead of through fangs??" and then I realized, oh no, the author meant the back was bleeding not leaching, which is the exact opposite. Clearly the author doesn't know what the word leach means.
"I can feel the muscle that clothes his body..." (pg. 19) Now, this could have been pretty cool if it meant that these are some truly hardcore vampires who made jackets out of the flesh of their victims, but sadly no, that is not the case. More word soup. More feeling like I want to gouge my eyes out of my head.
(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
This book is a classic example of when a writer wants to make their prose lyrical or, I suppose, set a certain mood, but doesn't have a real grasp on the language they are attempting to use or, in far too many cases, what words actually mean.
I don't intend to be overly mean, but I couldn't even try to focus on the characters or story because I wasn't able to get past my issues with the writing. I won't attempt to comment on those elements.
Here are a few examples of things I highlighted within the first couple chapters:
"The material was once white and adorned with bits of lace along the them, accustomed for a wedding." (pg. 4) I think here the author meant something like that the white nature of the dress was customary for a wedding, but my roommate thought perhaps she meant it was custom made for the event? So clearly the language here is ineffective.
"My bronze hairs feel heavy laden..." (pg. 7) I don't think this needs commentary.
"I should be perished on a night such as this..." (pg. 11) You cannot BE perished. You can perish. You can have perished. But you cannot BE perished. This is basically just word soup at this point.
"... my back is raw and leaching blood." (pg. 12) So, my first reaction when I read this sentence was "oh, is this a new vampire thing like sparkles? In this story do they somehow suck blood through their backs instead of through fangs??" and then I realized, oh no, the author meant the back was bleeding not leaching, which is the exact opposite. Clearly the author doesn't know what the word leach means.
"I can feel the muscle that clothes his body..." (pg. 19) Now, this could have been pretty cool if it meant that these are some truly hardcore vampires who made jackets out of the flesh of their victims, but sadly no, that is not the case. More word soup. More feeling like I want to gouge my eyes out of my head.
(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
July 20, 2017
I really enjoyed this read, I have only read Forbidden in this series, so it was really neat to get to read of who Rose, is before Forbidden. She has endured so many things. It was really hard to read straight on in hours. I had to take breaks in reading this as it was to sad. There was no hope for Rose and so many tricks and mind games play with her. She seek her end to be able to die and escape the violence. But meeting Fane she realized she wanted to live. At least she didnt want to die by the hands of others, if she was to die she wanted it to be her way of death. Rose endures much and stays strong and doesnt succumb to the live of evil with the immortals. Now that she is survived and proven herself as there queen, what is her fate? What will happen to Fane? Why did Lucian select her and what of the mark that was mentioned upon her back? Now to discover these answers in the next book Savage!
May 7, 2017
Desolate begins with a foreword, warning about elements of a sensitive nature. As this is classed as YA, this was definitely needed. Desolate is not for younger readers due to graphic violence and abuse. I researched a bit before reading, learning that Desolate is a prequel for the Arotas Trilogy. This is an in depth backstory of Roseline, only slightly alluded to in the trilogy.
After a massacre at her wedding, and being left alone in the world, Roseline Dragomir has to find the will to survive. With a murderous husband, and evil brother-in-law and a castle full of demons, Roseline begins to give up on her life. But being immortal has it's downsides until a mysterious stranger offers his help. With him on her side, will she survive the upcoming hunt?
Reading from Roseline's point of view allows you to understand her as a character. What she's thinking. How she's feeling. What happens when she loses control. Roseline is definitely one of the smarter protagonists I've read, although she let's her despair think for her throughout the beginning. She begin's to develop and toughen up by the end, becoming cunning and outwitting her enemies. This is what I enjoyed most about her.
Vladimir, also known as Vlad the Impaler, played the tormenting husband. With his brother, Lucien being his truly evil right-hand man. These two play perfectly off each other in both their words and actions. You also can clearly see the difference in character. Miles has created two different antagonists, without using two stereotyped villains.
The love interest wasn't rushed or made into an instant love scenario. We see Roseline converse multiple times before she even think's of her interest in him. Mile's definitely thought out how to incorporate the romance plot into the overall story rather than adding it for no reason.
The main issue is that the book is quite slow in places. A lot of the middle section is a lot of violence and hatred, but Roseline just puts up with it and doesn't do anything. Consequently, it gets quite dull but also difficult to read. It picks up as you get towards the end though. Another problem I had was imagining the fighting and wounds afflicted. All our characters seem to be immortals who can endure a lot more than humans. Therefore, the unrealistic wounds are hard to think of. As well as the actions which inflict the wounds.
Other than the pace, and the difficulty of imagining some scenes, I enjoyed reading Desolate. I would, again, like to specify it is not for younger readers.
I received Desolate* by Amy Miles as an e-book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.
Uptown Oracle Reviews
After a massacre at her wedding, and being left alone in the world, Roseline Dragomir has to find the will to survive. With a murderous husband, and evil brother-in-law and a castle full of demons, Roseline begins to give up on her life. But being immortal has it's downsides until a mysterious stranger offers his help. With him on her side, will she survive the upcoming hunt?
Reading from Roseline's point of view allows you to understand her as a character. What she's thinking. How she's feeling. What happens when she loses control. Roseline is definitely one of the smarter protagonists I've read, although she let's her despair think for her throughout the beginning. She begin's to develop and toughen up by the end, becoming cunning and outwitting her enemies. This is what I enjoyed most about her.
Vladimir, also known as Vlad the Impaler, played the tormenting husband. With his brother, Lucien being his truly evil right-hand man. These two play perfectly off each other in both their words and actions. You also can clearly see the difference in character. Miles has created two different antagonists, without using two stereotyped villains.
The love interest wasn't rushed or made into an instant love scenario. We see Roseline converse multiple times before she even think's of her interest in him. Mile's definitely thought out how to incorporate the romance plot into the overall story rather than adding it for no reason.
The main issue is that the book is quite slow in places. A lot of the middle section is a lot of violence and hatred, but Roseline just puts up with it and doesn't do anything. Consequently, it gets quite dull but also difficult to read. It picks up as you get towards the end though. Another problem I had was imagining the fighting and wounds afflicted. All our characters seem to be immortals who can endure a lot more than humans. Therefore, the unrealistic wounds are hard to think of. As well as the actions which inflict the wounds.
Other than the pace, and the difficulty of imagining some scenes, I enjoyed reading Desolate. I would, again, like to specify it is not for younger readers.
I received Desolate* by Amy Miles as an e-book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.
Uptown Oracle Reviews
December 20, 2017
Loved it!
This isn't your lovey Dovey vampire story. This story has lots of pain and anguish and more. I was so enthralled with this bok, it was very descriptive and pulled you right into the.story. yes she.goes thru some really horrible things but comes to grow as a woman and love even. This was a really fast paced story and very violent and bloody but hey if you want a really realistic vampire story of how it probably would have really happened way back in the time this takes place, well this book for me was more realistic than any of the love at first sight suave handsome vampire stories that are in our timeline, but hey I still love most of them too lol but this one really tears at your heart and takes you back in time. I can't wait to read the next one to find out what will happen next!
This isn't your lovey Dovey vampire story. This story has lots of pain and anguish and more. I was so enthralled with this bok, it was very descriptive and pulled you right into the.story. yes she.goes thru some really horrible things but comes to grow as a woman and love even. This was a really fast paced story and very violent and bloody but hey if you want a really realistic vampire story of how it probably would have really happened way back in the time this takes place, well this book for me was more realistic than any of the love at first sight suave handsome vampire stories that are in our timeline, but hey I still love most of them too lol but this one really tears at your heart and takes you back in time. I can't wait to read the next one to find out what will happen next!
January 18, 2018
********This book is violent. Full of rape, torture, gore and pure evil. Desolate? Absolutely. **********
Wish I could give it negative stars. It’s so bad. First of all it’s about vampires. I keep telling myself I won’t read anymore of them and I think this book was the final nail in that coffin! Normally depicted as angsty misunderstood creatures that look and act like spoiled teens this one actually makes them into the monsters they should really be depicted. But that isn’t the only reason why I HATED this book. The girl. Her story isn’t just “tragic”. It’s HORRIBLE. I WAS ROOTING FOR HER TO DIE! How awful is that. After 152 pages of all the amazingly horrid things she goes through at the hand of her vampire husband and brother, I had enough. I could tell the author had thrown a beacon of light at this point of the book but I was done with the gore and the inhumaness of it all.
Wish I could give it negative stars. It’s so bad. First of all it’s about vampires. I keep telling myself I won’t read anymore of them and I think this book was the final nail in that coffin! Normally depicted as angsty misunderstood creatures that look and act like spoiled teens this one actually makes them into the monsters they should really be depicted. But that isn’t the only reason why I HATED this book. The girl. Her story isn’t just “tragic”. It’s HORRIBLE. I WAS ROOTING FOR HER TO DIE! How awful is that. After 152 pages of all the amazingly horrid things she goes through at the hand of her vampire husband and brother, I had enough. I could tell the author had thrown a beacon of light at this point of the book but I was done with the gore and the inhumaness of it all.
February 26, 2018
I enjoyed seeing Roseline and Fane in their past. I would recommend reading the Arotas Trilogy first and then read this two part back story. I have been waiting YEARS for this to finally come out on Kindle and I'm not sure exactly when it was released but noticed it on there the other day and was so excited!! IT was also free, which is always amazing.
Anyways, about the book. This is the story of how Roseline was turned and her torture with Vladimir (her husband). There is barely any dialogue, a good amount of grammatical errors to make you notice, but it has a whole lot of meaningful story.
I really liked seeing how Roseline met Fane and become the strong willed warrior we grew to love in the Arotas Trilogy!
There is a book 2 but I am satisfied at the moment and will take a break from the heavy inner dialogue.
Anyways, about the book. This is the story of how Roseline was turned and her torture with Vladimir (her husband). There is barely any dialogue, a good amount of grammatical errors to make you notice, but it has a whole lot of meaningful story.
I really liked seeing how Roseline met Fane and become the strong willed warrior we grew to love in the Arotas Trilogy!
There is a book 2 but I am satisfied at the moment and will take a break from the heavy inner dialogue.
July 21, 2017
~~I received this in exchange for my honest opinion~~
I have never read a book that has so much heartbreak, but has so much love wrapped in its pages. Roseline has awoken and she doesn't know what is going on. All she knows is everything is not normal.
This is the start to the Immortal Rose Trilogy, this book is everything that you want in a first book. It gives a great timeline of what happens to Roseline. From the very beginning you are pulled into Roseline's world and you will not let go until you come to the end. And even then, you are going to want more.
Amy has written a great, great book. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I know that Amy has already had me as a fan, she has just solidified it!
I have never read a book that has so much heartbreak, but has so much love wrapped in its pages. Roseline has awoken and she doesn't know what is going on. All she knows is everything is not normal.
This is the start to the Immortal Rose Trilogy, this book is everything that you want in a first book. It gives a great timeline of what happens to Roseline. From the very beginning you are pulled into Roseline's world and you will not let go until you come to the end. And even then, you are going to want more.
Amy has written a great, great book. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I know that Amy has already had me as a fan, she has just solidified it!
January 22, 2018
Turning into something that represents the devil only to make it worst and feed off your sister. Your husband can become your worst nightmare since he made you like this. Fighting against what he made you, fighting against the urge to become one them 'all alone'.
Until someone finally lights a path of hope for you only to realized that if you turn to them not only would they be dead but all your love, passion, desire everything goes away with them only leaving you a hallow shell. So you got stronger even thought you've been raped, tortured and humiliated you still got back up and fought against the ones that did you wrong.
Fought against this way of nature to save yourself and to save the one you fall hopelessly in love with. FREEDOM!!!!
Until someone finally lights a path of hope for you only to realized that if you turn to them not only would they be dead but all your love, passion, desire everything goes away with them only leaving you a hallow shell. So you got stronger even thought you've been raped, tortured and humiliated you still got back up and fought against the ones that did you wrong.
Fought against this way of nature to save yourself and to save the one you fall hopelessly in love with. FREEDOM!!!!
July 8, 2017
First let me start by saying this one is dark but hey its disclosed so you should be prepaired for it. As a parent and a woman I wasn't sure what to expect with this as it took me a min to get into it but once I did BAM I was hooked. I could not put this down as I wanted to see how this played out. I commend this author for telling this story as well as she did without being tasteless. She told this story wonderfully. While it is a love story of sorts it is also a story about strength and bravery and taking control of your life and fighting for it. I though it was great. I am off to read book 2.
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