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Rooks and Romanticide
In an alternate world, Romeo and Juliet are gunslingers. Verona gives way to a steampunk Victorian London. The victims of turf wars are dumped in an alley they call Lovers’ Lane, and the moment the son of his family's enemy touches his face, Cain's revenge is poisoned by love. Fate would have it no other way.
Levi Ruslaniv is the heir to the Ruslaniv family gang, but ridiculous ancient feuds do not interest him. Cain Dietrich’s vengeful hatred for the Ruslaniv family is rooted deep, since he believes the Ruslanivs arranged for the murder of his parents. But his encounter with Levi pierces him deeper than hatred ever could.
With bullets and blazes of glory, schemes, spies, and pack mentalities, loyalty runs as deep in the veins as passion or revenge, and there is only one way to end the fighting. From the start it was inevitable—a bloodstained fate for children with bloodstained hands, and the streets of New London will never be the same.
Levi Ruslaniv is the heir to the Ruslaniv family gang, but ridiculous ancient feuds do not interest him. Cain Dietrich’s vengeful hatred for the Ruslaniv family is rooted deep, since he believes the Ruslanivs arranged for the murder of his parents. But his encounter with Levi pierces him deeper than hatred ever could.
With bullets and blazes of glory, schemes, spies, and pack mentalities, loyalty runs as deep in the veins as passion or revenge, and there is only one way to end the fighting. From the start it was inevitable—a bloodstained fate for children with bloodstained hands, and the streets of New London will never be the same.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2015
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 14, 2016
When I requested this title, I expected a blow by blow MM version of Romeo and Juliet in a steampunk setting; however, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. While J. I. Radke uses Shakespeare's tale as a springboard and does include iconic moments readers will recognise, he takes the story in its own direction, creating something new and intriguing. I was invested in both story and characters right from the start. The novel really gets inside Levi and Cain's heads, making for great drama. Rooks and Romanticide is a page-turner that provides an exciting plot and emotional punch. My final rating is 4.5*
I received this book as a free e-book ARC via NetGalley.
I received this book as a free e-book ARC via NetGalley.
August 3, 2020
3.0 out of 5 - Fair Gothic Re-Imagining of Romeo & Jules.
This was an interesting, dark read that took Romeo & Juliet to a gothic late-1800s urban setting; and it was fun to see how J.I. Radke built the parallels and watch how it played out, while getting involved in the tension and romance along the way.
Radke's indeed built an imaginative, gritty alt universe, if somewhat limited in setting. The action was confined to just a few neighborhoods and houses in a much different Victorian New London. But what puzzled me was how this was labeled steampunk. It was not. It was AU/gothic/urban fantasy set in Victorian times, but that didn't make it SP. There was no paranormal that made it gaslamp; and there was no super-science, steam or other mechanizations/inventions that made it steampunk.
Sometimes I get into where the title came from. In this case, it also revealed the themes and clues. When Levi (the Romeo) graduated from his family's militia training, he got a gun with ROOK on the handle, and he was also called the ROMANTIC. Those indeed were themes that paralleled the play. And the MCs' names were also telling. Cain, while he was an only son, had his own vengeance to carry out. And Levi, also known in the the Bible as the apostle Matthew, had his own alt "name" when he went undercover.
Like in R&J, there were two feuding households, but the younger Cain was already the head of one, and the older Levi was the heir of the other, meeting Cain at his masquerade ball, and both fell for each other. But this was darker and more violent than R&J. The households operated more like the mafia, getting into crime, drugs and gangs harassing the other family. And in this case, one family (Levi's) was doing all the harassing, making the other more the victims.
So that's where I started having issues. I had no sympathy for Levi's mafia wanna-bes. I don't like to read about the mafia, and I didn't like this family. But I guess the senseless violence built on that in R&J; though here, much more violent. I also thought the MCs were quite immature for their age. It was understandable from such teenagers as Shakespeare's Romeo (16) and Juliet (13). But not from streetwise 25 and 20 yo's. So that led to some childish thinking and behaviors and unrealistic scenarios that ultimately led to the outcome I suspected. But even then, at the end, I really didn't feel the motivation that would take me where the MCs went.
Still, it had its moments of action, romance and self-discovery, that any gay can relate to, like when Levi realized:
"Living for himself was all he wanted and had ever wanted! Through this character he’d played for Cain, he had stumbled upon warped self-discovery in the pit of cold, heartless violence that had become his life but with Cain, he’d actually just been himself."
This was an interesting, dark read that took Romeo & Juliet to a gothic late-1800s urban setting; and it was fun to see how J.I. Radke built the parallels and watch how it played out, while getting involved in the tension and romance along the way.
Radke's indeed built an imaginative, gritty alt universe, if somewhat limited in setting. The action was confined to just a few neighborhoods and houses in a much different Victorian New London. But what puzzled me was how this was labeled steampunk. It was not. It was AU/gothic/urban fantasy set in Victorian times, but that didn't make it SP. There was no paranormal that made it gaslamp; and there was no super-science, steam or other mechanizations/inventions that made it steampunk.
Sometimes I get into where the title came from. In this case, it also revealed the themes and clues. When Levi (the Romeo) graduated from his family's militia training, he got a gun with ROOK on the handle, and he was also called the ROMANTIC. Those indeed were themes that paralleled the play. And the MCs' names were also telling. Cain, while he was an only son, had his own vengeance to carry out. And Levi, also known in the the Bible as the apostle Matthew, had his own alt "name" when he went undercover.
Like in R&J, there were two feuding households, but the younger Cain was already the head of one, and the older Levi was the heir of the other, meeting Cain at his masquerade ball, and both fell for each other. But this was darker and more violent than R&J. The households operated more like the mafia, getting into crime, drugs and gangs harassing the other family. And in this case, one family (Levi's) was doing all the harassing, making the other more the victims.
So that's where I started having issues. I had no sympathy for Levi's mafia wanna-bes. I don't like to read about the mafia, and I didn't like this family. But I guess the senseless violence built on that in R&J; though here, much more violent. I also thought the MCs were quite immature for their age. It was understandable from such teenagers as Shakespeare's Romeo (16) and Juliet (13). But not from streetwise 25 and 20 yo's. So that led to some childish thinking and behaviors and unrealistic scenarios that ultimately led to the outcome I suspected. But even then, at the end, I really didn't feel the motivation that would take me where the MCs went.
Still, it had its moments of action, romance and self-discovery, that any gay can relate to, like when Levi realized:
"Living for himself was all he wanted and had ever wanted! Through this character he’d played for Cain, he had stumbled upon warped self-discovery in the pit of cold, heartless violence that had become his life but with Cain, he’d actually just been himself."
October 3, 2015
All I can say is what a skillfully crafted book. It was emotionally devastating and the prose flowing and almost poetic. While it is a steampunk twist/retelling of Romeo & Juliet, this author took the story and made it his own. This book gets my highest rating. An amazing read with a tragic ending. Definitely one for my OMG shelf.
July 17, 2015
Rooks and Romanticide is a romance intended for mature audiences. Readers may be uncomfortable with the sexual content.
Rooks and Romanticide is a bleak but lyrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set against the backdrop of an alternate Victorian London. New London is a city torn apart by the continued feuding of the Dietrich and Ruslaniv families. Gangs of supporters trade gunfire across the streets killing enemies and innocents alike. Bodies are left bleeding and broken on the cobblestones for the undertaker to gather and cart away.
The young Dietrich Earl, Cain saw his parents strewn lifeless on Lovers' Lane. He suffered dearly at the hands of their murderers. He wants one thing, revenge for his family and for himself. Levi is the disillusioned heir to the Ruslaniv family. Thrust at the head of BLACK, it is Levi's task to serve the interests of the Ruslaniv family while sabotaging the Dietrichs. One night changes everything, and what starts as a tentative friendship planned as a deceit turns into a tumultuous love affair between the two desperate, damaged men. With peace far from the horizon, and deception, bullets and bloodshed a constancy, there is no foreseeable future for Cain and Levi and only one way to end the conflict.
Radke does an excellent job delving into the complex psyches of the two lead characters. The shadows of their pasts are ever present and play a major role in the development of the plot. It is not only New London that is at war, Cain and Levi each fight internal battles, pitting history and responsibilities against individual whims and desires. Though each family mouths a desire for peace, neither takes action. Justice is a foreign concept that has no place on the streets of New London. Though both Levi and Cain are ostensibly in positions of power neither has the ability to enact change. Their doomed love is their most powerful act of rebellion.
Rooks and Romanticide is beautiful and troubling, a steampunk flavored romance inspired by Shakespeare's iconic tale. The sexual content makes this a novel for mature readers only.
4/5
Rooks and Romanticide is available for preorder and will be released July 28, 2015.
I received a copy of Rooks and Romanticide from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Romeo and Juliet with a steampunk edge
Http://muttcafe.com/2015/07/rooks-and...
Rooks and Romanticide is a bleak but lyrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set against the backdrop of an alternate Victorian London. New London is a city torn apart by the continued feuding of the Dietrich and Ruslaniv families. Gangs of supporters trade gunfire across the streets killing enemies and innocents alike. Bodies are left bleeding and broken on the cobblestones for the undertaker to gather and cart away.
The young Dietrich Earl, Cain saw his parents strewn lifeless on Lovers' Lane. He suffered dearly at the hands of their murderers. He wants one thing, revenge for his family and for himself. Levi is the disillusioned heir to the Ruslaniv family. Thrust at the head of BLACK, it is Levi's task to serve the interests of the Ruslaniv family while sabotaging the Dietrichs. One night changes everything, and what starts as a tentative friendship planned as a deceit turns into a tumultuous love affair between the two desperate, damaged men. With peace far from the horizon, and deception, bullets and bloodshed a constancy, there is no foreseeable future for Cain and Levi and only one way to end the conflict.
Radke does an excellent job delving into the complex psyches of the two lead characters. The shadows of their pasts are ever present and play a major role in the development of the plot. It is not only New London that is at war, Cain and Levi each fight internal battles, pitting history and responsibilities against individual whims and desires. Though each family mouths a desire for peace, neither takes action. Justice is a foreign concept that has no place on the streets of New London. Though both Levi and Cain are ostensibly in positions of power neither has the ability to enact change. Their doomed love is their most powerful act of rebellion.
Rooks and Romanticide is beautiful and troubling, a steampunk flavored romance inspired by Shakespeare's iconic tale. The sexual content makes this a novel for mature readers only.
4/5
Rooks and Romanticide is available for preorder and will be released July 28, 2015.
I received a copy of Rooks and Romanticide from the publisher and netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Romeo and Juliet with a steampunk edge
Http://muttcafe.com/2015/07/rooks-and...
October 10, 2015
I quite liked this bleak m/m retelling of Romeo and Juliet set on the mean streets of an AU 19th century London. It's gritty and visual, with gunfights and plenty of blood, and the atmosphere is wonderfully dark and evocative. I've got plenty of niggles and I wanted so much more from this book (I wanted it to be super awesome!), but I still really liked it. It certainly grabbed my attention. It appears to be the author's first book, so I look forward to seeing what they cook up in the future. It's by no means a cheery story, but if one is at all familiar with Romeo and Juliet, you pretty much know what you're getting yourself into here. The gorgeous cover is worth mentioning. I love Shakespeare retellings and this offers a new twist on a familiar story.
October 6, 2015
4.5 stars...
Highly recommended book for all lovers of Romeo & Juliet theme...Personally,I would give this book 4 star rating,but considering the fact that this is a debut novel I'm giving it 5 stars. Because,in the genre where new writers pop up daily,it seems,this writer is something else. He's seriously talented and I look forward to reading more from him.
Highly recommended book for all lovers of Romeo & Juliet theme...Personally,I would give this book 4 star rating,but considering the fact that this is a debut novel I'm giving it 5 stars. Because,in the genre where new writers pop up daily,it seems,this writer is something else. He's seriously talented and I look forward to reading more from him.
July 20, 2015
Very good - an m/m, Victorian version of Romeo and Juliet!
August 30, 2018
Just not something for me....
I finished, but barely. A lot of this didn't peak my interest.
I finished, but barely. A lot of this didn't peak my interest.
October 20, 2016
I loved this story so much, I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but what a little gem of a book this turned out to be.
May 13, 2016
This book really did make me cry although I obviously knew what would happen at in the end. Levi and Cain are doomed to fail from their first encounter. Rook and Romanticide is a beautifully tragic tale using Shakespeare's iconic tale as inspiration but creating something wholly new and original, as Radke creates a world full of bloodshed and betrayal, and of course love. "Ah, this tender poison was more dangerous than malice or vengeance. Love."
I have had this novel sitting on my "to read" shelf for months now but have never picked it up worried what I would find, but I was in the mood for something dark so i took the plunge. what I was expecting was a blow by blow recount of Romeo and Juliet set in a steampunk victorian world what I got instead was something far more darker and sinister with Radke only using iconic moments to hark back to Shakespeare's tale. What I loved about this retelling is that the Romance between Cain and Levi is made stronger by the time that this book spans. The action of this novel spans half a year while Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a couple of weeks at most. Therefore I felt like the two knew each other well and loved one another for it making the sacrifice at the end more poignant.
A beautiful and tragic tale that deserves 4 stars.
I have had this novel sitting on my "to read" shelf for months now but have never picked it up worried what I would find, but I was in the mood for something dark so i took the plunge. what I was expecting was a blow by blow recount of Romeo and Juliet set in a steampunk victorian world what I got instead was something far more darker and sinister with Radke only using iconic moments to hark back to Shakespeare's tale. What I loved about this retelling is that the Romance between Cain and Levi is made stronger by the time that this book spans. The action of this novel spans half a year while Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a couple of weeks at most. Therefore I felt like the two knew each other well and loved one another for it making the sacrifice at the end more poignant.
A beautiful and tragic tale that deserves 4 stars.
April 18, 2016
Rooks and Romanticide is a moody, gay retelling of Romeo and Juliet in atmospheric old London. Despite knowing the premise (and the ending) I really enjoyed the ride JI Radke provided.
Cain is a tortured soul bent on revenge. Levi comes only for fun but is compelled by his lover’s pain. There’s a lot of violence and a lot of darkness. I felt for the characters.
I appreciated the flowery language that was a tribute to Shakespeare, not a repetition. It added to the otherworldliness and romanticism of the story. I would have liked Radke to show me new things and go more into the unknown, rather than to rehash ancient woes. Hopefully there’s more from this author soon.
Three stars
- C. E. Case
I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads. I was not compensated, coerced, or flattered into an opinion.
Cain is a tortured soul bent on revenge. Levi comes only for fun but is compelled by his lover’s pain. There’s a lot of violence and a lot of darkness. I felt for the characters.
I appreciated the flowery language that was a tribute to Shakespeare, not a repetition. It added to the otherworldliness and romanticism of the story. I would have liked Radke to show me new things and go more into the unknown, rather than to rehash ancient woes. Hopefully there’s more from this author soon.
Three stars
- C. E. Case
I was provided this book in exchange for an honest review by Inked Rainbow Reads. I was not compensated, coerced, or flattered into an opinion.
Read
April 21, 2016*DNF*
(39%)
I LOVE the premise! The book is well written, interesting and imaginative but I just can't get into it! I don't know how to explain it, something didn't click this time .
May 5, 2016
Sad and moving romance.
October 8, 2016
That ending...truly heartbreaking. 10/10 will weep like a baby again.
Want to read
November 30, 2016Tragic end.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews