Roseblood by A. G. Howard

                                                ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐stars

Rune Germain moves to a boarding school outside of Paris, only to discover that at this opera-house-turned-music-conservatory, phantoms really do exist. RoseBlood is a Phantom of the Opera–inspired retelling in which Rune’s biggest talent—her voice—is also her biggest curse. Fans of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the Splintered series will find themselves captivated by this pulse-pounding spin on a classic tale.
 
Rune, whose voice has been compared to that of an angel, has a mysterious affliction linked to her talent that leaves her sick and drained at the end of every performance. Convinced creative direction will cure her, her mother ships her off to a French boarding school for the arts, rumored to have a haunted past.
 
Shortly after arriving at RoseBlood conservatory, Rune starts to believe something otherworldly is indeed afoot. The mystery boy she’s seen frequenting the graveyard beside the opera house doesn’t have any classes at the school, and vanishes almost as quickly as he appears. When Rune begins to develop a secret friendship with the elusive Thorn, who dresses in clothing straight out of the 19th century, she realizes that in his presence she feels cured. Thorn may be falling for Rune, but the phantom haunting RoseBlood wants her for a very specific and dangerous purpose. As their love continues to grow, Thorn is faced with an impossible choice: lead Rune to her destruction, or save her and face the wrath of the phantom, the only father he’s ever known.

After reading the Splintered trilogy, I knew that I wanted to read everything that A. G. Howard would write. When I found out that she was going to write a book that pertained to the Phantom of the Opera, I was beyond excited. I've always loved it and I knew that she could do it justice!

This book is very different from the Splintered trilogy. It still has a creepy edge to it that I believe to be classic A. G. Howard. Roseblood isn't as action packed but it packs a punch in a different way.  There is a certain amount of intrigue and mystery surrounding the Phantom, Thorn, and Rune and what will happen as the story goes on.It is difficult at times to figure out the motives behind the actions of the characters and who is on Rune's side during the course of the book. I believe that adds to the tension and makes the book more interesting. 

I loved the twist that A. G. Howard put on the classic story. It gave the story a higher level of danger than it previously had. I feel that it also provided an explanation for why the phantom's voice was so seductive and why Christine both admired and loathed him. This book had the same seductive quality to it as the original.  I feel as if when people sang or played an instrument in the book, I could hear it in my head as if I was really listening to an opera. 

I loved Rune but I have to say that my favorite character was Thorn. His past was devastating to read but it made me want to know everything else that there was to know about him. He was a complicated character who strived to have a strong moral compass but at times faltered. He was put in an impossible situation which led him to have to make an incredibly difficult choice. I could tell that he felt that he not only owed the phantom but also wanted to make him proud because he loved him. I appreciated his soft heart as well as his darkness.