Review: Roseblood by Emily Shore

Book: Roseblood (Roseblood #1)
Author: Emily Shore
Publisher: Argo-Navis
Date Published: August 7th, 2012
ASIN: B008SC1TDY
Author & Book Info:
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3.5 out of 5 Stars
***Review Copy Provided by Author in exchange of an honest review***

Blurb: For Reina Caraway, being human does have its drawbacks when she is born in Le Couvènte, a Northern California city made up entirely of vampires and werewolves. While she feels like an outsider (and sometimes dessert) in her high school, Reina also struggles at home with the mixed blood of her family. With her vampire brother and father and werewolf brother and mother, daily life becomes a dangerous challenge.
On her shoulders is the promise of an ancient prophecy foretelling she will be the future Queen of Le Couvènte, Reina grapples with her evolving humanity by day and by night—paralyzing nightmares of the murders occurring all around Le Couvènte. When a vampire is found drained on the outskirts of the city, it is up to Reina and her dreams to help the Council discover the murderer’s identity.
Reina also attracts the attention of the most powerful vampire in her high school; Skip White. However, what she feels for him is complicated by the presence of her vampire childhood guardian, Raoul Kelley.
Then…Reina’s true nature and purpose unfolds through the revelation of her growing abilities. Suddenly she discovers she can manipulate water, fly, and hear the tiny speck of a raindrop fall from far away. When the deaths continue to grow closer to Reina’s inner circle, she realizes she must have the courage to not only accept her purpose but to embrace it.

"It was a perfect place for a murder"

And thus opens Roseblood - 

A tale of  vampires and werewolves and humans. 

It has high stake suspense.

It has a human girl torn between two boys.

It has a prophecy and it has magic.

So what makes it different from your regular Twilight/Vampire Diaries fare? Read on.

Reina is a human girl - a regular normal high school girl in the small town of Le Couvente. This town has a smattering of the paranormal variety. 

Vampires and werewolves do not live in separate territories - they intermingle. They go to high school together.

Of course, it is not a very easy alliance. Not between those two species and even less so for the humans caught in between. 

What I found amusing and interesting was Reina's family. She has 2 brothers - One is a vampire, the other is a werewolf. Also, her father is a vampire and her mom, a werewolf. I haven't read a story that mixes *three* different species in one single family - throwing light that the supernatural and the natural (humans) have a similar bloodline and originate from the same ancestors. (Think Kate Beckinsale's Underworld film franchise)

It was also a way to get under the skin of a teenage girl who feels she is different from her own family - the people she is closest to. Reina, or Rin as her friends call her has a good relationship with her brothers - them being different species not withstanding. And I liked that aspect the most. 

You don't have to be exactly each other's carbon copies to get along. 

Rin is a well fleshed out characters - yes, she does make mistakes and has doubts along the way but the book also traces her journey into self-discovery. 

Like many YA paranormal books, there is the requisite coming of age of the main character. Not to mention the requisite love triangle. Skip or Raoul. 

Age old dilemma to choose between two boys.

I did wish the focus was somewhat more on the suspense-thriller factor. People are being murdered and there is a prophecy involving Rin - a prophecy that states in no unclear terms that she is the future queen. With those story arcs, I guess Rin should have been hard pressed to take out time to romance not one but two boys.(I am Team Raoul, in case you're wondering)  The see-saw of emotions she went through added depth to the story. 

The end was mildly surprising - you will figure it out if you pay attention through out the book. It doesn't twist you into knots. 

Since Roseblood is the first of the series, you will have to wait to read it's sequel, Silhouette to find closure to the events in the story.

Conclusion : Unique in handling the different paranormal entities. Fun read for the weekend.