Book: Regicide and Roses by S.E. Nielsen
Reviewed by Talitha
Rating: 4/5
I loved following Lavinia and Wraith’s story, and the absolute sass that came with it. Lavinia is adventurous and rebellious, but it all stems from her desire for freedom, love, and a life of her own. Wraith is mysterious, and I love his dry humor. Their push and pull felt believable, as did their reasoning behind it. He needs to kill her, yet somehow finds himself unable to stop thinking about her instead. I can't complain about the spice either;)
The book is fairly easy to read, and the descriptions made most things easy to visualize. I thought the magic system was unique and fun to read about. But I did have some questions about the worldbuilding. To keep it extremely vague, at one point there was a web that was described perfectly, but why was it there? What was its function? How did it relate to the creature that created it? Great for visualization, not so great for worldbuilding.
I think the connection and chemistry between Lavinia and Wraith were written really well, but I did miss some of the emotional impact when it came to the supporting characters, especially when something happened to them. I felt some of them were a bit underdeveloped because their storylines didn't directly serve the main events. But that doesn't mean they deserved any less attention.
An important battle was over rather quickly and a little too easily, especially considering what we know about the first time they fought this creature. We also see the battle from the sidelines rather than through the eyes of those actually fighting it, which made the whole thing feel a little underwhelming.
Overall, I enjoyed the story very much, but I do think it could have been even better. For the longest time, I was convinced this was a standalone. I actually checked beforehand whether it was part of a series, but somehow I hadn't spotted it. In a way, it could have been a standalone, were it not for that unexpected ending. I expected the reveal, just not for it to be the ending. That's when I realized there had to be more to the story. After some further investigation, I discovered it's actually a duology. And being as nosy as I am, obviously I have to read book two to find out what happens next.
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted books. #regicideandroses #thenerdfam