Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne - ADVISABLE

Blackburne, Livia Rosemarked (Rosemarked #1), 390 pages. Hyperion, 2017. $18. 

Content: Language: PG (7 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG-13.  

Zivah has worked hard to become a healer, so when a regiment of ailing soldiers comes to her village she steps in to help heal them.  Zivah is charged with nursing the Commander back to health even though she doesn’t approve of what the army is doing to her people.  The Commander walks away from the illness, but Zivah herself becomes sick, known as Rosemarked, which means she can feel better for a year or two but will eventually succumb to death by the disease.  The Commander invites Zivah to care for a community of Rosemarked people, including his daughter, and Zivah becomes wrapped up in a plan to free her village from the oppressive rule of the emperor with the help of a revengeful young man named Dineas.  

I enjoyed the basis of this story and think it’s a creative idea.  At times the story seemed slow and drawn out but I was still compelled to read because I wanted to find out what would happen.  The characters are great, including the “bad” guy who I really liked.  The ending is a cliffhanger, but I can’t wait to find out what happens next.  The violence is torture.  

MS, HS – ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.