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4.5
Marie Lu seem to just get better and better with each book she writes in a Trilogy. The Rose Society was by far my favorite of the Marie Lu books I have read so far. The action was intense and my heart was racing so fast I thought it would come out of my chest. This series is so intense and so well written. The new characters were fantastic, and I have so many new ships a sailing (hopefully) into the horizon.The Rose Society picks up right where we left off in The Young Elites. All the Elites are banished from Kentettra and The Daggers are hiding after the death of their leader Enzo. This book is center around Adelina’s swifty growing darkest and need for revenge against the Daggers after being kicked out of their group.The story-line in this book was really fast-paced. I highly enjoy it more than I did the first book because this book focused more on the action. We get to see a lot more Elites with amazing powers as Adelina comes to the conclusion that in order to take the Daggers down she will need her own Elite Army.“..by morning, every person in Merroustas will have heard you name. They will wonder and whisper over the White Wolf. They will fear you.”“Fear motivates, more than love or ambition or joy. Fear is more powerful than anything else in the world. I have spent so long yearning for things—for love, for acceptance—that I do not really need. I need nothing except the submission that comes with fear. I do not know why it took me so long to learn this.”Adelina has become more unsteady since the first book. Her powers are growing, and with that the darkness inside of herself is growing more and more. I really enjoy see the darkness in Adelina because we get to see how it gradually starts to affect not only her but those around her.“What’s the point in searching for love, when love is nothing but an illusion.”She wants revenge and hell have no fury like a betrayed girl who draws the most powerful illustration from pain and fear. She is out for Dagger blood and is willing to do whatever it takes and sacrifice everything to get it.” He hefts a blade in one hand “I spy are favorite dagger,” he says with a smile.”Violetta Amouteru: Violetta is a character that I don’t really know how to feel about. We learn in the Young Elites that she is an Elite with no marking. She can take away the power of an Elite. I did enjoy the sister moments in this book.“You are powerful, mi Adelinetta,” she says “but you have the charisma of a burnt potato puddling.”“I like burnt potato puddling. It’s smoky.”I also enjoyed seeing how Violetta’s power was so important in the coming battles in this book. Now here is my problem with Violetta, she acts like Adelina is the only bad guy and she tries to come off as innocent and sweet. I feel like she is hiding behind a mask. The ending scene broke my heart, and made me want to punch her in the face so bad. I am interested to see what else is in store for this sister duo.Raffaele Laurent Bessette: Please don’t hate me, but I never really like Raffaele in the first book and the feeling grows stronger as the story progresses. Raffaele is now the leader of the Elites and has decided to join forces with the new Queen of Beldain to achieve the goals the Elites and Enzo have always fought for. The Daggers also have a few surprises up their sleeves in this book and become a force to be reckoned with.” The Dagger Society is a group of powerful Elites. We can bend the wind to our will, can control the beast, can create, and destroy.”Raffaele is always described as good and full of light but I feel like he has as much darkest growing in him as Adelina does. I never trusted him.Teren Santoro: This is a rough book for poor Teren. I am so conflicted when it comes to Teren, I can’t physically or emotionally make myself hate him. I mainly feel sorry for him. In Rose Society we get to see more of Teren unhealthy obsession love for the Queen and how this love is mainly center around his idea that she is pure and untainted by the blood-fever.“This . . . this is not love. This is obsession.”He is convinced that killing the Elites is what he was chosen by the gods to do. He actually believes he is an abomination and all like him are a stain on the world. This obsession that he had in the first book grows stronger and we get to see the mental toll it will take on him in this book.Queen Maeve of Beldain: Maeve has become a main character in this book. I loved seeing the dark secrets she has in this book after the major ending in the Young Elites. In Rose Society she is now the new Queen after the death of her mother and has her sights set on Kentettra. We also get to see more from her mysterious brother Tristan whom she visited at the end of Young Elites and finally learn the history of what happen. Maeve is a driven character, fighter, and cunning as well. This makes for an exciting story-line.The Rose Society is a well-done follow-up to the first book. Marie Lu has transitioned from the first book into the second book perfectly. This book was full of action scenes that were well written and made you feel as though you were really there. One of the better reads I have read this year! Can’t wait to read Midnight Star, the final book, and see how she will wrap this story up!
