Author: Kat Howard
Publisher: Saga Press
Release Date: May 17th 2016
Summary from Goodreads:
Imogen and her sister Marin have escaped their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, be it art or love.
What would you sacrifice in the name of success? How much does an artist need to give up to create great art?
Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.
What would you sacrifice in the name of success? How much does an artist need to give up to create great art?
Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.
About Kat Howard
Kat Howard lives in New Hampshire. Her short fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, anthologized in year's best and best of collections, and performed on NPR. Roses and Rot is her debut novel. You can find her on twitter at @KatWithSword.
Also, Shane Leonard took her photo, and she's super grateful.
Also, Shane Leonard took her photo, and she's super grateful.
Review
Roses and Rot was everything I was hoping for yet at the same time nothing I was expecting. The cover gives the reader this mysterious almost haunting vibe and without fail the book provides that but it also brings the reader into this magical dark world of tithes and faeries. A world that while at times haunting it was also intriguing and desirable. The characters are passionate, full of talent, and ready to immerse themselves in their art. The setting perfectly matched the overall mood and writing style.
The writing style did take me a bit to get used to, each sentence and word choice felt intentional. I had to slow down my reading and really take in everything that was written, after a while I really appreciate the lovely prose. The plot is interwoven with narratives from Imogen's writing - dark brutally honest and harsh fairy tales. The fairy tales that don't always bring a smile to your face and do have true evil in them.
There was so much going on with the plot, between the secondary characters' development, the flashbacks, and the magical world of the faerie,s the plot never dulled. I truly enjoyed being kept on my toes, nothing really transpired how I guessed it would. While there is romance in the book, the real love is the love between two sisters and what happens when that love challenged. Roses and Rot is filled with magic, surprises, and dark fairy tales up to the very last page!
The writing style did take me a bit to get used to, each sentence and word choice felt intentional. I had to slow down my reading and really take in everything that was written, after a while I really appreciate the lovely prose. The plot is interwoven with narratives from Imogen's writing - dark brutally honest and harsh fairy tales. The fairy tales that don't always bring a smile to your face and do have true evil in them.
There was so much going on with the plot, between the secondary characters' development, the flashbacks, and the magical world of the faerie,s the plot never dulled. I truly enjoyed being kept on my toes, nothing really transpired how I guessed it would. While there is romance in the book, the real love is the love between two sisters and what happens when that love challenged. Roses and Rot is filled with magic, surprises, and dark fairy tales up to the very last page!
Tour Schedule:
Week 1:
6/6: Such A Novel Idea - Playlist
6/7: Cosying Up With Books - Review
6/8: That Artsy Reader Girl - Art History Post
6/9: The Quiet Concert - Review
6/10: Fiction Fare - Q&A
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6/13: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A
6/14: Curling Up With A Good Book - Guest Post
6/15: Lilybloombooks - Review
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6/17: Fangs & Fur Fantasy Books - Review
