Blade & Rose: Blade and Rose, Volume 1

I did a bit of reading on the author's background and was surprised to find that this was her first series because her writing is so good. This story is written in a way that's vividly detailed and it just grabs your attention. Nothing is rushed (including the romantic development) and everything has a purpose. Our heroine Rielle and hero Jon are both complex, interesting, and sympathetic. They're also both Badasses and yet very different from each other, which I also loved. This is a fantasy romance but the romance is rooted in a strong and well mapped out plot- you get politics, drama, magic, war, spirituality all woven together to create the events surrounding our characters. There are a few POVs but it's done so well, it felt natural and seamless. Honfleur is an author to watch in this genre. Enjoy.

WOW! Tolkienesque fantasy with a dash of romance. Not a HEA romance but near 700 pages of fantasy. Well-written, outstanding character developed in great detail with an unseen surprise thrown in near the end of this first book. No spoilers from me, this is a must-read for fantasy lovers! The 700+ page sequel, By Dark Deeds is my next read.

Lately I have been in a book rut since many books are quick, simple reads. So I decided to give this book a try since the concept was new to me and I'm a sucker for medieval settings. I AM SO GLAD I READ THIS BOOK. Miranda's writing is one of the best. Her ability to create an amazing setting, description of magic, battle scenes, and great characters blew me away. I love the different point of views that allows better understanding of each character. This series is in my top five, along with Throne of Glass, Roar, ACOTAR, and Emperor's Edge.

Long book but with interesting characters who evolve along the way. I am not sure which characters to like or dislike in this book as they all make poor decisions and are often cruel at times. Lots of graphic violence and torture so probably not the stuff to read the grand kids before bed.The world building is a bit light on even though the book is about 680 pages. Needs a lot of fleshing out to make it more interesting. If you like fantasy/adventure give this one a go.

This book is reminiscent of the books I used to read. There is Honor, Courage, Adventure and Intrigue. I had to read it straight thru even tho I had so many other books waiting. The romance is tasteful and subtle instead of today"s graphic sex. The characters are very easy to relate too and your interest and heart strings are captured from the beginning. Highly recommended.

Blade and Rose is an epic high fantasy romance - a sword and sorcery tale that brings to mind the original Dragon Lance Chronicles by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. With D&D character classes like paladins, mages, assassins and the like, Blade and Rose is filled with adventure, political intrigue, mystery, peril, and a sweet yet forbidden romance.What I loved:• The immediate chemistry between the FMC and MMC, Rielle and Jon. The attraction and forbidden romance that blooms between this unlikely duo is what I read books for. 😍 Be forewarned that there is not a happy ending for this couple in this book. Things just get more complicated as the story goes on.• The world building is masterful. Gradual, effective, and thorough - even with the first read, I was never inundated with too much info. The conflict in this book is resolved, but it sets up more problems for these characters in the following books.• Complex side characters that add depth to the story, as well as some comic relief.• Fantastic use of sword play and magic.• The fact that this book is over 600 pages and I didn't tire of it.• I am a sucker for angst. This book definitely has it, but this is nothing compared to the following novels. Prepare for the gut punches to come.• Brennan. He's the antagonist/morally grey/anti-hero you love to hate. Though I didn't like him for the most part in this book, he's a great character that grows on you.I would recommend this book to 17+ for mature themes. Enjoy!

Wow! What a book! This is the first book I've read by Miranda Honfleur, but I will definitely be reading more, not least of which are the next 5 books of this series! The Hero, Jonathon Ver, an orphan who later becomes a Paladin, and the heroine, Favrielle, better known as Rielle, an elemental mage of great power, meet when he is attempting to cut through the Mage Tower to get to Monas Ver at the request of Father Derric of the Order of Terra, the Paladin Order. Rielle captures Jon and brings him before the Proctor, who, as it turns out, knows Father Derric. After a conference with him through magical means, Jon is informed that he is to report to Monas Amar as soon as possible and that Rielle is to accompany him on this trip and they are only to stop at two cities along the way. The rest of the time, they must camp in the wild. There are several other major characters in the book, such as Leigh, Rielle's first magic instructor, who decides to accompany them; Olivia, the Archmage of Courdeva at the royal court; and Brennan, the son of a powerful duke and Rielle's fiance, although she is hoping to either attain the rank of master magister or turn 23 so that she can break the contract. In addition, Brennan is a werewolf and it's only through his link with Rielle that he keeps from turning into one every full moon.There are so many twists and turns in this book and so much happens that it's impossible to even partially chronicle in a book review. All I can say is that this is truly a fantastic book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy story.

I was sent an email offering me a free copy of this book, which I accepted, I didn’t know anything about the book before starting it, to be fair I prefer it this way as I don’t limit my reading by being put off before I start a book. I have read different books from this author. I loved the fact that this book just kept giving and giving, it’s a nice length and well written. It involves different sectors/species of the society, with an interesting love triangle. The book contain graphic scenes of violence, interesting visual imagery and interesting gameplay plot and explanation of actions from individuals perspectives as well as the bigger picture of a drive and battle to regain control. The characters are interesting and have a level of interdependence. This book was spellbinding and kept me from sleep many a night whilst I kept turning the pages. In my opinion a must read if you, like something different.

I don't usually write reviews but I couldn't finish reading this book. The story and characters were disappointing and didn't have the impact I would expect from a good book. The 'romance' angle was over the top and repetitive and went from hateful strangers to being blindly in love straight away without any development and there didn't appear to be much fantasy worldbuilding. Its a shame because the storyline sounded interesting.

I liked book 1 so much I pre-ordered bookis 2 & 3 before finishing book 1! A geat story line, a great read.

I have been looking for a new series while waiting for the new Throne of Glass book and wow this didn't disappoint. Incredible story and characters. It's rare for me to me a find a book I can't put down but this certainly did the job. Highly recommend, can't wait to get stuck in to the next instalment.

I took a chance on this book after seeing a Facebook advert. I am so glad I did! I was absolutely hooked. The story is immersive and the characters are multidimensional. I proceeded to buy books 2 & 3 and I am now eagerly awaiting 4!