Customer Reviews

Rebel: (The Blades of the Rose)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Attorney Nathan Lesperance is kind of an outcast. Being the first Native American attorney in Vancouver, he is used to fighting his way to the top. Taken out of his home and sent to live with white people at a young age, he is also used to feeling out of place and has felt the need to prove himself ever since.

He is sent to the Northwest Territory in Canada to wrap-up some legal business with Astrid Bramfield. Astrid gave up her membership in The Blades of The Rose (those that protect the magical sources in the world from the evil Heirs of Albion) when her husband died in battle with the Heirs five years ago. Ever since, she has secluded herself deep within the cold wilderness of Canada, alone, breaking off all contact with her family and other members back in England. She has made the day's journey to the fort to turn over a deceased trapper's belongings. When she meets Nathan, there is an instant connection. She sees him and treats him like a man, not like an outsider or savage creature. She also notices magic surrounds him, something he is totally oblivious to.

Nathan not only takes in the breech-clad, gun slinging beauty Astrid, but the landscape is calling to him. He can almost hear the mountains asking him to come explore. When The Heirs of Albion come calling to the fort, in search of Astrid, Nathan's protectiveness goes on full alert. The Heirs are now in possession of the very powerful, primal source and they know Astrid is very knowledgeable on this subject. Astrid and Nathan go on the run, Nathan discovers he is much more than just a man, and a love blooms in the wilderness.

I adore Rebel. I think Zoe Archer has such a skill for writing these tough, independent heroines who can fire weapons, live in horrid conditions and keep up with the toughest of men - yet - their heart is open to love. They have a great sense of humor. Astrid is still hurting so much over her dead husband, but cannot deny her feelings towards Nathan. Ever so slowly, this woman who has lived on her own in the wilderness of Canada, comes to rely on a man who has never been close to anyone in his life. They both accept their fate early on, it just takes awhile for them to actually believe it.

Nathan is so surly and over protective and Astrid is just the woman to give it right back to him. Their chemistry really shines. For as much as this book is an adventure, entirely set in the Northwest Territory of Canada, we get so much page time devoted to Nathan and Astrid's relationship. However, I really enjoyed the adventure in this one, and almost felt like I was in the harsh conditions with the characters. As Nathan goes on a hunt with Astrid to protect sources, he finally finds himself as part of a team, and he likes that feeling.

What makes this book even more special is that we get to know The Blade member Catullus Graves. He will be the hero in the next book, Stranger, but in this one he comes to the aid of Nathan and Astrid. He is a long time friend of Astrid. We learn he is obsessed with fine waistcoats and girls with freckles, yet he has never been in love. Always the gentlemen, and extremely smart (he excels in inventions) he is also not afraid to get dirty in a fight (as long as his waistcoat is not too ruined). It is hard to explain the allure of this character, but I haven't felt this excited to get my hands on a future book for awhile.

Originally posted at WickedLilPixie Reviews

Nathan Lesperance comes from a world of being an Outsider in every way. Taken from his Native people as a child, raised in white society yet never being accepted socially in that society would have beaten down anyone. But not Nathan. He shows them all by becoming the only Indian lawyer in Victoria, often taking pro bono cases by the minorities who would otherwise have no representation. Nathan has always known he was different on the outside, but could only guess that he was different on the inside as well. The minute he enters the Northwest territory, and meets the enigmatic Astrid Bramfield, the land immediately calls to him and his yet to be tapped magic.

Rebel is the third book in Zoë Archer's Blades of the Rose series, and is my favorite of the the three so far. The mysticism and harsh cruelty of Northwest Americas landscape was beautifully done. The mountains and forests and devastating cold was easy to imagine as the story played out and their journey took them across the unforgiving landscapes. And Nathan... Sigh... Nathan. Here is a man who has never fit in anywhere, but has gone out of his way to shove it right back in to the white peoples faces by becoming part of their own legal system. He is fascinatingly complex in intellect and unlike any man Astrid has ever seen. He has survived a solitary life and unimaginable loneliness, and in Astrid he finds an instant jolt of awareness. The reaction is mutual and at first sight they are instantly enamored with one another. I was so pleased that I not only connected with each the hero and the heroine, but watching them both grow and discover themselves was rewarding. I smiled a LOT during this book, as cheesey as that sounds. There are so many tender moments to offset some very harsh realities that must be faced.

Rebel is a captivating story filled with wonderful and dramatic conflict and major action and suspense from start to finish. I was pleasantly surprised to discover what Nathan's magic was, and was very enraptured by his pursuit to discover himself, and also his pursuit to win Astrid's heart. There was no question that Astrid would be able to run from him even if she physically could have. Their adventure together includes a slide down mountains, fight with animals made of bone and ice, climb huge trees, hike through miles of caves... the adventure truly never stops and neither does the love story. There are shifters of all varieties, landscapes of all kinds, and even zombies. This book just keeps bringing it!

By now we have gotten to know Cattulus Graves quite well over the last three books, and his genius inventions. He plays a larger role in this book than the previous ones, and you cannot help but be truly enamored with him. Some of the most heartbreaking parts for me had to do with Cattalus and his loneliness. I cannot wait to read Stranger in which we finally get his book.

I really enjoyed Warrior, and Scoundrel was good, but Rebel? I feel like it was "my book". Everything about it called out to me and gave me what I need in a perfect suspense, action, romance with paranormal aspects and some history in there, also some steampunk genre. This book is a nice mashup of winning qualities of a lot of different genres and you just can't go wrong with it! I can't wait to read the fourth and final Blades of the Rose book, Stranger, but it has a tough act to follow with this one. You do not need to have read the previous two books to appreciate this one. The Blades of the Rose series reading order:

Warrior

Scoundrel

Rebel

Stranger

When an 'errand' brings 'rebel' Native attorney Nathan Lesperance to back to the area inhabited by his ancestors, a meeting with reclusive frontier-woman Astrid Bramfield sparks his senses and causes something hidden within Nathan begins to stir. Even as Nathan tries to pursue his unexplainable draw to Astrid, the former Blade rebuffs Nathan's advances and retreats to her self-imposed exile. But when Nathan runs afoul of the Blades' enemies, the magic stealing "Heirs", and ends up naked and bloody on Astrid's doorstep, Astrid finds herself pulled back into the battle and partnered with Nathan. As they fight their way through the rugged frontier in a race to beat the Heirs to a magical prize, Nathan challenges Astrid to put her grief behind her and to 'live' again.

I am really enjoying Zoe Archer's historical adventure romance series set in exotic locales - this time the wilds of the frozen northwest. And Rebel is my favorite of the Blades or the Rose so far. Throughout the series, Archer has done a really good job in making all of her books stand apart, no cookie cutter romances with interchangeable starring pairs here. But as much as I've liked Warrior and Scoundrel, Archer outdoes herself in Rebel, Nathan and Astrid are both well drawn characters and their slowly developing relationship brings a great deal of emotional depth to a story that also has a good amount of action and covers some very beautifully described territory.

So I loved both Nathan and Astrid and I loved Nathan's awakening which added a touch of paranormal to the story and I loved Rebel. I am three for three on the series and I have high hopes for the final Blades of the Rose, and I am really happy that there isn't a long wait for Stranger (The Blades of the Rose) since Archer has already setup her next starring pair and I am looking forward to more of the brilliant and debonair Catulus Graves as he takes his turn in the spotlight.

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book. It was still interesting, but I was very much aware that I was reading a book instead of being sucked into a story. About the time Nathan and Astrid started to open up to each other was when I started to get into it. I don't know why, but I couldn't seem to connect to their characters. Their past tragedies and their budding connection with each other wasn't resonating with me. I knew about them because I was told about them, not because I was really feeling it.

This book seemed to have a different tone than the previous two. I had it pointed out to me by a friend that there was less humor, and she was right. The tone was more quiet and somber. The characters were falling in love, but they both were rather withdrawn so their connection was quieter.

Other than the obvious factor of Astrid being a member (or prior member) of the Blades of the Rose and Catullus showing up, this one didn't seem strongly tied to the previous books. Perhaps it's because we never met Astrid before, we only heard about her in passing. Whatever it is, I think this one would be able to stand on its own well without having read the previous books.

In the beginning as we were getting Astrid's thoughts about her husband I saw a lot of grief there, of course, but I also noticed some stray thoughts here and there that seemed to subtly be grooming the reader to see the new love interest, Nathan, as a better match than the previous spouse.

"Few possessed enough spirit to gain her respect. Even Michael, much as she had loved him, wavered at times. Not Lesperance. He was her equal. In many ways. A frightening prospect."

See? That was only on page 66 and there were a lot of little comments like that. (Lesperance is Nathan's last name by the way.) Possibly the comments weren't meant that way, but after years of reading romances I am particularly sensitive to the habit authors have of devaluing the previous relationship just enough to make the new guy not have any competition. How can you have a competition with a dead man, you ask? I don't know, I've been wondering that for years.

Another thing that I noticed in this book was that even though we saw a lot more of Catullus than we did in the previous two, we didn't have as many steampunk gadgets as we did in the previous books. It's not a huge negative to me, it's just something I noticed.

Despite liking it less than the previous two books, I still thought it was a fun book. It isn't going to be a favorite of mine, but the action was a lot of fun and Astrid was a strong heroine. I also liked that Nathan's magic opened up an unexpected avenue in the author's world. I didn't think that we'd see any of that in this series, but it was definitely interesting to explore.

After getting to know Catullus a little better here I am even more excited to read his book. Hopefully we'll be able to end the series on a high note.

I got this as a free download. The problem with kindle freebees is that they are like halloween candy - you get what you are given and have to be excited. But this is not delicious nutty candy. I actually really liked the beginning with both the leads, Nathan the Native American raised as not quite a white boy, and Astrid the British loner mountain woman. They were intially both enigmatic and strong characters. I loved the setting, Canada in the late 1800's, and the whole survivalist theme. But the magic grew way too much, and by the final battle I was bored. No one significant was going to die, so get it over with already. There was not enough tension, too much was obvious and the themes were way too repetitive. I started to skim. I will not read the rest of the books in this series, the set up was too heavy handed and while the world building was good, the writing was not, and the book bogged down.

How many romances set in the Northwest Territory of North America in the later part of the nineteenth century have you read? I'm guessing none. One of the distinctive pleasures of the Blades of the Rose series is the way it convincingly transports you to different parts of the globe. And even though most of this story takes place in a chilly wilderness, it's unbelievably hot.

Astrid Bramfield is a former Blade in self-imposed exile after the death of her husband five years earlier. Solitary and as tough as they come, she hasn't let herself feel anything in a long time. Nathan Lesperance, on the other hand, radiates emotional warmth. A Native taken from his tribe as a child and raised in white schools, he's an articulate attorney with a wild streak within him that he doesn't understand. That wildness inside him becomes stronger when he travels on business to the region where his ancestors lived.

Nathan and Astrid feel an immediate and powerful connection that Astrid at first tries to deny. An early argument about Astrid's choice to cut herself off from family and friends feels thoroughly believable. Nathan's sense of displacement, and his compelling mix of fierceness and beautiful vulnerability, make him one of my favorite romance heroes of all time. His reaction to a huge change, his speech about what Astrid means to him to a Native tribe who aren't too happy with having a white woman trespassing on their sacred lands, and the love scene near the end of the book are sections I re-read again and again.

As always, Archer writes about non-European cultures (in this case, Native tribes) with careful research, respect, and sensitivity. Archer also describes magical phenomena in a more original and credible way than any writer I've read. The story crackles with action as Astrid and Lesperance pursue a mission and later fight with other Blades against the Heirs of Albion.

Catullus Graves, the Blade's genius-in-residence and adventurer with an excessive love of fine waistcoats, has a bigger role in this story. Graves's stoic loneliness, and his meeting with the woman who will be the love of his life, got me very excited to read the final volume of the Blades of the Rose.

Nathan Lesperance has never felt like he's fully belonged. Taken from his home, raised among white society, and working his way into becoming the first Native attorney in Vancouver, Nathan straddles a line between two societies and is considered an anomaly by both. Nathan's life changes irrevocably when a simple assignment brings him to a trading post out in the wilderness...and unleashes the magic within him.

Astrid Bramfield was once a member of the Blades of the Rose - a group of men and women who protect the world's magic from those who would harness it for themselves. But after her husband died in her arms while on assignment, Astrid closed herself off from the world, seeking solitude in the northwestern wilderness. She's a hardened frontierswoman who doesn't want to form any attachments, but Nathan is a stranger to magic and is in more danger than he can possibly imagine. Astrid discovers that she hasn't quite given up being a Blade, not when the Heirs of Albion - a group of men bent on subjugating magical Sources for the benefit of themselves and England - appear to be on the hunt for something.

The clock's ticking for Astrid and Nathan as they seek to locate a magical Source before the Heirs do. But what's more dangerous to Astrid is Nathan himself. For Nathan quickly breaks through the walls she's built around her heart, bringing forth emotions Astrid believed long dead.

Experience the nineteenth century Canadian wilderness as you never have before in the fast-moving, thrilling Rebel. Rebel might just be my favorite Zoë Archer book yet! Nathan and Astrid are compelling characters that are sure to capture your heart and the extraordinary world of Ms. Archer's Blades of the Rose continues to develop in exciting ways.

Whether by circumstance or choice, both Nathan and Astrid are outcasts of sorts who survive and thrive with the odds stacked against them. Nathan faces racism and skepticism on a daily basis, but he doesn't let that stop him from working as hard as he can to make his way in the world on his own terms. I admired him for that and for how he takes his introduction to magic in stride. He tugged on my heartstrings with his yearning to belong and I wanted nothing more than for him to find a life where he is wholly accepted for who he is. Astrid also broke my heart. She's loved deeply and suffered a horrible loss; one that, understandably, has led her to withdraw from everything she's ever known. She's self-reliant and a hardened frontierswoman, which made her an interesting heroine. What was really wonderful, however, was watching Nathan bring her back to life and seeing Astrid reclaim living life to the fullest. Individually, their journeys were a thing of beauty, and the ones they take together are even better. The romance between them is gorgeously developed and enchanting to watch unfold. Their quest to protect a magical Source is equally exciting. In Rebel, Ms. Archer perfectly blends heart-pounding action with heart-warming romance.

Rebel is the third book in the Blades of the Rose series, but you don't have to read Warrior and Scoundrel to follow along. The romance stands on its own and Ms. Archer provides enough information on the overarching storyline of the Blades versus the Heirs for readers new to the series to understand that plotline. However, I recommend reading Warrior and Scoundrel simply because Ms. Archer not only sets the books in unusual (for historical romance novels) locals (Outer Mongolia and Greece), but brings these locations to vivid, extraordinary life...with paranormal twists.

Ms. Archer is an incredibly talented writer and her characters, prose, and world shines in Rebel. I finished reading Rebel with a smile on my face and I cannot wait to read the final book in the series, Stranger.

Shayna

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Rebel by Zoe Archer is the third Blades of the Rose book and, having read all three in a row I've noticed a definite formula. Woman and man travel to exotic location and embark on adventure to find magical object and protect it from Heirs of Albion (EVIL men who would exploit that magic). Very formulaic, but evidently it's a successful formula because I've been enjoying the hell out of these books.

Plot Summery! Astrid once belonged to the Blades of the Rose, a secret(ish) society of men and women who protect magical objects. But after her husband's death at the hands of the enemy (the Heirs of Albion), Astrid runs away to a remote part of Canada to grieve and lose herself. After four years, she's dragged back into Blade business when Nathan Lesperance, a Native American lawyer, shows up at her door with Heirs on his heels. Nathan is undeniably attracted to Astrid. He is also desperate for purpose, and for answers about his own nature that have long been hidden from him.

My likes: The characters are fantastic. I was uncertain initially about Astrid, because she seemed very cold and consumed by self pity, but she warms up. And when she warms up, she absolutely glows--intelligent, competent, brave, and deeply loyal. I liked Nathan right from the start. Being a Native American raised by white men, and a lawyer to on top of it, his personality is full of pride and defiance. He won't take no for an answer on anything, very much the rebel the title advertises. Astrid and Nathan make a well balanced match. Their relationship builds slowly as they work together and fight for their lives and their mission.

I liked the Native American elements. The magic objects for this book are totems which embody the powers of certain animals in a way that I thought was quite clever.

The real brilliance of these books is the adventure elements. Astrid and Nathan brave rapids, climb mountains, fight zombies, and end up thoroughly bruised and exhausted. To me that makes the happily ever after much more fulfilling. I noted that this book had more paranormal elements then the previous two--one of our characters is a shape-shifter.

Dislikes: The formulaic nature of these books makes certain plot points were very predictable. Also, I really wish there had been more time devoted to the non-romantic relationships. Astrid's best friend Graves confronts her after she's in self imposed exile for four years, and the issues between the two of them are resolved rather briefly and flippantly. But overall, none of this was enough to stop me from really liking this book. 4.5 stars.

The story has been covered by others, so all I'll say is WOW! This was a fantastic third book in the Blades of the Rose series. Both Hero and Heroine were off the charts awesome, cool, capable, badass, and very, very sexy. The Heroine especially is the kind of woman that I want to be when I grow up (except for the emotional suffering and living in the deserted wilderness for years to become that tough part).

Zoe Archer outdid herself with Rebel, after blowing me away twice already with Warrior and Scoundrel. Which only leads me to believe that the fourth book, Stranger, is going to be so outstanding that it will cease global warming and then cuddle with me.

Can not wait!

When Nathan Lesperance was a child, the Canadian government took him away from his tribe. By 1875, the adult Nathan has become an attorney practicing in Vancouver, but feels outside of both the Anglo and tribal worlds. Likewise both societies treat him like a leper.

Several years later his law firm chooses Nathan to travel to the wild Northwest Territory because of his heritage as the assumption is he will feel right at home unlike the all white rest of the staff. His task is to pick up the belongings of the recently deceased Douglas Prescott. On the trek the malevolent Heirs of Albrion kidnap him, but he escapes. Former Blade of the Rose Astrid Bramfield finds him wandering lost near dead. Whereas the heirs want to use magical objects to dominate the world; the Blade wants to prevent magical abuse. With her Blade late husband as her partner, Astrid studied the Primal Source, but the Heirs killed her spouse and stole the artifact. Now the Heirs stalk the pair to obtain her knowledge and his untapped magic, Astrid and Nathan trek to the expected safety of an alleged tribe of shapeshifters.

The latest Blade of the Rose historical romantic fantasy (see Warrior and Scoundrel) is another super thriller as the suspense never slows down while the romance simmers nice and slow as each has a history filled with doubts that desire is not enough. Fast-paced once Nathan goes north fully understanding why him and never takes a respite as Zoe Archer hits a bulls-eye with this winner.

Harriet Klausner