The Rose Society by Marie Lu

Title: The Rose Society
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date: October 13, 2015
Pages: 416
Source/format: e-ARC from Edelweiss

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

My Thoughts:

"It is nice, being powerful. Seeing others bend at your will." -  From ARC of The Rose Society

The Rose Society is a continuation of where The Young Elites left off. There is a new ruler of Kennetra and a new Beldish queen thrown into the mix. Adelina is on the run from Kennetra after the chaos that occurred in The Young Elites. Along with her sister Violetta, Adelina is on the search for an Elite named Magiano to join her in order to fight against the Inquisition Axis. The Dagger Society is now her enemy and she needs to recruit her own allies. Who can she trust? Will people betray the White Wolf? Can Adelina control her powers or will she spiral out of control? 

Just like The Young Elites, Adelina is trying to figure who she is. Nothing is black and white. She has become bitter over time because of how her family and friends have treated her for her entire life. Her powers feed off fury and fear which according to some, they can be deadly and uncontrollable. Does Adelina have the discipline to do what's right or will she feed off that fury and fear and cause chaos?

The Rose Society has mainly two POVs with a secondary third one. There is a love triangle in the novel but it is so slight that it doesn't take away from the plot. Adelina is so focused with her revenge that she is not in tune with her other emotions. Old characters return while new characters figure out who to ally with.

"Fear motivates, more than love or ambition or joy. Fear is more powerful than anything else in the world." - From ARC of The Rose Society

I am falling in love with Marie Lu's writing. I definitely think Lu should write more dark fantasy because she writes it well.  Lu expands upon The Young Elites with the same dark fantasy elements and epic world building. The Rose Society has more dimension and Adelina is not an apprentice anymore. She is no longer a student learning the basics of how to survive as an Elite. She takes control. Even though is is not a heroine in the novel, I cannot stop rooting for her. Adelina is dark, terrifying and is wicked. People fear her! She becomes a villain and a great one at it. Adelina is passionate and ambitious and will do what it takes to get the task done. Violetta is her conscious, reminding her to take a step back and not to feed on the darkness too long. After all, overexerting oneself has consequences. The power is consuming Adelina. With her power and influence, she creates the the Rose Society and diffuses her wrath against her enemies.

The Rose Society is emotionally gripping and a thought provoking story. There is so much going on and sometimes I have no clue how to feel when reading the novel. It's mind blowing! It's action packed with so much betrayal and deceit. The darkness amplifies in The Rose Society and I am not complaining because I love it so much more than the predecessor. I am curious how dark the third installment will be.