Rosemarked

Zivah just recently became a healer. When a group of traveling soldiers from Ampara, the ruling country, fall ill with the rose plague, she knows her vows require her to come to their aid. This plague has no cure, and patients either end up dying, are left with the rose marking on their skin, or are umbermarked. Zivah succumbs to the plague and is left rosemarked, which means she will fall ill once more in a matter of years, and this time it will take her life. There is talk that Ampara may blame her village, though the leader of the forces was impressed by her skill. She and Dineas, an umbermarked soldier from a neighboring tribe, will unite to try to stop Ampara from taking over their lands and their lives.

Rosemarked is written in a similar style as the author’s Midnight Thief series, and readers of that series will enjoy this book as well. The simple characters and fast-moving plot create a story that moves quickly but doesn’t dwell on description. The romance is fresh, original, and fleeting, leaving most hoping for a change of heart. The conclusion is nail-biting, and in want of a sequel, and soon.