Perfume, Politics & Yearning: Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken

Written By Angie

One of the things I love most about being a reader of different genres is the ability to completely switch my brain depending on what I’m picking up next. After weeks of mafia romance and dark romance, I knew I needed a palate cleanser before diving into Immortal Rose by Alexandra Bracken. Which is how I somehow ended up falling headfirst down the Seeking Persephone rabbit hole and becoming completely obsessed with sweeping, old-fashioned romance and yearning.

Let’s just say I was perfectly primed for Immortal Rose. And what a fascinating little world Alexandra Bracken created.

Immortal Rose follows Viola Lockwood, the last living heir of the Rosebourne family, whose fairy ancestry gives her the ability to infuse perfume with magic capable of manipulating the mind, body, and emotions. When the King of Albion is poisoned, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton needs Viola to recreate the legendary Immortal Rose—a perfume that may be the only thing capable of saving him. The problem? Viola has absolutely no reason to trust Hugh or the kingdom that has criminalized the very magic it now desperately needs. So naturally, they strike a bargain.

What immediately set this book apart for me was the magic system. Magical perfume?! That is such an unusual concept, and Bracken commits to it completely. Scent isn’t simply decorative worldbuilding here; perfume is connected to magic, power, class, politics, memory, emotion, and ultimately the mystery at the center of the story.

But let’s discuss Hugh and Viola because…THE YEARNING.

This is a true slow burn. Not simply two attractive people immediately wanting each other while the plot happens around them. Their relationship develops through distrust, banter, reluctant partnership, vulnerability, and that delicious realization that somewhere along the way Oh no. I actually care about this person.

And Hugh? Sir.

There is something about a clever, slightly dangerous man who can verbally spar with a woman while simultaneously becoming increasingly gone for her that will apparently work on me every single time.

I also loved that the romance doesn’t exist in isolation. There is political intrigue, murder, secrets, fairy magic, questions surrounding class and privilege, and a wonderful found-family element surrounding Hugh’s household. Beneath all the lushness and romance, there is a darker story unfolding about who is allowed to possess power—and who gets punished for possessing the exact same thing.

This may seem like a slow-moving book, particularly in the beginning. But that is because Bracken takes her time establishing the world, its rules, and its characters. If you’re looking for nonstop action, you may struggle with the pacing. But hear me out: stay with it. Once the different threads began pulling together, I understood why so much groundwork had been laid.

And then there is THE ENDING. Alexandra. Ma’am. What exactly were we supposed to do with THAT?!

Because apparently closing this book with emotional stability intact was simply too much to ask.

Overall, Immortal Rose felt refreshingly different from much of the romantasy I’ve been reading lately. It’s lush and atmospheric, romantic without allowing the romance to swallow the larger story and built around one of the more imaginative magic systems I’ve encountered in a while.

But what stayed with me most was the yearning. Apparently after Seeking Persephone, I’ve entered my men-who-yearn era, and frankly, I have no intention of leaving anytime soon.

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Angie https://angiebaer.com
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From Books to Films: I Wasn’t Prepared to Fall This Hard for ‘Seeking Persephone’