THE INEVITABLE WAR

Darkest Rose

Ella Desouza is a girl with a gift she doesn’t understand and a future she doesn’t want. Edmund Gilmore is a boy with a thirst for adventure driven by a purpose he cannot explain. When the two meet by an apparent mishap, they fall so deeply for each other they suspect it cannot have been a fluke.

Unbeknownst to the young lovers, this is not their first courtship. Twenty years ago an evil force intervened to destroy their future by tragedy. Even now in their present incarnations, that same cryptic enemy stalks them once again. Ella’s arranged engagement is far from the darkest cloud over their heads.

Gradually, the two become aware of special powers they possess which might properly equip them for defeating their true foe, though they have yet to fully identify it. Magick and love together form a powerful arsenal.

What love alone could not previously achieve, can magick conquer this time?

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Darkest Rose by Vera Morgana follows Ella Desouza, the only daughter of the Desouza household, who meets a young man on the night of her coming of age ceremony. The two fall in love instantly; however, there are obstacles standing in the way of their love. The biggest obstacle is that Edmund is from the Gilmore household, the sworn enemy of the Desouza family, and the fact that Ella is to be married off to another. Magic, love, twisted plots, and past lives all play a part in the tangled web of the love between the two. Can their love overcome all the odds and right the wrongs of the past? Darkest Rose by Vera Morgana is any romance fan's dream, incorporating various elements such as magic, past lives, and a bit of mythology. This book is the gift that keeps on giving and I found it hard to put down once I started reading. I loved the little plot twist throughout the story which made it exciting. I really liked the main characters and their love story which very much gave off the same vibe as Romeo and Juliet, considering the fact that their families had such a long-standing rivalry. The writing in this story was good although at times it did seem a bit fast-paced. However, that can be forgiven considering the overall plot. Other than that, I genuinely enjoyed reading Darkest Rose and would highly recommend it to any fan of romance novels, especially those who love romance with a twist.

Miche Arendse

Readers' Favourite

Darkest Rose is a work of fiction in the romantic fantasy and adventure subgenres. It is suitable for the young adult and adult reading audiences alike and was penned by author Vera Morgana. In this sweeping romance with plenty of dramatic highs and lows, we meet our central pair of protagonists, Ella and Edmund. Whilst Ella has been granted a magical gift and a pre-arranged engagement that she couldn’t care less about, Edmund is spurred on as a proud adventure-seeker, though he doesn’t seem to be able to find what his soul yearns for. But when these two young people meet, it feels as though they’ve met before, in another lifetime, perhaps. Fated romances are a classic of the young adult genre and they can often be overdone, but author Vera Morgana does a splendid job of breathing fresh life into this trope and bringing something original to the concept. I especially enjoyed the magic and mystery elements that built up around Ella and Edmund and how the more we learned about their pasts, the more it affected their future and really amped up the tension. I also felt that the dialogue was a real highlight of the work, serving to deliver amusing lines and clarify plot points whilst also characterizing the pair wonderfully well. Overall, Darkest Rose is a novel that romantic fantasy fans will not want to miss, and one which is packed with adventure, magic, suspense, and thrills in every chapter that will keep you flipping pages through to its startling conclusion.

K.C. Finn

Readers' Favourite

Darkest Rose by Vera Morgana commences with an archetypal star-crossed lover theme. Ella Desouza is ordered to marry Wilkin, the Duke of Kroukhesta, but hides in a rosebush and shares a forbidden dance with Edmund Gilmore. Gordon Gilmore arrives with a warning, and the priest shows Prince Kai an omen in the skies. Ella and Edmund are secretly married by a mysterious priestess before Wilkin can claim her as his bride, but the events of the past cycle draw increasingly closer to the present. Ella enters a dream state and Edmund commences his quest. Wilkin is revealed as a villain from the past, and an intimate connection with the royal family unfolds. A battle is fought on several levels and in several dimensions, leading to a satisfactory resolution. Darkest Rose by Vera Morgana is an entertaining new young adult paranormal romance. I enjoyed my journey as a reader from ignorance at the beginning to understanding toward the end of the narrative. I was amused by the character of Leofrick who pulled strings behind the scenes and was instrumental in the outcome. I also loved the role played by Nurse Marcie, who was so much more than an average attendant. I liked the original and bold introduction of mythology. The story combined timeless fantasy elements with an ancient setting, and yet every word was refreshingly contemporary to read. I believe concerns such as love, justice, and independence speak directly to the target audience. This book will surely inspire a fan following when it is released!

Cecelia Hopkins

Readers' Favourite

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Hi, I’m Liz, and I got my first taste for traveling when I was 16 years old. On my own, 12 years and 50 something countries later, my wanderlust has only grown and the list of countries I want