Orchidelirium by E.B. Roshan Review

 Hello Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

If I'm being honest, I've had a really rough week. I got some devastating news this week, and it's been pretty rough trying to put a smile on and pretend that everything's fine at work while I've been feeling like this.

I've been extra thankful this week that Jesus allows us to lean on Him during these hard times, and I've also been thankful for the amazing books that I've had the opportunity to read to take my mind off of things.

One of those books was a fun, upcoming release by a lovely lady that I've had the chance to connect with through my book blog, and I can't wait to tell you all about this title.

I hope you'll all keep on reading down below for my full review.

Orchidelirium by E.B. Roshan:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author in Exchange for an Honest Review

Publisher: Roshan Publishing

Publication Date: March 22nd, 2023

Genre: Speculative/Victorian/Historical Fiction/Other World/Illustrated

Synopsis:

An heiress, a tiger, an artificial arm, a hatbox of stolen orchids: each one is a vine in the tangle of Opal Morris's life. As she begins to discover how they all connect, she will find herself re-evaluating not only her botanical studies, but her whole life.

This illustrated novella, set in an alternative Edwardian England, will be a treat for fans of cozy mysteries and historical fantasy alike.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Orchidelirium was a fast paced, and entertaining read that was truly unlike anything I'd ever read before. Set in an alternative Edwardian England, it's a uniquely developed mystery that included quirky illustrations, fanciful orchids, tiger attacks, and steampunk elements that illustrate this is no normal Edwardian novel.

The characters are a hoot, and while it took me a little while to connect with the main character, Opal, she definitely grew on me, and I respected how she'd worked her hardest to continue her beloved father's dream of owning an orchid conservatory. She also goes above and beyond to give her younger sister the best life she possibly could, and seeing how motivated she was by her love for her family definitely helped me sympathize with the way she reacted to certain situations.

The mystery set up is unique, and while certain parts may have been a little predictable, I was overall impressed with how the story came together in the end, and kept me glued to each page.

E.B. Roshan has a wonderful way of making her prose flow effortlessly from page to page, and I loved how smooth the entire writing style was. I was also extremely impressed that she did her own illustrations, as they fit perfectly with the story itself, and added another fun element.

Overall, I really did enjoy this one, and I loved that it ended up being nothing like what I was expecting. The only negative I had is that I would have liked a bit more of the elements to be included that made it stand out as an alternative world England, but I did really enjoy the components that were included nonetheless.

Final Rating: 4/5.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this one, and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who is a fan of clean mysteries, especially those set in alternative worlds.

Thanks so much to E.B. Roshan for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your weekend :)