Check out my review of ROSE by Holly Webb!
ENJOYING THE QUIET, ROSE LEANED against the window, staring out at the last few browning leaves of the wisteria that climbed up the wall and feeling the smooth chill of the glass against her cheek.
She jumped as a soft, insistent white head butted against her arm, and Gus squirmed into her lap, kneading her apron to the right consistency with determined paws.
"It's getting colder," he remarked, settling down at last. "I can smell snow."
Rose blinked at him, surprised. "Do you think so? It's only October. Isn't it a bit early for snow?"
O P E N I N G H O O K:
She jumped as a soft, insistent white head butted against her arm, and Gus squirmed into her lap, kneading her apron to the right consistency with determined paws.
"It's getting colder," he remarked, settling down at last. "I can smell snow."
Rose blinked at him, surprised. "Do you think so? It's only October. Isn't it a bit early for snow?"
(Page 7, US e-ARC edition)
You don't necessarily need to read ROSE in order to read ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS. The first book will fill in the background of how Rose came to discover her magic and live in the Fountain household, as well as outline her past as an orphan. It also talks about the dangerous sorceress that's referenced in the new book. But ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS stands on its own, too. Kids will still enjoy reading about the determined Rose, who wants to remain in the station life gave her while still learning about magic. She has a new mystery to solve this time around, and danger is once again lurking.
Rose thought she had the best of both worlds when Mr. Fountain discovered her magical abilities and set her up as his apprentice. He let her stay on as his maid and continue earning money, too. But the rest of the Fountain household isn't as eager to hear that Rose has magic. Rose's rivalry with a fellow housemaid gets worse, and women who treated her kindly are now terrified of her. Rumors are everywhere about how dangerous magic and magicians can be (after something spoilery that happens in ROSE that I won't detail here). It's only October, and winter has already arrived, with a deep, cold snow that isn't going away. Everyone whispers that it's magical, that the magicians must be stopped. Their fervor reaches an all-time high when something happens to Princess Jane. Rose and Mr. Fountain are determined to quell everyone's fear and prove that not everything magical is dangerous or evil. Rose goes undercover as Princess Jane's bodyguard, pretending to be an ordinary lady-in-waiting. But her position is perilous, and everything is at stake. Can Rose figure out what is going on before it's too late?
Rose is still plucky and endearing. Her dream is simple: She wants to make enough money to own her own living in life. She's content to be a housemaid. She's no longer trying to get rid of the magic that burdened her in the first book, though. She's accepted the fact that she's magical and taken up an apprenticeship with Mr. Fountain. But doing so makes her even more uncertain, because she's being bullied and feared by most of the other servants. You really feel for Rose and what she's going for. When she's introduced to the princesses, we realize how smart they both are. I loved seeing smart princesses and not someone foggy-headed and vain. Princess Jane even prefers eating bread and butter over something with more flair! She and Princess Charlotte are both very down to earth. There's all the whimsy and charm from the first book, plus the new settings of both a palace and a delightful Frost Fair that I wish existed in real life. Like the first book, the "truth" behind the mystery is very dangerous and dark for younger children, but will appeal to older readers, though it's not as violent as the first book. Definitely an adventure worth embarking on!
Rose thought she had the best of both worlds when Mr. Fountain discovered her magical abilities and set her up as his apprentice. He let her stay on as his maid and continue earning money, too. But the rest of the Fountain household isn't as eager to hear that Rose has magic. Rose's rivalry with a fellow housemaid gets worse, and women who treated her kindly are now terrified of her. Rumors are everywhere about how dangerous magic and magicians can be (after something spoilery that happens in ROSE that I won't detail here). It's only October, and winter has already arrived, with a deep, cold snow that isn't going away. Everyone whispers that it's magical, that the magicians must be stopped. Their fervor reaches an all-time high when something happens to Princess Jane. Rose and Mr. Fountain are determined to quell everyone's fear and prove that not everything magical is dangerous or evil. Rose goes undercover as Princess Jane's bodyguard, pretending to be an ordinary lady-in-waiting. But her position is perilous, and everything is at stake. Can Rose figure out what is going on before it's too late?
Rose is still plucky and endearing. Her dream is simple: She wants to make enough money to own her own living in life. She's content to be a housemaid. She's no longer trying to get rid of the magic that burdened her in the first book, though. She's accepted the fact that she's magical and taken up an apprenticeship with Mr. Fountain. But doing so makes her even more uncertain, because she's being bullied and feared by most of the other servants. You really feel for Rose and what she's going for. When she's introduced to the princesses, we realize how smart they both are. I loved seeing smart princesses and not someone foggy-headed and vain. Princess Jane even prefers eating bread and butter over something with more flair! She and Princess Charlotte are both very down to earth. There's all the whimsy and charm from the first book, plus the new settings of both a palace and a delightful Frost Fair that I wish existed in real life. Like the first book, the "truth" behind the mystery is very dangerous and dark for younger children, but will appeal to older readers, though it's not as violent as the first book. Definitely an adventure worth embarking on!
~*~
C O V E R D E S I G N:
I love the curly, girly font that makes the series so easy to distinguish. It also pops against all the darker colors and complements the reddish tones of Rose's dress, plus the color is an accent in the castle and the shadowing of the cat. Very smart!
This time around, the cover has more of a fantasy flair. Who is that masked hooded man following Rose? And awesome, is that a castle in the background!? There's also a cat prominently on display, and kids love cats. Young readers will be picking this up to see what it's about!
This time around, the cover has more of a fantasy flair. Who is that masked hooded man following Rose? And awesome, is that a castle in the background!? There's also a cat prominently on display, and kids love cats. Young readers will be picking this up to see what it's about!
~*~
O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS
Author: Holly Webb
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Received: For Review
Received: For Review
SUMMARY:
Now an apprentice magician, Rose is asked to help find a very special missing person
Turning the worn pages of her spell book, Rose can't believe how much her life has changed. Once a poor orphan, she is now an apprentice to the king's chief magician. But when the country's beloved princess vanishes, everything changes. As rumors of dark magic fly through the city, the king asks Rose for help. She must find the missing princess, before all is lost.
Turning the worn pages of her spell book, Rose can't believe how much her life has changed. Once a poor orphan, she is now an apprentice to the king's chief magician. But when the country's beloved princess vanishes, everything changes. As rumors of dark magic fly through the city, the king asks Rose for help. She must find the missing princess, before all is lost.
~*~
****Giveaway*****
Ready to go on an adventure with Rose?
You could win a copy of
ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS!
ends 4/18
US/CA only!
You could win a copy of
ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS!
ends 4/18
US/CA only!
This sounds really good, and I am going to have to check and see if I can get this series from my library. Great review.
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