Review and Giveaway: Rose and the Lost Princess

Second in the Rose series
By Holly Webb
Available now from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review copy
Read my review of Rose

ROSE was a gentle fantasy about a young orphan who goes to work in a alchemist's house, realizes she has magic herself, and bands together with the alchemist's apprentice and daughter to save children who have been kidnapped by an evil magician.  It was a finalist for a CYBIL, and a particular favorite of mine.  When ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS showed up on Netgalley, I immediately requested it.

The Rose books are high in continuity.  The kingdom is reeling from the events of ROSE, and all magician's are being treated with suspicion, no matter that it was magicians who were needed to rescue the children.  The suspicion and paranoia aren't helped when the weather is a strange, heavy winter and there is an attempted kidnapping on the beloved older princess.  (I think the winter theme will appeal to fans of Frozen.)

Once again, Rose becomes involved in the strange events going on.  And she is an asset to the situation, because she's level headed, kind, and both willing to work with others and listen to their ideas.  Rose is still living in an uneasy class situation.  She prefers to remain a servant and work for her living, but the other servants are wary of her magic.  She could easily be adopted into a rich family, as is proper for a magician, but that's not what she wants.  She also needs to learn more about her powers.  She's been using them by instinct, but she needs knowledge and control, especially if she's going to use her powers to defend from dark magicians.

The supporting cast returns too, and they're still wonderful.  There's a nice mix of male and female characters, and they show a wide range of personalities.  Rose might be a practical little girl, but she's certainly not surrounded by practical little children.  The gentle tone remains as well, even though the stakes have risen.

I felt that ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS ended somewhat abruptly, but I can live with that since there's a third book coming.  I can't wait for ROSE AND THE MAGICIAN'S MASK to be released in the US.  This is a fantastic children's series, and one I'll have to save for my niece and nephew when they get older.

Thanks to Sourcebooks, I have one copy of ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS to give away to a reader in the US or Canada.  Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.
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