Dhonielle Clayton
Published By: Gollancz
Publication Date: March 7, 2019
Date Read: July 19, 2019
Genre: YA - Fantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Pages: 342
From Goodreads:
With a price on her head, the evil Queen Sophia out for blood, and no idea who to trust, Camellia Beaureguard, the former favorite Belle, must race against time to find the ailing Princess Charlotte, who has disappeared without a trace. Sophia's imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep Camille, her sister Edel, and her loyal guard, Rémy, from returning Charlotte to the palace and her rightful place as queen.
With the help of an underground resistance movement called the Iron Ladies--a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely--and the backing of alternative newspaper the Spider's Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections, and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and attempt to restore peace to Orléans. But enemies lurk in the most unexpected places, forcing Camille to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice to save her people.
"She never told me how to battle the nightmares that creep in like icy shadows, lingering behind closed eyes. She never told me what to do when all the color leaks out of the world like blood oozing from a mortal wound."
The Belles was one of my favourite reads of 2018. I found it so unique and interesting and it was much darker than I expected, which I adored. After loving The Belles so much, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Everlasting Rose. I really enjoyed this sequel. It picked up right where The Belles left off and I was super excited and interested to see where this story was going to go.
The Everlasting Rose follows Camellia and her sisters on the run while trying to find Princess Charlotte in order to defeat the evil Queen Sophia. But with guards at every turn and a new underground resistance that Camellia doesn't know whether she can trust, will everyone make it out alive?
I found the writing in The Everlasting Rose just stunning. These are the only books that I have read from Dhionelle Clayton and they have made me into a big fan. I love how effortlessly she writes. Her writing style is fantastic and addictive and right from the start of The Everlasting Rose I couldn't put it down. I felt like the pacing was a little slower than it was in The Belles. There were moments when it was really slow and nothing really happened and then the pace would pick up for a while and then slow down a lot. At first I felt like it was 'middle book syndrome' but there is so much stuff that happens in the second half that is vital and important. You just have to get to it. Saying that the pacing issues didn't really bother me that much. I still couldn't put the book down and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen.
The Everlasting Rose was without a doubt one of the most emotional rollercoaster rides I have read this year. I was happy and hopeful one moment and heartbroken, fighting back tears the next. This really shows how incredible of an author Dhionelle is that she can evoke these emotions in her readers. I loved what was happening and I was just going through an emotional trauma while reading this book.
The Everlasting Rose was a great follow up to The Belles. I really enjoyed it and although I enjoyed The Belles more, this was still a fantastic sequel. I felt a little confused by the ending as it felt like a series ending to me rather than a mid-series ending so I'm super intrigued to see where Dhionelle is going to go next with this series. If you enjoyed The Belles, I highly recommend picking this one up. You won't regret it.
"The world is vaster and more beautiful than she ever described. Each corner of it feels different and unique, part of a puzzle with disparate pieces that somehow fit together."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave me a comment.