Skip to main content

Rebel Rose (The Queen's Council #1) by Emma Theriault: A Book Review

Rebel Rose (The Queen’s Council #1)

Author: Emma Theriault

Genre: YA Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: 2020

Pages: 348

Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Happily ever after is only the beginning in this epic YA reimagining of the princesses as young rulers of their lands, aided by a mystical group of women called the Queen's Council, whose job it is to advise queens throughout history.  


     My Review: Rebel Rose is the sequel to Beauty and the Beast during the French Revolution. Belle is married to the Prince of Aveyon, a principality of France. When the French Revolution starts, the kingdom of Aveyon decides to break away from France and form its own kingdom. However, Belle does not want to be queen. Through a series of events, Belle realizes that accepting the queenship is the best gift for the newly formed kingdom.


The story takes place shortly after Belle marries the Beast. While Belle is happy marrying for love, she does not want to be a princess and refuses to have a title. She believes that being a princess and a queen will prevent her from having the freedom she has always dreamed. Throughout the novel, Belle slowly warms to the idea of being queen and to accept the responsibility of the title. In this book, Belle spends most of the novel being unsure of herself. It is only through the help of others that she is able to gain confidence and self-esteem.


Overall, this novel is about confidence, friendship, and responsibility. The message of the story is to believe in yourself. There are a few characters that I liked. However, the rest of the characters are stereotypical and have little depth. The story itself was very slow moving. The plot is thin and seems drawn out. Most of the action happens in the last pages. I also found it a bit odd that the reason why the witch turned the prince into a beast is not because of his selfishness and that he needed to learn a lesson, but solely to make Belle to enter his life and make her his queen. Still, I like the historical aspects of the novel and the rise of Belle becoming queen. This book is perfect for those who want to learn what happens after the ever after in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast! I recommend this for fans of As Old As Time, Belle, and The Merchant’s Daughter!


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jane Seymour: Henry VIII's True Love by Elizabeth Norton: A Book Review

Jane Seymour: Henry VIII's True Love Author: Elizabeth Norton Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Amberley Publishing Release Date: 2011 Pages: 288 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: The first ever biography of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's third wife, who died in childbirth giving the king what he craved most - a son and heir.       Jane Seymour is often portrayed as meek and mild and as the most successful, but one of the least significant, of Henry VIII's wives. The real Jane was a very different character, demure and submissive yet with a ruthless streak - as Anne Boleyn was being tried for treason, Jane was choosing her wedding dress. From the lowliest origins of any of Henry's wives her rise shows an ambition every bit as great as Anne's.       Elizabeth Norton tells the thrilling life of a country girl from rural Wiltshire who rose to the throne of England and became the ideal Tudor woman.       My R...
3 comments
Read more

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the roya...
4 comments
Read more

Blog Tour: A Book Review of The Puritan Witch: The Redemption of Rebecca Eames by Peni Jo Renner

Puritan Witch: The Redemption of Rebecca Eames   Author: Peni Jo Renner eBook, Hardcover and Paperback, 224 pages iUniverse ISBN-10: 1491705930 Publication Date: September 17, 2013 Genre: Historical Fiction Source: This book was given to  me part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour in exchange for an honest review Synopsis: “On a cold night in 1692, two young girls are caught up in the divining games of a slave woman-and then begin to act very strangely when the game goes wrong. Suddenly, Salem Village is turned upside down as everyone fears that witches may be involved. Six months later, as news of the girls’ strange behavior becomes known, fear and suspicion overwhelm a nearby farming community, pitting neighbors against neighbors and turning friends into enemies. When Rebecca Eames makes one careless utterance during a verbal attack on her family, she is falsely accused of witchcraft. After her fate is decided by three magistrates, Rebecca must endure a prison s...
3 comments
Read more