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linguisticfanatic's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
faiththompson416's review against another edition
5.0
If the theme of Heartless was true love, this one is true beauty.
Still loving it, even on the second time through. <3
On to what may well be my favorite fantasy book ever.
Original Review:
4.5 stars, but I'll round up.
This book was SO GOOD. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I was in, I was hooked and could not escape. It was amazing. I could not stop reading.
Things I liked:
-Rose Red was so wonderful and sweet and the epitome of a strong female character. Her strength was quiet and tranquil, but it was realistic and she was all around amazing. One of my favorite female protagonists :)
-Leonard. I will admit that I didn't like him at all in Heartless, despite knowing that he just made a mistake, because you only saw Una's story in that book and didn't get to know what happened to cause it with Leo. But now that I know.... poor baby. *huggles Leo and covers his ears*
-Daylily. She was so real and amazing.
-The Heartless references. Getting the first half or so of that book from Leo's POV was so great. I loved that part :D
-Beana. I could write an entire review all about her. I jut hope she gets a bigger role in one of the later books :)
-The plot was riveting. And the twist at the end, when we find out why she wears the veil... mind. Blown. I suspected something similar... but it was still a major twist.
Things I didn't Like:
-there wasn't much. I'm shaving off a half star, though, because of the whole allegory thing. In Heartless the allegory was very obvious and made a lot of sense. In Veiled Rose, I was pretty sure it was still allegorical, but I couldn't tell exactly what the allegory meant. But that's my only real complaint!
All in all, a solid 4.5 stars and I'm glad I bought it!
Still loving it, even on the second time through. <3
On to what may well be my favorite fantasy book ever.
Original Review:
4.5 stars, but I'll round up.
This book was SO GOOD. It took me a little while to get into it, but once I was in, I was hooked and could not escape. It was amazing. I could not stop reading.
Things I liked:
-Rose Red was so wonderful and sweet and the epitome of a strong female character. Her strength was quiet and tranquil, but it was realistic and she was all around amazing. One of my favorite female protagonists :)
-Leonard. I will admit that I didn't like him at all in Heartless, despite knowing that he just made a mistake, because you only saw Una's story in that book and didn't get to know what happened to cause it with Leo. But now that I know.... poor baby. *huggles Leo and covers his ears*
-Daylily. She was so real and amazing.
-The Heartless references. Getting the first half or so of that book from Leo's POV was so great. I loved that part :D
-Beana. I could write an entire review all about her. I jut hope she gets a bigger role in one of the later books :)
-The plot was riveting. And the twist at the end, when we find out why she wears the veil... mind. Blown. I suspected something similar... but it was still a major twist.
Things I didn't Like:
-there wasn't much. I'm shaving off a half star, though, because of the whole allegory thing. In Heartless the allegory was very obvious and made a lot of sense. In Veiled Rose, I was pretty sure it was still allegorical, but I couldn't tell exactly what the allegory meant. But that's my only real complaint!
All in all, a solid 4.5 stars and I'm glad I bought it!
sincerelylatisha's review against another edition
5.0
It's been years since I've read this book, but the characters have stayed with me. Rose Red is one of my favorite heroines ever. She's smart, loving, brave, and compassionate. But she doesn't see that in herself. She has a servant's heart and it's beautifully portrayed in the lengths she goes to in order to fulfill her promises.
I can't wait to finish the rest of the series!
I can't wait to finish the rest of the series!
ewil6681's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
quoththegirl's review against another edition
3.0
Reread this with my husband (after eight years or so), and I enjoyed seeing the setup for book three, which, as I recall, entertwined plot elements from the first two novels beautifully.
rachelking's review against another edition
3.0
I am always a fan of fairy re-tellings, even if it is for a fairy tale I am not actually familiar with, as that of Rose Red. It took me awhile, but I also gathered that the book is a kind of Christian allegory, and parts remind me of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.
Rose Red is by far the most intriguing character, as her birth is shrouded in mystery, her friends are animals with voices, and she cloaks herself in veils and layers to hide even the smallest scrap of skin from any prying eyes - including her own. The shame she bears for her own appearance is so great that her very existence is surrounded by grand tales of monsters and demons told by all of the local villagers, yet she bears a strength much greater than she appears to possess and she has a kind of magic that allows her to walk the secret Paths and face down death in all its forms. Even at the end of the book, I could not fully grasp who or what she is.
Leo manages to find and befriend Rose Red in boyhood, but he has a burden of his own as Prince Lionheart of Southlands, destined to become King. Leo knows his responsibilities, but he secretly just wants a friend and to make people laugh as a court jester. These polar opposites manage to pull him across the world again and again as he struggles with the simple question, "What do you want?"
Many other characters litter the pages of the book, which was at times confusing as I attempted to deduce which creature or character was on the side of good or evil, such as the Dragon - which became apparent at its occupation of Southlands. As an allegory for Christianity, some characters were clear - such as the Prince, but others were murkier, such as the Lady.
The structure of the book itself was off-putting for me. The book is divided into five parts, with chapters in each part, but in between each part a vague sense of time has passed, so that the reader cannot pick up where the last chapter left off. At each break, I would get the feeling that the plot was picking up, only to be let down that the climactic moments have been glossed over. I also really disliked the ending. Certain things are expected of classic fairy tales, and none of this was included in the ending of this book. Perhaps the author was aiming for something more "realistic" or to simply get the reader to continue the series, but loose endings this big make me feel like I wasted my time reading the book, only to get no satisfaction at the finale.
Rose Red is by far the most intriguing character, as her birth is shrouded in mystery, her friends are animals with voices, and she cloaks herself in veils and layers to hide even the smallest scrap of skin from any prying eyes - including her own. The shame she bears for her own appearance is so great that her very existence is surrounded by grand tales of monsters and demons told by all of the local villagers, yet she bears a strength much greater than she appears to possess and she has a kind of magic that allows her to walk the secret Paths and face down death in all its forms. Even at the end of the book, I could not fully grasp who or what she is.
Leo manages to find and befriend Rose Red in boyhood, but he has a burden of his own as Prince Lionheart of Southlands, destined to become King. Leo knows his responsibilities, but he secretly just wants a friend and to make people laugh as a court jester. These polar opposites manage to pull him across the world again and again as he struggles with the simple question, "What do you want?"
Many other characters litter the pages of the book, which was at times confusing as I attempted to deduce which creature or character was on the side of good or evil, such as the Dragon - which became apparent at its occupation of Southlands. As an allegory for Christianity, some characters were clear - such as the Prince, but others were murkier, such as the Lady.
The structure of the book itself was off-putting for me. The book is divided into five parts, with chapters in each part, but in between each part a vague sense of time has passed, so that the reader cannot pick up where the last chapter left off. At each break, I would get the feeling that the plot was picking up, only to be let down that the climactic moments have been glossed over. I also really disliked the ending. Certain things are expected of classic fairy tales, and none of this was included in the ending of this book. Perhaps the author was aiming for something more "realistic" or to simply get the reader to continue the series, but loose endings this big make me feel like I wasted my time reading the book, only to get no satisfaction at the finale.
chelseaj91's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was a good representation of how people react to what they don't understand. Everybody but Leo (and Mousehand and Beana) saw Rosie and wanted to get rid of her because she was a 'monster'; Daylily saw her as competition, but Leo only saw a little girl who didn't know he was a prince and was willing to sink ships a tiny lake with him. He was willing to accept her as she was even though he's kind of blind to her real feelings(he is a guy so he gets a tiny amount of slack), but hopefully that gets worked out in book 3.
I also really liked the tie-in to Heartless. When I read Heartless, I was a little intrigued by his story, especially since he was essentially there one moment and gone the next. So it was nice to have some closure (is that the right word?) on his story.
As always, the evidence of Christian themes was lovely. Rosie's Prince wasn't going to give up on her even though she was convinced that he was really Imaginary and that, while she didn't like him, the Dragon was more real.
I also really liked the tie-in to Heartless. When I read Heartless, I was a little intrigued by his story, especially since he was essentially there one moment and gone the next. So it was nice to have some closure (is that the right word?) on his story.
As always, the evidence of Christian themes was lovely. Rosie's Prince wasn't going to give up on her even though she was convinced that he was really Imaginary and that, while she didn't like him, the Dragon was more real.
emlickliter's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl – This has Pilgrim’s Progress meets Snow White and Rose Red vibes! It’s a cool world! Happy Reading!
elevetha's review against another edition
2.0
The cover is...pretty but I'm not sure that that is a good representation of Rose Red. Maybe in the Dragon's mind?
On the one hand, this book felt too long. Too many unimportant things going on making me bored.
On the other hand.....I liked having the information that we got from Leo and Rose Red's childhood. Seeing them grow up. And then, obviously, Leo's running off when we would have met him in [b:Heartless|9366919|Heartless|Anne Elisabeth Stengl|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328357280s/9366919.jpg|7323002].
50/50, I guess.
Again, I feel that the Christian themes are nice but are very clumsily tied in. Rather disjointed and they feel, while reading the story, thrown in, jumbled around, and left there to stew.
I really liked that we got Leo's story as I was confused as all get out as to his motives and personality in [b:Heartless|9366919|Heartless|Anne Elisabeth Stengl|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328357280s/9366919.jpg|7323002]. I still had a few questions. Mainly, why the heck didn't he just tell Una in [b:Heartless|9366919|Heartless|Anne Elisabeth Stengl|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328357280s/9366919.jpg|7323002], when she traversed the desert to come find him! Seriously, Leo? Have a little respect. Maybe even a thought process.
I often wanted to smack Leo. He acted like he wanted to be Rose Red's friend and to take care of her. But what does he do? He makes her a servant. Admittedly, it is a better life then she would have had had she stayed at House Hill but still....A servant? And then he ignores her for YEARS. Stupid Leo.
And then he decides to get engaged to Daylily. Well, we all know he isn't actually blind cause Daylily's hot (and Rose Red....isn't) but when it comes to matters of the heart; he's a (blind) bumbling FOOL.
Rose Red: I liked her but she didn't have much personality. Okay, yes, she saved Daylily and a slew of other people. I applaud her for that but that doesn't mean she had character.
Daylily: Oh, dear. I wanted to like her but I couldn't. In the end, it seemed like she was doing what she hadn't wanted to do earlier. And she was prissy.
But then again she accidentally fell in love with the man she was supposed to marry (but still hate because things are so much easier that way). He doesn't love her. He loves Rose Red(probably). Rose Red loves Leo. Daylily hates Rose Red. It's a vicious cycle.
Beana: Because every book needs a sassy know-it-all-and-you-better-listen-to-me-cause-I-know-best cute goat. Seriously. BEST CHARACTER.
Questions:
What is the lore\mythology behind the dragons?
The Lady and her brother, Death?? Explanation, please??
"Heart of my Beloved" nonsense??
Why does Dragon/Death want Rose Red?
Leo being idiotic?
Where/Who did Beana come from?
CAN Beana talk?? Or does Rose Red hear her?
That ending:
Darn it. Now I HAVE to read [b:Moonblood|11756117|Moonblood (Tales of Goldstone Wood #3)|Anne Elisabeth Stengl|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348748404s/11756117.jpg|16706363]. I mean, I was going to already but now I HAVE to. You don't leave with that open-ended nonsense!! It just isn't done!
blackngoldgirlsbookspot's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not usually one to pick up books labeled as fantasy but whenever I have I enjoyed them--unfortunately I didn't care for this one. It wasn't the writing style, which was fine, but I didn't feel any connection at all to the characters and Prince Leo annoyed me. He seemed very immature and, well, snotty. I realize he was a child when we first met him but he remained pretty much the same throughout his young adult years. Granted, at the end of the story in his encounter with Rose Red he was truthful about himself and accepting of her so that gave him a tad more appeal but still not enough to make me want to read the next book to see what happens next. Rose Red was a decent character and her loyalty to the Prince and Southland was unfailing in spite of being cruelly treated.
I guess maybe I just didn't "get" this story. It probably would have helped if I had read the first book, Heartless, but time didn't permit. I will say one thing about this series--the covers are amazing! Don't get me wrong, I love books with pretty pastel covers but these are so mysterious and somewhat foreboding and not something you see everyday on a Christian fiction book.
If you are a fan of fantasy or fairy tales or have middle school aged children who are this might be a series for your home library. Even if you don't like religious fiction this series may still be enjoyable since there are only parallels to Christianity and no "preachiness."
* I received my complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for posting my honest review.*
I guess maybe I just didn't "get" this story. It probably would have helped if I had read the first book, Heartless, but time didn't permit. I will say one thing about this series--the covers are amazing! Don't get me wrong, I love books with pretty pastel covers but these are so mysterious and somewhat foreboding and not something you see everyday on a Christian fiction book.
If you are a fan of fantasy or fairy tales or have middle school aged children who are this might be a series for your home library. Even if you don't like religious fiction this series may still be enjoyable since there are only parallels to Christianity and no "preachiness."
* I received my complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for posting my honest review.*