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104 reviews for:

Rose

Jeff Smith

3.7 AVERAGE

jmaltman's review

3.0

Do not read this until after the main series of 9 volumes. It will ruin some of the key reveals. Thankfully, we (my 5 year old son and I) had already read the series.

The different visual style (different artist) put us off initially and the lettering is slightly hard to read. We were also worried about the absence of our favorite characters from the series.

But once the story really got going it was solidly interesting, and there were some macabre funny moments down the stretch. The main series is far better.

Spoiler-ish:


Some significant information is revealed to Rose that she acts like she doesn't know (I was expecting her mind to be wiped somehow) in the main series. It didn't quite seem to add up.

Very good. Love the art - Vess never disappoints.

michaelclorah's review

4.0

Bone draws on a number of influences, from animation to funny animals to Walt Kelly's brilliant Pogo, but heroic fantasy is as dominant as any of these influences, and Rose brings the heroic quest aspect of Bone to the forefront. Sisters Rose and Briar Harvester are princesses. Elder sister Briar is bitter and angry because Rose has a powerful dreaming eye, giving her insight into people and the world, and power to confront even dragons, while Briar's dreaming eye is closed. Thus, Rose is the favored daughter and most likely to succeed their parents as rulers of the land.

When the sisters set out for Old Man's Cave for their final test prior to one of them being named the official successor to the crown, Rose's "gitchy" feeling warns of terrible danger. What I like about Rose is the way that, despite her youth and inexperience, Jeff Smith depicts her as a confident, determined young woman. After being tricked by the evil dragon, Balsaad, her determination to end his rampage is impressive. I was similarly taken by the tragedy of the ending, when Rose's sympathy toward her sister causes her to go against the commands of the Great Red Dragon, thus opening the door for the Lord of the Locusts return (see Bone for how that saga plays out!)

Vess' art is simply breath-taking. He adds a completely different vision to the Bone-verse, filling it with lush backgrounds, full-bodied warriors and the scariest Hairy Men ever seen. Working from Jeff Smith's layouts was a good decision, as Rose maintains similar storytelling styles to the other Bone books. Despite Vess' full color work, Rose still looks comfortable next to the other books due to Smith's storytelling style.

Princess Rose and her sister Briar are sent for their final test on the Dreaming. But they end up facing a rogue dragon who has made a deal with the sinister Lord of the Locusts. Rose will do what she can to stop the dragon, but Briar takes a different path and makes her own deal. Will Rose be able to stop the dragon and save her sister?

A great prequel story for the Bone series.

Two of my favourite artists together,Smith and Vess. Vess illustrates well the hidden horror behind Smith's story. At the end of story lies groundwork for Bones series, dark hints and plotlines emerging.

jiffygriffin's review

4.0

Loved this origin story to Smith's Bone series. Despite some too-heavy foreshadowing and a plot point lifted directly from the Hobbit, the narrative moves along at a fun clip and the magic is engrossing and profound. A great read.

zbmorgan's review

4.0

This prequel to the popular Bone series is good enough on it's own. The artwork is excellent, and while the ending might be a bit more satisfying if you are going to continue in the Bone series, it's one of those things-work-out-mostly endings that reminds me a bit of Hitchcock and his tendency to never make things work out perfectly. The two dragons in this are polar opposites- one is endearing in a NeverEnding Story way, and the other, menacing.

griffinswing's review

5.0

Don't read this until after you've read the Bone series, but for the love of Mim, do read this. The art is gorgeous, the tale is tragic, and it answers a few questions brought up in the main series.
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neotom's review

4.0
adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

قرأتها في اﻷساس كنوع من التحضر والاستعداد لقراءة سلسلة (بون) لنفس الكاتب جيف سميث التي تربو عدد صفحاتها عن اﻷلف وثلاثمائة، و(روز) مقدمة شيقة وجذابة بالتأكيد لعالم بونفيل الشاسع، شيء يشبه ما تمثله (الهوبيت) بالنسبة ل(سيد الخواتم)، حكاية خاطفة وبسيطة تعد قارئها قبل الاقدام على المغامرة الكبرى بما يليق بكافة روائع الفانتازيا.