Title: DragonRose
Series: Tales of the Latter Kingdoms (Book #2)
Year: 2012
Author: Christine Pope
Summary: The shadow of the cursed Dragon Lord has hung over the town of Lirinsholme for centuries, and no one ever knows when the Dragon will claim his next doomed Bride. Rhianne Menyon has dreams of being a painter, but her world changes forever when a single moment of sacrifice brings her to Black's Keep as the Dragon's latest Bride. As she attempts to adjust to her new life -- and to know something of the monster who is now her husband -- she begins to see that the curse is far crueler than she first believed. Unraveling the mystery of what happened to the Dragon's Brides is only the beginning... (from Goodreads)
Main Characters:
~ Rhianne
~ Theran Blackmoor
~ Sar
~ Rhianne
~ Theran Blackmoor
~ Sar
Review: As far as Beauty and the Beast retellings go, this one handled the aspect of the Beast’s curse in a very creative way. However, other elements of the story make it difficult for me to recommend the book for fairy tale fanatics.
Rhianne is the eldest of four daughters born to a tradesman. She despises her mother’s choice of suitor, a rich man of forty-five years, and thrives in helping her father by painting the stoneware and other pottery he makes. However, her painting skill is somewhat of a disgrace to her name as girls aren’t supposed to be dabbling in trade.
Rhianne is only a month away from aging out of the dreaded call for the Dragon’s Bride. Fro 500 years, he's called for a bride from the little town of Lirinsholme, and no girl wants to answer that call -- because it's a death sentence. Even though the Bride’s family receives a large monetary gift, the Bride herself will be dead not long after her marriage to the Dragon. As ill luck has it, the Dragon Lord of Black’s Keep calls for a bride only just after Rhianne’s painting disgraces her to the entire town. Her best friend – a girl who is already engaged and sewing her wedding dress – is chosen as the Bride, but Rhianne decides to take her place.
As I said before, this book handles all the aspects of the Beauty and Beast story very well. I enjoyed seeing those elements fleshed out as they were. The only big thing lacking was the rose itself. Rhianne’s name means “the rose” and she and the Dragon Lord walk often in the rose gardens, but it is not the rose that begins Rhianne’s adventures with the beast.
Theran Blackmoor, the Dragon Lord himself, is very much like the beast of lore. It always bothered me that so many Beauty and the Beast retellings portray the beast as an ill-tempered brute with anger management issues when the original fairy tales (granted, depending on which variation you read) showed him as a disfigured and rather gentle man. Theran was appropriately moody, and I thought his curse was very well executed. I found I quite liked the Bride twist.
I do realize that this is the second book in a series of fairy tale retellings; however, I believe they are basically stand-alone novels. I have absolutely no idea what the first book was about -- I just read this one because I found it free for Kindle one day and thought I'd try it out as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I can't recommend the series because I really don't know anything else about the other books.
Rhianne is the eldest of four daughters born to a tradesman. She despises her mother’s choice of suitor, a rich man of forty-five years, and thrives in helping her father by painting the stoneware and other pottery he makes. However, her painting skill is somewhat of a disgrace to her name as girls aren’t supposed to be dabbling in trade.
Rhianne is only a month away from aging out of the dreaded call for the Dragon’s Bride. Fro 500 years, he's called for a bride from the little town of Lirinsholme, and no girl wants to answer that call -- because it's a death sentence. Even though the Bride’s family receives a large monetary gift, the Bride herself will be dead not long after her marriage to the Dragon. As ill luck has it, the Dragon Lord of Black’s Keep calls for a bride only just after Rhianne’s painting disgraces her to the entire town. Her best friend – a girl who is already engaged and sewing her wedding dress – is chosen as the Bride, but Rhianne decides to take her place.
As I said before, this book handles all the aspects of the Beauty and Beast story very well. I enjoyed seeing those elements fleshed out as they were. The only big thing lacking was the rose itself. Rhianne’s name means “the rose” and she and the Dragon Lord walk often in the rose gardens, but it is not the rose that begins Rhianne’s adventures with the beast.
Theran Blackmoor, the Dragon Lord himself, is very much like the beast of lore. It always bothered me that so many Beauty and the Beast retellings portray the beast as an ill-tempered brute with anger management issues when the original fairy tales (granted, depending on which variation you read) showed him as a disfigured and rather gentle man. Theran was appropriately moody, and I thought his curse was very well executed. I found I quite liked the Bride twist.
I do realize that this is the second book in a series of fairy tale retellings; however, I believe they are basically stand-alone novels. I have absolutely no idea what the first book was about -- I just read this one because I found it free for Kindle one day and thought I'd try it out as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I can't recommend the series because I really don't know anything else about the other books.
Advisory: The biggest objection for me was Rhianne's desire for romance and physical intimacy. Once she realizes that she's fallen in love with the Dragon Lord, she wants to kiss him and be near him physically. She wonders what it would be like to be treated like a wife, leading to some not-so-graphic thoughts and feelings. There is also a scene in which she and Theran consummate their marriage, though nothing is described graphically and the scene itself is more suggestive than anything else. Still, I was uncomfortable reading it, and it is for this reason that I can't give this book a higher rating.
Some talk and portrayal of violence/suicide/murder. The story itself has a darker, more mature tone because it includes these elements, but I didn't think any of it horribly graphic or over the top.
Some talk and portrayal of violence/suicide/murder. The story itself has a darker, more mature tone because it includes these elements, but I didn't think any of it horribly graphic or over the top.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
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