Book info:
Title: Of Bells and Thorns
Author: Valentina Cano
Series: The Rose Master #2
Genre: YA Gothic
Release Date: November 28th, 2017
Publisher: REUTS Publications, LLC
Readers fell in love with Anne Tinning, a maid in 19th century London, and Lord Grey, the master of a haunted manor. The Rose Master sequel continues their journey in another hauntingly beautiful tale.
Synopsis:
Lush, lyrical, and layered in horror-filled suspense, Of Bells and Thorns evokes the feel of classic Gothic literature, blending the magic of a beautiful fairy tale against the rich backdrop of history.
Purchase here: http://www.reuts.com/product/b
My review:
My rating: 4 stars
Well, it has been over 2 years since I read the first one, The Rose Master, but I was able to get back into this story pretty quickly, as the way it was begun brought up most of the details in such a way that it wasn’t like an info dump, but rather woven into the story perfectly. You will need to read the first book, but I did not need to reread right before in order to jump back into the story. As with the first book, I was drawn into the story, and had a lot of trouble putting it down whenever I would have to go back to real life for work, or sleep, whatever.
I wished for maybe a bit more romance between Anne and August, although I’m sure that the way it was done was totally proper for the time period, and of course for a YA book. There is a monster/creature in this story that was extremely scary sounding, I could picture it in my head as I read, and it was something you would see in an extremely scary movie. In fact, the description reminded me a lot of the description of one of the creatures in the novel It by Stephen King, the book, not the movies. It was definitely written as horrifying as anything you’d find in a King novel.
While the first book in the series had an ending that was good enough for if it had ended up just being one book, this one leaves off at a pretty big cliffhanger, and now I am left hoping that I won’t have to wait two more years to find out how our heroes will get themselves out of the situation they wind up in at the final scene.
Definitely a series worth reading if you haven’t yet, and a sequel worth picking up if you have read the first one. And once again, a beautiful cover.
About Book 1: The Rose Master:
The day Anne Tinning turns seventeen, birds fall from the sky. But that's hardly the most upsetting news. She's being dismissed from the home she's served at since she was a child, and shipped off to become the newly hired parlor maid for a place she's never heard of. And when she sees the run-down, isolated house, she instantly knows why: There's something wrong with Rosewood Manor. Staffed with only three other servants, all gripped by icy silence and inexplicable bruises, and inhabited by a young master who is as cold as the place itself, the house is shrouded in neglect and thick with fear. Her questions are met with hushed whispers, and she soon finds herself alone in the empty halls, left to tidy and clean rooms no one visits. As the feeling of being watched grows, she begins to realize there is something else in the house with them--some creature that stalks the frozen halls and claws at her door. A creature that seems intent on harming her. When a fire leaves Anne trapped in the manor with its Master, she finally demands to know why. But as she forces the truth about what haunts the grounds from Lord Grey, she learns secrets she isn't prepared for. The creature is very real, and she's the only one who can help him stop it. Now, Anne must either risk her life for the young man she's grown to admire, or abandon her post while she still can.
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I love Gothic tales so I need to look into this one.
You definitely should. Thanks for stopping by!
This sounds like the kind of scary book I could actually read. From your review, it sounds like this author does well with her world-building and makes you want to keep reading the series.
Definitely you should give it a try, but check out the first one first! Thanks for visiting!