Title: Rose & Thorne
Author: Sarah Prineas
Series: Ash & Bramble Series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: October 18th, 2016
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

Quick Look:

Set fifty years after Ash & Bramble, this is a look at the Sleeping Beauty story that really twists the story around, but in an interesting and wonderful way. Rose has been protected her entire life, keeping her safe from falling into Story. Griff has been raised his entire life to defeat Story. I really enjoyed the different take on the Sleeping Beauty story, and I thought Rose was a spunky character with a lot of fight and strength.The summary of Rose & Thorn from Goodreads:

This beauty isn’t sleeping! Discover the true story of Sleeping Beauty in Sarah Prineas’s bold YA fairy-tale retelling filled with thrilling adventure and romance, perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles and The Girl of Fire & Thorns trilogy.

After the spell protecting her is destroyed, Rose seeks safety in the world outside the valley she had called home. She’s been kept hidden all her life to delay the three curses she was born with—curses that will put her into her own fairy tale and a century-long slumber. Accompanied by the handsome and mysterious Watcher, Griff, and his witty and warmhearted partner, Quirk, Rose tries to escape from the ties that bind her to her story. But will the path they take lead them to freedom, or will it bring them straight into the fairy tale they are trying to avoid?

Set in the world of Sarah Prineas’s Ash & Bramble fifty years later, Rose & Thorn is a powerful retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale where the characters fight to find their own Happy Ever After.

What I Liked:

Right away, the first thing that caught my attention was the City’s determination to avoid storytelling at all costs. The belief is any story feeds Story, making it stronger. Rose has heard nothing but stories her entire life. She understands the importance of understanding one’s story, of understanding how the world and the people came to be at this point.

Griff has been raised his entire life to defeat Story, to keep his city safe from falling back into its trap. Story makes people pawns in its power, making them act out roles in stories, the fairy tales we learned as children. He believes in his mission, in keeping people from telling stories. He’s a distant character for much of the novel, but the glimpses into his mind were fantastic. They added this layer of understanding, of being able to see beyond the hard exterior that Rose sees. He struggles to reconcile what he’s been taught with what he’s learning. I like how dynamic he became.

Rose has been sheltered her entire life, protected in a valley, far away from the lands of Ash & Bramble. When the life she’s known is shattered, she seeks shelter in the City and finds herself in the care of Griff and Quirk (who I’ll get to in a moment). It takes a little while for her to find her strength, but I didn’t mind. She’s been so safe, she’s never had to find that power within herself. She’s always believed that only she has the power to write her story. Other characters might enter and leave, but she writes her own story. She fights Story with every part of her, and that really showed how her strength developed through the book.

Finally, I have a soft spot for Quirk. He’s an interesting character, not quite believing what the City and its Watchers do, but also understanding the power of Story and why it could never gain control again. I loved his secret and would absolutely read a story of his life.

What I Didn’t Like:

Even though I kind of understand why it was done, I am always a little annoyed when characters don’t share everything they know when they should. The secrets (most of them anyway), in this book are dangerous. Like I said, I understand a little bit why the secrets are there. But a lack of good communication is one of my “things” when it comes to books.

I’d Recommend To:

If you liked Ash & Bramble, you’ll definitely want to read this one. Rose & Thorn is also good for fans of fairy tale retellings. It has a unique take on the maiden in distress idea.

You can purchase Rose & Thorn here:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.