The first of many female fantasy books reviewed in the next several months! I’ll be posting all of these on the blog, but you can also folllow them on my Goodreads account, where I add thoughts as I go through. Happy reading…
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*Three out of five stars.*
The Rose Crown was a fast, pleasant read, which I think improved as I detected a distinct Musketeers vibe.
Instead of d’Artagnan, though, the country rube from the provinces, we have Marian – the only woman in a unit of elite kings guard. She brings an ancient, familial sword and a lot of pluck, and does her best to defend a useless king and his family from his predatory advisor.
Rather than the musketeer brotherhood we have a budding love story with self-declared destroyer of the Rose Crown – Henryk, a big, strapping mercenary who becomes captain of the guard through his friendship with The Enemy – nobleman and advisor Anselm.
Marian and Henryk are really the only characters who matter, and certainly the only ones I cared about. I actually wanted to know more about them and their past and motivations, but alas this was not to be.
Essentially The Rose Crown is a fantasy adventure story. If you go in expecting complex world-building, character development, or trope-twisting cleverness, you will be disappointed. However you are certainly going to get action, magic, a little romance, a clear struggle against villainy, and ultimately, triumph.
There’s a bit too much naval-gazing for my tastes, but many readers enjoy this, and the writing definitely does its job. Ultimately I recommend not asking too many questions as you go. Just sit back, get a glass of wine, and enjoy the ride.
For any readers who like fast-paced adventure stories with a female protagonist, this is an easy recommend.
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