Title: Rebel Rose (The Queen’s Council #1)
Author: Emma Theriault
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Author giveaway
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads Synopsis:
Happily ever after is only the beginning as Belle takes on the responsibility of becoming queen and learns to balance duty, love, and sacrifice, all while navigating dark political intrigue—and a touch of magic.
It’s 1789 and France is on the brink of revolution. Belle has finally broken the Enchantress’s curse, restoring the Beast to his human form and bringing life back to their castle in the province of Aveyon. But in Paris, the fires of change are burning, and it’s only a matter of time before the rebellion arrives on their doorstep.
Not so very long ago, Belle dreamed of leaving her provincial home for a life of adventure. But now she finds herself living in a palace, torn between her past as a commoner, and her future as royalty. While Belle grapples with her newfound position, there are those who would do anything to keep her from power.
When she stumbles across a magic mirror that holds a dire warning, Belle wants nothing more than to ignore the mysterious voice calling her to accept a crown she never desired. But violent factions of the revolution may already be lurking within her own castle, and doing nothing would endanger everything she holds dear. With the fate of her country, her love, and her life at stake, Belle must decide if she is ready to embrace her own strength–and the magic that ties her to so many female rulers before her–to become the queen she is meant to be.
Rebel Rose is the first in the Queen’s Council series, an empowering fairy tale reimagining of the Disney Princesses-and the real history behind their stories-like you’ve never seen before.
Review:
France, 1789: Belle has broken the curse and freed Prince Lio from his beastly form. The newlyweds travel to Paris to try to establish Lio’s place in the aristocracy, since he was gone for ten years and no one has any recollection of him as a beast. There are violent protests in the street in the name of revolution. Belle is torn between her commoner birth and her new royal lifestyle. She discovers another magic mirror, which shows her a future where their palace is burning down. Belle must reach inside herself to find her magic to save her country, her home, and her love.
This story takes place after the events of the Disney Beauty and the Beast movie. I’ve never read a story that tells the events after the movie, and I loved it. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favourite movies as a kid, so it was fun to see these characters facing new challenges after their main story.
There was a lot of real history that happened in the story. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were mentioned many times. The French Revolution played a big role in the conflict between the aristocracy and the general population. I loved how this brought the story into the real world.
Rebel Rose is the first book in the Queen’s Council series, and I’m excited to see what happens in the next book about Mulan!
What to read next:
The Beast Within by Serena Valentino
As Old as Time by Liz Braswell
Have you read Rebel Rose? What did you think of it?
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