The Rose and Thorn by Katherine Macdonald Review

 I have read many Beauty and the Beast retellings since it is after all my favorite fairy tale. Well truthfully it is tied with another fairy tale with similar themes called East of the Sun West of the Moon but whatever. Anyway, I discovered The Rose and the Thorn by Katherine Macdonald and have just finished reading it for the third time, twice this year. I have also read its companion novel Heart of Thorns (the same story only told in the perspective of the beast named Thorn) so technology I have visited this story four times. I know that sounds obsessive and perhaps it is, but it also shows what a good author Katherine Macdonald is. This is her first book in The Fey series although all the books can be read separately in whatever order, but you might see recurring characters in some of them. Now I will give you a summary of the beginning of the book. Warning early book spoilers. 

Rose is a bookish young woman who still mourns the death of her beloved mother. She lives with her father and four other siblings Freedom, Honor, Hope and Beau. She has a very strained relationship with Freedom but is very close with Honor who is about to be married to her fiancée Charles. One day while taking a walk in the winter (the season she hates the most) she stumbles upon a fey world where there lies a dark and gloomy castle with its only inhabitant a beast. The sorrowful beast tells her that the portal she had stumbled into only opens twice a year and until then she cannot leave. Rose is very distraught at having to be away for her family for so long, who have no idea where she is or even if she is alive. She at first attempts to rebuff the Beasts attempts to befriend her but soon warms up to him. Soon after the castle starts to slowly come back to life starting with snow falling and then wildlife returning. One day while ice skating with the beast Rose sees a horrible face under the water. The ice shatters underneath her and she is barely saved by the beast and the remnants of magic in the castle. Rose then gives the beast the name Thorn and two continue to grow closer. However, there is a darkness hidden inside the castle steadily building its power determined to be free. Also, on the night of a full moon a creature with glowing red eyes haunts the ground. Will Rose be able to overcome these dangers? Will she be able to follow her heart and her secret desire to be with the person she loves? Or will she choose her family and break his heart forever?  

 

This is one of my favorite Beauty and the Beasts retellings hands down. I love the characters so much. Rose is such a wonderfully flawed character, and it was an enjoyable experience to read the book in her point of view. Thorn I just wanted to give a big hug to. He has suffered so much, and he honestly never deserved it too. He is like the beast in the Disney move had what was coming to him because of his arrogance. Thorn was kind and so sweet from the beginning that I longed for the book to end sooner so I could witness his happy ending as soon as possible. Freedom in a couple ways represented the Gaston character though him being Roses brother is not romantically interested in her. Instead, he is a brother who she often argues with and is also a hunter but at the end of the day he is a worried older brother who wants to protect his family from all harm. If there was any character, I was a little disappointed in it would have to be Rose’s father. While it is true, they have a good relationship I wished I could have seen more of their relationship. In the original story Beauty and her father have a strong bond and I guess I wished for a similar case here. But what we got was still good, nonetheless.  

 

The books setting is one that intrigues me. It is a world where magical beings once roamed the world of humans but because some caused trouble, they made their own world and left. But now magic is fading after two great wars took place. One of the battles is described in full detail but the one before it is only briefly mentioned. I would have been more interested in learning about this war as well. Perhaps its talked about in another of her books that I haven’t read or maybe it will be mentioned in a future book. Either way I hope to read about it someday.  

 

To wrap this review up this book is so wonderful. The characters are amazing (I had to leave a few out due to spoilers but trust me their well-drawn out too) the setting was enthralling, and the story along with its romance was pure gold. I give this book five out of five stars. For any Beauty and the Beast fan it’s a must read. I will be posting more book reviews soon (expect more reviews on Katherine Macdonald’s books too.) 

 

Until next time,