Book Review: Veiled Rose

Veiled Rose: Tales of Goldstone Wood
By Anne Elizabeth Stengl
Bethany House, 2011
English, 394 pgs


Description:
Rose Red trusts no one with her secret. She hides in the forest, her face veiled in rags, shunning the company of all save her old father and her nanny goat. Her life is bleak and lonely.

Until she meets a privileged young man sent to spend his summer in the mountains. Leo, a lonely lad, befriends Rose Red, and together they begin hunting for the Mountain Monster which, rumor says, stalks these lands.

But the hunt which began as a game holds greater risk than Leo supposes. Rose Red can scarcely guess at the consequences should he insist on continuing his search. Dare she trust him with her secret? Or tell him what dwells at the top of the mountain in the cave only she can find?

Above all, when Leo asks Rose Red to leave the mountain and follow him to the low country, dare she agree and risk the wrath of a Monster that is all too real?

Review:
I couldn't get into this book. It took a good 185 pages to get interesting. I always tell myself that if a book isn't interesting by half way, I'll quit reading it. Half way was 197 pages....

Anyway, I did read the entire book and I am somewhat disappointed in it. It had the potential to be a sweeping fantasy with heroes and villains and the damsel in distress...it never quite got there. It was a long book to read. I haven't had to force myself to read something in a long time and that just doubled my un-enjoyment (if you'll permit the word).

I understand it's the second in a trilogy and that I may have missed something by not reading the first book, but honestly, I don't want to.

It was refreshing to have it not be a happily ever after style book. The ending does set up the next book (out in April 2012) and if it's your style, you're probably going to be "itching" to get the next book.

I'm still not sure if I like or despise Leo. And I guess that is part of the appeal of the book. He's really an anti-hero at this point. It makes the reader want to read the next book to see if he can redeem himself or not.

Rose Red was the one character that I did really like. She wears a veil and the reason is disclosed at the end. But she shows that true love and character come from within. You can't tell how someone is going to be until you take away all that you see and see what comes from within their heart.

I received a copy of the book for the purpose of a review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.