In this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard and new love Remy must race against time to find Princess Charlotte. Sophia’s Imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep the rebels from returning Charlotte to the castle and her rightful place as queen. With the help of an underground resistance movement called The Iron Ladies—a society that … rejects beauty treatments entirely—and the backing of alternative newspaper The Spider’s Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and restore peace to Orleans.
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This was a worthy followup to the dark, candy-coated world established in The Belles. The mere act of reading these books is half the fun – the words are dripping with sugar and sweets, caramel and cream, and the sentences practically coat the tongue. I also liked how the dark underbelly of this world was exposed more slowly and carefully in this book than in many fantasy series. There is an element of falsified media and surveillance that helps this book ring true to a modern era, but still enough beauty magic to make it the perfect escape!
*I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*
First off…. I don’t comment on covers all that much but this time I have to say compared to the cover on the first book, this cover is not my favoriteLuckily that was not the same for the book, I really enjoyed this second book in the series . I still totally love the world that Clayton has created. Still so very vibrant and enjoyable We get to see even more of it this time around as out group splits up , that can sometime be a bad thing in a book and is not always a favorite but it really worked this time . I also enjoyed how much Camellia has grown and how much she believes in herself. Not just her that made a leap but everyone grew a bit in this book and since last..Some parts were a bit slow or felt to drawn out but overall it was a very fun and enjoyable read.If you enjoyed the first book, you will most definitely enjoy this one as well.So overall I will rate it 4, enjoyed it very much except the few slow spots it had for me.
Once again the author took us into this very vivid world where there were surprises and amazing things around each corner and after the turn of every page. Along with Camile, we get to learn how the “other half” lives. Since she’d been sequestered most of her life, first with the other Belles, and then in the palace, she didn’t know how it was out in the “real world” of this story. That was very fascinating and so neat to read. Bringing back some characters in new roles to this world was something that kept me as a reader on my toes, turning pages to find out if they were really good guys now, or if they’d turn around and betray Camille and the other Belles again. Of course there were other characters that we’d thought of as friends, that turned out to once again, not be quite who they’d seemed to be.
I loved the teacup dragons so much! Of all the teacup animals, I kind of want one of those for sure! As with the first book, as I got closer to the end, I began to wonder if there would be another book, because I couldn’t tell if it would be finishing up the series or not. I believe it did, although it seemed maybe a bit rushed in a way? That could be just me. But I liked the story, loved being back in this beautiful world, and seeing our characters again. Definitely a fitting conclusion to a great, original story.
Soon to be Queen Sophie is obsessed with control and beauty. So much so that she is imprisoning Belles and experimenting with their blood. She wishes to create an endless supply of Belles to serve as tools to enhance the beauty of those willing to pay. On the run, Camille must find a way to stop Sophia and rescue her captured sisters. But for every step forward, obstacles will arise to test Camille’s resolve. As she enters the world of the resistance she will find herself unwillingly sacrificing those she loves in order to stop Sophia.
The theme of oppression may not be new to storytelling, but the way Dhonielle Clayton executes it is stunning. Camille has a hard road ahead of her as she learns everything she has ever been told is a lie. As the history of the Belles unfolds in greater detail, readers will be horrified at the way society has twisted something so pure into something so corrupt. Greed and vanity are powerful allies for those who feel privileged.
Camille’s character grows in leaps and bounds throughout The Everlasting Rose. And while the story had the chance to tip into a love triangle trope, Camille firmly put her foot down refusing to allow her feelings to get in the way of her goals. She is a passionate girl and watching her inner fire grow as she dedicated herself to changing the world was spellbinding. But it’s not just Camille that will enchant you. Each and every character within this story is so pronounced and unique. The cast of characters Dhonielle Clayton has created will be sure to capture your full attention.
And the way descriptions are written in this novel are luxurious and smooth. Colors are compared to things such as cream and pastries, adding to the elegant tone of writing. The audiobook narrator, Rosie Jones, did such an excellent job with accents adding even more depth to the settings. The sights, sounds, and emotions came together to create an enchanting version of New Orleans.
I’ve enjoyed my time with The Belles series. It’s like a breath of fresh air journeying with the characters and experiencing New Orleans through their eyes. The use of magic is original and the culture Dhonielle Clayton has created is fascinating. I hope to see more books in this series. I feel there is so much left to tell.
As I finished reading The Belles, I knew there was no question, I had to read the next book, and then I discovered the title that pulled me in even more, made me wonder if there could ever be an Everlasting Rose in the world The Belles is set in. To say I was impatient to begin reading this book.
I loved the cover of The Belles but wow, the cover of The Everlasting Rose is equally striking in a darker, mysterious way. Perhaps it hints of what is to come from inside from the story. There’s lots of intrigue, betrayal, sacrifice and loss in this instalment of The Belles story. The genres listed for the book are YA and Fantasy, which whilst I agree with. I would point out I am certainly not in the YA age bracket and I have adored this series so far! Also, I would add that the books could also be added to the dystopian, and possibly futuristic genres.
The book picks up just after we left the characters on the run from Princess Sophia and her followers. It’s been an action packed three days for Camille, at the beginning of everything being at the Palace, being thrown in the dungeons, Princess Charlotte waking up, and then the surprising help of false papers and transport from Arabella.
To begin with it is Camille, Edelweiss, and Ambrosia who escape with the palace guard Remy. They have escaped with very little, just their arcana which reside within them ready to be called and used only on others. Camille also has her teacup dragons, Fantóme, Poivre, Eau, Feuille and finally Or who is very fond of Remy. The fugitives need to evade capture, find, and help Princess Charlotte return to the Palace to usurp Princess Sophia from the throne and take up her rightful place.
This may sound simple, but it really isn’t, with wanted posters all around wherever the Belles and Remy go, all offering large reward for their capture and return to the Palace.
Princess Sophia also has her own ideas on not only how the Palace runs and the laws of the land, she also wants to breed many more Belles, and makes several attempts at doing this with disastrous results producing inferior Belles which are disfigured. When those in the know such as Arabella attempt to explain the process and say she must slow down, she does the opposite even saying the Belles do not need to be attractive, just be able to use their arcana’s to make others beautiful! It seems all Princess Sophia wants to do is make money from Belles and become the Queen to change laws to meet her personal requirements.
We learn one Belle in every generation is stronger and carries something “extra,” within their blood that helps to make the next generation. Arabella is the one whose blood contains the aether that is needed for the next generation. I am not going to reveal who has the aether in her blood in the latest generation of Belles.
Two of the Belles that are on the run discover their arcana talents can in fact help them travel undetected. The Belles are always on their guard knowing they could be captured at any moment. When Princess Sophia targets the palace guard Rémy’s family, Camille insists he go back and try to help his family. There’s the delightful beginnings of a relationship between Camille and Rémy in this book as well as the differing relationships between the girls. It’s difficult for them to trust anyone, but help does come along in the shape of the mysterious, rebellious Iron Ladies. Where we gain the tougher characters of the Iron Ladies who have totally different ideas about beauty and the Belles. Sadly, we do lose some of the endearing Belles that we have come to love and cherish. Camille goes through a rough time in The Everlasting Rose, we realise that the Belles are not just pretty faces that they have feelings too. We also learn their gifts come at a cost to not only those paying for them but for the individual Belles administering them.
I thought the Belles was written extremely and that nothing would ever live up to it but, The Everlasting Rose is even better! The scene setting is stunning, you can really visualise it all. I think the quotes and certain phrases in the book are remarkable. So now I have raved about them I guess I should share a couple. “My thoughts are an overfilled teacup, drowning it’s saucer” “Maman never told me what to do when the world falls apart like a dress ripped at it’s seams, the beads scattering into faraway corners, the fabric a storm of shredded pieces left destroyed and unrecognisable”
The way the Iron Ladies say farewell to each other when going on one of their missions is, “May our threads remain strong and our webs serve us well”.
My favourite character is I guess predictably Camille, at the beginning of this book she is still somewhat stinging about how Auguste betrayed her and proposed to Princess Sophia, after professing his love to her! I also love how friendship turns into more with Rémy, her palace guard whilst they are on the run. Camille cared for all her sisters in book one, and continues to do so in this book, despite Edelweiss warning her on more than one occasion that Ambrosia has changed and its not for the better. On many occasions Camille is willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary, including herself for the good of others.
Everything continues to build up to am ultimate climax, with many putting themselves in the firing line of the power hungry, Princess Sophia. Though it is Camille who is at the very centre of a plan that will either go perfectly well or horrendously wrong! I actually had to put this stunning book down at 88% yep with only 22% I had to put the book down as for us older readers life sometimes gets in the way at the most inopportune times! I left the book there and had questions and scenarios of what may happen galore popping in and out of my head. Such as, Can Camille manage to be literally under Princess Sophia, soon to be Queen Sophia’s nose, and be able to rescue her sisters, Beauty Minister, Fashion Minister, the love of her life, his family and make sure Sophia doesn’t become Queen? Camille a heavy weight on her shoulders! Will Camille & the Iron Ladies plan work? Whose side is Auguste really on?
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were all about the letter Camille received and what it said. Wow! Could there be yet more to come. One of the things mentioned in the letter I certainly didn’t see coming and would love to know how that affects the world Camille and the other Belles live in along with the normal people that live there too. Then I sat and began to think about all the different scenarios and possibilities for The Belles and the Universe they live in. I wonder is this last letter a clue that there is going to be a book three, or is it perhaps a teasing ending for us all to ponder on and resolve in our own imaginations?
My final thoughts are that I loved this amazing, brilliantly written story. I loved the era and universe that was it’s setting. I adored the fantastic idea of the Belles and how they learn to use the gifts they are born with.
The covers & the content still reminded me of The Perfected series by Kate Jarvik Birch, The Lone City Series by Amy Ewing and The Selection Series by Kiera Cass. So if you haven’t read those and have loved The Belles & The Everlasting Rose I can highly recommend them to you.
I so hate to give this book this rating, but I was so disappointed in The Everlasting Rose. I literally want to cry just looking at the rating. I had such high hopes for this book because while I at first didn’t love The Belles, it grew on me in a way I wasn’t expecting. The unique story and characters really grew on me and I realized I really enjoyed the first book.
I’m not sure what happened with this one, but I feel like nothing really ever happened. Its literally nothing but Camille whining about how much she misses her sisters and how she wants to rescue them. Adel and Camille disagree about everything through most of this book and it got old real fast. I’m not sure why Adel was even in the book honestly. Camille has no plan through 70% of this book and the plan that they do form falls so flat I had to go back and reread the ending to make sure I didn’t mentally dose off while reading. The ending was the moment I was waiting for because it was the only time in the whole book where Camille is anywhere near Sophia and it fell so flat that I’m still not sure what exactly happened. I’m not kidding.
I don’t know what happened to this book, but I didn’t like it. Camille was annoying more than ever and I just didn’t like or care for her at all by the end. I especially didn’t care about any of her sisters. Remi might as well have not been in the book. The revolution lasts like 5 minutes if you can even call it a revolution. The ending was the most disappointing of all.
The descriptions in this book are phenomenal. Clayton draws you into this magical world with the use of all five senses and a character you can truly care about. The ending ties up neatly, and there’s no cliffhanger. Get the audio version if you like a more dynamic reading experience.