| Title | : | The Everlasting Rose (The Belles, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1484728483 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781484728482 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 344 |
| Publication | : | First published March 5, 2019 |
| Awards | : | Ignyte Award Best Novel - YA (2020) |
The Everlasting Rose (The Belles, #2) Reviews
-
**3.5 stars**
ATTENTION: This review contains minor spoilers for the first book in this series,
The BellesThe Belles, therefore:
PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
After claims that her older sister, Charlotte, is dead, the evil Princess Sophia is set to rise to the throne.
You may recall that Sophie has sinister plans for the Belles and the future of beauty work throughout Orleans.
Camellia, once the kingdom's favorite, is on the run. Forced to flee after the events of the first book, she now finds herself on the outside looking in.
Pairing up with some old favorites, including handsome savior, Remy, Camellia begins to set her sights on taking Sophia down.
This task shall be extremely difficult, however, since Sophia wants Camellia found, making her the 'most wanted' person in all the land.
Discovering an underground movement of rebels also planning to revolutionize the kingdom, Camellia finds a place were she feels she can be of use.
But is she right to trust them?
This book picks up directly where the first book leaves off. There is a lot more action in the plot as the world has previously been built for you, so we spend less time on those details.
However, although there is more action, I still felt the pacing was a bit off.
There were times when I was really enjoying it, speeding along, and other times where I had to force myself to pick it up.
This being said, Clayton's writing feels lovely to me. Each word she chooses seems to add beauty to the text, but at the same time, things can become very one dimensional.
I liked the scifi bits that were sprinkled throughout.
The way the Belles are 'grown' and Sophia's plans for them seemed something more out of a dystopian novel than a fantasy. I did enjoy those elements and personally, I wish there had been a bit more of them.
That may seem odd but I couldn't help but wish those ideas would have been expanded upon more.
The origin of the Belles. We heard the mythological tale of where they came from, but how much of that was true?
I did also enjoy the commentary about standing up to old-fashioned and outdated systems that need to be changed. Systems that take advantage of, literally USE, some individuals for the sheer pleasure of others.
This was an interesting examination of the concept of beauty, as well, and the negative effects of a strong societal emphasis on beauty.
The Everlasting Rose leaves off in a very interesting place.
Is there going to be another book? I would definitely be interested in continuing on in this world. The events that take place at the end of this leaves a lot to be explored.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As always, I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to hearing other reader's thoughts on this one! -
2 stars.
*contains minor spoilers*
Me too, Zen. Me too.
The Everlasting Rose is what I would call rushed product. This being second (and maybe the end of Camille's POV) book in the series, I had expected more from it. By that, I mean we get a satisfying entry to the series and the plot and characters would be more fleshed out. But what I got was a rushed book that should've been a bit longer.
Yes, I know, this coming from a person who sometimes says that a book is unnecessarily long and could be shortened. Now here I am saying a book should have been longer.
The Everlasting Rose picks up after Camellia, Edel, Remy, and Amber escaped from Sophia's wrath and they are in hiding. They plan to overthrow Sophia from the throne by revealing that Charlotte, Sophia's sister, is alive. But they need help and a mysterious group known as the Iron Ladies could help.
When I first saw the page count for the Everlasting Rose, I couldn't help but be concerned. Usually, when a book in a series is significantly shorter than the others, they're sometimes underwhelming. The Everlasting Rose is a rushed work that had a plot that was all over the place and lifeless characters. I did not enjoy my time reading it.
The plot is not coherent in the long run. Camellia's main objective is to dethrone Sophia. Sounds simple enough. Though that doesn't go into fruition until the last 50 pages of the book. The remaining pages are nothing but Camellia and Co. running from safe house to safe house, planning, going to another safe house, more planning, and so on. Really, this book felt incomplete and rushed.
I would not have minded if there were an extra 40 pages to expand on decent pacing and more development of the characters. But all we got was a rushed ending. A while ago Tomi Adeyemi tweeted that she did not think the next book in her Legacy of Orisha series was complete and wanted her readers to get the best experience and decided to push back the release date. After reading The Everlasting Rose, I think that's what should've been done because this was more along the lines of a rough draft you turn in to your literature professor, not a final draft for a book.
Dhonielle could've expanded more on the Belles, how Sophia managed to create more Belles, explore their powers, but its all just speculation. We are told but now shown.
The best way I would describe the world would be a Faberge egg behind a glass case. It's beautiful to look at but we can't hold it, look at it closer. The world sounds beautiful but we aren't given enough world-building to appreciate it. Not to mention hardly anything is explained about the technology and those weird balloon things.
Camellia is still a static character, never changing or even having the least bit of development. Her goals were put first but not her. Yes, she does show compassion to her sisters but that's all we get from her. Nothing about her is extraordinary other than being a Belle. If she wasn't a Belle, she could easily be forgettable.
Speaking of forgettable, there are the Iron Ladies and they are by far a poor excuse of a rebellion. I wouldn't even call them a rebellion to begin with. They're a group that claims they are better and are so good at their jobs. In reality, they didn't do anything other than be intimidating and show up at the last second. Camellia did their job for them and they just took the glory. Pathetic. Easily forgettable.
There is a romance between Camellia and Remy and it too was rushed. I know I keep saying the word rushed a lot but that's the only way I could even describe everything that happened. The romance between Camellia and Remy came out of nowhere. In the previous book, they had a somewhat rocky relationship where Camellia didn't like him at first but grew to like him but not in a romantic way. Here, she just likes him all of a sudden and there is no build up to their relationship.
Then we have Sophia, A.K.A., every other cartoonish Disney villain out there. That is not an exaggeration. Given that this is a world that is entirely focused on beauty, Sophia's new laws are cruel, but she is a boring villain. She's just a bad girl who did bad things and wants to do bad things but we aren't given any reason why she's like that other than she's bad. She's bad just for the reason of being bad. It's like she woke up one day and decided to be evil.
Seeing how the story ended and with there being another book on the way, I think Camelia's story is over (at least I think). The way it ended left enough room for the world to be explored from a different POV. If only this wasn't rushed, I might've enjoyed it more.
Everlasting Rose? More like Withered Rose.
Verdict
The Everlasting Rose is nothing but a rushed product that fails to deliver any promises of a satisfying conclusion. It wasn't a terrible book, just rushed. Really disappointed.
Thanks for reading my review!
-Cesar -
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On the surface, The Belles series really doesn't seem like it should work. The concept of a dystopian society overturned by a teenage revolutionary has been done to death thanks in part to the wildly successful Hunger Games and Divergent series. The Belles, in particular, is highly reminiscent of the shallow and superficial Capitol elite in THE HUNGER GAMES, with over-the-top costumes, high premiums on beauty and luxury, and a laissez-faire attitude towards their poor and suffering populace reminiscent of the nobles in pre-Revolutionary France.
Part of what saved
THE BELLES for me was how dark it was willing to be to drive home the point that beauty isn't everything. Camellia, the heroine, starts out very sheltered and naive, a pawn in her society's quest to become beautiful and adored. By the end of the book, she isn't just questing her own powers and where they came from, but also where her society's ideals fit in within larger concepts of morality and justice, and whether the ruler overseeing Orleans is really capable of fair and just rule (spoiler: nope).
Of course, this being a dystopian novel, she finds that out the hard way, through blood and tears.
I was excited when I found out that I was approved for an advanced copy of the sequel, THE EVERLASTING ROSE. WARNING: There will be spoilers for THE BELLES in this review, and a few mild spoilers for THE EVERLASTING ROSE, so if you're one of those people who want to go into a book totally blind, I suggest you X out of this tab and pretend you never saw me. I did mostly enjoy THE EVERLASTING ROSE, but not as much as the prequel; it had some glaring problems.
The Belles series takes place in a magical/steampunk fantasy version of New Orleans called "Orleans." Society revolves entirely around beauty and luxury, and the tyrant ruler Sophia has gone literally mad with power, exerting magic and might over her subjects at will, as well as demanding constant assurance that she really is the fairest in the land. The previous book ended with Camellia being betrayed, losing favor with the queen, and being forced to go on the run, until she can lick her wounds and rally her strength to become the revolutionary figure that Orleans needs.
When I saw the cover for THE EVERLASTING ROSE, I could tell that this book was probably going to be a lot darker - and I do like the contrast of that, but I don't think that this cover is as pretty as the original. Her neck ruff is super weird - it reminds me of this line from Black Adder, in which he describes one of his Elizabethan colleagues as looking like "a bird who swallowed a plate." In a way, that's fitting for this book, because it manages to be both horrific and ungodly cheesy at times.
Since this book isn't out yet, I don't want to spoil too much. I will say that we do get the revolution we were promised from the first book, and it is handled pretty well. There's a bunch of creepy women called the Iron Ladies who really like spiders (I can't help but picture
Diana Terranova). Camellia discovers that her and the other Belles's powers aren't actually limited to beauty and makeovers. Camellia gets angry, and stoops to cruel acts in the name of justice. She loses her shit. It's brilliant.
And yet, there were things in this book I didn't really enjoy. I didn't like that Ms. Clayton not only seems to be redeeming Auguste, despite his betrayal in the previous book, but also appears to be reintroducing him as a love interest. She chose Remy, dammit! I didn't like the animal death that happens in the last third of the book and, worse, is committed by the heroine herself. It felt totally pointless, like it was done for shock value and that's it. There are better ways to be edgy than to just go around killing innocent little animals, just my two cents. I also didn't like the bizarre Invasion of the Body Snatchers twist this book took towards the end. I'm not going to go into any further detail than that, because spoilers, but if you read this book, you'll know what I'm talking about. It was pretty flipping weird. At that point, it kind of felt like this book had jumped the shark.
Lastly, and I did touch on this briefly in the previous book, I don't really like that the villain is an out lesbian. Not that I don't like lesbians, but it's irritating that when you see LGBT folk represented in fiction, it's usually as 1) the bad guy, or 2) the sacrifice (i.e.
bury your gays). The previous book had a character named Claudine, who was the queen's lover, and she was murdered. When I complained about the only gay character dying, people were quick to jump on that in my review, pointing out that Sophia was also gay. Yes - she's gay, and she's evil AF. Having a dead gay and a psychopathic narcissist gay as your two main examples of rep really isn't that great. I know a lot of my LGBT friends who read this book were really upset about that aspect of this book, and I can see why. Especially since this book works so hard to be inclusive with regard to rep of skin color, with several of the main characters described as being various shades of brown, and this being described as beautiful, even desirable (I loved that, by the way - one of the best moments in this book is when the heroine totally goes against shadism, saying that she loves her natural skin color, and that darker is beautiful). It just goes to show that even diverse books can be problematic in how they choose to represent diversity within the worlds that they create.
Overall, though, THE EVERLASTING ROSE wasn't a bad book. I know I always sound harsh when I review these things, but I do really make a point to be fair and discuss as many elements in the book (both positive and negative) as possible because I know some of the tropes and problematic elements I discuss in my reviews do bother people, even if they might not bother me, and I consider it my duty as a reviewer to try and present an accurate recap of my reading experience to help others decide whether or not they want to buy the book. I did enjoy THE EVERLASTING ROSE, and its over-the-top cheesiness that reminded me in so many ways of a better-written version of Amy Ewing's
THE JEWEL. I thought the writing was gorgeous, and loved seeing a black heroine getting to save the world for a change. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Dhonielle Clayton comes up with next.
Thanks to Netgalley/the publisher for the review copy!
3 to 3.5 stars -
The Belles - ★★★★
The Everlasting Rose - ★★ 1/2
Ehhhhh... I'm a little disappointed. No one is as sad as I am. I mean, I was dealing with multiple health issues while trying to finish this, so I don't know if that impacted my overall enjoyment.
Also, I feel like this felt much like a second book in a trilogy, not the conclusion to a duology??? There better be a third book forthcoming called The Iron Ladies, Miss. Dhonielle.
World-building: 3 stars // I didn't feel like we got more development of Orleans. We did get somewhat more backstory and a surprise or two, like The Iron Ladies, but I didn't feel it expounded much more. I would be down for a prequel about The Iron Ladies or even a spin-off book because the book ended with me having more questions then I got answers. I will add points for rare teacup dragons.
Writing: 4 stars // Dhonielle Clayton's writing is just the best. I could not have finished this book without the beautiful and unique writing. It's absolutely mesmerizing. I actually liked the writing more so than in The Belles because the purple prose isn't as intense.
Characters: 2.5 stars // We are only ever in Camille's head. Nearly 50% of her stream of conscious is focus on being on the run and worrying about her sisters. But she didn't have any inner-turmoils or demons herself. She didn't really grapple with any big life choices or question her own morals. She always did the right thing. It was too easy too root for her. Not to mention, I thought there would be more development or surprises in relation to her mother. The mystery surrounding her mom was so built up in Book 1. In fact, a lot of the mystery of Orleans is built up in Book 1 only for the suspense to be lacking in The Everlasting Rose. Which brings me to my next point...
Plot: 2 stars // The plot was kind of lack-luster. The first 3/4 is focused on escaping The Belles + Camille trying find Charlotte, evade capture, and stop Sophie's coronation. The last 1/4 was so rushed. We get all this build up and then the big stand off is followed by a fade-to-black moment instead of Camille ever truly facing the biggest antagonist of the entire series.
Overall Enjoyment: 2.5 stars // Unfortunately, I just wasn't blown away by this one. My overall rating is purely based on my enjoyment. You can tell the author put all her effort into writing this. It's not sloppy or low quality by any means. I had high expectations and wanted more suspense and character/plot development.
Final Thoughts:
I thought Sophie would answer for the horrible things that happened in The Belles. That's why I tolerated the torture/bulling in the first book. Instead, I also didn't feel like the author took enough risks with this one. Everything major happens in a few chapters and it gets wrapped up. I feel like Clayton is the sort of author to leave us with something shocking or unsettling that makes us want more. The possibilities in a world like Orleans are endless, so it's a shame the author went a safe route in how she concludes the story.
That being said, I will always be a fan of Clayton's work and I will undoubtedly pick up the next book she writes without a question (especially if it's Book 3 in The Belles series *wink*).
___________
Update: February 2, 2019
I received an ARC from Netgalley for consideration for a review.
I am at the 50% mark. My first impressions:
- It's very consistent with the last book.
- The writing is still beautiful, but the purple prose has lightened so I've flown through the first half of the story in about a couple days.
- My current issue is that there's not enough conflict and every mission the characters carry out they succeed at. There's not enough urgency and the suspense I felt in the first book seems lost in the sequel.
- Oh, and I didn't like the way a character dies. It didn't add to the plot and I didn't feel any emotional impact.
- I plan to finish this really, really, really soon. I'm optimistic.
WE HAVE A TITLE AND RELEASE DATE!
Source. -
The
rantingrevolution is here.
The Belles is a book that I think of quite fondly. Sure it has issues, and yeah maybe if I read it today I wouldn't like it as much. But I admire how bold it was, it must have taken
Dhonielle Clayton a great amount of courage to talk about something so personal in such a devastating and unapologetic way. It's a book that truly made me take a good look at how toxic society is.
The strength of the first book and what made it stand out to me among the sea of YA fantasies, dystopias, and fantasy dystopias is how on the surface it's pretty and lavish with dresses and tea all in a pink cover, but under it's surface, the story was unsettling and dark. The Everlasting Rose does not share that same strength.
Let's compare the two, and yes I think sequels should be compared to their predecessors, the first half of The Belles was a contest to be the Favorite. It gave much food for thought and Camellia, although not special, was interesting because of how much she wanted to be the Favorite. Plus a romance that although boring, never took over the story. Meanwhile the first half of this is simply Camellia and her Squad™ running to safe house after safe house, stupidly trusting anyone and everyone, and one of the most in your face, instalove-y romances that will make you wish for one of those "magically destined" romances.
And then the second half of The Belles was were it showed it's teeth and Camellia learns some tough lessons along with an extremely haunting ending. The second half of this is a generic dystopian rebellion plot with a rebellion that doesn't even seem all that capable (spoiler alert; they do almost nothing useful for the plot). Sure the ending was interesting, leaving it closed enough to end the series but open enough for another book or spin-off, but it isn't nearly as memorable as book one. And yeah there are some dark parts, but most of them are lost in a sea of boredom and half baked ideas.
Now maybe I'm being to harsh by comparing this so much to book one, so I'll stop the comparisons because I have other complaints. And maybe this one is because I skimmed a little in the second half (it was that or I would've DNF'd it) but from start to finish, I felt overall detached. Like I wasn't reading a book I was reading a Wiki page summary about a book.
I don't think it was the writing because that was unbearably flowery like a red rose newly blooming on a crisp March day as if the sky were an ocean of the tears of children (I might be exaggerating the writing a litte, but I usually like flowery writing yet to me this was too much). I think what caused my detachment was the characters, mainly Camellia.
How can someone go through the events of book one and STILL be so naive, so trusting, so stupid, so boring. We're told she's brave and compassionate, but honestly to me she was just idiotic. There's also that fact that the side characters where slightly more interesting but not by much. Edel has some sense but she isn't super special, Rémy is just loyal, Sophia is just evil for the sake of evil, and Auguste is just kind of a jerk.
Also I don't usually call out a book if a gay character or two die because I think you should do whatever to your characters regardless of sexuality, gender, race, etc. But it's the second book and it's a little odd that all the gay characters either die or are dating one of the characters who dies, except for Sophia who's maniacal off brand Azula.
And some other gripes:
-why was practically everything called the Everlasting Rose?
-was there any reason to make Camellia so special?
-why don't the gods have names? At least say the Beauty Goddess or the Sea God instead of constantly saying "the Goddess of [natural force]" every freaking time.
-speaking of I want to know more about this religion. Is it organized with a hierarchy of priests? Do they have temples? Are there any other religions?
-is there anything outside of Orléans?
-how do post balloons work?
-why does being a Gris have to make you crazy? It takes a significant bite out of the social commentary when being ugly has a higher price than being beautiful.
I think this could've been a good sequel and from the other reviews it looks like Clayton would've benefited from an extended deadline. Sure I wouldn't have been very happy but I would also get over it because that would mean she'd get the chance to make this truly special in a good way.
The extra star is for the teacup dragons , the fact that the romance was dangerously close to becoming a love triangle but didn't, and the for Clayton's bravery with this series (five points to Gryffindor).
My opinion on the cover; I originally didn't like book one's cover but it grew on me, I just wish they had stuck with only a few shades of pink that where closer instead of practically the entire pink spectrum. But with this one honesty what is Camellia wearing? She looks like a blueberry. -
**3.5 Stars**
I had a while to think about this. I mulled it over in my head and I'm feeling rather conflicted. On its own, The Everlasting Rose was a great book but as a sequel and a finale, I must say I am a bit disappointed.
Maybe it was my fault though. One of my bad habits with finales is that I get so excited to see what the ending is that I don't slow down and enjoy the actual story. Whoops! 😂
The characters and plot was just as exciting as book one. I hope we get to see more in this world soon!
Many thanks to Disney Hyperion for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
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The Everlasting Rose was not as an awesome Book 1. The 4 stars i gave The Everlasting Rose is in honour of Book 1. Book 2 isn't really worth it.
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Honestly I am always worried when a debut author puts their second book out. I always worry that I am comparing it too much to the first. However, since the first book by Clayton was the first book in this series, I can't help but compare it. And I have to say that the second book didn't work for me at all. I was bored and just kept waiting for something (anything to happen). This book didn't expand the world the reader had found out about in book #1. There was barely any development to any characters. And then things just kind of end with a hint that there may be more to happen with these people in the future.
So in "The Everlasting Rose" the second book in the Belles series, we have Camille racing to stop the new evil Queen (Sophia). She and her sisters Edel and Amber managed to get away along with one of the guards, Remy. The group has plans to free the other Belles and rescue the true ruler of the throne Princess Charlotte.
I honestly am surprised that Camille seemed even more clueless in this one. I just felt sick and tired of her towards the end. The series should have shown a growth from book #1 to book #2 and we didn't get it at all. I can't even call Camille a Mary Sue since at least the Mary Sue personality is to be perfect and more beautiful than all other female characters for no good reason. Camille was just bland and there. We know she wants to free her sisters and dethrone Sophia, At least there was no love triangle so we just have Camille obsessing over one person which felt like it came from nowhere.
The other characters barely have anything to do. Camille spends the most time with Remy and we have her thinking about him, wondering how it would be to kiss him, etc. Edel has more personality than Camille, though we barely have her interacting with Camille (which was weird) besides teaching her how to tap into her powers to change her outside looks and height. Edel doesn't trust Amber or anyone else and she acts like a jerk toward Remy. So Camille's personality was set to jerk, but at least she was lively. Amber was a total non-entity. And the Sophia we read about via the news sounded more scary than what we get in this book.
The writing was just okay though I found the flow terrible. There is no sense of magic to me like there was in book #1. I think that this book was too rushed. I would rather have waited another year for more world building and better plotting to be included in this one. It didn't help that each chapter was maybe 4 or 5 pages long. Considering this book was 342 pages (my hardcover) you would think that Clayton would have the main plot be about dethroning Sophia. Sadly we didn't get that until the very end.
The setting in this one just didn't work. If Clayton had stayed focused on the Belles maybe. But instead Clayton includes a resistance group known as "The Iron Ladies" who we just read/hear about for long portions of the book. And then Clayton tries to include a whole thing with the Belles being able to tap into their powers to change themselves and I never want to read about how cold a character is again. The book also started to feel repetitive after a while. Camille and friends run and hide, teacup dragons hide in her skirts, she fights with Edel and or Amber, feels angry, and feels jealous about Remy. Lather, rinse, repeat.
The ending was a bit of a letdown. I mean we get a Happily For Now ending which I honestly I was fine with because I really can't see this series continuing after this. -
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because I love the world of Orleans and The Belles.
The Everlasting Rose was a bit disappointing as a follow up to The Belles, which I loved. I can't quite pinpoint it, but it was missing some of the magic of the first book. Still enjoyed it, and I will definitely continue reading the series (if there are more). -
“Beauty is blood and bone and sovereignty: a perfect smile is its greatest weapon.”
I’m so pleasantly by this book and I actually really enjoyed it. I loved the world of the Belles and the luxe history and descriptive writing, but I had problems with some of the characters and plot points. But Everlasting Rose surpassed my expectations and gave me everything I wanted for the story in this world. Set immediately after the events of The Belles, Camille is looking for her sisters and a way to stop Princess Sophia from taking over the Orleane society. Plenty of action and politics make this an engaging and rich story I couldn’t put down.
Things I Liked
The worldbuilding was one of my favorite things from book 1 and I feel like I got an even better grasp on it in book 2! I feel like I got a bigger insight into Belle history and their powers, like what arcana is. The setting is this seamless blend of 18th century France with this futuristic tech, and it just works. I also continue to love anything and everything related to gods and mythology.
I really grew to love Camille in Everlasting Rose. She is passionate, ambitious, headstrong, and determined. She doesn’t always make the smartest choice, but she’s never careless or reckless and I respect the hell out of her.
I always here for a good revolution storyline, so I loved meeting the Iron Ladies who lead the rebellion against the Belle/beautification culture. It was nice seeing a different perspective and group that doesn’t define their power in beauty.
Belle lore is so dark and fucked up. It such a contrast to the facade and practice of the Belle. It the pinnacle of not all that glitters is gold .The Belles are seen only as property not people. How they’re treated and used is truly horrifying and how Belles are created is something I never expected. And there were so many leeches - just nasty.
Things I Didn’t Like
I had a problem with clunky transitions throughout the story. I felt like as soon as we got to an intense action scene the chapter would end, and the next began with an easy resolutions past the problem. It cut a lot of the action in the story and make the reading a little choppy.
Sophia still crazy loon, but she wasn’t as big a presence so she didn’t bother me as much. But as the ‘villain’ of the story, she was a little underwhelming.
Everlasting Rose is a mostly satisfying conclusion to what The Belles started. This series takes a deep look at the dark side of beauty and challenges the influence and expectations society ascribes to our appearance. The writing and the world are so luxe, the characters are compelling, and the food sounds delicious. This was a book I just couldn’t put down.
I received a copy of the book from in exchange for an honest review. -
Ich weiß gerade gar nicht mehr, warum der 1. Band von mir nur 4 Sterne bekommen hat letztes Jahr 😆 Die Geschichte ist auf jeden Fall so genial und besonders, dass ich nicht anders kann, als dem 2. Band jetzt endlich die wohlverdienten 5 Sterne zu geben.
Es ließ sich wieder super lesen, war erschreckend und spannend. Ich müsste schon sehr suchen, wenn ich etwas zum kritisieren finden will. Aber das möchte ich gar nicht.
Ich habe das Buch mit einem zufriedenen Gefühl zugeklappt, denn die Geschichte erscheint mir im Moment abgeschlossen, auch wenn die Autorin sich da noch Hintertürchen offen gelassen hat für einen 3. Band. Sollte es noch einen weiteren Teil geben, werde ich den auf jeden Fall auch freudig in meinem Regal begrüßen ❤ -
"The journey home from Trianon feels a thousand moments longer than the first one"
errrr.... aehm... 🤦🤦
I did not expect that much from this book, the second in a series that was already flawed from the beginning... but you know, I really enjoyed the first one and I was very curious to know how the story went on and (hopefully) ended. But this one, I mean... just no.
I am not giving one star because of how much I liked the first book and how hyped I was for this release (you may have noticed I ordered it barely a week after it came out). First of all, the story was much less interesting in the new environment; the first was packed with mysteries that made me flew through the pages, mysteries that should have been explained in a satisfying manner in this one but, spoiler alert, were not. The writing style was dry and pretentious from the beginning, but it became almost silly by the end (see above quote).
Aaand, last but not least, this book has some of the dumbest characters I have ever seen. There is especially a scene near the end of the book in which a person whose name starts with A decides to end his/her life in the stupidest way possible, literally nullifying every chance they had in they already stupid plan and literally no one cares. Like for real. No one blinks an eye. I was like wtf just happened??? why??? why is no one doing anything???? 🤬🤬🤬
Anyway, I think i made it clear that I didn't like the book but hey, I still like the first one enough to give the author another chance in case she publishes something else. And maybe this book wasn't really that bad, it's just anger for some disappointed expectations building up for months, or second book syndrome, or whatever. meh. NEEXT ✋✋✋ -
DNF @ 47%
I have a huge feeling that I'm never going back to this.
I forgave the first one for not getting really good until half way mark since the world was still getting established but this.
Nope!
The best thing about it was Remy and he was barely in the 47% I have read.
For a book to be a revolution it was not jumping at all. -
I was really hoping for more. Anyway, its better than the first book.
Most of the story was about hiding in safe houses and planning. And at the end it was fast paced; all what Camille has planned was happened too quickly.
And.... why does Camille do so many stupid things in this story?
The group so called Iron ladies did nothing at the end as they had planned; it was only Camille finished the work herself. But the glory was just taken by the Ion Ladies.
Lastly, there was no indication about Auguste's whereabouts.
Overall, I would like to say that this book was much better than the first book, but there were some flaws. Anyway I recommend it to the readers who enjoyed the first book to give a try. -
Enthält Spoiler zum Vorgänger!
Das Buch war noch ernster und auch etwas düsterer als der Vorgänger. Camille will sich an Sophia rächen und ihre Schwestern und die anderen Belles befreien. Zusammen mit zwei ihrer Schwestern, ihrem treuen Wächter Rémy und einigen wenigen Verbündeten versucht sie, einen Plan zu schmieden, was gar nicht so leicht ist, wenn man ständig auf der Flucht und in Gefahr ist. Im ersten Buch war Camille noch ehrgeizig, wollte die beste Belle aller Zeiten sein und ihre Liebe für ihre Schwestern hat sie sympathisch gemacht. Jetzt aber wurde sie von Auguste verraten, von ihrer Schwester enttäuscht, von Prinzessin Sophia eingesperrt und wenn sie Sophia nicht aufhält, wird diese die Belles noch schlechter behandeln als es bereits der Fall ist. Camille musste sich also weiterentwickeln, aber sie ist nicht nur stärker und entschlossener, nun treiben ihre Wut und ihr Wunsch nach Gerechtigkeit sie an.
Man sieht in diesem Buch mehr von Orléans und erfährt auch mehr über die Magie, also über die Gaben der Belles und wo sie herkommen und auch über "das Grau", mit dem die normalen Bürger geboren werden und das durch die Schönheitsarbeit der Belles verhindert wird. Wenn die Schönheit verblasst, werden die Menschen auch irgendwie verrückt, was man aber doch kaum miterlebt.
Flucht, Verfolgung, Verrat und Magie machen die Geschichte zu einem spannenden und abwechslungsreichen Abenteuer. Ich mochte in diesem Buch noch besonders die kleinen Drachen, die Camille begleiten und Nachrichten transportieren. Sie spielen schon eine wichtige Rolle, aber sie werden auch wirklich, wirklich oft erwähnt.
Fazit
"The Belles - Königreich der Dornen" ist ein spannender Abschluss für die Dilogie, in dem sich Camille noch von einer ganz anderen Seite zeigt. Ich freue mich aber auch auf das Spin-Off mit ihrer Schwester Edel in der Hauptrolle. -
"You and your sisters spent your entire existence altering appearances, shifting reality, catering to the most shallow whims. The birth of this world came out of a rotten, poisonous seed- and now, the framework is laced with it. Everyone spends all their time trying to look like something else. The masses will believe what is presented to them, as long as it’s compelling and beautiful. Thanks to you, they no longer have any idea what’s real- what’s true.”
I’m not even sure how this is possible but this was so much better than The Belles. I love The Belles and was excited to get my hands on this one. I’ve lost sleep, ignored people, and hid in quiet places to escape into the world of Orléans.
This was non-stop action from start to finish. I felt as if I couldn't keep up. But this was amazing and I need more. The twist and turns were shocking. They messed with your mind and it was hard to keep calm.
My fingers are crossed that she makes a companion novel that has the history of the Iron Ladies. We need more answers!!
Angry Girls fight back and my heart is proud! -
A solid continuation and finale to the world which began in The Belles. I definitely enjoyed returning to the world and seeing the rebellion grow. This was much more about taking back control and defining a new way to live which is not controlled by a ruler or beauty standards. It's got a lot of good moments, and I enjoyed it, but it is also pretty predictable. I'd give it a solid 3.75*s still though and recommend to any who like YA. :)
-
I felt like I just read the first book but made even less sense. RTC
-
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first book was incredible but this one just didn’t lead up to my expectations.
I felt like this book was very rushed especially towards the end of the book. -
Es ist ständig so viel passiert und trotzdem hat sich für mich kaum Spannung aufgebaut. Am Ende dachte ich dann, es kommt noch ein fetter Cliffhanger und dann Band 3. Aber nein. Das Ende war nur so schnell und alles wurde noch reingequetscht.
-
The Belles Series:
The Belles: ★★★★☆
The Everlasting Rose: ★★★☆☆
Untitled: TBD
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Review originally posted
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"But safety is never permanent. I suppose like beauty, it's unpredictable."
The Belles was one of my favourite reads of 2018. It was everything I wanted from a YA novel (but with a few tropes I wasn't terribly keen on) and then some: luxurious, poignant, emotional, full of a new kind of fantasy and armed with some heavy truths on the standards of beauty. The Everlasting Rose was, of course, one of my most anticipated 2019 reads because of it. And there were a lot of things that I really enjoyed about it--but a lot of things that fell flat for me, personally.
One of my biggest issues was the lack of resolution (is there going to be a third book?) and barely a hint of the worldbuilding we saw in The Belles. Clayton crafts such a delectable and unique world, I had so many high hopes for how it would develop in this installment--unfortunately, there just wasn't a lot of that and as a result the novel felt rushed at times. Where The Belles thrived, The Everlasting Rose finds itself stumbling a bit.
Dhonielle Clayton has such a wonderful prose but there were times where it felt as if The Everlasting Rose was not what it could have been. When I read her author's note, I could immediately see why. A lot has been happening. Which is why I'm going to put an end to my criticism there because, although The Everlasting Rose wasn't everything I hoped it'd be it was still a fun read.
Here's what I loved about it: The Everlasting Rose is armed with Dhonielle Clayton's beautiful and at times whimsical writing. She is definitely one of those author's that could write about the most boring, unappealing topic and it'd still come out sounding like poetry. She has this almost wistful quality to how she writes Camille's POV and through each and everytime, you can't help but to feel for Camille and her sisters and this incredibly different world they live in.
Then there's the differences between this world and our own. A good storytelling can create a world that feels so unfamiliar, but carries these very serious and familiar qualities to it that come right back around to us. The Everlasting Rose has this familiarity to it that ties directly into what Clayton has created and, of course, our own world.
Overall, The Everlasting Rose was fun and indulgent. If you liked The Belles, you're likely to enjoy this book--and will find yourself hoping for another set in this world. -
A decent sequel but as a possible finale it leaves something to be desired. I feel like the author purposely left the door open a crack so she can come back and write more if she desires (and/or the interest is there). However it's still closed enough that if she doesn't we'll survive.
It's an interesting one, I have a lot to digest still on this... more thoughts to come. -
Ist das jetzt das Ende der Reihe?
Irgendwie wirkt es so, aber anscheinend kommt doch noch ein drittes Buch. Weiß nicht, ob ich hier nach noch ein Buch aus dieser Reihe lesen werde? Für mich ist sie mit diesem zweiten Band abgeschlossen. -
The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton picks up where The Belles left off. With Camille, her sister Edel, and her guard Rémy on the run, they're on a mission to find Princess Charlotte and put a halt to Sophia's reign of terror.
Similar to how I felt about The Belles, The Everlasting Rose was okay, but it didn't blow me away. I did find it more engaging than the first book in the series--there was more action and more excitement--which was nice. It was well-written, but I never felt sucked into the events. I read the book but never felt committed to the characters.
I still maintain that the story concept is an interesting one. While I didn't always love the execution, I can fully appreciate the story idea. I liked the addition of the Spiders and Iron Ladies in The Everlasting Rose. It was a nice contrast to the world's constant desire for beauty. I liked the Iron Ladies' message and their goals for the world, though I would have liked to know more about them. Are they good? Are they bad? I would have liked to understand the group's motives better--it seemed like there was a lot left unsaid.
The ending was a whirlwind. So much happened! So much could have gone wrong! I think the ending adequately brought the book to a full closure though, which was appreciated.
I was hoping for more character depth and development in The Everlasting Rose, but most of the characters still felt shallow and flat. Sophia continued to be my favorite character. She was bad and twisted, which made her interesting.
While I can't say I give The Everlasting Rose rave reviews, if you've already read The Belles and liked it well enough, you'll find The Everlasting Rose equally enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
"Deficiency is weakness. Beauty is power."
Last year, Dhonielle Clayton introduced us to The Belles last year and their illustrious world filled with lush landscapes and beautiful men and women. However, as stunning as their world can be, what lies underneath demonstrates ugliness and cruelty.
At what cost, beauty?
In her sequel, The Everlasting Rose, we see how far the ugliness grows and those willing to resist and rebel to keep it from spreading and existing. As the story begins, we see Camelia, the once-favorite belle, still on the run with her sisters, Edel and Amber, and their male servant, Remy. They are fugitives with expensive prices on their heads, if caught, and with a mission to find Charlotte, the rightful queen of Orleans. Should their mission succeed, she can make right what Princess Sophia plans to destroy.
As the story progresses, they face danger, like hunger, fatigue, and distrust. In addition, they meet a resistance group called The Iron Ladies, a group of non-colored (Gris) women aim to end the Belle system and place the rightful Queen upon her throne.
Once again, Clayton uses a slavery allegory with such inclusions as "The Fugitive Belle Act" much like The Fugitive Slave Act and how Belles are treated in the hands of the Belle system. For example, the use of brutal punishment techniques, such as whips and chains, find themselves on the page. Princess Sophia offers bone-chilling horror to her subjects. She's not one to be on the wrong side.
Pros:
1. LGBTQA Representation. Hear me out. The first book caused controversy because of the death of Lady Pelletier, a lesbian. However, there is a major surprise regarding that character and it made sense for me, given the story. . It was a wonderful surprise. But, I cannot speak for everyone. Also, there are additional LGBTQA characters involved in the fight against regent Queen Sophia's madness.
2. Strong Female Characters. Enough said. They get things done.
3. Diversity. I enjoyed hearing about the various shades of brown, which you do not get often in fantasy.
4. It's a duology. I expected a third book. But, Clayton ends this "series" with this book. So, if you're like me and you prefer standalones to series, you get a mixture of both.
Cons:
1. I expect more of a showdown with all the buildup presented between the books. The ending's too clean.
As almost always, the sequel does not match-up with its first installment. Nevertheless, it's a sequel worthy of reading, even though the ending's a bit of a letdown. Grab a copy.
★★★½/★★★★★ -
*thank you so much to Netgalley & to Freeform publishing for granting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review*
Whoa.
Honestly that’s all I can say.
Dhonielle has followed up (and maybe even surpassed) her previous work, The Belles, with book 2. Camillia is fully rounded character and her growth from the first book shows. No longer is she the delicate flower, hoping to be the favorite of the royal house; she is strong, determined, and in love.
Our story opens with Camillia and Co. as fugitives on the run from the law. Soon enough, our party dwindles and gains and dwindles again.
Everything has been leading up the final battle between Camillia and Sophia. Charlotte is awake and mending, and Camillia has made new allies in the form of the Iron Ladies...they’re pretty mysterious but they’re helpful when necessary.
Overall, this was an amazing read. I am so thankful that my wish was granted by the publisher for me to read this book ahead of its release in March. I will definitely be purchasing a finished copy when they’re out! -
Review available on march, 26th, 2019 here:
https://youtu.be/fMCmtkXYUR0
It took me a bit to read because some harsh aspects if life got tangled around the lecture, and tbh i think i should re-read the whole thing again so it can unite better.onto my head, because I kinda feel there are lagunes on my head where information shoukd have meshed up and instead keep drifting and jumbling. Again, it is due to personal situations and distress and not related to the book. -
Para Camelia, ser la Belle favorita del reino ha sido siempre su sueño... pero vivir en palacio ha sido más una pesadilla que otra cosa, Después de descubrir la aterradora verdad que se esconde tras ser una Belle y lo que implica para esta sociedad el término de belleza y juventud eterna, Camelia debe escapar de palacio junto a su hermana y su guardia, Rèmy, antes de que Sophia la atrape y la aprese. Restaurar el orden y la paz es primordial si aquellas que tienen el poder de cambiar el aspecto de las personas desean vivir sin problemas, en paz y en libertad, por lo que Camelia Beauregard, la antigua Belle favorita, hará todo lo posible por dar con la desaparecida princesa Charlotte, la verdadera heredera al trono de Orleans y la única que puede pararle los pies a su despiadada hermana. Pero Sophia está dispuesta a realizar cualquier cosa con tal de quedarse en el trono e ir transformando poco a poco un mundo que cada vez se hace más dependiente de la magia de las Belles, intentando impedir que Camelia y sus aliados devuelvan a la princesa al palacio. Y, aunque todo parece perdido para Camelia, la aparición de un movimiento clandestino de resistencia llamado las Damas de Hierro, ayudará a Camelia a estar más cerca que nunca de darle a Charlotte lo que le pertenece... aunque eso signifique reencontrarse con su pasado y dar su vida a cambio.
Como ya se puede suponer, Eternas es la conclusión de la bilogía que comenzó con Bellas, un libro que nos presentaba un mundo donde algunas mujeres, conocidas como Bellas, tienen el poder para dar color y renovar la vida de una sociedad nacida grisácea para dejarnos, además, una reflexión sobre lo que es hoy en día para nuestra sociedad la belleza y para mostrarnos hasta dónde estamos dispuestos a llegar para obtenerla. Cuando leí Bellas me topé con una narración exquisita y un mundo plagado de nuevas posibilidades y caminos que me fascinó, una novela potente con una critica social bestial que, para más inri, me dejó con su final con muchísimas ganas de leer y saber qué iba a pasar a continuación. Narrado en todo momento en primera persona a través de Camila, nuestra protagonista, Eternas llega con el propósito de ser una conclusión explosiva donde la lucha por el trono y por acabar con un reinado podrido iba a ser lo que moviera una historia que, desgraciadamente, ha perdido mucha de la magia y el encanto con el que se presentaba Bellas y todo lo que contenía. En sí, Eternas es un libro que, ya desde el primer capítulo y sus primeras páginas, demuestra ser una lectura muy rápida, con unas primeras dosis de acción acompañadas de persecuciones, peligros, de momentos para huir y no ser atrapados, haciendo que la trama del libro sea una vorágine de movimiento hacia un lado y hacia el otro, teniendo ya los primeros pasos a ese gran propósito que tiene que realizar Camelia, guiándonos por un mundo que sigue dando escalofríos y que sigue mostrando y dando esa crítica social con la que la autora ha jugado desde el comienzo, escenas que se van a ir sucediendo una detrás de la otra, con grandes momentos de tensión, incluso teniendo finales inesperados de capítulos que te dejan con las ganas de ver qué va a pasar ahora y cómo se va a salir de los diferentes aprietos en los que nos vamos a ver envueltos. Lo bueno que ha tenido la lectura de Eternas es que va mezclando esos momentos vertiginosos con momentos más pausados donde se explorará mejor en todo este mundo de las Bellas después de todo lo que se descubrió en el libro anterior, ahondando en secretos, teniendo pequeñas revelaciones que consiguen convertirse en giros sorprendentes, una trama atrevida en algunos puntos capaz de dejarte helada y con la boca abierta por las consecuencias que vamos a ver. Es por eso que el libro no va a parar ni un solo segundo, jugando con la nueva información que va a salir y participando en todo el lote de emociones que nos va a dejar todo lo que repercute a partir de ello, entrando en escena nuevos elementos que van a darle ese toque inesperado y rápido que tanto va a caracterizar Eternas, siguiendo con ese estilo hasta un final donde va a chocar todo lo que se ha venido desarrollando hasta ahora para ir cerrando poco a poco todos los caminos abiertos y darle, así, una conclusión a todo lo que hemos podido vivir junto a Camelia.
A pesar de todo esto, ¿qué es lo que ha pasado para que Eternas haya arrancado de cuajo todo ese encanto que ya he mencionado y que vino con Bellas? Antes de profundizar en los fallos con los que me he topado, quiero hacer mención a algo que desconocía mientras iba leyendo el libro y que descubrí al terminarlo, cuando me dispuse a leer los agradecimientos de la autora. Por lo visto, Dhonielle Clayton, a la vez que escribía este libro, tuvo que luchar y combatir con una enfermedad que la tenía en muy mal estado, hasta el punto de no poder escribir durante muchos días, no tener ánimo para nada, dejando con ello la estela de un libro que no ha conseguido cuajarse como debería. Esto ha provocado una serie de cosas inevitables que han ensombrecido mucho un libro que podría haber sido muchísimo más de lo que ha sido pero que, desgraciadamente, ante esta condición ha tenido que quedarse en la historia que se ha leído. En primer lugar, algo que me enamoró de Bellas fue precisamente la pluma de la autora. Me encantó la prosa de sus páginas, los grandísimos detalles que había por todos lados, la magia y la vida que se respiraba por cada rincón. Aquí, todo eso se pierde y con un motivo grande. El estilo de la autora recae en una repetición de escenas capítulo tras capítulo que ha llegado hasta aburrir y ha volverse pesado. El tema de la prensa de este mundo, las noticias corriendo por todos lados, es algo que ha estado demasiado presente en todo el libro, siendo más un relleno para abultar y conseguir aumentar más las páginas de Eternas que otra cosa. Entiendo que, por falta de tiempo y al verse en la situación en la que ha estado Dhonielle Clayton, haya tenido que recurrir a este elemento una y otra vez, pero sí se ha notado una monotonía seria. Tras esto, tengo que destacar como algo negativo la pronta recuperación de Camelia ante los diferentes aprietos en los que se verá. Como he dicho, Eternas es de esos libros en los que siempre va a estar pasando algo, pero ese algo se termina y se resuelve de manera muy rápida, sin dar la oportunidad de jugar con eso, dar más emoción, cortando de raíz unos momentos que, al final, no consiguen transmitir nada, como que todo se hace demasiado fácil y rápido, dejando la sensación de ver el final de ese túnel sin ni siquiera haberlo saboreado.
Otra de las cosas que me ha chirriado de esta novela es el plan o misión principal que va a ser lo que guíe, en todo momento, el argumento de este segundo libro. Creo que ha sido el peor plan que se ha planificado en la historia, llegando incluso a ser bastante insulso y mal desarrollado. Creo que aquí vuelve a recaer como consecuencia la enfermedad de la autora y lo que acabo de mencionar de cortar con demasiada rapidez y sin adentrarse esas escenas que daban sentido al camino de Camelia y sus compañeros. Me ha parecido un plan con demasiados agujeros, hecho todo a lo deprisa y sin pausas para darle coherencia, pensar bien cada movimiento. Como que todo se hacía con una imprudencia tremenda teniendo en cuenta lo que podría generar que atrapen a los personajes. Me ha sabido a muy poco, la verdad, viendo como iba perdiendo fuerza, viendo que el plan no terminaba de encajar bien, saliendo decisiones muy precipitadas que tampoco se llegaban a desarrollar en profundidad. Justo esto es lo que ha pasado con uno de los nuevos elementos que surgen, las llamadas Damas de Hierro. Ha sido una de las cosas que más me han decepcionado porque tenía esperanzas de ver algo guay y grande, algo con unos ideales muy marcados, que te inspiran a luchar. Sin embargo, todo ha sido, de nuevo, muy pobre. No se explica casi nada de este grupo, todo se ha quedado muy pero que muy superficial. Todavía no sé por qué han aparecido si no han aportado casi nada a la historia. Me esperaba una resistencia más grande, con más peso, que diera mucha guerra. Pero no ha sido así. Y no ha sido así porque el papel de Sophia, esa batalla épica que se prometía y el final ha sido más de lo mismo. Muy mal aprovechado, malas decisiones por todos, da hasta risa ver de qué manera han luchado por el trono, pareciendo más un juego de niños y niñas pequeñas que algo más serio y peligroso. La conclusión que se le ha dado a todo no me ha convencido en absoluto, todo muy parco, sin, de nuevo, ninguna emoción. Un visto y no visto que me ha dejado muy indiferente y con la pregunta de, ¿ya está? ¿todo para esto?.
Por último, no puedo terminar la reseña sin comentar el también poco peso que han tenido los personajes secundarios. Muchos de ellos desaparecen casi todo el libro cuando creía que, tras el final de Bellas, iban a coger el relevo para tener mucha más importancia. Muchos de estos personajes se quedan también sin desarrollar, ninguno de ellos consiguiendo transmitirme algo, muy superficiales y mal llevado. Suceden algunas cosas que, bueno, sí que me han pillado desprevenidas pero, para el peso que tienen estas cosas, no he sentido nada. Me han sido también bastante indiferentes.
En resumen, Eternas no es la conclusión que esperaba. A causa de algo inevitable, esta conclusión se queda corta con todos los elementos que tenía y con todo lo que podría haber mostrado. Un estilo narrativo que no consigue transmitir lo necesario, la trama peca de tener demasiados agujeros por donde se le escapa muchas de las escenas que, al no tener una base bien definida y desarrollada, hacen aguas por todos lados. -
![laurel [the suspected bibliophile]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
Camille has escaped from evil Sophia's clutches, but the princess has captured her Belle sisters and is building a prison that will house a monstrous creche of slave Belles to cater to the demands for more beauty.
I think this is one of those, it's not you, it's me books.
I enjoyed the first one, with the decadence overlaid and supported by an unseen/purposefully ignored slave system of magic users and was really anticipating where this book would go. How would the system be dismantled? Where did the Belles come from? What else would be revealed.
I wasn't underwhelmed or overwhelmed by this sequel, I was just...whelmed.
It was enjoyable and had a good ending, but I found myself skimming through it to get to the end, swishing my eyes over the macarons and teacup everything to get to the meat and potatoes—more revelations of the "secondary" Belles, more screen time, more explanation of what it meant to be Gris, more action, more explanation of Sophie and her rapid transition to authoritarian power,
But I felt like most of this book was Camille, Edel, Remy and Amber somehow managing to escape detection from the most incompetent city guard on the planet while flitting from innhouse to innhouse wearing flimsy masks, with the last 20% crammed into the final showdown.
I think that a lot of readers will enjoy this final (?) installment in the Belles duology (?), but it didn't capture my attention as much as I would have liked.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. -
Das Cover:
Das Cover des zweiten Bandes zeigt wieder eine dunkelhäutige Frau mit hochgesteckten Haaren in einem wunderschönen blumigen Kleid. Diesmal ist das Kleid jedoch lilafarben. Um sie herum sind auch hier wieder weitere Blumen zu sehen. Sie hält die Hände an ihre Hüften und man sieht Adern/Baumwurzeln verlaufen. Diese haben jedoch jetzt Dornen, was sehr gut zum Titel des Buches passt. Wieder ein super schönes Cover, das sehr gut zum ersten Band passt.
Die Geschichte:
Nach dem Ende des ersten Bandes ist Camelia zusammen mit Edel, Ambra und Rémy auf der Flucht vor Sophia. Die Königin ist tot und Prinzessin Charlotte verschwunden, weshalb Prinzessin Sophia nun die neue Königin werden soll. Während Camelia und Co. Charlotte suchen, hält Sophia die anderen Belles als Geiseln. Hilfe bei der Suche erhält Camelia von einer früheren Belle, die ihr jedoch auch die Wahrheit über die Belles mitteilt. Camelia merkt, dass Sophia einen grauenvollen Plan hat, den sie verhindern muss. Doch Camelia muss auch feststellen, dass sie nicht jeder Person in ihrem näheren Umfeld vertrauen kann...
Meine Meinung:
Ich war sehr gespannt, wie es im zweiten Band der Belles weitergeht, und war wieder sofort in der Geschiche drin. Diesmal geht es hauptsächlich um Camelias Flucht, nicht um die Welt der Belles. Camelia ist also auf der Flucht, zusammen mit ihren Belle-Schwestern Edel und Ambra sowie mit dem jungen Wachmann Rémy. Sie fliehen vor der grausamen und irren Prinzessin Sophia, die schon im ersten Band gezeigt hat, wie irre sie wirklich ist. Sie hält die anderen Belles als Geiseln und hat einen grauenvollen Plan, der im Laufe der Geschichte enthüllt wird. Camelia hat ihre eigene Methode um zu verhindern, dass sie für Sophias Ideen benutzt wird. So besorgt sie sich ein Elixir, das die Belle-Kräfte unterbinden soll. Eine mutige Entscheidung, wie ich finde.
Was ich jedoch etwas verwirrend fand war, dass Camelia mal mit Camelia und mal mit Camille angesprochen wird. Ich konnte mich nicht dran erinnern, dass sie auch im ersten Band mit beiden Namen angesprochen wurde. Aber es ist auch schon eine Weile her, dass ich Band 1 gelesen habe. Natürlich kommt es so weit, dass sie entdeckt werden und eine von ihnen gefangengenommen wird. Doch dann wird sie von einer früheren Belle kontaktiert und erhält wertvolle und schockierende Informationen: Camelia soll dazu benutzt werden, neue Belles zu erschaffen. Und Sophia schreckt vor nichts zurück, um ihr Ziel zu erreichen. Denn wie sie selbst sagt: sie bekommt immer, was sie will. Und ihre Methoden sind wirklich erschütternd und absolut grausam. Das was sie tut zu lesen, war nicht immer leicht zu lesen und sehr traurig. Sie ist eine verwöhnte Göre, die einfach absolut bösartig ist.
Nun mal zu was anderem: Ich mag die Verbindung, die zwischen Camelia und Rémy entsteht. Am Anfang, im ersten Band, konnten sie sich nicht ausstehen, doch dann fliehen sie gemeinsam vor Sophia. Auf ihrer Flucht lernen die beiden, sich gegenseitig zu vertrauen und kommen sich näher. Und Camelia merkt auch, dass sie weitere Verbündete hat, die ihr gegen Sophia helfen. Doch dieser Weg ist gepflastert mit Leichen. Der Showdown zwischen Camelia und Sophia war für mich wirklich unerwartet, überraschend und spannend. Der Schreibstil ist wie gewohnt flüssig und fesselnd. Geschrieben ist die Geschichte weiterhin aus Camelias Sicht. Ein wirklich sehr guter zweiter Band, bei dem ich mich frage, ob noch ein dritter folgen wird, oder ob dies das Ende sein wird. Wir dürfen gespannt sein.
Meine Bewertung:
Auch wenn es in diesem Band nicht um die 'wundervolle Welt der Belles' geht, wird die Geschichte nicht langweilig. Diesmal geht es um Camelias Flucht und Sophias grausamen Taten und Plänen. Es ist spannend und erschreckend, so anders als der erste Band, und doch auch wieder so gut, weshalb es auch für diesen Band von mir fünf Sterne gibt.
