The Tears of the Rose

October 6, 2014
The second Twelve Kingdoms fantasy novel (after The Mark of the Tala) concerns itself with the second of three princesses, a young woman who’s half human and half Tala demon. Princess Amelia has never had to be anything other than a petulant child with a pretty face, and unfortunately, that is who she remains for the first half of the book. The setting shows promise, but the story lacks substance, and while copious time is spent on establishing the princess as a spoiled brat, comparatively little is given to her transformation into a wise and noble lady—a transformation that happens with astounding speed and little explanation. The political intrigue and maneuvering, much of it involving a powerful church that Amelia somehow knows very little about, are crammed into a few rushed
final chapters, but most readers will have given up long before that point.

November 15, 2014

Amelia, the spoiled youngest daughter of the high king, was always more interested in dresses and her hairstyle than affairs of state. But she has changed since the death of her husband, Hugh, at the end of Mark of the Tala and spends the rest of this novel growing up and into her position of power. Even though Amelia is carrying Hugh's child, all those around her still see her as a pawn in the power struggles among the 12 kingdoms, her father, and the Tala. With the help of a mysterious priest of the goddess Glorianna, Amelia will seize her own destiny. VERDICT Like the first book, this one is mostly a romantic story within a fantasy landscape. Kennedy creates a well-constructed world, and Amelia has a solid character arc, moving from unlikable to heroic in her own way.

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