Rose of the Dawn by Brittany Fichter
Fantasy. 366 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
A rose mage wrestling with her humanity.A fae prince destined to fight alone.The ancient enchantress determined to tear their world apart.After the supposed defeat of the Eclipse queen, Rose has finally embraced her position as rose mage, and the world knows it. Most importantly, her parents, the crown prince and princess of Aurora, have heard as well. Which means it’s time for her to go home. But Rose finds quickly that after spending her entire life in the Faerie courts, she seems more fae than human, and fitting in among the humans isn’t as easy as she’d hoped…especially as she longs to be back in Faerie with the man she loves.Aemon has sworn to protect Rose at all costs, but he knows that without a True Name, he cannot make her his. To do such would be the ultimate downfall of them both. But that doesn’t stop the pain.There isn’t time to ponder such things, though, as Aemon knows his mother is still alive. And with trouble brewing on the southern border of Faerie, he needs to stay focused on protecting his people and being the prince they need him to be.The precarious peace that has hovered over Aerovain after the Eclipse queen’s disappearance, however, is shattered when friends and enemies begin to exchange places, and old prejudices must be faced. A familiar darkness arises, for the ancient enchantress is determined to separate allies and destroy them one by one. And she intends to begin at the heart–with the rose mage and the unnamed fae prince who alone hold the power to defeat her.Read this young adult fae fantasy adventure today for complex, colorful magic, clean childhood sweethearts, forbidden romance, and the lore and legends of Faerie like never before. Rose of the Dawn is the second book in the Rose of Destiny Trilogy.
My Review:
Killing it again with the cover! The covers for this trilogy are some of my favorite of Fichter’s covers yet. So cool!
I meant to read this sequel when it came out, but things got a little hectic–as they do sometimes–but I know the third one is coming soon and I’ve been itching to read this one for months, so I finally did!
It was fun to return to Aemon and Rose. I think I mentioned this with the first story, but I really do appreciate that Fichter has crafted a clean fae fantasy. Fae tropes can be fun to mess with, but they often get into adult content–which is no fun. In this middle bit, she leaned into the forbidden lovers bit and we got to see Aemon and Rose stand on their own for a portion of the story. We also had some fun new characters. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Rose’s brother.
Fichter has also continued to expand her world from the first book. We get to step into the human world. I enjoyed seeing the cultures clash, which revealed some interesting similarities and distinctions. Fichter’s creative worlds and cultures are part of why I love her work so much. And in this one, she continued to develop what felt like pieces that will be foundational to some neat thematic worldbuilding in the conclusion. I feel like she’s setting us up for everything to come together in an epic symbolism.
The magic system in this trilogy is intriguing. We got to see a little bit of the human mage side of things and lunar vs. solar magic sources, so this one dug a little deeper, but I’m hoping this will play an even bigger role in the conclusion. Again, some things felt like we were learning them or setting them in place so that we could use them later. So, we’ll see.
I did feel like the pacing was a little slower in this one. I enjoyed the story, of course, but it did feel a little like ambling in some parts. That said, in classic fashion, the climax drew me in and kept me very engaged. It kept me guessing, alluded to a beloved fairy tale, showed some fun magic elements, and still managed to surprise me in the resolution.
I’m looking forward to seeing the final installment now that the characters and world have more pieces in place. These are fun characters and there is promise of a deeper truth to be unwound in the final battle, too.
No foul language, mild fantasy violence, and clean romance. Deals with some hurt and heartbreak, family dysfunction, and emotional repression, etc. Suitable for readers probably 14+
More:
Book 1 in the Rose of Destiny Trilogy is Rose of the Fae (5 Stars)
Book 2 is Rose of the Dawn (4 Stars)
Book 3 is Rose of the Day
Check out the links for more info – these must be read in order!