Rebel Rose
It’s 1789 and France is on the brink of revolution. Not so very long ago, Belle dreamed of leaving her provincial home for a life of adventure. But now she finds herself living in a palace, torn between her past as a commoner, and her future as royalty. While Belle grapples with her newfound position, there are those who would do anything to keep her from power.
Emma Theriault’s Rebel Rose was a brilliant book. I loved how Theriault weaved events from the 1991 Disney movie with real historical moments. It added complexity to Belle and her beast’s happily ever after. This was such a turbulent time for France, and it was interesting to see how Theriault transferred that turbulence to Belle’s country and gave her a chance to prove she was meant to be a queen and serve her people.
Seeing Belle’s transformation from commoner to reluctant royal to beloved queen in a matter of just over 300 pages was wonderful. Belle really had to address her issues with her identity and find a way to balance her experience as a peasant with her new life as a king’s wife, especially when other royals questioned her position. She had to learn to believe in herself and trust her judgement. I loved how she emphasized listening to the commoners, not just royalty, about how the country should be run.
Theriault’s way of writing Belle’s marriage was well done. I liked how she addressed Beast’s trauma and how Belle helped him through it. They experienced so much early on in their marriage, and although they still had a lot to work through by the end of the book, they were stronger together and committed to making changes that would help their countrymen, not just the rich dukes and duchesses.
I’m excited that this is the first book in a series that will link Disney princesses after their happily ever after as they become queens and must deal with the challenges that come along with that. The next book will follow Mulan, so I’m interested to see what will happen to her.
Rebel Rose Rating: ★★★★★
Emma Theriault’s Rebel Rose was a brilliant book. I loved how Theriault weaved events from the 1991 Disney movie with real historical moments. It added complexity to Belle and her beast’s happily ever after. This was such a turbulent time for France, and it was interesting to see how Theriault transferred that turbulence to Belle’s country and gave her a chance to prove she was meant to be a queen and serve her people.
Seeing Belle’s transformation from commoner to reluctant royal to beloved queen in a matter of just over 300 pages was wonderful. Belle really had to address her issues with her identity and find a way to balance her experience as a peasant with her new life as a king’s wife, especially when other royals questioned her position. She had to learn to believe in herself and trust her judgement. I loved how she emphasized listening to the commoners, not just royalty, about how the country should be run.
Theriault’s way of writing Belle’s marriage was well done. I liked how she addressed Beast’s trauma and how Belle helped him through it. They experienced so much early on in their marriage, and although they still had a lot to work through by the end of the book, they were stronger together and committed to making changes that would help their countrymen, not just the rich dukes and duchesses.
I’m excited that this is the first book in a series that will link Disney princesses after their happily ever after as they become queens and must deal with the challenges that come along with that. The next book will follow Mulan, so I’m interested to see what will happen to her.
Rebel Rose Rating: ★★★★★