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The Dark Queen Saga #3
The Silver Rose
Her first love became her most dreaded enemy...
The youngest of three Cheney sisters, Miri is renowned for her mystical abilities and calming aura. But her serenity has been shattered by the betrayal of the man she loved. As a girl, Miri was enchanted with young Simon Aristide. But time and events altered the handsome, gentle boy she knew, transforming him into France’s most notorious witch-hunter.
When Aristide’s accusations of sorcery forced her two older sisters into exile, Miri vowed never to forgive him. Lonely and grieving, Miri takes refuge in her home on Faire Isle, a haven for the wise women known as the Daughters of the Earth. But the peace of her island is once more destroyed by the return of Simon Aristide.
Unbelievably, Simon has come seeking Miri’s help to fight a mysterious woman known as the Silver Rose, a sorceress whose mastery of the black arts rival that of Catherine de Medici, the notorious Dark Queen. Miri refuses, but when the Silver Rose’s sinister magic threatens Faire Isle, Miri has no choice but to join Simon in his dangerous quest.
Despite her resolve, Miri still desires Simon, believing she sees traces of the man she once loved. But can a Daughter of the Earth ever truly trust a witch-hunter? Even as she risks her life to unmask the Silver Rose, Miri may be risking her heart as well.
The youngest of three Cheney sisters, Miri is renowned for her mystical abilities and calming aura. But her serenity has been shattered by the betrayal of the man she loved. As a girl, Miri was enchanted with young Simon Aristide. But time and events altered the handsome, gentle boy she knew, transforming him into France’s most notorious witch-hunter.
When Aristide’s accusations of sorcery forced her two older sisters into exile, Miri vowed never to forgive him. Lonely and grieving, Miri takes refuge in her home on Faire Isle, a haven for the wise women known as the Daughters of the Earth. But the peace of her island is once more destroyed by the return of Simon Aristide.
Unbelievably, Simon has come seeking Miri’s help to fight a mysterious woman known as the Silver Rose, a sorceress whose mastery of the black arts rival that of Catherine de Medici, the notorious Dark Queen. Miri refuses, but when the Silver Rose’s sinister magic threatens Faire Isle, Miri has no choice but to join Simon in his dangerous quest.
Despite her resolve, Miri still desires Simon, believing she sees traces of the man she once loved. But can a Daughter of the Earth ever truly trust a witch-hunter? Even as she risks her life to unmask the Silver Rose, Miri may be risking her heart as well.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2006
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1037 people want to read
About the author
Susan Carroll
63 books379 followersBorn Susan Carol Cute in 1952, Susan Coppula obtained a Degree in English with complementary studies in History in the University of Indiana. Since 1986, Susan has published books under three different pseudonyms: Susan Carroll, Susan Coppula, and Serena Richards
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
April 12, 2016
Este es el primer libro que leo de esta autora y no será el último! Me ha gustado mucho; más de lo que esperaba. Y aunque es el último de la trilogía, se puede leer sin problemas; por más que te entran unas ganas locas de leer los otros. El único pero que le he encontrado es el final: demasiado precipitado, quizá me a faltado un poquito más acción y romance...
November 8, 2024
5/5⭐
“Le cogió el labio inferior entre los dientes, atormentándolo, guiada por un instinto femenino tan antiguo como la primera hija de la tierra que entregó su cuerpo a la sombra de las piedras verticales. Ritos de fertilidad, afirmación de vida, la autorrenovación de la tierra.”
Y llegué al final de la trilogía de “The Dark Queen” que se inició con “El destino de Ariane”, seguido de “La Cortesana”y finaliza con la historia de Miri y Simon que tanto esperé para saber cómo la resolverían porque éste libro, de los tres, creo que será mi favorito ya que estamos ante un hombre cuyo oficio es ser cazador de brujas y es nada más y nada menos que Simon Aristide; Y una joven, dulce, inocente, una especie de hada, un ser especial como Miribelle Cheney, la menor de las hermanas Cheney, quien ha vuelto a su querida isla de Faire, pese a que a toda su familia le costó el exilio, ella regresa.
Bajo contexto histórico en una Francia de 1585, la vida para una mujer sabia (bruja) no es fácil ya que implica tener enemigos como Catalina de Médicis, la reina de Francia, mucho más conocida como la Reina Negra, y considerada hechicera, y su hijo Enrique, el actual rey de Francia, hombre irracional y vengativo; aparecerá también “la rosa de Plata” que genera más intriga aún y Catalina está (para la época) muy anciana y sus poderes empiezan a menguar. Sumado a ello la exagerada caza de brujas que hace que la isla Faire ya no sea un lugar idílico como siempre lo fue y así lo recuerda Miri. Ella ya no es esa niña asustada y desconcertada, sino una mujer de veintiséis años, ya muy familiarizada con la ignorancia y la crueldad que se puede encontrar en el mundo. Habían cambiado muchas cosas en su vida desde ese oscuro día de verano en el que sobrevivió al arresto por brujería, a excepción tal vez de una cosa: muchas personas siguen sospechando que ella practica la brujería.
Así como ella ya no es una niña inocente, Simon ya no es el niño de corazón tierno, aprendiz del aterrador y fanático cazador de brujas Vachel Le Vis. Con los años Simón se había convertido en un adversario endurecido y peligroso, mucho más temido que su difunto maestro, el que la arrestó aquella vez. Nada ha ido bien en la isla desde las incursiones de Le Balafré, así es como lo conocen a Simon, como el más despiadado cazador de brujas. Ahora la gente de tierra firme tiene miedo de estar allí, y el comercio ha quedado en nada, golpeando especialmente fuerte a las familias, se hunden negocios, personas que mueren de pena, dejando a sus esposas viudas con muchos hijos a los que alimentar para que no se mueran de hambre, más una gran sequía que azota a Francia. Y de todo esto tienen la culpa las hermanas Cheney, por atraer sobre los habitantes de Faery la ira de ese maldito cazador de brujas.
Y Miri sabe que puede “ser cazada” pero ella no es una “bruja oscura” sino un ser especial que habla con los animales, los sana y trata de hacer el bien, incluso cuando Simon le pide su ayuda porque el antiguo inquisidor ha cambiado, se arrepiente de todo lo que ha hecho e intenta lograr la tarea más difícil: perdonarse a sí mismo. Sin embargo, un grupo de brujas quiere asesinarlo. Y ese grupo se hace llamar “La Rosa Plata” cuya misteriosa líder lleva a cabo misas negras y matanzas de niños recién nacidos como parte de su macabro plan que incluye a una mujer que posee el misterioso Libro de las sombras que está repleto de conjuros de magia negra y hechizos maléficos. Tal es su poder que se atreve a enfrentarse para derrocar a la reina Catalina de Medici.
Pero Miri no creé que Simon haya cambiado y, mucho menos creé en esa Rosa de plata hasta que sus ojos ven las pruebas, y después de tener visiones de futuro donde ve a Simon correr peligro su vida, decide ir a buscarlo, por más que ella intenta poner distancia para reprimir ese sentimiento prohibido, el amor la encuentra allí donde vaya. Hasta que por fin escucha a su corazón y decide ir en busca de su adorado Simon Aristide porque siente hacia él un sentimiento tan complicado como prohibido e imposible. Además Miri, como toda joven, está presionada a casarse y debe hacerlo con el hombre de confianza del rey de Navarra, Martin Le Loup. Sin embargo cuando se reencuentra con Simon (porque ellos se conocen desde niños) la pasión reaparece, tan intensa como siempre. No puede seguir negándose y decide partir detrás de él.
Simon ME ENAMORO más allá de que no sea un personaje que suelte frases románticas como estoy acostumbrada a leer, es un hombre que empieza a comprender la diferencia entre las “mujeres sabias” con poderes especiales y aquellas hechiceras que hacen el mal. Arrepentido, busca el perdón a través de buenas acciones para así pagar sus errores.
¿Cómo podrán terminar juntos Miri y Simon si ella es una bruja y él un cazador de brujas?
Yo me quedé IMPACTADA por la excelente narración, descripción del ambiente donde se mezcla lo histórico con lo fantástico, rodeado de una oscuridad donde EL MAL existe y en donde la Dama del bosque guiará a ése hombre que está en el infierno, hacia la luz de la verdad.
Es un cierre PERFECTO lleno de magia, pasión, conspiraciones, intrigas y pese a que los capítulos son extensos, yo quería seguir y seguir leyendo porque todo ese mundo lúgubre te atrapa.
RECOMENDADÍSIMO.
Ah! Escenas "spyce": Solo una.
“Le cogió el labio inferior entre los dientes, atormentándolo, guiada por un instinto femenino tan antiguo como la primera hija de la tierra que entregó su cuerpo a la sombra de las piedras verticales. Ritos de fertilidad, afirmación de vida, la autorrenovación de la tierra.”
Y llegué al final de la trilogía de “The Dark Queen” que se inició con “El destino de Ariane”, seguido de “La Cortesana”y finaliza con la historia de Miri y Simon que tanto esperé para saber cómo la resolverían porque éste libro, de los tres, creo que será mi favorito ya que estamos ante un hombre cuyo oficio es ser cazador de brujas y es nada más y nada menos que Simon Aristide; Y una joven, dulce, inocente, una especie de hada, un ser especial como Miribelle Cheney, la menor de las hermanas Cheney, quien ha vuelto a su querida isla de Faire, pese a que a toda su familia le costó el exilio, ella regresa.
Bajo contexto histórico en una Francia de 1585, la vida para una mujer sabia (bruja) no es fácil ya que implica tener enemigos como Catalina de Médicis, la reina de Francia, mucho más conocida como la Reina Negra, y considerada hechicera, y su hijo Enrique, el actual rey de Francia, hombre irracional y vengativo; aparecerá también “la rosa de Plata” que genera más intriga aún y Catalina está (para la época) muy anciana y sus poderes empiezan a menguar. Sumado a ello la exagerada caza de brujas que hace que la isla Faire ya no sea un lugar idílico como siempre lo fue y así lo recuerda Miri. Ella ya no es esa niña asustada y desconcertada, sino una mujer de veintiséis años, ya muy familiarizada con la ignorancia y la crueldad que se puede encontrar en el mundo. Habían cambiado muchas cosas en su vida desde ese oscuro día de verano en el que sobrevivió al arresto por brujería, a excepción tal vez de una cosa: muchas personas siguen sospechando que ella practica la brujería.
Así como ella ya no es una niña inocente, Simon ya no es el niño de corazón tierno, aprendiz del aterrador y fanático cazador de brujas Vachel Le Vis. Con los años Simón se había convertido en un adversario endurecido y peligroso, mucho más temido que su difunto maestro, el que la arrestó aquella vez. Nada ha ido bien en la isla desde las incursiones de Le Balafré, así es como lo conocen a Simon, como el más despiadado cazador de brujas. Ahora la gente de tierra firme tiene miedo de estar allí, y el comercio ha quedado en nada, golpeando especialmente fuerte a las familias, se hunden negocios, personas que mueren de pena, dejando a sus esposas viudas con muchos hijos a los que alimentar para que no se mueran de hambre, más una gran sequía que azota a Francia. Y de todo esto tienen la culpa las hermanas Cheney, por atraer sobre los habitantes de Faery la ira de ese maldito cazador de brujas.
Y Miri sabe que puede “ser cazada” pero ella no es una “bruja oscura” sino un ser especial que habla con los animales, los sana y trata de hacer el bien, incluso cuando Simon le pide su ayuda porque el antiguo inquisidor ha cambiado, se arrepiente de todo lo que ha hecho e intenta lograr la tarea más difícil: perdonarse a sí mismo. Sin embargo, un grupo de brujas quiere asesinarlo. Y ese grupo se hace llamar “La Rosa Plata” cuya misteriosa líder lleva a cabo misas negras y matanzas de niños recién nacidos como parte de su macabro plan que incluye a una mujer que posee el misterioso Libro de las sombras que está repleto de conjuros de magia negra y hechizos maléficos. Tal es su poder que se atreve a enfrentarse para derrocar a la reina Catalina de Medici.
Pero Miri no creé que Simon haya cambiado y, mucho menos creé en esa Rosa de plata hasta que sus ojos ven las pruebas, y después de tener visiones de futuro donde ve a Simon correr peligro su vida, decide ir a buscarlo, por más que ella intenta poner distancia para reprimir ese sentimiento prohibido, el amor la encuentra allí donde vaya. Hasta que por fin escucha a su corazón y decide ir en busca de su adorado Simon Aristide porque siente hacia él un sentimiento tan complicado como prohibido e imposible. Además Miri, como toda joven, está presionada a casarse y debe hacerlo con el hombre de confianza del rey de Navarra, Martin Le Loup. Sin embargo cuando se reencuentra con Simon (porque ellos se conocen desde niños) la pasión reaparece, tan intensa como siempre. No puede seguir negándose y decide partir detrás de él.
Simon ME ENAMORO más allá de que no sea un personaje que suelte frases románticas como estoy acostumbrada a leer, es un hombre que empieza a comprender la diferencia entre las “mujeres sabias” con poderes especiales y aquellas hechiceras que hacen el mal. Arrepentido, busca el perdón a través de buenas acciones para así pagar sus errores.
¿Cómo podrán terminar juntos Miri y Simon si ella es una bruja y él un cazador de brujas?
Yo me quedé IMPACTADA por la excelente narración, descripción del ambiente donde se mezcla lo histórico con lo fantástico, rodeado de una oscuridad donde EL MAL existe y en donde la Dama del bosque guiará a ése hombre que está en el infierno, hacia la luz de la verdad.
Es un cierre PERFECTO lleno de magia, pasión, conspiraciones, intrigas y pese a que los capítulos son extensos, yo quería seguir y seguir leyendo porque todo ese mundo lúgubre te atrapa.
RECOMENDADÍSIMO.
Ah! Escenas "spyce": Solo una.
November 20, 2011
I found this book (the 3rd in the series) to be very slow paced. The Cheney sisters are wise women. In this one Miri, the youngest of the sisters comes into her own. Simon, the evil witch hunter aka her forbidden love since book 1, comes back to Fair Isle in need of her help. In the prior 2 books, Catherine de Medici was the sister's worst enemy between good and bad witchery, but in this book we are introduced to The Silver Rose. I won't go into much detail for spoiler alerts, but for fans of this series you will enjoy the familiarity of Miri and Simon. Their chemistry and dialogue were great, but sadly the plot this time was weak. For those who have not read this series because you might think it's hocus pocus witch stuff, it really isn't. It's about wise women who are called witches because they know herbs, poison and medicine (something women weren't allowed to know in those days.) There wasn't as much history in this novel as the previous 2. Honestly, I was a little disappointed.
July 21, 2010
By far the most boring of the trilogy. Miri is just not an interesting character to devote an entire book to.
November 11, 2019
"The Silver Rose" opens with Miri Cheney, the youngest of her sisters, just having arrived back at Faire Isle, her beloved home. However, trouble arises almost immediately after her arrival when Simon Aristide, a man she once loved before he betrayed her, shows up unexpectedly. He tells her about a new evil force of witches that are rising, led by a mysterious unknown woman called the Silver Rose. Despite misgivings about how much she can trust Simon, Miri follows him on his quest, and finds herself falling in love with him again.
I got this book at Goodwill, and found that it was the third in a series. However, I don't think that these books have to be read in chronological order, because relevant events from the other two books were explained satisfactorily.
That being said, I certainly won't be reading the other books in this series. "The Silver Rose" was simply pathetic. There were so many things wrong with it, I began taking notes on a note card that was serving as my bookmark. By the time I was only a few chapters in, the card was full.
Overall, this book was cheaply written, void of any depth, power or skill. If I had to guess, I would say that the writer's influences came from Harlequin romances. I felt painfully surrounded by corniness, awful writing, and predictable romance plot-lines constantly.
The characters were dreadful, one sided, lifeless sketches. The main character, Miri, annoyed me to no end. She is supposedly twenty-six or around there (I forget the exact number), and yet she acts more like a sixteen year old, which I how I pictured her. She was cast with the unfortunate cliche of the typical "girls-don't-need-boys!" attitude, and I can assure you that it was far from well done. I kept asking myself how Miri could possibly be so naive and stupid (though the book describes her as wise; her only flaw being a bit too trusting). It did not take me long to figure out that it wasn't Miri, it was the author.
Simon Aristide, the supporting character with the second biggest role in the story, was also the exact same man that can be found in thousands of other stories. He was cast as the equally cliche ruggedly handsome tough-guy with a dark side, but actually turns out to be a very caring, sensitive man underneath. I wasn't impressed.
I won't go on, but suffice it to say that all of the characters made for quite uninteresting reading.
And right from the very beginning, there are problems with the plot.
Here are some of them...
- Miri thinks about Simon (and is discussing him with a friend) randomly after ten years of hearing nothing from him, and then, lo and behold, he shows up that very day!
- Miri's cat warns her to hide because Simon can't track her, but Simon does track her, and then once he is close the cat leads him right in front of Miri's cabin to "trap him," which he escapes from minutes later.
- The book tells us that the reason Simon found Miri was because she didn't follow her sister's advice about not attracting attention on Faire Isle (meaning, by standing up for a young girl), but how could Simon hear about that within a few hours, and why would anyone care?
- A woman is weeping and wanting to die because she believes that Miri is dead. Why doesn't she just walk over to her cottage and see?
- Miri adamantly refuses to believe Simon's story about the Silver Rose, but suddenly does a few minutes later after he shows her a weapon one of their witches carried. It could have been anyone's. An exceptional weapon doesn't mean that his story is true. Why is she so stupid not to think of this?
- In the middle of the night, Simon is forced to journey to Catherine's castle to receive orders, which are all very badly thought through on the author's part, and then returns to the inn he was staying at in time for Miri to never even know he was gone. This just seemed pretty suspicious to me.
- Simon and Miri kiss three times and the author is still telling us that nothing is going on between them and trying to surprise us by having them kiss again... oh, how unexpected.
- Miri is supposedly some sort of strong warrior sorceress (which we, by the way, never see any evidence of in the story), but when Martin and Simon are about to fight, all she can do is stand there and whine "Oh, stop. Oh, please don't. Please don't do it."
There are more, but I don't want to give away spoilers in case anyone is still determined to actually read it.
And there's more! (I could go on and on). Just things that annoyed me, or that I didn't like...
- Constant stammering! Constant! It was so aggravating I wanted to scribble out all of those extra letters. I couldn't possibly read another book by this author, at risk of hearing another "T-the" or "c-can't."
- Disturbing analogies and word usage in the romance scenes. Maybe the author was trying to make it seem rougher, or sexier... I don't know. Whatever she was attempting, all she did was make me grimace at her choice of words. Things are always described as "assaulted her skin with his hands..." or, the worst, "plundered her mouth..." Plundered? That must be the absolute worst description of kissing I've ever heard of. Also, Martin frequently called himself Miri's "slave." Too many times. Is that supposed to be romantic?
- The back cover of this book led me to believe that this was historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. Please do not be fooled. This book is all fantasy. The only thing historical about it is throwing in a random year and some names of people in history.
- The character of Carole was all over the place. She simply did whatever was most convenient for the plot, and pretty much nothing that she did made any sense.
- Faire Isle is an island made up of women. Women make the rules and the decisions, and have more rights there. There are only a few men. First of all, this seemed very cliche to me. Also, every woman on the island apparently has a family. Don't they need men for that...?
- Miri's first crush was Simon, ten years ago. He betrayed her, and she supposedly moved on. And all that time, she has had no other crushes, no other lovers, and is still a virgin when she and Simon later make love? Hmm...
- Just one more. The author tries to throw a curve ball by introducing the character of Martin into the story. I predicted she would do just that as soon as I read that Miri's sisters suggested she settle down and marry a certain boy who was head over heels for her. So just as Miri and Simon are falling in love (toward the end of the book), Martin appears at the perfect timing. Does the writer honestly think that she is fooling us into believing that there is a love triangle emerging?
And Martin goes on to be a major part of the climax and ending of the story, after only appearing so late... shouldn't he have been built up a bit more if he was so important?
As you can probably see, everything in this story seems to have gone wrong.
So was there anything I liked about this book? Surprisingly, yes. As often as I was constantly rolling my eyes, I actually managed to mildly enjoy reading this book. The book is positively drenched in cliche after cliche, but I suppose that the reason certain plot and character ideas are so popular is that they work (so long as you don't study them too hard, that is). I felt that I knew the entire story before I even really got started, but it was entertaining, I suppose.
And as badly written as the character of Martin was, I actually did like him. He was funny, and I pictured him as that hilariously charming prince in Shrek.
Overall, I would advise you not to waste your time on this awfully written book.
I got this book at Goodwill, and found that it was the third in a series. However, I don't think that these books have to be read in chronological order, because relevant events from the other two books were explained satisfactorily.
That being said, I certainly won't be reading the other books in this series. "The Silver Rose" was simply pathetic. There were so many things wrong with it, I began taking notes on a note card that was serving as my bookmark. By the time I was only a few chapters in, the card was full.
Overall, this book was cheaply written, void of any depth, power or skill. If I had to guess, I would say that the writer's influences came from Harlequin romances. I felt painfully surrounded by corniness, awful writing, and predictable romance plot-lines constantly.
The characters were dreadful, one sided, lifeless sketches. The main character, Miri, annoyed me to no end. She is supposedly twenty-six or around there (I forget the exact number), and yet she acts more like a sixteen year old, which I how I pictured her. She was cast with the unfortunate cliche of the typical "girls-don't-need-boys!" attitude, and I can assure you that it was far from well done. I kept asking myself how Miri could possibly be so naive and stupid (though the book describes her as wise; her only flaw being a bit too trusting). It did not take me long to figure out that it wasn't Miri, it was the author.
Simon Aristide, the supporting character with the second biggest role in the story, was also the exact same man that can be found in thousands of other stories. He was cast as the equally cliche ruggedly handsome tough-guy with a dark side, but actually turns out to be a very caring, sensitive man underneath. I wasn't impressed.
I won't go on, but suffice it to say that all of the characters made for quite uninteresting reading.
And right from the very beginning, there are problems with the plot.
Here are some of them...
- Miri thinks about Simon (and is discussing him with a friend) randomly after ten years of hearing nothing from him, and then, lo and behold, he shows up that very day!
- Miri's cat warns her to hide because Simon can't track her, but Simon does track her, and then once he is close the cat leads him right in front of Miri's cabin to "trap him," which he escapes from minutes later.
- The book tells us that the reason Simon found Miri was because she didn't follow her sister's advice about not attracting attention on Faire Isle (meaning, by standing up for a young girl), but how could Simon hear about that within a few hours, and why would anyone care?
- A woman is weeping and wanting to die because she believes that Miri is dead. Why doesn't she just walk over to her cottage and see?
- Miri adamantly refuses to believe Simon's story about the Silver Rose, but suddenly does a few minutes later after he shows her a weapon one of their witches carried. It could have been anyone's. An exceptional weapon doesn't mean that his story is true. Why is she so stupid not to think of this?
- In the middle of the night, Simon is forced to journey to Catherine's castle to receive orders, which are all very badly thought through on the author's part, and then returns to the inn he was staying at in time for Miri to never even know he was gone. This just seemed pretty suspicious to me.
- Simon and Miri kiss three times and the author is still telling us that nothing is going on between them and trying to surprise us by having them kiss again... oh, how unexpected.
- Miri is supposedly some sort of strong warrior sorceress (which we, by the way, never see any evidence of in the story), but when Martin and Simon are about to fight, all she can do is stand there and whine "Oh, stop. Oh, please don't. Please don't do it."
There are more, but I don't want to give away spoilers in case anyone is still determined to actually read it.
And there's more! (I could go on and on). Just things that annoyed me, or that I didn't like...
- Constant stammering! Constant! It was so aggravating I wanted to scribble out all of those extra letters. I couldn't possibly read another book by this author, at risk of hearing another "T-the" or "c-can't."
- Disturbing analogies and word usage in the romance scenes. Maybe the author was trying to make it seem rougher, or sexier... I don't know. Whatever she was attempting, all she did was make me grimace at her choice of words. Things are always described as "assaulted her skin with his hands..." or, the worst, "plundered her mouth..." Plundered? That must be the absolute worst description of kissing I've ever heard of. Also, Martin frequently called himself Miri's "slave." Too many times. Is that supposed to be romantic?
- The back cover of this book led me to believe that this was historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. Please do not be fooled. This book is all fantasy. The only thing historical about it is throwing in a random year and some names of people in history.
- The character of Carole was all over the place. She simply did whatever was most convenient for the plot, and pretty much nothing that she did made any sense.
- Faire Isle is an island made up of women. Women make the rules and the decisions, and have more rights there. There are only a few men. First of all, this seemed very cliche to me. Also, every woman on the island apparently has a family. Don't they need men for that...?
- Miri's first crush was Simon, ten years ago. He betrayed her, and she supposedly moved on. And all that time, she has had no other crushes, no other lovers, and is still a virgin when she and Simon later make love? Hmm...
- Just one more. The author tries to throw a curve ball by introducing the character of Martin into the story. I predicted she would do just that as soon as I read that Miri's sisters suggested she settle down and marry a certain boy who was head over heels for her. So just as Miri and Simon are falling in love (toward the end of the book), Martin appears at the perfect timing. Does the writer honestly think that she is fooling us into believing that there is a love triangle emerging?
And Martin goes on to be a major part of the climax and ending of the story, after only appearing so late... shouldn't he have been built up a bit more if he was so important?
As you can probably see, everything in this story seems to have gone wrong.
So was there anything I liked about this book? Surprisingly, yes. As often as I was constantly rolling my eyes, I actually managed to mildly enjoy reading this book. The book is positively drenched in cliche after cliche, but I suppose that the reason certain plot and character ideas are so popular is that they work (so long as you don't study them too hard, that is). I felt that I knew the entire story before I even really got started, but it was entertaining, I suppose.
And as badly written as the character of Martin was, I actually did like him. He was funny, and I pictured him as that hilariously charming prince in Shrek.
Overall, I would advise you not to waste your time on this awfully written book.
December 30, 2023
3.5
Me gustó ver que Miri y Simon resolvieron todo lo que había pasado entre ellos de los dos libros anteriores, pero al mismo tiempo siento que fue muy apresurado.
Igual yo quería más intriga y trama de los de la Rosa de Plata y de la Reina Negra (ahora no intervino tanto como en los otros libros). En cuanto a Cassandra como la nueva villana también esperaba un poco más de ella al ser tan temida por la brujas que ña seguían.
Se me hizo bonito el encuentro y lazo que formaron Martin y Meg.
Me gustó ver que Miri y Simon resolvieron todo lo que había pasado entre ellos de los dos libros anteriores, pero al mismo tiempo siento que fue muy apresurado.
Igual yo quería más intriga y trama de los de la Rosa de Plata y de la Reina Negra (ahora no intervino tanto como en los otros libros). En cuanto a Cassandra como la nueva villana también esperaba un poco más de ella al ser tan temida por la brujas que ña seguían.
Se me hizo bonito el encuentro y lazo que formaron Martin y Meg.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2007
The only way I'll be happy with this book is if Wolf gets his own story. I think this one stretched the belief of forgiveness. Maybe I'm just cold hearted. But the most endearing and entertaining character (Mr. Wolf) would be much worthier of a book than the insipid Mirry and her miraculously (and suddenly) changed boyfriend.
October 15, 2019
I remember seeing these series on the shelves at my local library when I was growing up. I'm grateful to return to them now. The mystical and historical settings are entrancing- a special magic island off the coast of France! Unfortunately this book fell a bit flat for me.
Miri and Simon share a troubled history. He was (is) a witch-hunter, she is a "daughter of the earth" (witch). His infatuation of her beauty led him to ignore her powers and to protect her, though his witch-hunting activities brought ruin to her family and her community. They team up in this book to investigate the cult of the Silver Rose.
So, the first problematic issue is the narrative of True Love Overcoming Obstacles. It's not that big of a problem, because I do believe people should be given second chances, and that redemption is possible. However, Simon's past actions were pretty heinous.
My second issue is not with the story, but with the telling. Sometimes the sentences follow a strange syntax and grammar that jars one out of the spell of reading to puzzle over semantics. That's one thing. My biggest beef with the telling of the story is the climax.
Finally, it's a more subtle thing but the story is riddled with a very patriarchal mindset. There's mild homophobia (not to mention transphobia) in the scorn for King Henry and his court. The coven of the Silver Rose is a conservative's nightmare imagining of feminism. A conspiracy of bitter women who hate men, kill babies, and are rabidly fanatical.
A fluffy romantic fairy tale, but it left a bitter taste.
Miri and Simon share a troubled history. He was (is) a witch-hunter, she is a "daughter of the earth" (witch). His infatuation of her beauty led him to ignore her powers and to protect her, though his witch-hunting activities brought ruin to her family and her community. They team up in this book to investigate the cult of the Silver Rose.
So, the first problematic issue is the narrative of True Love Overcoming Obstacles. It's not that big of a problem, because I do believe people should be given second chances, and that redemption is possible. However, Simon's past actions were pretty heinous.
My second issue is not with the story, but with the telling. Sometimes the sentences follow a strange syntax and grammar that jars one out of the spell of reading to puzzle over semantics. That's one thing. My biggest beef with the telling of the story is the climax.
Finally, it's a more subtle thing but the story is riddled with a very patriarchal mindset. There's mild homophobia (not to mention transphobia) in the scorn for King Henry and his court. The coven of the Silver Rose is a conservative's nightmare imagining of feminism. A conspiracy of bitter women who hate men, kill babies, and are rabidly fanatical.
A fluffy romantic fairy tale, but it left a bitter taste.
August 4, 2024
Tengo opiniones encontradas con esta novela...
Por un lado, no puedo decir que me desagradara porque está bien escrito y la lectura me tuvo enganchada, sin embargo, tampoco me ha gustado tanto ni se acercó a las expectativas que tenía con ella. Quizás, el problema se debe a que las dos primeras entregas dejaron el listón muy alto.
Deseaba saber qué sucedería con los personajes de Miri y Simon, y su relación tiene momentos tiernos que valió la pena leer, pero se siente que le faltó algo. La mayor parte del texto se trata de comprender a Simon: cómo fue su niñez, la muerte de su familia, su educación a manos de un fanático, los errores de juventud y su proceso de expiación. Pero me ha tenido dando demasiadas vueltas por el pasado y poco progreso en el presente.
Asimismo, el viaje y la "búsqueda" de la cofradía de brujas seguidoras de Rosa de Plata, han parecido más un pretexto para reunir a los protagonistas y no hubo tanta acción por ese lado. Al final, creo que la trama se resuelve de manera precipitada sin complicaciones.
En resumen, ha estado bien aunque no fuera asombroso.
Por un lado, no puedo decir que me desagradara porque está bien escrito y la lectura me tuvo enganchada, sin embargo, tampoco me ha gustado tanto ni se acercó a las expectativas que tenía con ella. Quizás, el problema se debe a que las dos primeras entregas dejaron el listón muy alto.
Deseaba saber qué sucedería con los personajes de Miri y Simon, y su relación tiene momentos tiernos que valió la pena leer, pero se siente que le faltó algo. La mayor parte del texto se trata de comprender a Simon: cómo fue su niñez, la muerte de su familia, su educación a manos de un fanático, los errores de juventud y su proceso de expiación. Pero me ha tenido dando demasiadas vueltas por el pasado y poco progreso en el presente.
Asimismo, el viaje y la "búsqueda" de la cofradía de brujas seguidoras de Rosa de Plata, han parecido más un pretexto para reunir a los protagonistas y no hubo tanta acción por ese lado. Al final, creo que la trama se resuelve de manera precipitada sin complicaciones.
En resumen, ha estado bien aunque no fuera asombroso.
July 4, 2020
I found this book by complete accident, tucked away in a corner of the used section at my local bookstore. I'm so glad the beautiful cover caught my eye! This book is a feel-good fairytale with romance, adventure, and fantasy. Susan Carrol is truly skilled in the art of writing dialogue. This book is filled with exquisite vocabulary - I learned a lot of new words by the time I finished it. There are many characters in this story and the author seamlessly weaves their storylines together until they eventually merge. I found it very engaging the way she switched between them throughout the book. Some here said it was slow, but I actually found it quite fast-paced. None of the events were too drawn out. I loved the way the plot continued to unfold up until the very end.
I will admit, I was skeptical in the beginning because the main characters seemed a bit cliché, but I continued on and quickly fell in love with everything about The Silver Rose. While the love story is admittedly a bit cheesy, it felt good to read.
I can't wait to read the other two books in this saga. If you love fantasy, adventure, and romance without unnecessary drama, definitely give this book a chance!
I will admit, I was skeptical in the beginning because the main characters seemed a bit cliché, but I continued on and quickly fell in love with everything about The Silver Rose. While the love story is admittedly a bit cheesy, it felt good to read.
I can't wait to read the other two books in this saga. If you love fantasy, adventure, and romance without unnecessary drama, definitely give this book a chance!
July 17, 2021
When I bought this book I wasn’t expecting it to be a romance novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so easy to read and I genuinely liked Miri. She wasn’t the most complex character ever but I still found her endearing. She’s the kind of heroine you want to be. I loved the character of Simon, I hated Martin from the beginning. I liked how the author incorporated real-life historical events into the novel. Overall I would describe the genre as diet magical realism. Was it the most high-brow, literary thing I’ve ever read? No. But it was really enjoyable, dramatic, and overall fun to read.
June 26, 2025
This is an interesting read on the history of women when they were claimed to be witches because of their wisdom and healing powers and also describes the women who have a personality disorder and the harm they inflict to try to look and feel better.
February 4, 2017
I really enjoyed the Witch elements of these books and the problem solving that they go through together. I have not read the other 2 in the series but this one was great
September 9, 2017
My favorite Cheney sister - it was wonderful to see Miri set things to rights.
June 18, 2018
Loving this series about the Cheney sisters. This one focused on Miri, the youngest sister, and her love/hate relationship with a witch hunter.
October 3, 2018
Great series!
August 29, 2019
Lovely historical romance and I had not read book 2 or 3. Really great characters and the story was fun
August 14, 2020
Better than expected although the main female character was a bit too "soft" for my liking. Will likely go back and read at least one of the others in this series. Well written - easy to read.
October 21, 2021
Me gustó, no es un libro que recomiendo mucho, no recuerdo la mayoría de las cosas pero es interesante la trama, el desenlace y la puesta en escena de los personajes. Aceptable.
June 21, 2011
This was an interesting story! I’m glad to see a new threat introduced besides The Dark Queen herself. It’s also nice to see Miri finally ‘grown up’ and I enjoyed watching her character develop throughout the three novels. She still maintains a bit of her naivete, yet most of it is gone because of what went on between her and Simon in the previous book.
I was so glad to see Martin Le Loup was back for this book! I loved him as the comic relief, and he gets even more comical when he squares off with Simon. The pace of the novel was good and the mystery behind The Silver Rose was also well done. I was hoping to see the return of the older two Cheney sisters, but it seems Miri is just the main feature for this book. The plot has a more paranormal magical feel to it, it’s still in a historical setting, but you don’t really see famous royalty as much as before. I suppose the book was to take a break from the usual setting, to give the series a good break and to try something new. It’s good because not only does the plot take a turn for the more interesting, but a new setting is nice to see.
I liked seeing Miri and Simon together. There is a lot of tension and passion between the two of them. The reader does not feel that much intensity between Miri and Martin but they’re also nice together as well. It’s hard to choose between Martin and Simon as they both have their good qualities, but it just seems Martin is the more fun of the two men. His charm and his ability to get a laugh or a smile from the reader just seems to come naturally.
There was only one thing I did not like: there was a love scene, but what annoys me is during that particular point in the book the characters were being followed with the intent to kill or harm. Yet the couple in question feel it’s all right to take the time to do the deed. This is what I can’t stand. Really? couples do that? when they’re in danger they feel the need to do the horizontal dance and not care there’s a band of men ready to kill them? why? is that necessary? we already know they’re in love what��s the point?! it just annoyed me and I don’t like seeing this in novels I’m reading. To me, this does not make sense. All this aside though, I did enjoy reading this book. The ending opens more possibilities for future books which I will pursue. I have become too attached to the characters to just give up (plus, I’d really like to know what’s in store for Le Loup!)
It’s a great book and written with the same quality of writing as the other two, so fans will not be disappointed. Those just getting started would also enjoy reading this although it would help at least reading The Courtesan. Characters from the previous book are carried over to this one.
I was so glad to see Martin Le Loup was back for this book! I loved him as the comic relief, and he gets even more comical when he squares off with Simon. The pace of the novel was good and the mystery behind The Silver Rose was also well done. I was hoping to see the return of the older two Cheney sisters, but it seems Miri is just the main feature for this book. The plot has a more paranormal magical feel to it, it’s still in a historical setting, but you don’t really see famous royalty as much as before. I suppose the book was to take a break from the usual setting, to give the series a good break and to try something new. It’s good because not only does the plot take a turn for the more interesting, but a new setting is nice to see.
I liked seeing Miri and Simon together. There is a lot of tension and passion between the two of them. The reader does not feel that much intensity between Miri and Martin but they’re also nice together as well. It’s hard to choose between Martin and Simon as they both have their good qualities, but it just seems Martin is the more fun of the two men. His charm and his ability to get a laugh or a smile from the reader just seems to come naturally.
There was only one thing I did not like: there was a love scene, but what annoys me is during that particular point in the book the characters were being followed with the intent to kill or harm. Yet the couple in question feel it’s all right to take the time to do the deed. This is what I can’t stand. Really? couples do that? when they’re in danger they feel the need to do the horizontal dance and not care there’s a band of men ready to kill them? why? is that necessary? we already know they’re in love what��s the point?! it just annoyed me and I don’t like seeing this in novels I’m reading. To me, this does not make sense. All this aside though, I did enjoy reading this book. The ending opens more possibilities for future books which I will pursue. I have become too attached to the characters to just give up (plus, I’d really like to know what’s in store for Le Loup!)
It’s a great book and written with the same quality of writing as the other two, so fans will not be disappointed. Those just getting started would also enjoy reading this although it would help at least reading The Courtesan. Characters from the previous book are carried over to this one.
April 19, 2024
Okay, so I've read so many reviews where people say that this installment of Susan Carroll's fantasyish/historical fiction DARK QUEEN series is their favorite. So maybe I entered with too-high hopes, because while I did enjoy it, I still liked the first book the best. The whole witch/witch-hunter relationship certainly was interesting, but I still would choose Renard over Simon anyday. This book in particular just seemed a little too "wordy." I mean, characters would just go into paragraph-long emotional revelations (in their heads, most of the time) that became extremely repetitive over the 500+-page-course of events. At times, the dialogue would be so "emotional," it would come across as super-sappy. It seems to me that if two people are - umm - making out--they're not going to be TALKING so much!!! I burst out laughing a few times, that's for sure! It's funny, but also over-the-top, just *how* in-touch Simon seems to be with his feelings. Now I'm not saying that guy characters should have the emotional capacity of bricks, but when they say things like, "Ever since I was a boy, blah blah blah blah," it makes them seem very unrealistic!
Like I said, I do like Simon and Miri and think they are cute together, but at times I thought that there were contradictions in their characterization. Either a character is "innocent" (a word Carroll really likes to use, but doesn't seem to know the definition of), or they're not, so make up your mind! But I will say that I liked the two of them together--their relationship seems natural, and they relate to each other really well (if not too well).
There's not as much "history" in this book as The Dark Queen, but overall that wasnt too much of a loss. Catherine de Medici only has about 2 or 3 scenes in this book, and the climax doesnt revolve around a major historical event like in the first book. And Ariane and Gabrielle - while seen in flashbacks and referred to frequently - dont make an actual appearance. I just thought I'd throw that out there. Rather, a lot of characters from the previous book The Courtesan (which I have NOT read) are carried over into this book. Again, one thing I like about this series is the ability of each of the books to stand on their own: there's enough recap to make the reader aware of events from previous books without feeling lost or confused. I certainly never felt confused about characters or events, but I never felt like Carroll was getting redundant, either, so she did that well :D
So yes, I "really liked it." I liked The Dark Queen better, but this was enjoyable nonetheless!
Like I said, I do like Simon and Miri and think they are cute together, but at times I thought that there were contradictions in their characterization. Either a character is "innocent" (a word Carroll really likes to use, but doesn't seem to know the definition of), or they're not, so make up your mind! But I will say that I liked the two of them together--their relationship seems natural, and they relate to each other really well (if not too well).
There's not as much "history" in this book as The Dark Queen, but overall that wasnt too much of a loss. Catherine de Medici only has about 2 or 3 scenes in this book, and the climax doesnt revolve around a major historical event like in the first book. And Ariane and Gabrielle - while seen in flashbacks and referred to frequently - dont make an actual appearance. I just thought I'd throw that out there. Rather, a lot of characters from the previous book The Courtesan (which I have NOT read) are carried over into this book. Again, one thing I like about this series is the ability of each of the books to stand on their own: there's enough recap to make the reader aware of events from previous books without feeling lost or confused. I certainly never felt confused about characters or events, but I never felt like Carroll was getting redundant, either, so she did that well :D
So yes, I "really liked it." I liked The Dark Queen better, but this was enjoyable nonetheless!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2012
The Silver Rose takes you into the world of the youngest Cheney sister Miri who has returned to the Island of Faire Isle, because she missed her home, but nothing is as she remembers it. Women can no longer come here searching for a place where they are safe from the eyes of the world, The world is now a place that hunts down witches and burns them at the stake, Fair Isle used to be a place of refuge for Daughters of the Earth to come, a place of safety where they could gather together, and practice their trades, and live together in harmony, but now even Miri's sisters are not safe here after her long ago friend Simon, convicted them, of witchcraft, and they had to flee for their lives. Now as Miri looks around she sees, bitterness and spite in the women of Faire Isle instead of the harmony that once existed in her childhood home. Miri receives the shock of her life when Simon comes calling for help to vanquish the Sisterhood of the Silver Rose, a coven of witches that has been following and attacking him; how can she trust what he is saying after he has betrayed her trust so many times? And yet he seems so beaten down and weary; he wants her older sister's help at first but Miri says no wanting none of her relatives involved in something so dangerous after all they have been through; especially with the man who put them through half of their misery. Instead she decides to follow Simon herself and help him defeat this coven of witches who are giving daughters of the earth everywhere a bad name. What follows is a book full of surprises, as Miri's suitor back home decides to join in on the adventure, the "wolf" joins in; you find out who the silver rose really is and Miri discovers that true love can be found in the strangest of places, and that it is not always the man who must take charge. This book was a fun read, there were some slow places, but for the most part it was fact paced and not one you wanted to put down.
December 5, 2010
From Brittany’s fog-shrouded forests to the elegant dark heart of Paris’s royal court, one woman must challenge a country’s destiny–and her own dangerous fate.
France, 1585. She is the youngest and most powerful of the “Sisters of Faire Isle,” women known far and wide for their extraordinary mystical abilities. Skilled in healing and able to forecast the future of those aro ...more From Brittany’s fog-shrouded forests to the elegant dark heart of Paris’s royal court, one woman must challenge a country’s destiny–and her own dangerous fate.
France, 1585. She is the youngest and most powerful of the “Sisters of Faire Isle,” women known far and wide for their extraordinary mystical abilities. Skilled in healing and able to forecast the future of those around her, Miri Cheney has returned to her ancestral home to take refuge from a land devastated by civil war–and to grieve for her family, driven to exile. But she cannot hide from the formidable new power threatening to seize control of France from the dread “Dark Queen,” Catherine de Medici–a diabolical woman known only as the Silver Rose. Miri has no choice but to turn to the one man she distrusts as much as she desires: Simon Aristide, the charismatic witch-finder who is now himself the hunted, and who has reluctantly made an unholy pact with Catherine. Miri must defy throne and family to save all that she loves most–and command a future greater than she could ever imagine.
Vibrant with stunning historical detail, alive with characters as richly passionate as they are compelling, The Silver Rose is a sweeping, exquisitely wrought tale from a mesmerizing storyteller.
France, 1585. She is the youngest and most powerful of the “Sisters of Faire Isle,” women known far and wide for their extraordinary mystical abilities. Skilled in healing and able to forecast the future of those aro ...more From Brittany’s fog-shrouded forests to the elegant dark heart of Paris’s royal court, one woman must challenge a country’s destiny–and her own dangerous fate.
France, 1585. She is the youngest and most powerful of the “Sisters of Faire Isle,” women known far and wide for their extraordinary mystical abilities. Skilled in healing and able to forecast the future of those around her, Miri Cheney has returned to her ancestral home to take refuge from a land devastated by civil war–and to grieve for her family, driven to exile. But she cannot hide from the formidable new power threatening to seize control of France from the dread “Dark Queen,” Catherine de Medici–a diabolical woman known only as the Silver Rose. Miri has no choice but to turn to the one man she distrusts as much as she desires: Simon Aristide, the charismatic witch-finder who is now himself the hunted, and who has reluctantly made an unholy pact with Catherine. Miri must defy throne and family to save all that she loves most–and command a future greater than she could ever imagine.
Vibrant with stunning historical detail, alive with characters as richly passionate as they are compelling, The Silver Rose is a sweeping, exquisitely wrought tale from a mesmerizing storyteller.
July 19, 2010
The Silver Rose by Susan Carroll is a romantic fantasy. I like Carroll's writing style. Her books flow so well that the read goes quickly and sometimes quick reads seem just right . This is the story of Miri Cheney, the youngest of the Cheney sisters, known also as The Lady of the Woods. She has an affinity with animals - can talk with them, relate to them and heal them. Sometimes she even heals humans. She lives in an isolated cottage deep in the woods with Necromancer, a black cat with white paws who warns her of approaching strangers and danger. When she discovers an abandoned baby boy and a poisoned silver rose, she realizes that her beloved Faire Isle is as endangered as the rest of France plagued by a coven of misguided and evil witches led by the Silver Rose. Miri has two admirers, Simon Aristide, a witch hunter whose zealous crusade against witches drove her sisters from Faire Isle, and Martin le Loup, a dashing handsome friend has loves her. Miri and Simon embark on a quest to find and destroy the dreaded coven and the Silver Rose. What happens next is sometimes predictable, sometimes not, but, for me, fun. It's a good read, rated by some as the best of the series. Others prefer The Dark Queen.
March 2, 2011
At first, reading The Silver Rose, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as the others, but after finishing, I realized that this was probably my favorite of the series.
The Silver Rose focuses on the youngest Cheney sister: Miri. Miri is probably the most powerful of the Cheney sisters, due to her ability to communicate with animals, her gift for healing, and her ability to see the future. She's also a bit of a spitfire. Due to being the youngest, Miri no doubt had been seen as fragile, and she snaps at anyone who thinks she isn't strong enough to fight for what she believes in.
Miri unexpectedly teams up with witch hunter Aristide to help track down The Silver Rose, a witch who seems to be as evil as the devil himself, and who is giving women like Miri – a daughter of the earth – a bad name.
I thought I'd stop with the series with this book, seeing as how we're done with the stories of the three Cheney series, but I have to know what happens to one of my favorite side characters: Martin, who popped up in book two and I loved at first sight. His story seems to be just beginning.
The Silver Rose is, so far, the darkest of the series, and definitely the best.
The Silver Rose focuses on the youngest Cheney sister: Miri. Miri is probably the most powerful of the Cheney sisters, due to her ability to communicate with animals, her gift for healing, and her ability to see the future. She's also a bit of a spitfire. Due to being the youngest, Miri no doubt had been seen as fragile, and she snaps at anyone who thinks she isn't strong enough to fight for what she believes in.
Miri unexpectedly teams up with witch hunter Aristide to help track down The Silver Rose, a witch who seems to be as evil as the devil himself, and who is giving women like Miri – a daughter of the earth – a bad name.
I thought I'd stop with the series with this book, seeing as how we're done with the stories of the three Cheney series, but I have to know what happens to one of my favorite side characters: Martin, who popped up in book two and I loved at first sight. His story seems to be just beginning.
The Silver Rose is, so far, the darkest of the series, and definitely the best.
August 22, 2015
See full review for The Silver Rose at: https://toomanybooksnotenoughshelves....
In The Dark Queen, Ariane found her happy ending with the Comte de Renard. In The Courtesan, Gabrielle found her happy ending with Captain Remy. But what about the final Cheney sister? Miri seemed to be living an okay life when The Courtesan ended, but when The Silver Rose begins, she isn’t happy. It’s been ten years and her family has been exiled from the Faire Isles due to being traitors and practicing witchcraft. Miri has ventured back to the isle and things aren’t as she left them. The isles are mostly abandoned and the people who have stayed are whispering ninnies. They want Miri gone no matter the consequences.
The opportunity arises when a familiar face comes back – Simon Astride, the witch hunter. The only problem is that he’s not their to flush out the final Cheney sister, he’s there for her help in tracking down the notorious Silver Rose, a new pagan threat. But will Miri really help him considering all the ways he’s betrayed her in the past?
In The Dark Queen, Ariane found her happy ending with the Comte de Renard. In The Courtesan, Gabrielle found her happy ending with Captain Remy. But what about the final Cheney sister? Miri seemed to be living an okay life when The Courtesan ended, but when The Silver Rose begins, she isn’t happy. It’s been ten years and her family has been exiled from the Faire Isles due to being traitors and practicing witchcraft. Miri has ventured back to the isle and things aren’t as she left them. The isles are mostly abandoned and the people who have stayed are whispering ninnies. They want Miri gone no matter the consequences.
The opportunity arises when a familiar face comes back – Simon Astride, the witch hunter. The only problem is that he’s not their to flush out the final Cheney sister, he’s there for her help in tracking down the notorious Silver Rose, a new pagan threat. But will Miri really help him considering all the ways he’s betrayed her in the past?
October 18, 2010
I saw that many reviewers said this was their favorite in the series, but I didn't agree. Maybe it was because I didn't like Miri as much as the other sisters, or because I read them all in such quick succession that Carroll's writing started to grate on me.
The book seemed a bit repetitive. I got tired of the internal monologues or Miri and Simon where they went on for paragraphs at a time about how they knew they couldn't have one another, and how could they ever move past what had happened before. Additionally, Miri's eyes were described as being "fey eyes" so many times that I lost track. Carroll was really hitting us over the head with some of the descriptions. We get it already!
However, I did enjoy the plot. Although I wish the other Cheney sisters had made an appearance.
I've ordered the other two books in the series, although they don't focus on the Cheney sisters. I'm hoping that they are at least side characters, because I've gotten pretty attached to the family after reading the first three novels!
The book seemed a bit repetitive. I got tired of the internal monologues or Miri and Simon where they went on for paragraphs at a time about how they knew they couldn't have one another, and how could they ever move past what had happened before. Additionally, Miri's eyes were described as being "fey eyes" so many times that I lost track. Carroll was really hitting us over the head with some of the descriptions. We get it already!
However, I did enjoy the plot. Although I wish the other Cheney sisters had made an appearance.
I've ordered the other two books in the series, although they don't focus on the Cheney sisters. I'm hoping that they are at least side characters, because I've gotten pretty attached to the family after reading the first three novels!
May 4, 2013
Apparently, this was the third in a series; I didn't realize it until I had already started the book, so I continued on with the hope that the author wrote well enough that this book would stand alone without the previous books. And I wasn't let down. The important details from the previous books are scattered throughout the novel in such a way that I didn't feel like I was missing important parts of Miri's background, and there wasn't so much that had I read the other books I would have felt like it was just the retelling of the same stories again.
Even though this is a typical historical romance, with a broken, tough guy as the hero and a fix-everything good girl playing the heroine, I really enjoyed this book. In this case, the broken man is a remorseful witch-hunter with a sad past and the good girl is technically a witch. I liked the twist of the Silver Rose's true identity, although it was revealed so early in the book that it didn't feel like a surprise when the main characters discovered her identity.
Even though this is a typical historical romance, with a broken, tough guy as the hero and a fix-everything good girl playing the heroine, I really enjoyed this book. In this case, the broken man is a remorseful witch-hunter with a sad past and the good girl is technically a witch. I liked the twist of the Silver Rose's true identity, although it was revealed so early in the book that it didn't feel like a surprise when the main characters discovered her identity.
June 2, 2013
The Silver Rose continues the saga of the three sisters of Fair Isle. This one concentrates on Miribelle, the youngest also called Lady Of The Wood.
The witch hunter Le Belafre has been ordered by Catherine DeMedici to wipe out the new coven of The Silver Rose. No one knows exactly who The Silver Rose is but anyone who handles a silver rose dies and Catherine after an attempt on her own life and hearing rumors that they have the Book Of Shadows wants to know who she is.
Never would Martin Le Loup expect to run across the mad witch he made love ten years before nor does Miri expect the dark witch hunter to become her beloved.
This held my interest from beginning to end. It was quite a mad adventure, the author keeping the pace of the suspense and me turning the pages. I can safely say Susan Carroll improves with each book to write. Now only three to go in this saga.
I particularly liked Miri's ability to read the thoughts of animals.
This series has made me very curious about the ancient close to the Earth religion which is why I have to read more about that too!
The witch hunter Le Belafre has been ordered by Catherine DeMedici to wipe out the new coven of The Silver Rose. No one knows exactly who The Silver Rose is but anyone who handles a silver rose dies and Catherine after an attempt on her own life and hearing rumors that they have the Book Of Shadows wants to know who she is.
Never would Martin Le Loup expect to run across the mad witch he made love ten years before nor does Miri expect the dark witch hunter to become her beloved.
This held my interest from beginning to end. It was quite a mad adventure, the author keeping the pace of the suspense and me turning the pages. I can safely say Susan Carroll improves with each book to write. Now only three to go in this saga.
I particularly liked Miri's ability to read the thoughts of animals.
This series has made me very curious about the ancient close to the Earth religion which is why I have to read more about that too!
February 17, 2015
The Silver Rose is romantic in a wonderfully old-fashioned way. This is a book to sigh over gustily.
Witch hunter Simon Aristrid is weary from a life time of trying to fight evil. As the story opens, he is beginning to admit how harmful some of his own actions may have been. Lady of the Woods, Miri Cheney, is the youngest of three wise women sisters. She is unforgettably beautiful, good and innocent, and is living in a little cottage in the woods where she can speak to and heal animals.
It is like a Disney movie crossed with The Scarlet Pimpernel!
As if that is not enough, two evil sorceresses plot vile things against each other and mankind, with Miri and Simon caught in the middle. Into this muddle steps Le Loupe, another man (who is pretty spectacular) also in love with Miri, leaving Simon grappling between nobly wishing for her happiness while being hopelessly jealous.
A little long in places for me, but it does allow a chance to really get immersed in this magical France of long ago.
Witch hunter Simon Aristrid is weary from a life time of trying to fight evil. As the story opens, he is beginning to admit how harmful some of his own actions may have been. Lady of the Woods, Miri Cheney, is the youngest of three wise women sisters. She is unforgettably beautiful, good and innocent, and is living in a little cottage in the woods where she can speak to and heal animals.
It is like a Disney movie crossed with The Scarlet Pimpernel!
As if that is not enough, two evil sorceresses plot vile things against each other and mankind, with Miri and Simon caught in the middle. Into this muddle steps Le Loupe, another man (who is pretty spectacular) also in love with Miri, leaving Simon grappling between nobly wishing for her happiness while being hopelessly jealous.
A little long in places for me, but it does allow a chance to really get immersed in this magical France of long ago.
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