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The Greenwood Witches Trilogy #1
The Silver Rose
Four hundred years ago, Immortal Warlock Aden Dragunis defied his elders and married a mortal without magical potential. On his first wedding anniversary he crafted his Beloved a magical silver rose which bloomed only for her. When she and his mortal children died one by one, he buried his heart with them and vowed never to love again.
Sent by the Supreme Coven, Marylebone, to ensure the mortal witch Rosa Greenwood meets her fate as the Bells of Marylebone have decreed, Aden’s vow begins to unravel when he discovers Rosa in possession of the silver rose.
Rosa risks being consumed by her own power. She must bind her magic with her destined mate within one calendar month, or surrender her magic forever. If she fails to do either, Marylebone’s Dragons will hunt her down, burn her magic from her and she will die.
Convincing Aden he is her destined mate is proving to be more difficult than she ever imagined. With time running out the only option left is to sacrifice her magic but she knows she will be a mere shell without a soul if she does.
Then she learns Aden, the one who could ultimately save her, is also the one sent to kill her should she fail.
Sent by the Supreme Coven, Marylebone, to ensure the mortal witch Rosa Greenwood meets her fate as the Bells of Marylebone have decreed, Aden’s vow begins to unravel when he discovers Rosa in possession of the silver rose.
Rosa risks being consumed by her own power. She must bind her magic with her destined mate within one calendar month, or surrender her magic forever. If she fails to do either, Marylebone’s Dragons will hunt her down, burn her magic from her and she will die.
Convincing Aden he is her destined mate is proving to be more difficult than she ever imagined. With time running out the only option left is to sacrifice her magic but she knows she will be a mere shell without a soul if she does.
Then she learns Aden, the one who could ultimately save her, is also the one sent to kill her should she fail.
252 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
40 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 3, 2012
I received an ARC of The Silver Rose in exchange for Review and I'm glad I did. Not only is the cover gorgeous but the story was hard to put down. Author Rowena May O'Sullivan deserves kudos for her world building. Most of the story is physically set in a wind-swept New Zealand small town that is home to three magical sisters. Rose is the oldest and most powerful but she's afraid to tell her sisters she's heard "the Bells." In the mythology O'Sullivan created, this means she has one month to bind her magic with a powerful wizard or else she will either lose her magic or her life. The reluctant hero, Aden, is her equal but hides his power. Will the two find out each other's secrets in time? I'll let you find that out.
I also want to note the loving care taken to describe the silverwork throughout the novel. The sisters are artisans and Aden is a master silversmith. The Silver Rose of the title is so beautifully described, I could almost feel it against my skin. I felt as if I were in the art gallery looking at various pieces. I can't wait to return to the world O'Sullivan created for the next sister's story.
I also want to note the loving care taken to describe the silverwork throughout the novel. The sisters are artisans and Aden is a master silversmith. The Silver Rose of the title is so beautifully described, I could almost feel it against my skin. I felt as if I were in the art gallery looking at various pieces. I can't wait to return to the world O'Sullivan created for the next sister's story.
November 27, 2012
This was a refreshing paranormal for me to read. I loved how the three main women were witches. I’m so used to reading paranormal about vampires and werewolves that, though I love the classic paranormal characters, I was riveted to the world of these three witches. And the conflict in this story is flawlessly plotted. Both Rosa and Aden have to face their own personal worst nightmares and do what they thought they never would for love.
December 10, 2012
Witches and spell casting are two of my favorite elements in a book, so I really enjoyed The Silver Rose. I loved the dynamics between the heroine Rosa and her two sisters. I was glad to learn this is the first book in a trilogy. I think Rosa's sisters will make interesting heroines. The hero Aden has a haunted past I couldn't wait to read about. He was my kind of hero, both physically and emotionally. A great read!
March 30, 2013
After reading the book blurb, I was not disappointed in this story. Aden and Rose are perfect for each other. Romantic tense rolls off the pages and wraps you in its spell. I found myself desperate along with the heroine to bind her magic and live. Rose is a feisty who doesn’t woo easily. Aden is tortured by a past that he can’t see past.
This is a wonderful spun story and I can’t wait for the next one.
I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.
This is a wonderful spun story and I can’t wait for the next one.
I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.
June 23, 2013
Imaginative paranormal fiction! Beautiful witches, New Zealand atmosphere, silversmithery, and dragons, oh, my! And let's not forget Aden, Ms. O'Sullivan's handsome warlock, a tortured soul who has grieved for four hundred years over the loss of his true love. Will he find his 'happily ever after'? I'll let the reader guess, although the twist at the end will surprise and delight you.
August 16, 2014
Dragons, magic, meddling sisters and a ticking clock with everything at stake…there is nothing more a Paranormal Romance reader could ask for!
Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.
December 20, 2013
A powerful paranormal novel about witches.
At the heart or it, The Silver Rose is a beautiful romance story. Rose is strong-minded and fighting for her life, while Aden is dealing with his tortured past, which just adds to his heroic qualities. Plus, he’s hot. But Rose and Aden are hiding secrets from each other, and time is running out. The conflict in this story heightens the tension, and I loved every bit of it. I really felt for both Rose and Aden, wanting them to come together. I adored Rose’s sisters, and can’t wait to read more about them. The ending was fantastic. I won’t give anything away, but you’ll want to read it.
Rowena May O’Sullivan’s writing is flawless. I enjoyed her creative imagery, and the world building she introduces us to is excellent. I’m so happy to see the next book is already out.
At the heart or it, The Silver Rose is a beautiful romance story. Rose is strong-minded and fighting for her life, while Aden is dealing with his tortured past, which just adds to his heroic qualities. Plus, he’s hot. But Rose and Aden are hiding secrets from each other, and time is running out. The conflict in this story heightens the tension, and I loved every bit of it. I really felt for both Rose and Aden, wanting them to come together. I adored Rose’s sisters, and can’t wait to read more about them. The ending was fantastic. I won’t give anything away, but you’ll want to read it.
Rowena May O’Sullivan’s writing is flawless. I enjoyed her creative imagery, and the world building she introduces us to is excellent. I’m so happy to see the next book is already out.
July 15, 2013
This was a wonderfully powerful story of three witches. I have been blessed with getting to read some amazing witch books lately. This story was based in New Zealand which is so beautifully described in the author’s words.
Aden is just the type of guy that I find makes a wonderful hero. The interactions between he and Rosa are well described and flow gracefully. Rosa has me intrigued from the beginning and I am anxious to discover how her magic will survive. The author guides me through a world that I never imagined and I love the silver angle to the story! I am excited that this is a trilogy and look forward to discovering more about the sisters.
Aden is just the type of guy that I find makes a wonderful hero. The interactions between he and Rosa are well described and flow gracefully. Rosa has me intrigued from the beginning and I am anxious to discover how her magic will survive. The author guides me through a world that I never imagined and I love the silver angle to the story! I am excited that this is a trilogy and look forward to discovering more about the sisters.
September 11, 2013
Review coming soon.
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October 21, 2020I liked the premise. I really did. I am a big sucker for male protagonists in fantasy novels that are old and powerful. I like the kind of self-confidence that comes from the certain knowledge that they have worked literally hundreds of years to perfect their craft. I also like it when they are emotionally tormented by their past and feel the burden of their long lives and maybe even immortality. I like it when authors remember that it's probably not really easy to watch most people you ever care about grow old and die around you.
Aden is such a man. Sort of.
I also like it when the female protagonist put in his way may not share his age but certainly carries a raw potential that makes her his equal. Maybe she's even more powerful but it is the contrast between sheer raw power and hundreds of years of experience that make the outcome - if they would ever clash in a fight - very uncertain.
Now, Rose could've been that. She isn't.
The premise started simple enough and I was drawn into it. I liked the three-sister dynamic. It reminded me of Charmed, which I loved watching as a teenager.
While I'm not a strict opponent of instant attraction and love, this one annoyed me. Mostly because it was actually difficult to tell whether they can sense each other's energy or whether the energies described were, in fact, the burning attraction for each other. It was written in a way that didn't really translate for me. We were repeatedly told that they are immensely drawn to each other. That they are true mates. They they are destined for each other. But it never really felt that way reading it.
On top of that the book started off with minor issues that could've been fixed with a better editing job but those minor issues started to add together in a way that made the read feel a bit messy. The story-thread was just all over the place, with the foils ranging from blatantly mundane (small-town festival) to OMG THE DRAMA OF ALL THE POWER AND ALL DRAGONS AND ALL THE WARLOCKS AND WIZARDS AND MAAAAGIC. We went from small-town charm to the top of the top in regards to everything magic. No in-between.
The most jarring was a moment at the beginning of the book, when Aden steps into their shop for the first time and talks to Rosa for the first time. He smiles. A smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Then they talk for about 30 seconds. Then the corners of his mouth lift into the a fragment of a smile. Then they exchange five more sentences for about 10 seconds. Then he smiles. Again. This time hopeful, turning on the charm.
This was the moment where I actually stopped reading and went back to make sure I read it right. No, the man went from serious to smiling coldly to not smiling to smiling a tiny bit to smiling with a hopeful ramped up charm to "his mouth quirked into what she thought might be dismay" - IN UNDER A MINUTE. If a stranger ever came into my shop acting like that and insisting on renting out the cottage in my back-yard, I would've seriously wondered whether he is psychotic and maybe a serial killer who will break into my bedroom at night to cut my throat. The issue here for me was that while Rose noticed him smiling, she absolutely didn't notice the rapid mood-changes despite hyper-analyzing everything else about him, which made me wonder whether the author actually intended to write it this way.
If I'm sitting here and wondering about the stylistic choices of the author instead of getting immersed in the story and characters... that is not a good thing (for me).
The other issue I had was that all these centuries old dragons feel like they are in their 30s and 40s. Human 30s and 40s. Down to Aden's family, who fucked off to Cyprus for a few hundred years to make dinners and wine. And nothing else. Because that's what people do in this world. I just didn't get the weight of those centuries from any of the super old and powerful characters. At all.
I think the story had potential, I truly do. But it reads more like spell-checked first draft with a meh ending because she conveniently turned out to be the same women he loved 400 years ago but reincarnated so she would be a match for him. And somehow - with all the magic knowledge he has - he wasn't aware that this may be a thing. Ugh.
Also... the sex scene was so boring that I actually skimmed through it. Ugh.
It's a decent enough read for a witchy story and it kept me curious enough to finish it all the way and it's not as horrible as other books I read, which is why I am giving it two stars instead of one.
Aden is such a man. Sort of.
I also like it when the female protagonist put in his way may not share his age but certainly carries a raw potential that makes her his equal. Maybe she's even more powerful but it is the contrast between sheer raw power and hundreds of years of experience that make the outcome - if they would ever clash in a fight - very uncertain.
Now, Rose could've been that. She isn't.
The premise started simple enough and I was drawn into it. I liked the three-sister dynamic. It reminded me of Charmed, which I loved watching as a teenager.
While I'm not a strict opponent of instant attraction and love, this one annoyed me. Mostly because it was actually difficult to tell whether they can sense each other's energy or whether the energies described were, in fact, the burning attraction for each other. It was written in a way that didn't really translate for me. We were repeatedly told that they are immensely drawn to each other. That they are true mates. They they are destined for each other. But it never really felt that way reading it.
On top of that the book started off with minor issues that could've been fixed with a better editing job but those minor issues started to add together in a way that made the read feel a bit messy. The story-thread was just all over the place, with the foils ranging from blatantly mundane (small-town festival) to OMG THE DRAMA OF ALL THE POWER AND ALL DRAGONS AND ALL THE WARLOCKS AND WIZARDS AND MAAAAGIC. We went from small-town charm to the top of the top in regards to everything magic. No in-between.
The most jarring was a moment at the beginning of the book, when Aden steps into their shop for the first time and talks to Rosa for the first time. He smiles. A smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Then they talk for about 30 seconds. Then the corners of his mouth lift into the a fragment of a smile. Then they exchange five more sentences for about 10 seconds. Then he smiles. Again. This time hopeful, turning on the charm.
This was the moment where I actually stopped reading and went back to make sure I read it right. No, the man went from serious to smiling coldly to not smiling to smiling a tiny bit to smiling with a hopeful ramped up charm to "his mouth quirked into what she thought might be dismay" - IN UNDER A MINUTE. If a stranger ever came into my shop acting like that and insisting on renting out the cottage in my back-yard, I would've seriously wondered whether he is psychotic and maybe a serial killer who will break into my bedroom at night to cut my throat. The issue here for me was that while Rose noticed him smiling, she absolutely didn't notice the rapid mood-changes despite hyper-analyzing everything else about him, which made me wonder whether the author actually intended to write it this way.
If I'm sitting here and wondering about the stylistic choices of the author instead of getting immersed in the story and characters... that is not a good thing (for me).
The other issue I had was that all these centuries old dragons feel like they are in their 30s and 40s. Human 30s and 40s. Down to Aden's family, who fucked off to Cyprus for a few hundred years to make dinners and wine. And nothing else. Because that's what people do in this world. I just didn't get the weight of those centuries from any of the super old and powerful characters. At all.
I think the story had potential, I truly do. But it reads more like spell-checked first draft with a meh ending because she conveniently turned out to be the same women he loved 400 years ago but reincarnated so she would be a match for him. And somehow - with all the magic knowledge he has - he wasn't aware that this may be a thing. Ugh.
Also... the sex scene was so boring that I actually skimmed through it. Ugh.
It's a decent enough read for a witchy story and it kept me curious enough to finish it all the way and it's not as horrible as other books I read, which is why I am giving it two stars instead of one.
July 23, 2019
I was so sad to see this book end. So I bought the next in the series. :D
Thank goodness for long summer days and hours spent reading on my deck ... and at the beach... and on vacation...
I'm a little addicted to the Greenwood sisters.
Thank goodness for long summer days and hours spent reading on my deck ... and at the beach... and on vacation...
I'm a little addicted to the Greenwood sisters.
February 24, 2017
Terrific read.
December 8, 2019
Nice read
Very nice quick read good use of plot characters and continuity I would recommend this to all who love magic
Very nice quick read good use of plot characters and continuity I would recommend this to all who love magic
April 8, 2021
A delightful tale
I really enjoyed this quick book full of magic, dragons, fairies. The ending was a nail biter. Huge hunky men and beautiful women. Fun story
I really enjoyed this quick book full of magic, dragons, fairies. The ending was a nail biter. Huge hunky men and beautiful women. Fun story
August 4, 2025
I actually adored this book ✨
October 26, 2014
This is the story of three sisters who are witches living in modern-day New Zealand: Rosa, Alanna and Beth Greenwood. Each sister has a special talent: making jewellery, carving and embroidery respectively. Into their sleepy town comes the mysterious Aden Dragunis, a warlock with his own tiny dragon as a familiar. Dark, handsome, tormented by his inner demons, Aden is under cover. He has been sent by the Supreme Coven, Marylebone in England to check Rosa’s magical credentials as the Bells of Marylebone have decreed.
I found the magical plot confusing and meandering, and the magical world only semi-realised. There were many typos scattered throughout, although this is the publisher’s not the author’s domain.
Notwithstanding, Rosa and her sisters were witty and talented, and the warlocks interesting and complex. The dragons added whimsy to the romantic tale.
I found the magical plot confusing and meandering, and the magical world only semi-realised. There were many typos scattered throughout, although this is the publisher’s not the author’s domain.
Notwithstanding, Rosa and her sisters were witty and talented, and the warlocks interesting and complex. The dragons added whimsy to the romantic tale.
July 16, 2015
On the fence
I'm not entirely sure if I liked this book or not. I read it while I was tired so that may have something to do with my indecision, either that or I'm trying to find good points that I like. I'll be upfront, I hated Alanna, Rosa's younger sister. I felt like I wanted to punch her so many times. The ending (the secret of the silver rose) was...bizarre. There was nothing leading up to it, almost as though it was thrown in as an after thought and the fact that Rosa is actually reincarnated. Yes, those two things were just thrown in.
I'm not entirely sure if I liked this book or not. I read it while I was tired so that may have something to do with my indecision, either that or I'm trying to find good points that I like. I'll be upfront, I hated Alanna, Rosa's younger sister. I felt like I wanted to punch her so many times. The ending (the secret of the silver rose) was...bizarre. There was nothing leading up to it, almost as though it was thrown in as an after thought and the fact that Rosa is actually reincarnated. Yes, those two things were just thrown in.
January 29, 2014
I received an ARC of The Silver Rose in exchange for review and I am thrilled … I got to meet Aden Dragunis! With a name like that and a tortured past he could do no wrong in my eyes.
Ms O”Sullivan nailed the atmosphere of the New Zealand I know and love then added dragons and silversmiths and I was hooked. The town of Raven's Creek, the characters of Rosa and Aden and their magical world sucked me right in.
I’m off to find the next in the series.
Ms O”Sullivan nailed the atmosphere of the New Zealand I know and love then added dragons and silversmiths and I was hooked. The town of Raven's Creek, the characters of Rosa and Aden and their magical world sucked me right in.
I’m off to find the next in the series.
December 15, 2014
I did like this book but didn't think it reached it's full potential. I liked the story and premise but it just didn't grab me. Partly it may have been that much of the village life seemed very English rather than Kiwi, which seemed a shame. Also there were times when information did not seem to match up well which made it a bit clunky.
I would certainly read the next two books though as I imagine this works out.
I would certainly read the next two books though as I imagine this works out.
April 7, 2016
Really enjoyed this series. The characters were fun to follow and I was totally engrossed in the unfolding tale.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews