VEILED ROSE: Tales of Goldstone Wood

Hey everyone! I'm back. Sorry for the lack of posting/erratic posting lately. I meant to have something up for yesterday, but circumstances beyond my control changed how my Monday went (read: sick baby needed me more than you did... I'm sure you understand) :) However, to make up for it, I have posts coming all week for you (including Thursday!) In the future, however, I probably will not be posting on Thursday, and will try for a M,T,W,F schedule. Five days a week is becoming far too difficult a schedule to keep up with, especially now that summer is over. Some weeks it may be only M,W,F, just a head's up about that.

My plan is to do more book-reviews, more movie-reviews, a series on self-publishing where I go a bit more in-depth on the ins and outs of how to go about self-publishing a novel, and, of course, leave room for the random/miscellaneous posts and updates on my author-progress when I have updates about that. Which brings me to my Question: what sorts of posts do you most enjoy reading here? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Okay, now that that's out of the way, on to today's post: A book review!

I am continuing my series of book reviews on the Tales of Goldstone Wood. I blitzed through them in less than a month, and they are at least partially to blame for the fact that I got no writing done in the past couple of weeks. (Not that I'm complaining, I haven't read such an enjoyable new-to-me series in a while). These books have been instantly welcomed onto the "favorites" shelf in my heart. I look forward to revisiting them, and I am happy to recommend them here. They are beautifully told stories, that would definitely be worth enjoying with your family.

Veiled Rose takes place before/during/and slightly after Heartless, but it follows the story of Leo (or Leonard the Jester) from the time he is about 9 years old until after he meets Una as a grown man.

It also follows a character named Rose Red, who lives high up on the mountain with her nanny goat and "the man she calls Father." For some reason, unknown to the reader, she keeps herself covered up under many veils.

When Rose Red and Leo meet up in the woods on the mountainside, an unlikely friendship blooms.

I loved this book because I really enjoyed getting to read more of Leo's story. I was intrigued by him in Heartless, but he really plays a rather minor role in that book, even though he is central to the climax of that story. And so, it was nice to find out more about him.

I also loved this book because of the entire cast of Goldstone Wood, I think Rose Red is perhaps my favorite of them all. I love her strength. I love that she, alone of all the characters, is totally good, totally loyal, and completely unfettered by selfishness. I love that she manages to stay strong and say "no" to the "Nightmare" (don't want to give too much away... so I won't tell you who the "Nightmare" really is...)

This book sort of ends during the lowest point of Leo's and Rose Red's lives... so here's fair warning... make sure you have Moonblood nearby as you get close to the end of Veiled Rose!