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Romance a Medieval Fairytale #23
Curse: Rose Red Retold
A cursed prince. An aspiring assassin. No good deed goes unpunished…
Crown Prince Boris's life was perfect – a wife, a child and his father's favour for a job well done. Until his brother's traitorous plot steals everything from him, forcing him to run for his life for fear of losing what little he has left.
Rossa wants nothing but to follow in her father's assassin footsteps. Whether it takes magic or a blade, she can handle anything. Until she discovers she can't bear to take a life.
Together, can a failed assassin and a cursed prince save the kingdom?
Crown Prince Boris's life was perfect – a wife, a child and his father's favour for a job well done. Until his brother's traitorous plot steals everything from him, forcing him to run for his life for fear of losing what little he has left.
Rossa wants nothing but to follow in her father's assassin footsteps. Whether it takes magic or a blade, she can handle anything. Until she discovers she can't bear to take a life.
Together, can a failed assassin and a cursed prince save the kingdom?
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 2, 2021
About the author
Demelza Carlton
933 books3,875 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 2, 2021
❄🏰Had its ups and downs🙄
Overall rating: 3-3.5 🌟 stars
Originality: 5 🌟 stars
Ease of read: 2.5🌟 stars
Standalone: 2.5🌟 stars
This fairytale, which had a very original twist on the traditional Rose Red story, was confusing in the first part and as it approached the conclusion. The continued travails of Boris, the bewitched prince, were the best part, that and his growing friendship with Rossa, the apprentice to her assassin father, and the mystery of Igor, Boris's servant turned treacherous. It was set somewhere in Northeast to Central Europe if the Slavic names and the travel to Buda are anything to go by.
The story started as two completely separate threads that abruptly alternated chapter by chapter and it confused me for a good fourth of the story until the two converged. My confusion was probably exacerbated by Boris's bewildering, frequent losses of consciousness and inability to understand what was happening around him. Plus, the story constantly made reference to things from previous fairytales which the reader may or may not have read or, if they did, recall.
The middle of the tale was more coherent, focused on teenage Rossa and potion-plagued Boris, and I enjoyed it until past the 80 percent point it grew too confusing again, mentioning kings, princes, emperors and a politcal musical chairs, all references that went right over my head. Are they connected to other tales already published or in the making? I did not really care for this information dump so late in the story.
I like Carlton's fairytales best when they don't rely so heavily on previous works in the series. I prefer a standalone and I don't think this one holds up well on its own. I give it high marks for originality brought down by this constant referral to other stories.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Overall rating: 3-3.5 🌟 stars
Originality: 5 🌟 stars
Ease of read: 2.5🌟 stars
Standalone: 2.5🌟 stars
This fairytale, which had a very original twist on the traditional Rose Red story, was confusing in the first part and as it approached the conclusion. The continued travails of Boris, the bewitched prince, were the best part, that and his growing friendship with Rossa, the apprentice to her assassin father, and the mystery of Igor, Boris's servant turned treacherous. It was set somewhere in Northeast to Central Europe if the Slavic names and the travel to Buda are anything to go by.
The story started as two completely separate threads that abruptly alternated chapter by chapter and it confused me for a good fourth of the story until the two converged. My confusion was probably exacerbated by Boris's bewildering, frequent losses of consciousness and inability to understand what was happening around him. Plus, the story constantly made reference to things from previous fairytales which the reader may or may not have read or, if they did, recall.
The middle of the tale was more coherent, focused on teenage Rossa and potion-plagued Boris, and I enjoyed it until past the 80 percent point it grew too confusing again, mentioning kings, princes, emperors and a politcal musical chairs, all references that went right over my head. Are they connected to other tales already published or in the making? I did not really care for this information dump so late in the story.
I like Carlton's fairytales best when they don't rely so heavily on previous works in the series. I prefer a standalone and I don't think this one holds up well on its own. I give it high marks for originality brought down by this constant referral to other stories.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
April 16, 2022
If you’re looking for a fairytale retelling with a twist and no disney involved, then this series is for you.
I love the authors writing style and the way she chooses to bring the characters to their purpose. These are not sweet and coddled princesses anymore. They’re introduced to a world of men who covet, take and destroy. They rise up to their current challenges and try to make their little corner of the world better.
The author doesn’t shy away from the atrocities that happen at the hands of powerful men. If you are triggered by r@pe or abu$e, read the series with caution because it’s either witnessed or happens to the MC. It’s not fully detailed, just used to tell the story and show the depravity the MC fight against.
If you have a favorite character, you might get to see them again, because the author intertwines all the stories together making it worth reading them in order, but not necessary.
Rossa is my favorite so far. I loved her focus on training her mind and body as well as her magic. She is fearless and has a quick mind and I loved seeing her grow into her roll.
I love the authors writing style and the way she chooses to bring the characters to their purpose. These are not sweet and coddled princesses anymore. They’re introduced to a world of men who covet, take and destroy. They rise up to their current challenges and try to make their little corner of the world better.
The author doesn’t shy away from the atrocities that happen at the hands of powerful men. If you are triggered by r@pe or abu$e, read the series with caution because it’s either witnessed or happens to the MC. It’s not fully detailed, just used to tell the story and show the depravity the MC fight against.
If you have a favorite character, you might get to see them again, because the author intertwines all the stories together making it worth reading them in order, but not necessary.
Rossa is my favorite so far. I loved her focus on training her mind and body as well as her magic. She is fearless and has a quick mind and I loved seeing her grow into her roll.
November 3, 2021
Rossa wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and be independent but meeting Prince Boris showed her that she still had a lot to learn. Prince Boris had been betrayed and cursed and his desire for revenge was the only thing he had left until he met Rossa. The author connects story characters to other previous published stories, which creates curiosity about said stories and it is convenient to read them beforehand to understand the reference. Fortunately, I have read the vast majority and find myself exclaiming "Ah, I know who that is." The original story of Red Rose, written by the Brothers Grim, was unknown to me so I read it and found the development of the retold interesting and intriguing and liked how the author had linked one with the other. Action, suspense, magic, betrayal, violence, romance and passion.
November 3, 2021
This is an interesting twist on Rose Red of traditional telling. I liked that Rossa is Zoticus' daughter as I have read the other stories with him as a character and this strengthens what Rossa's character is like- the determination and skill definitely come from him. The relationship that is building between Rossa and Boris as a focus provides some twists that I did not see coming, especially toward the end of the book. As with all of Demelza Carlton's stories, this is an easy read and hard to put down until you're finished.
November 15, 2021
A great tale. Rose/Rossa is a delightful, young woman training with her father to do similar work. Boris/Snow, a former prince, is the beast: a Kodiak/white bear. Their tale is a surprisingly captivating one. One of friendship. Plenty of little moments related to other stories in the series.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Happily Ever After. Romantic. Scary. Steamy. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.
I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.
Action-packed. Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Happily Ever After. Romantic. Scary. Steamy. Tragic. Twisted. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.
I received a review copy of this book from a third party. This is my honest review.
December 14, 2021
Snow White and Rose Red is one of my absolute favorite fairytales from when I was a kid. In this retelling, Rossa wears red and the prince, Boris, is a white bear, so she calls him Snow. It was a clever way to mix up the story while retaining the most essential elements.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but it has as much depth as any fairytale. Although I appreciated the changes from the original, I felt like the original theme of treating everyone, human or animal, kindly was missing in this version. Sadly, I think that was my favorite part.
Overall, I enjoyed the story but it has as much depth as any fairytale. Although I appreciated the changes from the original, I felt like the original theme of treating everyone, human or animal, kindly was missing in this version. Sadly, I think that was my favorite part.
December 18, 2021
I love all these books and they never disappoint. Boris is betrayed and cursed and loses everything. Rossa aspires to be a great assassin and magic wielder like her father. She finds Boris in his cursed form and befriends him gradually unravelling his history. Lots of action, feisty women, humour, magic and romance. A great story. I received an advance copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 10, 2022
quick and easy read not bad nothing phenomenal an easy aftorneen treat
As usual whenever Im hesitant what to read DC is a good relax in between. Short quick reads mildly satisfactory. I really liked it until the first death of thr Djinn’s as I think R made a quick conlusion especially after B just told her everything. And the rest was a bit strage but the usual happy ending so all fine here. Will be back in my next inbetween.
As usual whenever Im hesitant what to read DC is a good relax in between. Short quick reads mildly satisfactory. I really liked it until the first death of thr Djinn’s as I think R made a quick conlusion especially after B just told her everything. And the rest was a bit strage but the usual happy ending so all fine here. Will be back in my next inbetween.
October 30, 2021
An assasins daughter and a cursed prince in hiding team up to take on an evil murderous king. How do you think that will work out? A fun fairy-tale from start to finish and a must read for Demelza Carlton fans, if you aren't one you will be.
November 8, 2021
I enjoyed reading Boris and Rossa’s story. This was an interesting version of the fairy tale and all the Easter eggs from previous books I’ve read were fun to see as well.
I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.
I received a free copy from the author and this is my honest review.
November 1, 2021
Stuffed full of magic, treachery, nobility and a big, white bear, Carleton's retelling of the classic fairy tale story of Rose Red is not to be missed.
I loved it.
I loved it.
November 10, 2021
A great retelling
A great retelling of the Snow White and Rose Red fairytale. Loved the weaving in of past characters too. An excellent read
A great retelling of the Snow White and Rose Red fairytale. Loved the weaving in of past characters too. An excellent read
July 1, 2022
As an adaption it was pretty good. As a romance it was rushed and unbelievable. I did enjoy it though.
April 13, 2024
loved it
Boris’ story had my heart breaking, but Rossa is amazing for him. I couldn’t believe what happened with Igor; what a twist!
Boris’ story had my heart breaking, but Rossa is amazing for him. I couldn’t believe what happened with Igor; what a twist!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews