#Review - Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Queen's Council (#1)
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Adaptations

Beauty has broken the curse. Now she must rise to be queen.

Happily ever after is only the beginning as Belle takes on the responsibility of becoming queen and learns to balance duty, love, and sacrifice, all while navigating dark political intrigue—and a touch of magic.

It’s 1789 and France is on the brink of revolution. Belle has finally broken the Enchantress’s curse, restoring the Beast to his human form and bringing life back to their castle in the province of Aveyon. But in Paris, the fires of change are burning, and it’s only a matter of time before the rebellion arrives on their doorstep.

Not so very long ago, Belle dreamed of leaving her provincial home for a life of adventure. But now she finds herself living in a palace, torn between her past as a commoner, and her future as royalty. While Belle grapples with her newfound position, there are those who would do anything to keep her from power.

When she stumbles across a magic mirror that holds a dire warning, Belle wants nothing more than to ignore the mysterious voice calling her to accept a crown she never desired. But violent factions of the revolution may already be lurking within her own castle, and doing nothing would endanger everything she holds dear. With the fate of her country, her love, and her life at stake, Belle must decide if she is ready to embrace her own strength--and the magic that ties her to so many female rulers before her--to become the queen she is meant to be.

 

Rebel Rose is the first installment in what's being called The Queen's Council series. Happily, ever after is only the beginning to this epic YA reimagining of the princesses as young rulers of their lands, aided by a mystical group of women called the Queen's Council, whose job it is to advise queens throughout history. Instead of calling this a retelling or re-imaging, let's say that the author writes her own story which takes place after the ending of Beauty and the Beast’s story. She also adds a historically accurate account of one of the most turbulent moments in French History, the French Revolution, and the Reign of Terror.

 

But, back to the beginning. This is Belle's story to tell. She's broken the 10-year curse by the enchantress. She’s risen from commoner to Princess. Adam is now fully restored to his human form, and now Belle wants to do something she's never had a chance to do because of her upbringing as a commoner; travel the world. The first place she and Adam stop is Paris where they meet with Bastien, Duke of Vincennes who is also related to Adam and Adam later meets with Louis XVI. But how do you explain to anyone that you were cursed for 10 years? 

At the same time, Belle learns by exploring Paris that the Third Estate is making waves to the point that they will eventually remove Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette. Belle and Adam find themselves entwined into court intrigues, political instability, and the People’s Revolution. Both have been brought up in different circumstances, social circles, and ideals. For much of the story, Belle insists that she’s just a normal, peasant girl who just happened to marry a Prince who later will become King, but I digress. She’s constantly demoting herself, doubting herself, because she doesn't want to have power over others, and others control her because of this weakness.

Even though she has her own ideas of bringing people together no matter what their upbringing, her perceived weaknesses draw villains in to disrupt the peace that Aveyon has experienced outside of what’s happening in Paris, and other places. She must deal with Adam’s council who looks down on her. She must also deal with Bastien who thinks that because of his relationship to Adam and the fact that he’s wiser than Belle is, he can do whatever he wants. She must also deal with a reluctant Adam who honestly allows too many people to sway his choices. 

Why is this called the Queen's Council you ask? The Queens are magic users who "councils" queens who are in need, who store past queen's strengths, fears, and weaknesses to aid future queens. In this case, Orella just happens to be the one who cursed Adam knowing that it would take Belle to step up and save Aveyon for what is happening in other places around the world. By the end of the book, Belle accepts that she can be queen and by being queen, she can use her power to help others far more than staying completely the simple girl she once was.

According to my own research at Disney, there will be (3) books in this series all written by different authors. Each book will focus on a different Disney Princess in her own historically accurate time frame. The next two books will be released over the next (2) years. You can tell Theriault did a lot of research into the French Revolution, which makes the world building aspect of the book phenomenal. She has a talent for putting you right in the middle of the scene. I was glad to see that Cogsworth, Lumiére, and Mrs. Potts still played large roles in the story, along with new friends for this book. I also loved Belle’s relationship with Marguerite Lambriquet. If you do research on the name, you’ll be surprised to find out who she really is.