The White Rose

July 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-The sequel to The Jewel (HarperCollins, 2014) picks up within hours of the first volume's end. Violet and Ash's love affair has been discovered by the Duchess of the Lake. In order to save Ash and to survive, Violet must trust The Black Key, a secret society bent upon the destruction of the royals in the Jewel. Violet escapes from the Jewel circle to the Farm circle, along the way learning that surrogates are not the only ones who are being used by the royals: boys are forced to be companions for the wealthy, girls are being kidnapped into slavery, servants are killed on a whim, boys are being conscripted into military service, and children are dying from disease. This realization makes the protagonist determined to end the reign of the royals and discover the true meaning behind the Auguries, the powers that the royals find so desirable in their surrogates. What Violet learns about those powers will change the future of the city. This work has its own fast-paced plot and doesn't just bridge the first book to the third. Questions are answered from the first installment in this tale, backstory and history are provided for better understanding of the workings of the Lone City, and a surprise twist will make readers anxious for the next series entry. VERDICT A must-read for fans of the previous title; they will not be disappointed.-Lisa Nabel, Dayton Metro Library, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Science and magic, royalty and rabble begin to clash in this dystopian sequel (The Jewel, 2014). The Duchess of the Lake bought teenage Violet at Auction to serve as a surrogate mother, ushering her into a luxurious life in the Jewel, which occupies the heart of the concentric Lone City. Horrified by rampant exploitation and experimentation, Violet just wanted freedom. Now imprisoned for an indiscretion with the off-limits Ash, male companion to the royal daughters, Violet petitions enigmatic eunuch Lucien for assistance. Aided by a secret society but hunted by the Regimentals, Ash and Violet slowly escape, their passage fraught with danger-and many characters' back stories. In exchange for her freedom, Violet must become a figurehead for the revolution, rousing rabble, scaring surrogates, and employing the native, elemental magic of the island against the colonialist oppressors. Violet's path is clearly mapped by Lucien (and the author) and follows the trendy solitary-heroine-vs.-corrupt-rulers trope, but the plentiful action, complex characters, and mix of science and magic help avoid predictability. However, the magical empowerment of the surrogates and stark socioeconomic inequalities do not explain the illogical disposability of surrogates, undermining both the premise and the high stakes. Ewing bravely blends several genres-science fiction, fantasy, medical thriller, dystopian-and semisuccessfully balances teen romance and angst against family drama, rape accusations, prostitution, and slavery. This graphic read solidly sets fans up for the next volume. (Dystopian romance. 14-18)

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