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142nd out of 919 books
—
5,216 voters
The Rose Bride: A Retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" (Once Upon A Time)
by
Nancy Holder (Goodreads Author),
Mahlon F. Craft
"ONCE UPON A TIME" IS TIMELESS
When Rose's mother dies, her only comfort is the exquisite rose garden her mother left behind. The purple blossoms serve as an assurance of her mother's love. But Rose is dealt a second blow when her father dies and his greedy widow, Ombrine, and her daughter, Desirée, move in and take over the manor in true Cinderella fashion.
Fate has been c...more
When Rose's mother dies, her only comfort is the exquisite rose garden her mother left behind. The purple blossoms serve as an assurance of her mother's love. But Rose is dealt a second blow when her father dies and his greedy widow, Ombrine, and her daughter, Desirée, move in and take over the manor in true Cinderella fashion.
Fate has been c...more
Paperback, 245 pages
Published
June 26th 2007
by Simon Pulse
(first published 2007)
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1.5 stars. A retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" though it felt more like "Cinderella meets Bambi" to me. In the Author's Note, it claims that the book was inspired, in part, by the movie Ever After. Which, by the way, is fantastic and because I've seen that movie more times than I can remember, I could certainly draw some comparisons, especially in the beginning of the book. Like when, barring one word, there is a small line directly from the movie. Some events and themes were st...more
Sep 19, 2012
Historyprincess
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
once-upon-a-time
"The White Bride and the Black Bride" is a lesser known fairytale from the Brothers Grimm. It's basically another interpretation of the little cinder girl. That being said, this book has accomplished a feat few other books have: It made me cry.
Rose Marchand is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and his second wife. On her thirteenth birthday, while Rose's father is away, her mother presents her with a beautiful garden filled with purple roses. But straight after, her mother passes away. And her...more
Rose Marchand is the daughter of a wealthy merchant and his second wife. On her thirteenth birthday, while Rose's father is away, her mother presents her with a beautiful garden filled with purple roses. But straight after, her mother passes away. And her...more
This is definitely not the best of the Once Upon a Time stories. I confess I'm not terribly familiar with the original fairy tale. I know I've read it before, but I don't really remember it.
I've found this series in general to be rather hit-or-miss, and this book was definitely in the latter category. It had potential, and there were even some things I enjoyed about it. I liked some of the imagery, for example.
I'll admit that the writing style threw me quite a bit. I'm actually a huge fan of Gre...more
I've found this series in general to be rather hit-or-miss, and this book was definitely in the latter category. It had potential, and there were even some things I enjoyed about it. I liked some of the imagery, for example.
I'll admit that the writing style threw me quite a bit. I'm actually a huge fan of Gre...more
1 like · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
1 like · like · see review
Very confused by the French-speaking, Greek-god-worshipping society. And the requests for children directed at Artemis (seems to me if you want to pray to someone for a kid, you might not want to direct said prayer to a virgin maiden goddess who's not too keen on the opposite sex, particularly when they spy on her in the bath).
Setting, cultural, and religious issues aside, this story is so very centered around the many (and I do mean MANY) trials and tribulations of Rose, a hard-working, long-su...more
Setting, cultural, and religious issues aside, this story is so very centered around the many (and I do mean MANY) trials and tribulations of Rose, a hard-working, long-su...more
3 likes · like · see review
From the first book I picked up I've liked the Once upon a Time series, and I've always loved retellings of fairy tales. I found this particular book at a thrift store, and promptly picked it up because of the others.
One of the things I liked about these reworkings was, even though the books claimed it was based on one fairy tale, they were almost always a mix of two or more fairy tales. While this one is a reworking of 'The White Bride and the Black Bride', it is also has aspects of 'Cinderella...more
One of the things I liked about these reworkings was, even though the books claimed it was based on one fairy tale, they were almost always a mix of two or more fairy tales. While this one is a reworking of 'The White Bride and the Black Bride', it is also has aspects of 'Cinderella...more
So I had to tough this one out until about seventy pages in.
The good:
The writing's not too bad, and once the story starts rolling, it gets interesting.
The bad:
Lack of knowledge of history. Did Holder not take history in high school? I'll admit my knowledge of European history isn't too great for anything before War of the Roses, but a quick trip to Google showed me that when Greeks lived in France, they weren't in "France" and they didn't speak French. The French did not worship Greek Gods as fa...more
The good:
The writing's not too bad, and once the story starts rolling, it gets interesting.
The bad:
Lack of knowledge of history. Did Holder not take history in high school? I'll admit my knowledge of European history isn't too great for anything before War of the Roses, but a quick trip to Google showed me that when Greeks lived in France, they weren't in "France" and they didn't speak French. The French did not worship Greek Gods as fa...more
VERY GOOD. I love retold fairy tales
1 like · like · see review
This is a superb example of why I find fantasy, and fairy tale retellings in particular, so compelling. Because at their best, in addition to spinning a wonderful story, they reach truth. In this instance, that truth is the nature of love---no small object! More specifically, it's about growing up and learning what it is to love...that love is a journey, not without moments of darkness and grief, and that it can and should be a healing force. So much is written and sung about love that at times...more
This is a strange strange book. I've never read the original fairy tale for this one, but I wonder if the original could possibly be as strange. A bit like Cinderella, the main character has a wicked step mother and wicked step sister who try to take the prince/king away from her. It's a really bizarre tale of love and hate, good and evil, deers and purple roses, and the goddess Artemis... whose methods of teaching seem to me to be about the same as a tricky leprechaun. Overall it was good-ish....more
By far this is the worst book of the Once Upon a Time series, and for several reasons.
1) Far too convoluted. It's like the author took fifty pages of back-story and crammed it in to five pages.
2) So the people in the story speak French, worship Greek/Roman gods (incorrectly), and dress like they live in some weird Renaissance-like world.... Wha-?
3) The descriptive paragraphs/back-story are horrifically complicated, but then we are graced with dialogue like: "True love never dies - it lives beyon...more
1) Far too convoluted. It's like the author took fifty pages of back-story and crammed it in to five pages.
2) So the people in the story speak French, worship Greek/Roman gods (incorrectly), and dress like they live in some weird Renaissance-like world.... Wha-?
3) The descriptive paragraphs/back-story are horrifically complicated, but then we are graced with dialogue like: "True love never dies - it lives beyon...more
This book was interesting. The opening chapter was ominous and intriguing, but after that I found myself slowing trudging through it. The main character seemed to have a terrible life. However, starting again with page 70 or so, I could not put it down. It wasn't necessarily that this was my favorite book; I'm still not even sure if I liked the story. But the book, the writing, was page-turning, in my opinion, to say the least. It wasn't a romantic mushy-gushy kind of love story. There was roman...more
A story where true love may not be at first sight and where Prince Charming must do more than sing a ballad outside his princess' window to win her heart.
True to the story of Cinderella, Rose's is left an orphan with only an evil stepmother and stepsister left to her. Her mother's rose garden is the only comfort in a house slowly being stripped of its valuables to pay for her new families' lifestyle. After disobeying her stepmother one time too many, the rose garden that gave her so much comfor...more
True to the story of Cinderella, Rose's is left an orphan with only an evil stepmother and stepsister left to her. Her mother's rose garden is the only comfort in a house slowly being stripped of its valuables to pay for her new families' lifestyle. After disobeying her stepmother one time too many, the rose garden that gave her so much comfor...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A shrug.
That’s the first thing I did after turning the last page of “The Rose Bride”. Don’t get me wrong; this book had a pretty good start but most of it dragged on. For a supposed short story, this took up quite a lot of pages; and I’m never a fan of slow paced books.
I’m well aware of the original tale of “The White Bride and The Black Bride” and this book has taken in the concept very well. It was mixed in with a little mythology, which I found to be interesting. It also has this Cinderella-...more
That’s the first thing I did after turning the last page of “The Rose Bride”. Don’t get me wrong; this book had a pretty good start but most of it dragged on. For a supposed short story, this took up quite a lot of pages; and I’m never a fan of slow paced books.
I’m well aware of the original tale of “The White Bride and The Black Bride” and this book has taken in the concept very well. It was mixed in with a little mythology, which I found to be interesting. It also has this Cinderella-...more
The lesser known Brothers Grimm tale of “The White Bride and the Black Bride” is used to explore the power of knowing one is loved, thoroughly and truly. In a setting reminiscent of Renaissance France, the gods Zeus and Artemis are worshipped and black magic is used by those with evil intent. Rose’s mother, a beloved favorite of Artemis, makes a dying wish that her daughter may always know that she is loved. The wish is granted, but Rose suffers through great trials beginning with the loss of he...more
Really this should be 3.5. It wasn't good enough for a four but better than just average. I'm glad she resolved the whole thing with Rose looking just like the prince's late wife. I'm not familiar at all with the original fairytale so I can't say how they compare but I enjoyed the book. However, mixing Ancient Greece with France really bothered me. I could never get my bearings and it was just wierd. Do one or the other or a whole new world together but don't mix like that.
In the beginning, the descriptions threatened to overwhelm my first spoonful of story. But the characters' situations just seemed to worsen so quickly and I was lured in wondering, how will they triumph in the end? How will a fairy tale ending find its way out of this mess? But the very complex flavor of loss and love that won out in the end really surprised me. It was a more thorough understanding of love than can normally be found in romances.
A worthy read.
A worthy read.
One of the "Once Upon a Time Series." The storyline is well written and interesting to read. My personal preference is that I am never comfortable reading about gods and goddesses which this book is rife with. There is so much sadness and tragedy that does not cease until the very end. I did like the principle of the importance of being loved and loving others, and what that really means. I would recommend this book, but it is not my favorite in the series.
Themes: love, religion, magic, fairy tales
Setting: fairy tale France
Rose is a sort of Cinderella. Her mother dies when she is young, her father remarries to a completely unsuitable woman with a daughter of her own and then dies, and Rose is mistreated by her new stepmother. But Cinderella didn't have all this stuff about Artemis the Goddess and have her turn into a deer.
Several other reviewers here on LT, plus my own daughter, complained about the odd mesh between the Greek mythology and a fairy...more
Setting: fairy tale France
Rose is a sort of Cinderella. Her mother dies when she is young, her father remarries to a completely unsuitable woman with a daughter of her own and then dies, and Rose is mistreated by her new stepmother. But Cinderella didn't have all this stuff about Artemis the Goddess and have her turn into a deer.
Several other reviewers here on LT, plus my own daughter, complained about the odd mesh between the Greek mythology and a fairy...more
My goodness! Just when I was beginning to think that I would never see another exceptional "Once Upon A Time" book, I came up with Midnight Pearls and now The Rose Bride.
The Rose Bride is a beautiful adaption to a fairytale ("The White Bride and the Black Bride"- however, I like to compare it to "Hercules" especially since "gods" play a role in a journey). In fact, it is heart-wrenching. The reader has to travel with the main character on a difficult and emotionally challenging journey.
Now, ther...more
The Rose Bride is a beautiful adaption to a fairytale ("The White Bride and the Black Bride"- however, I like to compare it to "Hercules" especially since "gods" play a role in a journey). In fact, it is heart-wrenching. The reader has to travel with the main character on a difficult and emotionally challenging journey.
Now, ther...more
I normally love retellings of old fairy tales, but this one was not good. There was enough french in the story that it would be confusing to anyone without a passing knowledge of french, and there were many things not rapped up. Several pages from the end actually, a lot of these untied endings are brought up in a question format before the book ends without either having answered them or using a cop out such as "the gods only know why." I appreciated the Greek mythology used in the book (for th...more
A Once Upon a Time novel. Rose wonders about love, her father doesn't seem to love her and then her mother dies. Her father promptly remarries and Rose is stuck with a mean stepmother and greedy selfish step sister. Then her father dies - I know you are thinking Cinderella, but you would have the wrong fairy tale. This tale looks at the meaning of love and the sacrifice it involves. A wonderful tale.
This book was magical and chilling and sad and beautiful all at once. I found myself drawn in to this dark tale and perhaps because I read it so quickly I did not notice the flaws other reviewers speak of. I loved the message of not giving up, that you will only stop in shadow and that if you keep going you reach sunlight, especially since I have been going through some dark times right now.
Wow, I was unfamiliar with this tale (a retelling of the story of the black bride and the white bride) and maybe that was my mistake. We all know that fairy tales have happy endings but usually have some hardship in between the intro and the "happily ever after," but this story was ridiculous. The events making up the majority of the book were so dismal and depressing that it wasn't worth reading for the very abbreviated "happy ending." As the reader I was left so shaken by all of the rest of th...more
Aug 20, 2009
Marie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fairy tale lovers and people who like to read retellings
I've never heard about "The White Bride and the Black Bride"
but I think this was a pretty good book to read.
It's a bit longer than the other Once Upon a Time books
(i love them longer because duh! theres more to read).
It was a bit confusing at times . .
I had to flip back a few pages to get my fuel running
again.
All in all, I recommend you read this if you enjoy the series.
but I think this was a pretty good book to read.
It's a bit longer than the other Once Upon a Time books
(i love them longer because duh! theres more to read).
It was a bit confusing at times . .
I had to flip back a few pages to get my fuel running
again.
All in all, I recommend you read this if you enjoy the series.
This book gained my favor since I love the story of Cinderella, and this story is very much like it. I don't know the story "The White Bride and the Black Bride" but I do know that it's just another interpretation of the cinder girl. I love Rose's strength as she struggled beneath the extreme oppression of her stepmother and stepsister after she loses everything she owns and loves.
Enjoyable "once upon a time" tale.
The content is PG- there's some scary "dark magic" sort of stuff. (The bad guys) But overall, an appropriate book for the reading level. (5th grade) I'd feel comfortable recommending this to my daughter.
I like that the ending isn't all wrapped up instantly, but more realistically takes some time to develop into the happily ever after.
The content is PG- there's some scary "dark magic" sort of stuff. (The bad guys) But overall, an appropriate book for the reading level. (5th grade) I'd feel comfortable recommending this to my daughter.
I like that the ending isn't all wrapped up instantly, but more realistically takes some time to develop into the happily ever after.
A fairy tale involving the greek gods, chiefly Artemis, the god of women, the hunt, and the moon. A woman makes a wish that her child should know true love above all else. Even if it means losing everything and suffering greatly in the process. Artemis honors this wish and young Rose suffers for love's sake. Fortunately, we stick by her because this fairy tale must have a happy ending.
There was something about this book that was really fascinating that not all the OUAT books quite achieve. I can't quite describe it, but I do know that watching the main girl change into a doe in body and mind was fascinating, and even more so as she realized it and began to fight for what was left of her human nature. Very engaging and extremely fascinating.
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Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling author of the WICKED Series, has just published CRUSADE - the first book in a new vampire series cowritten with Debbie Viguie. The last book her her Possession series is set to release in March 2011.
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family t...more
More about Nancy Holder...
Nancy was born in Los Altos, California, and her family settled for a time in Walnut Creek. Her father, who taught at Stanford, joined the navy and the family t...more
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Oct 02, 2012 07:51pm
Yes, indeed.
Oct 02, 2012 07:54pm