Rose et le fantôme du miroir

Rose #4

by Holly Webb

Toujours apprentie chez Mr Fountain, Rose s'interroge de plus en plus sur ses origines. Elle découvre un miroir magique ayant appartenu à sa mère. Rose va devoir affronter un fantôme aux côtés de ses amis.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical

278 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2011

About the author

Holly Webb is one of Britain's best-loved children's writers. She has written over a hundred books for children, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages. Holly lives in Tilehurst, just outside of Reading, Berkshire, with her husband, three children and several cats.

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

*NOTE:This is a review of the entire series*

Typically, I don't read a lot of middle grade novels. I used to love them when I was younger. As an adult, I feel that I am so beyond the intended audience that the magic and wonder is lost on me. However, I've been on this kick lately where all I want to read is middle grade. I'm glad that I am. I read all of the Rose series by Holly Webb in one day, and I loved it. It brought all of the magic and wonder back into reading middle grade novels.

Holly Webb has a way of writing books that make you believe you are there right beside Rose, in Victorian London, experiencing the same thing that Rose is experiencing. For a middle grade novel, the author created a complex, intricate world that was absolutely beautiful. I love the magic system that she created. It was great to see how Rose, Mr. Fountain, and Freddie explored their talents, and became stronger magic users throughout each book. I loved seeing their progression from the beginning of Rose, to the end of Rose and Silver Ghost. My only problem with the series as a whole was that it was very predictable. By the first few chapters of Rose and the Magician's Mask, the third book in the series, I had already guessed most of the plot twists in the book, and was correct.

The Rose series was full of a fantastic cast of characters. I can't think of a single character that I disliked. Even Gossamer, the main villain in the series, was charming in his own way. Even though I liked all of the characters, my favorite was Gus. This should be no surprise for those of you that have followed my blog for a while, and know how much I love cats. I didn't just love him because he was a cat though. I also loved how protective he was of Rose. He might have seemed harsh, and pushed her to her limits sometimes, but that was because he wanted her to evolve her magic, and grow stronger. I also loved his snarky sense of humor.

I loved the Rose series. Even though it was predictable at times, it provided me with a lot of enjoyment. I noticed on Goodreads that Holly Webb has books with names of some of the minor characters in the Rose series, such as Maisie, and Lily. I'm not sure if the books are related to the Rose series, but I plan on reading them to find out because I want more of this world. I recommend this series for kids looking for a quick, fun fantasy read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose's adventure to find out her parentage was a great deal more tricky and satisfying than the quick defeats of the villains in the previous stories. I liked how the children and adults worked together with their magic against both the local and national threats. Sadly this seems to be the last of this series. I could read many more adventures (I really expected that there would be more as the series never follows up with the villain from the first one as it was implied it would). I liked that I finally felt like I was starting to understand the rules governing magic in this world.

[Liviania · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the final novel of the Rose series, Holly Webb brings Rose's parentage to light through a mysterious mirror, a dangerous gang, and two loyal women. There's still war brewing on the horizon, but it is mostly an afterthought, something the grown-ups are focusing on while Rose and her friends chase the truth and run straight into danger. But the kids will be drawn back in before the end.

I thought ROSE AND THE SILVER GHOST was a wonderful end to the series. It stays true to the lessons Rose has learned about magic and responsibility. The events of the novel also force Rose to face the ways she's changed, and that she can never go back to just being a maid. I'm not entirely happy with the way she was forced to give up the last bits of her earlier identity, but she really isn't that little girl anymore. ROSE AND THE SILVER GHOST also continues the darker direction that started in the third book, although the story is still appropriate for younger children. There are some things they might find scary.

I will miss Rose, Freddie, Bella, and Bill. All four children had distinct, memorable personalities and worked so well together. Then there was Gus. I can think of very few books that wouldn't be improved with the addition of a talking cat. It's just common sense.

I doubt ROSE AND THE SILVER GHOST would be that exciting for anyone who hasn't read the first three books on gone on this journey with Rose. But these books are short and delightful, so there's no reason not to catch up now that the entire series is available in the US.

[Miłuś · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nie wiem który raz to czytam. Nie wiem który raz płaczę.

[J.J. Lair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because it was cheap at a bookstore. Didn’t know it was the middle of a series. The author spends a lot of time in the beginning catching me up. When the story of the mirror and Eliza begins, it gets easier to read and follow.
Eliza tells a lot. There is a lot of tell and no show. It’s a small book so it saves time and space. It’s Rose’s story but Gus steals a lot of scenes. I kept reading of the invasion, but that doesn’t become a thing until late in the story.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Megan Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best one of the series. The inheritance drama, the mystery/suspense, the world building, so many of my favourite things in one book. Honestly I could read a plotless day to day description of Rose’s life after the end of this book and I would be fascinated at this point, because the world building here was so good and the characters are so loveable.

Her character growth through this series is immense, and it only takes place over a few months! She has to really adjust to big changes in her life in this one, changes she didn’t ask for or consent to, and the way it is explored is deeply realistic and relatable. She is a child, and has no real say, and she has feelings about that.

The plot of this was super quick too. I read practically the whole book in a few hours and I didn’t want to put it down. It just kept building and building and I do love a big reveal. Possibly one of the best endings to a series I’ve read so far. Highly recommend.

[Miss Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are an absolute delight and quintessentially British.

This last book in the ROSE series takes place back in London. Rose is reunited with a family member and goes on quest to discover where she comes from and what happened to her parents.

I love the characters and their loyalty and affection, genuine and prickly and imperfect.

I almost wish she would write another book about Bella when she gets a bit older because you know that she will have adventures of the highest order.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, so many questions answered! But some not--because I still think there is more to Mr. Fountain than we know.

Rose is finally learning to accept that she is more than a maid, even though it's hard to give up the familiar life she has prepared for and attempt to move into an unknown situation. The ending is very satisfying. There is another series where Rose shows up as an adult, the Lily series, but it is not available in the U.S.

[Rachel Armington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I liked this series. I would probably recommend it with reservations, depending on the child. Other readers have mentioned the gore of the first book, which did startle me a bit. The denouements of the third book especially seemed rushed. The characters were so well drawn that I wanted to keep reading.

I would totally read a series relating Gus's past.

[Lee Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have quite enjoyed this series! Interesting characters and clever plots!

[Faith Fawcett · Rating 5 out of 5]

So nostalgic

[Zuii · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the last installment of the series, Rose goes on an adventure to find her lost parentage, set against the backdrop of an impending war.

The story wraps the whole series up nicely and answers many questions set forth at the beginning of the series. I'll miss reading about Rose and her friends. They have distinct voices and personalities but complement each other so well. Gus is my favourite among the bunch - he's so sassy, arrogant, and strangely endearing. I was rather sad Freddie had been sidelined so much as I'd enjoyed reading about his antics in the first book. I also love that we were able to explore more parts of Victorian London.

However, I had a few issues. Firstly, the ending felt rather anti-climactic, with the resolution of the Talish navy invasion condensed into about 2 paragraphs. I'm disappointed at the lack of an epic marine battle but I've to remind myself this is a children's book. Secondly, though the war theme was prevalent throughout the series, it took a backseat as the story's focus shifted to Rose's discovery of her long-lost family. It just felt like a missed opportunity as the theme could have been used in a more interesting way instead of being reduced to a mere plot device to keep Mr. Fountain out of the frame.

Although this story didn't captivate me as much as its predecessors, it remained entertaining. Overall, the series took me on a nostalgic trip, and I've to thank these books for shaping my love for reading during my formative years. Will definitely visit this series again!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Прочитав четвертую книгу серии, могу наконец окончательно сформулировать, чем именно истории про Роуз мне нравятся и в чем их главный для меня минус. Все они в плане структуры - как под копирку, поэтому можно смело говорить о серии в целом. Итак, плюсы: герои - каждый с какой-то ярко выраженной чертой, но это выглядит в тексте органично, и мне они нравятся, кто своей разумностью, кто, наоборот, взбалмошностью или упрямством; чувства героев и их отношения между собой - в этом Холли Вебб большой мастер, все эмоции как в жизни, и это здорово; атмо��фера - волшебства, старой доброй Англии, зимы, Венеции, и этот список можно продолжать и продолжать. В общем-то, и сюжеты тоже можно записать в плюс, ровно до одного момента: до решающей схватки со Злодеем. Вот тут и начинается печаль. Страшные злодеи, о чьей мощи говорили на протяжении двухсот страниц, вокруг действий которых накручивался страшный саспенс, вдруг, без каких бы то ни было разумных причин теряют половину могущества, поскальзываются на банановой шкурке и разбивают себе голову. Ладно, банановых шкурок в текстах не было, но ощущение создавалось ровно такое. Ну не получается у автора писать логически обоснованные и при этом экшеновые сцены сражений, вообще никак. После прочтения кульминации остается только недоумение и неловкость за автора. Тем не менее, во всем остальном серия отличная для своего жанра, и я понимаю, почему детям и юным подросткам очень нравится. Мне, в общем-то, нравится тоже :)

[Cara (Wilde Book Garden) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Not my favorite in the series but still fun and interesting! I love this cast of characters (though Bella impressed me less in this book than in previous ones - I guess she hasn't developed as much as I thought!) and the world / magic is fun. Rose is a great protagonist, even if I wish certain changes with her had happened earlier in the series.

I wasn't a big fan of the implications for some of the discoveries here as they relate to class, and the confrontation near the end was pretty frustrating (why would you go in with no plan?!), but overall I had a fun time with this.

CW: Grief, murder, classism, war

[Ambre Assiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

j'ai hurlé tout le long je VIE pour le triangle amoureux Freddy <-> Rose <-> Bill (même s'il existe peut-être pas moi je vois QUE ÇA) et la relation de JALOUSIE entre Bill et Freddy vis-à-vis de Rose

quelques incohérences sauf si j'ai mal suivi, genre quand Fell raconte à Rose et Bella que Rose est une Fell, Freddy était là, puis après elles doivent raconter à Freddy ce qu'elle a dit mmmmmh ou des fois Bill disparait des scène genre????????? mettez mon chouchou partout pitié Bill main caracter

mais malgré tout ça purée j'ai trop trop aimé le livre (Bill je te donne tout purée) donc 4 étoiles quand même

[Jameyanne Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first three books of this series, but this last book fell flat for me. The first half dragged, and then the ending was really rushed, and Rose went from practical and common sensical in the first three books to super whiny in this one. Honestly I feel like this book either needed to be longer, to address both Rose’s history and the impending war, or it needed to be too books. And I’m kind of meh about how Rose’s history is resolved. So while I would definitely recommend the first three books in this series, I’m not sure this one is worth it.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the story (no spoilers! you will have to read for yourself!).

The characters and plot come to the culmination of the suspense crated from the first book until almost to the end of this one.

Loved these four books!

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon, 24 November 2021.

[Ila · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like the magic and the spells and the stopping the invaders...

[Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting...but it’s a lot of things that are disconcerting so I’m curious to see where it’s going to go...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this cute series!

[Leann J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was great. I found that imagination is endless. This book unlocked my mind. It unlocked a whole new dimension of imagination and fun and dreams.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me disgusta el libro como tal sino más que esté sea el final

[S.A.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good ending to the series.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Becca Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series, I really enjoyed reading these to my two girls will definitely revisit them once they are old enough to take the story in more.

[Brandy Painter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

Rose's story picks up almost immediately where it left off in Rose and the Magician's Mask. She and the family have returned to London from Venice. Miss Fell has joined the family and taken on both Rose and Bella as pupils, not only to grow and focus their magic but to train them how to be proper ladies. As the lessons continue, she seems to be testing Rose in particular. Bella suspects why and shares her theory with Rose. The girls embark on a dangerous and somewhat misguided plan to uncover the truth of Rose's past, her seeming connection to Miss Fell, and the reasons for the years Rose spent in an orphanage. With the help of a ghost they find in a mirror belonging to Miss Fell, the children and Gus the cat are lead into a world of underground crime lords and exploitation of magic.

Rose and the Silver Ghost is a wonderful conclusion to the journey Rose began in the first novel. She has grown in her magic and come to see that she must choose a life. She can not remain both servant and magician. Her desperate need for a place, to feel like she has a home, is one that readers of all backgrounds and lifestyles can relate to. She just wants to know who she is and understand where she came from so she will know where she is going. Through the course of the novel, all the secrets of Rose's mysterious past are revealed. Some of the revelations are surprising, some less so, but they all combine to make her story richer. I also appreciate how well Webb developed all of the other characters too. Bella, Freddy, and Bill have all grown over the series too. They are wonderful friends to Rose. Gus is still my favorite though. Because you just can't beat a snarky grumpy talking cat with a heart of gold.

Fans of the Rose series will enjoy seeing how everything comes together in this book. I think that it is the final one in the series. It ends in such a way that the story is complete. I wouldn't mind having more though.

I read an e-galley received from the publisher, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, via NetGalley. Rose and the Silver Ghost is currently available in the UK and goes on sale in the US on March 3.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose and the Silver Ghost
Holly Webb
Rose #4

Review: Rose is now back in London after defeating gossamer and retrieving the Venetian mask she and the fountain household were sent to fetch. Now though she has a new adventure waiting for her. While in Venice they met another powerful magician who just might know who Rose really is. The problem is she doesn’t want to share what she knows with Rose. Will Rose finally find out who she was really meant to be and will she like what she learns?
Holly Webb has done it again. This book in the Rose series is just as wonderful as the others. Rose and the other characters just continue to grow both in their magic and in their characters that you just can’t help but want everything to work out for them. This is especially true of Rose who was raised in an orphanage and never even knew who her parents were. So now when there is a chance for her to learn the truth you want it to be good news and everything to end happily. Of course nothing is perfect and neither is her past, but maybe it isn’t as bad as she always feared it was and just maybe she can finally find some closure on why she was left all alone, in a churchyard, in a fish basket.
As I mentioned before this story would not be the same without the supporting characters. Isabella is slowly growing up and at the same time she is still just a little girl. Unfortunately at times this can be a problem especially since her magic is starting to develop and she has no idea how to control it. Then there is my second favorite character, Gus. Without the cat this story would be lacking something. He adds humor to the story with his love of fish and his aristocratic ways. Of course he is always there for Rose when she needs him most even if it sometimes comes out a bit snarky.
I recommend this story to young readers who love a touch of mystery in their stories and a lot of magic. I also recommend reading the other three stories in this series first if you have never read them before. You can follow along with the book if you haven’t read the others before, but you don’t know the characters the same way. Plus, the first three stories are just as magical and wonderful as this one.
I received a free Ecopy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rose series continues to delight me (and other readers, I'm sure). Rose and the others from Mr. Fountain's household have returned from their trip to Venice, bringing the magician Miss Fell with them. Hepzibah Fell has consented to live as a guest of Mr. Fountain and help him to train Rose, Freddie, and Bella in magic. The help is needed since Bella has driven off another governess and Mr Fountain is often at the palace advising the king about the looming war with the Talish Empire. Rose is not very happy when Miss Fell insists that Rose must become a full-time apprentice and young lady and give up her position as a housemaid. Mr. Fountain had agreed to let Rose continue her housekeeping duties along with her magical studies, but the older lady is determined that Rose will be treated as a proper young lady and have etiquette lessons along with Bella.

Rose suspects that Miss Fell may know about her parents. Everything about them is a mystery since Rose was found abandoned in a churchyard as an infant and had been raised in an orphanage until she was hired as Mr. Fountain's maid. Some remarks Miss Fell made when they met in Venice, and her willingness to relocate to London with Mr. Fountain and the children seem to prove Rose is right. In the midst of the rising possibility of an invasion by the Talish forces, Rose and the other apprentices (along with Mr. Fountain's cat, Gus), do their best to uncover the mysteries of Rose's past.

I love so many of the elements in this series: the setting in a Dickens style London; Rose herself with her practical outlook on life amid all the magical people and happenings; Gus with his penchant for lobster; the steadfast stable boy Bill; it all comes together to create an enchanting story (pun intended). A great book for middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy with resourceful young protagonists.

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.