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Celestials #2

Emerald Rose

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A beast attacked me.
A beast called the Dread.
But the attacker spared my life.


He offered to train me to fight.
As a princess, I’d always been locked away in a tower.
I was never allowed to be a warrior.
My training begins underneath my own kingdom.
A place where the Dread live.
I remind him of his human life.
I’m the only one who can save his real identity.
But first we’ve got something bigger to handle.
A war between our people.

How are we going to stop it?

Book Two in the Celestial series by USAToday Bestselling Author Emma Hamm

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 23, 2020

111 people are currently reading
986 people want to read

About the author

Emma Hamm

72 books4,539 followers


We all know you don't really care about reading my background. Enjoy Cap instead.

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5 stars
180 (43%)
4 stars
128 (30%)
3 stars
85 (20%)
2 stars
16 (3%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Elena Rodríguez.
1,212 reviews493 followers
July 24, 2023
+3
“It was time to steal a princess from a king”.

Segunda parte de The Celestials. Aun no estoy segura si será trilogía o saga, aunque yo me decanto más por lo segundo, pero quien sabe.

“Be frightened of me, Dread. There are terrible creatures in the wood”.

La historia nos sitúa en otro reino, al contrario que en la primera novela, los Dread o las criaturas protagonistas no han asolado la población, sino que se encuentran bajo tierra y son más conscientes que sus compañeros de Gilded Rose.

“Your father dreams of darkness without light. He destroys, he hunger, and in the end, he always win”.

La historia desde un punto de vista argumental sigue siendo cliché y a los personajes les falta un poco de desarrollo, pero teniendo en cuenta que es una historia romántica donde va a primar el amor ideal tipo películas Disney. Entonces, por eso no le doy tanta importancia. Si siento que este igual mejor escrito que el primero.

“You are here. Don’t let yourself believe that because one man says you aren’t something, everyone else believes the same”.

A por el tercero cuando el cerebro me lo pida.
Profile Image for CrazyColorfulRoan .
98 reviews28 followers
May 14, 2020
THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY MANY TIMES! 😅 In a good way of course.

I really like this more than the book 1, I hope the following books will be outstanding just like this one. Sometimes this book reminds me of Cinderella, Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast but in a Dark setting.

The plot of this series really pulled me in. The Celestials, being a good creatures turned into a corrupt the Dread and their redemption. Their history, the difference between the Dread in each kingdom, their way of life, I'm really curious and I have so many questions left.

Also the Alchemists who are very hungry for power. I want to know where they come from, why did they become evil, what's the cause?

I'm really excited for the next book.
Profile Image for ShannaBanana✨.
548 reviews40 followers
January 24, 2021
I can’t get enough of these books! I loved Raphael and Danielle even more than the characters from the first book. Milo too. Poor little thing. Love him. Cute and really fun read with lovable characters. 5 stars
Profile Image for MP_1995.
52 reviews1 follower
May 14, 2020
Gotta admit was a bit sceptical that the second book or how many to follow will be repetitive and just have more similarities but I’m surprised how this one kept my focus love how different Kingdoms have the different characters of their dreads makes it stand out !!!! Loved the main couple how they matched so well together !! Looking forward to the next book !
Profile Image for Gabbibuu.
408 reviews13 followers
March 24, 2020
"Don't let yourself believe that because one man says you aren't something, everyone else believes the same."

I love Emma's writing and this book was no exception. As it happens with most of her books, I read it in one sitting and enjoyed every second. I was afraid the plot would feel repetitive, considering it is the second book in a series, only following different characters. It didn't. We even got to see Amicia and Alexander once more!
Profile Image for Ashley.
290 reviews
March 25, 2021
Wonderful

Super great series, the dread are fascinating. I almost hate seeing the curse broken because who would want to go from a powerful being with claws and the ability to fly and live for centuries back to being a squishy short-lived flightless human? Plus who wouldn't want to marry a guy with bat wings and horns? The other thing I wonder about is that the celestials appear to be either immortal or really long lived. If the people they marry are just plain humans, I think it will be horrifying for their spouse to grow old and frail while the celestial remains young and beautiful.

That being said, the book was delightful, the heroine charming and relatable. I really appreciated how they were portrayed was just people in different forms. The alchemists continue to be a formidable and elusive enemy. And it was lovely that we were able to see what became of Little Marsh from the first book. The romantic build up between the protagonists is sweet and wonderfully drawn out. I live for slow burn romances.
Profile Image for iread.
533 reviews
July 21, 2021
“You mean more than the sun and the moon.”
“And all the stars in the sky,”

I have a hard time finding good quotes, but this one was nice.

I liked the book. It was pretty amusing, but the first book was better in my opinion. I have to say that my taste isn’t the best. The first book was more thrilling and exciting in a way. Nonetheless I think it had an interesting storyline. The princess wasn’t annoying or thinking she deserved it all. Which I like a lot better.

It was just pretty chill and since I had the world building from last time. It was pretty easy, but it’s not very complicated like other fantasy novels. I liked that the brother of the princess, Milo was a bit fruity. Yeahhh definitely fruity. At least something innit.
Profile Image for Kim reads ✨.
75 reviews1 follower
January 7, 2025
3.5

I wrote this review as I progressed through the book:

I hate her father. Really, really hate him. The things he did to his own children and wife? Despicable! Though I still don’t fully understand what he did to Milo—did he rape him? (If so, that makes him even worse, the worst of the worst.) And Melissa—did he cut her tongue?
Compared to all the hell her siblings have gone through, I think she’s a brat. They live in constant torture, especially Diana, and all she does is bicker and try to escape because she doesn’t want to be a princess. Come on! Your siblings are living in hell, and you’re crying because you want to go outside. I get that her father mentally abused her, but compared to the rest? Grow up.

I can’t stand Danielle. She’s so self-centered and only thinks about herself under the excuse of “protecting her family and kingdom.” Everything she does is just because “I’m the princess.” And all that bravado about being brave and strong? She forgets it three seconds later and makes things even worse.

I also feel the story is a bit dull—I found myself getting bored while reading.

I just finished the book, and I can’t stop thinking about how, in the end, she never learned how to fight. That was supposed to be the whole point in the beginning, yet she never even touched a dagger.

Additionally, I felt the story tried to redeem the father at the end, but even in his “recovered” state and on his deathbed, he didn’t think to apologize to a single one of his children for everything he did to them—traumas they will never fully recover from. I also feel like the book was missing at least half a chapter showing how the siblings planned to heal from everything.

By the way, so Diana was evil in the end? She was sent to the dungeon, and she confessed to being fully aware of everything happening.

In conclusion, I liked it, although the first half almost gave me reader’s block (and claustrophobia throughout). But the second half? I finished it in two days, so I think I’ll read another book by the author.

"Words are the most deadly weapons of all, princess. But they're the most difficult to master."

“Don't let yourself believe that because one man says you aren't something, everyone else believes the same."

"Amicia, the strength of a kingdom lies in those
who are not nobility. You should never be ashamed of coming from small beginnings. Be proud of what you have accomplished and judge yourself on what you've done. Not what people expect you to do."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jesslyn Lettan.
505 reviews
July 11, 2022
It started potentially promising and went downhill as the story goes, reaching the end. A determined princess treated awfully by her father, the King, ran off from the palace to the meadow in the forest to learn and train herself to fight when a monster came out of nowhere and choked the shit out of her. That was where and how the first encounter happened between Daniella, the princess, and Raphael, the Emperor Dread. Well, that was a start.

At first, Daniella gives off an impression of a bad bitch heroine, a future Queen who knows what she's doing, a humble noble everyone looks up to, and a strong will princess who commits to saving her family. However, as the story goes, Daniella went off becoming a spoiled, ungrateful princess, didn't know what to do, never had a plan planned, and crossed her fingers waiting for the Dread to save her ass. She was determined to learn how to fight but not willing enough to push and never shown the effort to fix the situation as she was all talk. All she did was encouraged and command Raphael to do the work, making him her shield while she faced her miserable fate with open arms.
Yes, she wanted to help but always came up with zonk ideas and plans. All she did was wait for her savior.

The last few chapters upset me so much that I merely tolerate it.

The romance was shallow, and the chemistry was barely there. Unlike the first couple from the first book in the series, Danielle showed no fire that she was falling for Raphael. It'd felt instant and vague. Though I get why Raphael is likable as he's very charming, kind, and a man of his word.

The fantasy element was heavier in this one than in the Gilded Rose. It focused a lot on the Dread, the princess, the explanation and answers of why and how the curse happened, the cruel King who abused his children, and the alchemist who started all these. The romance took the back sit in this ride, unfortunately.

Maybe I would've enjoyed it more hadn't the princess ruined it for me.

All in all, it was an okay read.
Profile Image for Nessa.
3,938 reviews74 followers
June 6, 2023
A SOLID 3.5 STARS !
#cleanromance

This was sweet and as always Emma Hamm's books have gorgeous covers. I really enjoyed how beauty and the beast it was, but the reason I gave it less than 4 stars is because I've become accustomed to having hot and heavy writings in my favoured romances. It lacked heat, and was more focused on the plot. The romance was there, but it most certainly didn't take my breath away nor was it intense. It was like the brush of a butterfly's wings against one's skin. Faint, there and gone again.

Emerald Rose was a beautiful story, but everything always reads better when there's R-rated content. Even so, it had an interesting plot, world building and lovely characters although I admit the heroine was a little childish and often threw a tantrum when things didn't go or happen the way she wanted. That was the only black mark against her. It was good to see Danielle maturing halfway through, if not this would have been another star less.

DREAD was an interesting and highly cultured monster that I've ever read of. I can just imagine him in a British tone because the accent just makes one seem so cultured 🤣🤣 Anyways Dread and Danielle made a great pair because they were both very concerning rulers of their own respective kingdoms and only wanted what's best for their people.

OVERALL this was still beautiful despite not being entirely the kind of adult romance I read about. Heck, even the kiss scenes were tame. I know, I know, not everything is about sex. Now I'm on to read the next book.
Profile Image for Karolína.
25 reviews
March 24, 2020
Disclaimer: I read this book as a beta-reader.

As I mention in every one review for Emma's books, I am a fan of her world building skills. I was hooked by the lore behind the first story in this series and I was looking towards to learn more about Celestials and their curse. This story is significantly different from the first book. The biggest difference is in how does the Dread community works. And while this is explained enough in the end, I might liked the first one better, since it brought a lot more thrill and action. However this story is not ment to discuss the physical aggression as much as the ways people's minds and souls can get hurt. And it does it well,at some parts very, very well. As usual for Emma's couples, Danielle and Raphael have a nice slow burn romance which is as realistic as you can expect from the fantasy setting. In summary, if you liked the first book, this one is a very decent sequel and I, personally, am looking towards the final part.
Profile Image for Amy Braun.
Author 36 books350 followers
September 28, 2020
Yay for Gargoyles! I'm a huge fan of these creatures who honestly never get enough love in any medium. It's great to see them added here, in the realm of fantasy romance. The story is interesting and moves at a good pace. The characters are engaging and while the romance moves quickly, I enjoyed where it went.

This story alters some elements of the Dread from Gilded Rose, keeping them the same yet making them feel fresh and new at the same time. The characters of Danielle and the Dread Emperor have great chemistry. I would have loved to see more of Danielle as a warrior, though she did learn her strength as a person with a strong heart instead of strong fists.

There were some great action moments, especially at the end, which I would have loved to see go for a little bit longer. I can never get enough Gargoyle books in my life. A unique fantasy adventure with imagination and fun characters, not to be missed!
Profile Image for Jessica Jordan.
83 reviews
June 26, 2020
This book me on a journey I did not expect to go on and I loved it! As soon as I thought I got a handle on the direction of the story it swerved off in a new direction. The heroes were weak and flawed but grew into their strengths throughout the book (LOVE). The villains appeared weak in the beginning but showed their true strength in the end and the subtly and depth of it was chilling.

I liked how different this was to the first book and how expertly it was explained. The differences in the Dread cultures made for a savory read. This book added layers to the plot started from the first book and little bread crumbs of temptation keep me guessing and wondering what could be next. I like that I don't know where it's going to go.

The side characters were well thought out as well and added another layer to the story. The inner family drama was delicious. I wish there was more to read on them because they deserve their own stories, even if it's a novella. The brother especially. He needs someone special to care for him <3

There were times where I could tell the author was using filler, like the two weeks the main character was stuck underground. Whether it was for time reasons or a lack of knowledge on how to bridge those scenes together I don't know but it was a missed opportunity. I feel that time could have been used to dive deeper into the Dread culture and cemented her love for "her" people. A lot happens behind the scenes and we're expected to accept that the few times the main characters are together they fall in love and that her interactions with Weaver and Soldier and Storyteller make her hyper attached to these strangers. I could have used a little more one-on-one emotional angst to flesh out the relationships.

I'm going to read every one of these. And then I'm going to buy them in paperback and re-read them throughout the years. Emma rarely disappoints.
Profile Image for hollie.
1,131 reviews56 followers
February 26, 2021
I don’t know what it was about this book but I kinda preferred it over book one? This one was definitely more of a slow burn and I loved how Raphael and Danielle both had to figure out what was going on by themselves.

The writing was of course, really good. I always think Emma has a way with words.
The plot for this book felt more authentic and I liked how it weaved in with the first book but could definitely be read as a book on its own.
The change in characters was refreshing and I really
enjoyed the alternative points of view. Raphael was broody and fun and I honestly really enjoyed his character the most. Danielle had a good sense of self and really thought of others.

I definitely will be continuing with this series.
Profile Image for Mary L.
739 reviews13 followers
December 26, 2021
After reading the first one i needed moreeeeeee
And I also was curious how different or similar both books would be and they are different because of their situations, him being an emperor and her being a princess mistreated by her father.
-The pacing is fabulous as the first one, trying to find out more about this dreads and the difference between the others but also getting to know more about this kingdom
-She was such an amazing character. I really love her!
-And him he was so cute with his feelings towards her <3
-Fav character Milo I needed to see him interact with more of the dreads!
As always i wanted more interaction and romances between them but i still love the book
And I also i don't know if i will be reading the next one because i don't really like the premise but will see
Profile Image for Limecello.
2,535 reviews46 followers
Currently reading
April 2, 2020
ok so my KU trial expired on 3/31 and ...
we'll see if I ever get back to this

But I put it down/didn't immediately read through because I just... don't love the wide eyed ingenue thing - and it wasn't even her fault in this case!
She's trying to learn how to fight (although like... NOT tripping over your own feet isn't ... isn't THAT that hard. And I'm saying this as someone who isn't clumsy but does get injured a lot. >.> )

ANYWAY - so annoyed with the "YOU MUST BE PROTECTED" - "BUT ALSO YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT AND MUST NOT LEARN ANYTHING THAT WILL IN ANY WAY ALLOW YOU TO DEFEND YOURSELF." insert 10,000 eyerolls and glares and shit.

Ugh.
Profile Image for Tanja Glavnik.
738 reviews14 followers
October 30, 2024
Raphael and Danielle are a couple that will steal your heart and run away with it.

I love learning more and more about the Celestials and Alchemists, and who the real monsters are. And while I loved this book I'd have also enjoyed a little more explanation as to how long the Alchemists had been at Hollow Hill, but more importantly, why this book is called the Emerald Rose.

Danielle is most often seen in icy colours, like Cinderella personified. Nothing green?

Otherwise, another superb installment and I can't wait to read the final one!
Profile Image for Elysa.
246 reviews16 followers
April 25, 2020
4.6 stars
I said it with the first book, and I will say with this one: Hamm really hits the nail on the head. I've lost track of how many times I had to pause and wrap myself up in my duvet because I was so overwhelmed with emotions.

I love fairytale retellings. They're so charming — which is exactly the word I'd use to describe this series. The characters, the description, and the story are all so charmingly written. I am so excited for the next book.

Much like Danielle, my heart is full.
Profile Image for ✨Selena Yukino✨.
295 reviews51 followers
August 16, 2020
Rating: 4.0 stars

Aww, best book and couple in the series so far!!! I really, really liked this one way better than the first book! But, I would have liked it so much more if there was some sauce. and by sauce I mean sexy times of course!😏😏

4 reviews
Read
January 26, 2021
it was something that involved what goes on in real life I thought it projected rea life issues and to what we needed whenever we go through such problem and to think another fairytale story also entered book two Cinderella when it talk about glass slippers interesting I know that this book helps up find freedom in our own way whenever we are looking for it if you read this book you'll understand that real life actions could take us to a freedom that left in happiness if we try hard enough
Profile Image for Jaimee.
12 reviews
April 27, 2020
I’m sorry but... this book... this series... is just not good. I absolutely love The Otherworld series but this series is not nearly as well written. This book in particular was interesting in the beginning, dragged in the middle, and seemed very rushed at the end. I really enjoy fairytale retellings and everything else Emma has written but this series... ain’t it.
Profile Image for Simi Sunny.
Author 5 books77 followers
June 20, 2020
Better than the first!

I must admit, when I read the second book, it was much better than the first. I mean, the character development was hindering a bit, but Emma Hamm still pulled it off. And what’s different from the first was that it had sensual elements. Not too sensual, but I love it. So looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Monique.
194 reviews12 followers
September 2, 2020
Swoon worthy!

Ah! I don't quite know how Emma Hamm managed to create such an amazing story that felt new and exciting, yet so familiar! I absolutely adored book 2 of the Celestials! It is obvious we are just beginning to dip our toes into a magical world with so much history to learn!! 😍
4 reviews
March 27, 2020
Lovely and powerful

Emma Hamm is one of my most favorite fantasy authors. I love that this story mixes romance with feminism for both men and women along with a plea for peace. She always developes many characters within the story in a full fashion. I can't wait for the sequel
Profile Image for Phoebe.
57 reviews
February 11, 2021
This book was elite! literally loved reading this so muchhh
I definitely recommend this, your head will be so full it gave me the butterflies reading their love stories and all their struggles just made their relationship all the more stronger in the end. i was sobbing at that moment near the end that you all who have read this book know 😭😭
6 reviews
March 31, 2021
Best almost Cinderella I've ever read

A work of genius, thrilling and full of wonder. Emma continues to stay among my favourite authors as her characters remain friends you can fall in love with.
Profile Image for bookishpadawan.
405 reviews11 followers
November 4, 2022
this book made me right away got lost to the adventure with Danielle and Raphael. I really enjoyed this book, the story was just so beautiful. anyway I'm still curious about the Alchemist, who are they? what made them so evil? the answers would be found in the next book, can't wait to read it
Profile Image for Charlee.
265 reviews14 followers
March 24, 2020
Absolutely LOVED Emerald Rose! I need to know what happens next! You won't regret reading this book - promise! 💚
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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