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The Rose Labyrinth
Now in trade paperback, a mystical fiction debut from Britain’s bestselling “Favorite White Witch” that takes readers on a romantic journey from Elizabethan England to modern-day London where a centuries-old secret awaits.Before his death in 1609, Queen Elizabeth’s spiritual consultant, astrologer, and scientific advisor John Dee hid many of his most astonishing written works, believing that the world was not yet prepared to face the shocking truths that they revealed. For seventeen generations, his female descendants have carefully guarded the secret of his hiding place, waiting for the right moment to bring Dee’s ideas to light. That time is now. In The Rose Labyrinth, popular British author Titania Hardie masterfully blends historical fact and fiction as she introduces readers to Lucy King, a beautiful, young documentary producer based in London. With the help of a brilliant group of friends, Lucy races through London, France, and New York to decipher the clues that will eventually lead her to the hidden treasure of the Rose Labyrinth. Along the way she finds true love with Alex Stafford, the doctor who saw her through a life-threatening heart condition and transplant. A sweeping adventure for readers who loved The Da Vinci Code and The Expected One, The Rose Labyrinth is a decadent, romantic novel with a historical twist. It features a wonderful mix of literary references, from Shakespeare, to the Romantic poets, to Gabriel Garcia Marquez; the folklore and history of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Paganism; and of course, astrology and numerology, of which Titania Hardie is an expert. As the Rose Labyrinth tells us, the world we think we know is not all that it appears to be.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2008
133 people are currently reading
2948 people want to read
About the author
Titania Hardie
90 books52 followersBorn and educated in Sydney, Australia, Titania Hardie is the highly successful author of a range of distinctive books published in the UK on folklore, magic, and divination, and recently a new series of children's books, The Frangipani Fairies. She has first-class honors degrees in psychology and English and was awarded the prestigious Chatterton scholarship for post-graduate study at Bristol University, where she is currently completing her M.A. on the Romantic poets. The Rose Labyrinth is her first novel. Titania lives in Somerset with her husband and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 503 reviews
August 15, 2025
3+ stars to Titania Hardie's novel, The Rose Labyrinth. Few have heard of the author or this book, but when I stumbled upon it in the book store, I had to give it a chance for a few reasons:
1. It was a book within a book. It's a normal hardcover book, but in the front cover, there is a second book, a journal of sorts. In the real book, the main character uses a journal and a puzzle to decode the secrets from 400 years ago. And as readers, we get a copy of this journal, so along the way, we can try to figure it out, too. It sounds like a great concept, perhaps a bit of a gimmick. I didn't find it particularly useful, and it probably caused too much of an increase in production costs.
2. It told the story both in current time and in the historical Elizabethan period. I love those types of mysteries, where we learn, as the character learns, how they fit into this whole puzzle.
3. I'd been itching to try a little bit of a romance book, just to see if I would find it at all interesting. And in this one, the main character's story is about her own health issues and her subsequent falling in love with another. Eh... a few plot issues and mechanical (?) issues given she had surgery and well... didn't seem like it would all work out that quickly. But who am I to judge?
4. I love the author's name. I will check out another of her books to see how those compare. But I'm not in any rush.
Overall, I liked the book; however, it didn't live up to my hope given the notes above. I imagine it is only in print, given the journal that comes with it, but that might be something to look into, if you're interested.
I think the story is good, but there are other comparable stories. It's a cross between Kate Morton and Dan Brown. But it isn't as good as either of them, so... just do some review reading before you decide to take this one on. It may or may not be a fit.
1. It was a book within a book. It's a normal hardcover book, but in the front cover, there is a second book, a journal of sorts. In the real book, the main character uses a journal and a puzzle to decode the secrets from 400 years ago. And as readers, we get a copy of this journal, so along the way, we can try to figure it out, too. It sounds like a great concept, perhaps a bit of a gimmick. I didn't find it particularly useful, and it probably caused too much of an increase in production costs.
2. It told the story both in current time and in the historical Elizabethan period. I love those types of mysteries, where we learn, as the character learns, how they fit into this whole puzzle.
3. I'd been itching to try a little bit of a romance book, just to see if I would find it at all interesting. And in this one, the main character's story is about her own health issues and her subsequent falling in love with another. Eh... a few plot issues and mechanical (?) issues given she had surgery and well... didn't seem like it would all work out that quickly. But who am I to judge?
4. I love the author's name. I will check out another of her books to see how those compare. But I'm not in any rush.
Overall, I liked the book; however, it didn't live up to my hope given the notes above. I imagine it is only in print, given the journal that comes with it, but that might be something to look into, if you're interested.
I think the story is good, but there are other comparable stories. It's a cross between Kate Morton and Dan Brown. But it isn't as good as either of them, so... just do some review reading before you decide to take this one on. It may or may not be a fit.
December 4, 2013
30 pages in I realized that sometimes, just sometimes, you have to make a decision about what to waste your life with. This book? Not worth my time. The writing is horrendous and it's a clear DaVinci Code piggy-back. Basically: that's enough of this nonsense.
Also, I detest leaving books unfinished. I can count on one hand the number of books I've done this with. I actually had to create a new Goodreads shelf for this book, of books that are 'Life Wasting Never Finish.' Now I feel weird and uncomfortable because I didn't finish it. I tell you this because, it's important to know exactly how bad this book had to be for me to throw down in disgust after only 30 pages.
Also, I detest leaving books unfinished. I can count on one hand the number of books I've done this with. I actually had to create a new Goodreads shelf for this book, of books that are 'Life Wasting Never Finish.' Now I feel weird and uncomfortable because I didn't finish it. I tell you this because, it's important to know exactly how bad this book had to be for me to throw down in disgust after only 30 pages.
August 20, 2020
15th August 2010
Well, I finished this book because I am not a quitter, but oh dear! What a load of drivel. I have a good imagination, I really enjoy history and a good puzzle, I am not, however, a classical Greek scholar, a mathematician or clairvoyant, all of which would be the minimum requirement to be able to follow the proceedings in this flight of fancy. It is almost as if the author is in on the secret with the characters and their aim is to exclude the reader by keeping the clues to themselves. It was hopeless to try and follow the trail with them, i.e. Lucy was born in Australia at latitude 34˚ o.k. fine, so I will obviously deduce from this that it really refers to her birthday being on the 34th day of the year, which of course is the 4th degree of Taurus, leading us to the Minotaur, Ariadne and the labyrinth. Well, of course, I will! (Not). I have wasted precious reading time on a pretentious door stop. No more Titania Hardie for me.
Well, I finished this book because I am not a quitter, but oh dear! What a load of drivel. I have a good imagination, I really enjoy history and a good puzzle, I am not, however, a classical Greek scholar, a mathematician or clairvoyant, all of which would be the minimum requirement to be able to follow the proceedings in this flight of fancy. It is almost as if the author is in on the secret with the characters and their aim is to exclude the reader by keeping the clues to themselves. It was hopeless to try and follow the trail with them, i.e. Lucy was born in Australia at latitude 34˚ o.k. fine, so I will obviously deduce from this that it really refers to her birthday being on the 34th day of the year, which of course is the 4th degree of Taurus, leading us to the Minotaur, Ariadne and the labyrinth. Well, of course, I will! (Not). I have wasted precious reading time on a pretentious door stop. No more Titania Hardie for me.
January 23, 2009
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen; however, it is one of the dumbest books I have ever read.
It is a Da Vinci Code kind of thing, where a family has sole responsibility to keep the secret of the ages. Through hints and visions and discovered symbols the secret is understood...but not really. The love story part of it made me want to throw up. The girl receives a new heart, falls in love with her doctor and two weeks after the operation she's in bed with him. PLEASE!!! And he's so concerned with her health. I can't believe I suffered through finishing it...okay, I skipped through a lot of it.
It is a Da Vinci Code kind of thing, where a family has sole responsibility to keep the secret of the ages. Through hints and visions and discovered symbols the secret is understood...but not really. The love story part of it made me want to throw up. The girl receives a new heart, falls in love with her doctor and two weeks after the operation she's in bed with him. PLEASE!!! And he's so concerned with her health. I can't believe I suffered through finishing it...okay, I skipped through a lot of it.
June 4, 2022
Este primul roman al autoarei, publicat in 2008 si a devenit bestseller international imediat dupa lansare.
In prolog ne aflam in anul 1600, ziua Sf. Gheorghe, unde un grup de oameni sunt adunati in jurul unei mese si vorbesc despre arderea pe rug a lui Signor Bruno, care nu a dorit sa se lepede de convingerile sale "eretice" cum ca Pamantul nu e centrul lumii, ca mai exista alti sori si planete sau ca divinitatea nu trebuie socotita literalmente adevarata.
Ne intoarcem apoi in secolul nostru si il cunoastem pe Will, un fotoreporter independent foarte simpatic, cu aerul sau boem, cu motocicleta sa Ducati si cu buclele sale ciufulite, care porneste la drum prin Italia pentru a descoperi un mister in legatura cu o cheie si un manuscris pe care le-a primit de la mama sa decedata.
Calatorim inapoi in 1609 la Londra unde astrologul reginei Elisabeta, inteleptul John Dee trage sa moara, insa ii incredinteaza inainte lui Patrick Saunders, mana sa dreapta, un secret: 3 cutii si o scrisoare. Curand 3 oameni misteriosi vin si scot inima mortului si o aseaza in prima cutie. Celelalte 2 cutii raman la Saunders.
Mergem apoi la Londra in anul 2003 si o cunoastem pe Lucy, o tanara producatoare de televiziune, care fiind foarte bolnava se pregateste de o operatie pe cord deschis, avand nevoie disperata de un transplant de inima.
Il cunoastem intr-un final si pe Alex, fratele mai mare al lui Will, un medic specializat in transplant ce va avea sarcina sa duca la bun sfarsit cautarile fratelui sau mort alaturi de Lucy, cea care primeste inima acestuia.
Ce legatura exista intre acesti oameni si aceste intamplari ramane sa aflati citind romanul (asta daca veti reusi sa deslusiti ceva din tot talmes-balmes-ul spiritual, mistic, Shakesperian de care cartea abunda).
Romanul porneste ambitios si cu o poveste destul de incitanta, asa cum va puteti da seama din micul rezumat de mai sus, insa, pe parcurs, devine foarte vag, incalcit, tulbure. Desi are foarte multe elemente mistice si erudite, cititorului ii este foarte greu sa faca conexiunile dintre enigme si cu atat mai greu sa le desluseasca. De foarte multe ori nu o sa inteleaga indiciile, unde duc acestea si nici macar cand misterele sunt rezolvate nu o sa fie sigur ca le-a priceput.
Cartii ii lipseste ceva ce un Hercule Poirot de exemplu ar fi considerat vital: metoda, ordine, disciplina. Are prea multe subiecte din prea multe arii, foarte multa confuzie, fara sa existe o linie directoare. Cred ca acesta este si motivul pentru care are atat de putine stele, in ciuda povestii deloc neinteresante.
Cartea abordeaza un subiect ce constituie inca o controversa stiintifica si anume memoria celulara. In urma transplantului de cord Lucy a preluat anumite obiceiuri, amintiri si ganduri ale lui Will iar controversa planeaza asupra acestui fapt: este inima un simplu organ, un motor al organismului sau are o 'memorie' a ei?
Am retinut totusi un anunt care mi s-a parut amuzant si care suna cam asa:
"Cavaler modern cu C.V. corespunzator si conceptii de moda veche, cauta domnita pentru a o salva de orgoliul ei suferind."
Ca o concluzie romanul nu este in sine rau, la inceput mi s-a parut interesant si chiar l-am gasit pe Will simpatic, insa dupa moartea acestuia, cand prim-planul trece la Alex si la povestea lui de iubire destul de dezumflata cu Lucy, romanul incepe sa fie din ce in ce mai incalcit in simboluri, ghicitori sau enigme si pana la urma cititorul simte ca nu ajunge nicaieri.
In prolog ne aflam in anul 1600, ziua Sf. Gheorghe, unde un grup de oameni sunt adunati in jurul unei mese si vorbesc despre arderea pe rug a lui Signor Bruno, care nu a dorit sa se lepede de convingerile sale "eretice" cum ca Pamantul nu e centrul lumii, ca mai exista alti sori si planete sau ca divinitatea nu trebuie socotita literalmente adevarata.
Ne intoarcem apoi in secolul nostru si il cunoastem pe Will, un fotoreporter independent foarte simpatic, cu aerul sau boem, cu motocicleta sa Ducati si cu buclele sale ciufulite, care porneste la drum prin Italia pentru a descoperi un mister in legatura cu o cheie si un manuscris pe care le-a primit de la mama sa decedata.
Calatorim inapoi in 1609 la Londra unde astrologul reginei Elisabeta, inteleptul John Dee trage sa moara, insa ii incredinteaza inainte lui Patrick Saunders, mana sa dreapta, un secret: 3 cutii si o scrisoare. Curand 3 oameni misteriosi vin si scot inima mortului si o aseaza in prima cutie. Celelalte 2 cutii raman la Saunders.
Mergem apoi la Londra in anul 2003 si o cunoastem pe Lucy, o tanara producatoare de televiziune, care fiind foarte bolnava se pregateste de o operatie pe cord deschis, avand nevoie disperata de un transplant de inima.
Il cunoastem intr-un final si pe Alex, fratele mai mare al lui Will, un medic specializat in transplant ce va avea sarcina sa duca la bun sfarsit cautarile fratelui sau mort alaturi de Lucy, cea care primeste inima acestuia.
Ce legatura exista intre acesti oameni si aceste intamplari ramane sa aflati citind romanul (asta daca veti reusi sa deslusiti ceva din tot talmes-balmes-ul spiritual, mistic, Shakesperian de care cartea abunda).
Romanul porneste ambitios si cu o poveste destul de incitanta, asa cum va puteti da seama din micul rezumat de mai sus, insa, pe parcurs, devine foarte vag, incalcit, tulbure. Desi are foarte multe elemente mistice si erudite, cititorului ii este foarte greu sa faca conexiunile dintre enigme si cu atat mai greu sa le desluseasca. De foarte multe ori nu o sa inteleaga indiciile, unde duc acestea si nici macar cand misterele sunt rezolvate nu o sa fie sigur ca le-a priceput.
Cartii ii lipseste ceva ce un Hercule Poirot de exemplu ar fi considerat vital: metoda, ordine, disciplina. Are prea multe subiecte din prea multe arii, foarte multa confuzie, fara sa existe o linie directoare. Cred ca acesta este si motivul pentru care are atat de putine stele, in ciuda povestii deloc neinteresante.
Cartea abordeaza un subiect ce constituie inca o controversa stiintifica si anume memoria celulara. In urma transplantului de cord Lucy a preluat anumite obiceiuri, amintiri si ganduri ale lui Will iar controversa planeaza asupra acestui fapt: este inima un simplu organ, un motor al organismului sau are o 'memorie' a ei?
Am retinut totusi un anunt care mi s-a parut amuzant si care suna cam asa:
"Cavaler modern cu C.V. corespunzator si conceptii de moda veche, cauta domnita pentru a o salva de orgoliul ei suferind."
Ca o concluzie romanul nu este in sine rau, la inceput mi s-a parut interesant si chiar l-am gasit pe Will simpatic, insa dupa moartea acestuia, cand prim-planul trece la Alex si la povestea lui de iubire destul de dezumflata cu Lucy, romanul incepe sa fie din ce in ce mai incalcit in simboluri, ghicitori sau enigme si pana la urma cititorul simte ca nu ajunge nicaieri.
November 29, 2017
Dopo un'accurata riflessione, posso sentenziare una triste verità: questo è forse il libro più brutto che abbia mai letto.
La trama è quanto meno demenziale (un trapianto di cuore apre le porte ad esperienze pseudo-ultrasensoriali mettendo a contatto il donatore, morto, con Lucy, la donna con il cuore di Will. Ci si aggiunga un po' di esoterismo, che non guasta mai, e una spruzzata di thriller alla Codice da Vinci, il tutto condito da un romanticismo non-sense). Poi, per aggiungere fuoco alla brace, è anche scritto male.
Ma che volete, capita anche di leggere questo, quando si mette una bella etichetta ad un libro spacciandolo per quello che non è (in questo caso, credevo che stessi comprando un giallo)
La trama è quanto meno demenziale (un trapianto di cuore apre le porte ad esperienze pseudo-ultrasensoriali mettendo a contatto il donatore, morto, con Lucy, la donna con il cuore di Will. Ci si aggiunga un po' di esoterismo, che non guasta mai, e una spruzzata di thriller alla Codice da Vinci, il tutto condito da un romanticismo non-sense). Poi, per aggiungere fuoco alla brace, è anche scritto male.
Ma che volete, capita anche di leggere questo, quando si mette una bella etichetta ad un libro spacciandolo per quello che non è (in questo caso, credevo che stessi comprando un giallo)
August 23, 2012
This has to be by far the WORST book I have ever read, and sadly I read the whole thing! It read as if there were at least three different writers and each was worse than the last, the miracle of this book was that it ever got published!
February 1, 2017
I seem to be in a minority of people who gave this book four stars. I do not mind. My rating is my opinion and no one has to agree.
Maybe some of the imagery went over my head, but it did not bother me nor take completely away from my enjoyment of the story. Honestly, I do not know how much was Historical Fiction, just plain old mystery story, and complete fantasy. Well, I know which parts I think were fantasy, but they were interesting. I do not believe in ghosts, but I think I believe in angles. I know I believe in angels. Wait, did I get that right? Some of the information in the clues were hard to swallow. Thy just flew away.
I liked the author’s style of writing, even when I didn’t quite get the meaning in a very few spots. I had a great time looking up books and people that I did not know, that were mentioned in the story. I loved it when I recognized the ones that I did! I liked the symbolism of the roses and the labyrinth and the family mystery. I like the scientific and alchemy references too. What I really liked was the people/characters in the story. They felt real. They had emotions and frailties, like real human people, even when I could not believe they could really talk to each other like they did. They were almost too smart, but I did not care. Maybe they were like I wished I could be.
There was a time shift overlap in this story in a few places that did not quite work for me, because it was so vague in parts, but again, I can suspend my believe to move on in the story.
Whether a heart transplant patient can take on the characteristics of the person whose heart they received was a crucial part of the story, and an interesting element, but I cannot really count it nor discount it. For the people in the story, it worked out for them, so I had to go with it.
There were bad guys and they had an agenda and they hurt people. I thought it was humorous how well dressed they were, but that may be my sick sense of humor, or the author’s, I am not sure.
I am not going to get into any of the Christian and non-Christian beliefs that were thrown around during the story. What I believe is my own business. I did not feel preached at, nor scared about anything, but there was some critical information that I think the author was trying to get across – or not, it depends on how much of the story one chooses to believe.
Try it. You may like it. Or not.
Maybe some of the imagery went over my head, but it did not bother me nor take completely away from my enjoyment of the story. Honestly, I do not know how much was Historical Fiction, just plain old mystery story, and complete fantasy. Well, I know which parts I think were fantasy, but they were interesting. I do not believe in ghosts, but I think I believe in angles. I know I believe in angels. Wait, did I get that right? Some of the information in the clues were hard to swallow. Thy just flew away.
I liked the author’s style of writing, even when I didn’t quite get the meaning in a very few spots. I had a great time looking up books and people that I did not know, that were mentioned in the story. I loved it when I recognized the ones that I did! I liked the symbolism of the roses and the labyrinth and the family mystery. I like the scientific and alchemy references too. What I really liked was the people/characters in the story. They felt real. They had emotions and frailties, like real human people, even when I could not believe they could really talk to each other like they did. They were almost too smart, but I did not care. Maybe they were like I wished I could be.
There was a time shift overlap in this story in a few places that did not quite work for me, because it was so vague in parts, but again, I can suspend my believe to move on in the story.
Whether a heart transplant patient can take on the characteristics of the person whose heart they received was a crucial part of the story, and an interesting element, but I cannot really count it nor discount it. For the people in the story, it worked out for them, so I had to go with it.
There were bad guys and they had an agenda and they hurt people. I thought it was humorous how well dressed they were, but that may be my sick sense of humor, or the author’s, I am not sure.
I am not going to get into any of the Christian and non-Christian beliefs that were thrown around during the story. What I believe is my own business. I did not feel preached at, nor scared about anything, but there was some critical information that I think the author was trying to get across – or not, it depends on how much of the story one chooses to believe.
Try it. You may like it. Or not.
December 4, 2013
Oh my goodness, do not waste your time.
I was in the market for just a fun fluffy novel and while I could have been pleasently surprised that this had more to offer, I was not.
First of all, it seems like it was written by three different people. You had the romance plot, the intricate puzzle plot which never really got explained unless you took more time to figure them out in the back, and then there was the rant against Ratpturists and really Christianity as a whole. Which was a little extreme. It was like, half way through writing, something former Pres. Bush said irritated her and she wove made the villians into Rapturists.
The only reason I am even adding this book to my goodreads is that I am new to the site and this makes my twenty read so I can get recommendations. I guess there are two reasons...to warn all out there to not even start this novel...for those out there like me who just cannot NOT finish a book.
Ugh, pure agony.
I was in the market for just a fun fluffy novel and while I could have been pleasently surprised that this had more to offer, I was not.
First of all, it seems like it was written by three different people. You had the romance plot, the intricate puzzle plot which never really got explained unless you took more time to figure them out in the back, and then there was the rant against Ratpturists and really Christianity as a whole. Which was a little extreme. It was like, half way through writing, something former Pres. Bush said irritated her and she wove made the villians into Rapturists.
The only reason I am even adding this book to my goodreads is that I am new to the site and this makes my twenty read so I can get recommendations. I guess there are two reasons...to warn all out there to not even start this novel...for those out there like me who just cannot NOT finish a book.
Ugh, pure agony.
June 19, 2008
i don't even know why i persisted on this one for so long. it didn't work as a conspiracy novel, romance or historical saga. very tedious stuff.
did-not-finish
October 30, 2011Did not finish.
This is one of those books I wanted to love (and frankly should have loved). But for whatever reason, Hardie's writing was so difficult for me to read - like trying to swim through a pool of caramel. I got mentally exhausted reading a few paragraphs (put it down for a few hours and tried again - with same results).
Can't explain it, but this one just wasn't for me, and it makes me sad :(
5 stars for a beautiful cover, though.
This is one of those books I wanted to love (and frankly should have loved). But for whatever reason, Hardie's writing was so difficult for me to read - like trying to swim through a pool of caramel. I got mentally exhausted reading a few paragraphs (put it down for a few hours and tried again - with same results).
Can't explain it, but this one just wasn't for me, and it makes me sad :(
5 stars for a beautiful cover, though.
January 26, 2009
Before sitting down to read The Rose Labyrinth, do yourself a favor and buy a strong-scented rose. By the time you've read the first 50 pages, you'll crave the smell. Is Rose Labyrinth a good book? It is a very pretty book, with hardback novel and cryptic clues combined in a lovely box, covered in (you guessed it) roses. The characters are also very pretty -- not one isn't attractive, eloquent, and clever. Their effortless ability to call up everything from Shakespeare sonnets to Rumi's verses, Elizabethan history to the theory of cellular memory is remarkable. If these are the sort of people the author encounters on a daily basis, she's fortunate indeed. And the plot? Think DaVinci Code, only infinitely more convoluted and verbose. Chartres Cathedral, roses, John Dee's mysticism, roses, Shakespeare, roses, Christian fundamentalists, roses, heart transplants, roses, gardens, roses, puzzles, roses, murder, roses, All of Me, and more roses -- a lot's going on here. While this was by no means a great book, I couldn't put it down. I didn't come close to understanding everything, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. One day, I may re-read it. In the meantime, I'll take the opportunity to keep a fresh rose close by.
May 22, 2019
1 star--I didn't like it. I skimmed the last 20%.
This book has terrible reviews, but foolishly I thought I might like it anyway. In this case, I've got to agree with the majority. Mediocre writing, a ridiculous plot, and flat characters made for a dull read. It's not even worth pointing out all the things I disliked.
I feel bad for the publisher--printing this book, with its hardcover box complete with extra material--must have been expensive.
This book has terrible reviews, but foolishly I thought I might like it anyway. In this case, I've got to agree with the majority. Mediocre writing, a ridiculous plot, and flat characters made for a dull read. It's not even worth pointing out all the things I disliked.
I feel bad for the publisher--printing this book, with its hardcover box complete with extra material--must have been expensive.
February 25, 2016
Of all the books I've read/own, this one has the worst Goodreads rating. I wanted to like it. I really did want to. It's so poorly written. Sometimes she has two characters speaking in the same paragraph and refers to them each as he and you have to re-read three or four times to figure out who is saying what. Then she starts the characters saying each other's names each time they say something in a conversation.
Hi, how are you, Harry?
I'm well, Bob, how are you?
I'm great, Harry.
What did you eat today, Bob?
I had an apple, Harry.
So frustrating. Give your readers a little bit of credit that they can follow a conversation without reminding them who's speaking.
And seriously? The point of the story was THAT? WHO CARES?!
Hi, how are you, Harry?
I'm well, Bob, how are you?
I'm great, Harry.
What did you eat today, Bob?
I had an apple, Harry.
So frustrating. Give your readers a little bit of credit that they can follow a conversation without reminding them who's speaking.
And seriously? The point of the story was THAT? WHO CARES?!
December 29, 2008
Okay...so what we have here is part Da Vinci Code-style puzzle-solving, part FATE FATE FATE ROMANCE FATE FATE!!1!!, part jarring combination of "it was all just smoke and mirrors" with honest-to-goodness rips in the fabric of space-time, and part woo-woo about heart transplants and cellular memory, all tied up in a big bow of "what the hell was the point anyway?" at the end.
And for those of you who are sick of Catholic conspiracy books, here's an Evangelical consipiracy instead.
And, of course, every single positive character in the book is ravishingly good-looking.
Oh puh-leez.
And for those of you who are sick of Catholic conspiracy books, here's an Evangelical consipiracy instead.
And, of course, every single positive character in the book is ravishingly good-looking.
Oh puh-leez.
December 4, 2009
Bought this on a whim at Murder by the Book, and it seemed pretty interesting in a da Vinci Code kind of way. After reading some of the reviews I am a little leery of it though.
I didn't help that before the book even starts the author invites you to go to the end of the novel to try and solve all the clues yourself, and then tells you that even that characters don't figure it out. I like closure, and she just basically told me there won't be any...
*** Update 11.24.09 About 100 pages in and its not looking to good. The author has killed out the most interesting character. Now she is focusing on the 2 main characters who I am finding to be pretty boring and weak. Not to mention the plot is progressing so slowly. 100 pages out of almost 400 and still only 1 clue has been given out. Not to sure if I will be able to finish this, but I am going to try.
***Update 12.3.09 Finished the book solely out of determination and not for any love of the book, interest in the characters, or suspense of the plot. I finished it just so that I could honestly say that I wished I hadn't.
All in all, one word to describe this book is dissapointing.
The author was correct is the beginning with she mentions that the characters don't in fact figure out all there is to the clues, so of course you don't either. The climax wasn't really a climax at all as 1 minute suspense is building, then the next a new chapter has begun and all of the action was skipped over, only to be revisited in a narration style by the other characters instead of getting to experience it with Lucy.
Why oh why did I pay the list price for this book?! Off to the used book store with this one!
I didn't help that before the book even starts the author invites you to go to the end of the novel to try and solve all the clues yourself, and then tells you that even that characters don't figure it out. I like closure, and she just basically told me there won't be any...
*** Update 11.24.09 About 100 pages in and its not looking to good. The author has killed out the most interesting character. Now she is focusing on the 2 main characters who I am finding to be pretty boring and weak. Not to mention the plot is progressing so slowly. 100 pages out of almost 400 and still only 1 clue has been given out. Not to sure if I will be able to finish this, but I am going to try.
***Update 12.3.09 Finished the book solely out of determination and not for any love of the book, interest in the characters, or suspense of the plot. I finished it just so that I could honestly say that I wished I hadn't.
All in all, one word to describe this book is dissapointing.
The author was correct is the beginning with she mentions that the characters don't in fact figure out all there is to the clues, so of course you don't either. The climax wasn't really a climax at all as 1 minute suspense is building, then the next a new chapter has begun and all of the action was skipped over, only to be revisited in a narration style by the other characters instead of getting to experience it with Lucy.
Why oh why did I pay the list price for this book?! Off to the used book store with this one!
dnf_2009
November 10, 2015Oh, book, you are so fired. Gah. It's obviously a da Vinci Code ripoff. Sorry, Siân's midnight-blue eyes and copper-coloured hair? Wut? Will's distracting beauty? Wut? Just ugh.
Also, I just glanced at the riddle cards, but hello incomprehensible mish-mash jumble of just about every kind of mysticism imaginable. yuck.
Also, I just glanced at the riddle cards, but hello incomprehensible mish-mash jumble of just about every kind of mysticism imaginable. yuck.
October 25, 2014
This didn't really work. There were too many things going on that just didn't make sense together. A couple of the recurring themes seemed contradictory and the ending was flat.
The cover is really pretty and the presentation with the "parchments" is cool, but the story didn't motivate me to work through the puzzles.
The cover is really pretty and the presentation with the "parchments" is cool, but the story didn't motivate me to work through the puzzles.
August 1, 2011
I really wanted to like this book. As a rule, I'm fond of anything that has to do with conspiracy theories, history, grails, Shakespeare, and labyrinths. I tried really hard to like it. I gave it every benefit of the doubt, but... I just couldn't like it. The characters were very shallow. None of them had any personality, other than being "very good people." Even their flaws were written off as aspects of their goodness, like saying "I pay too much attention to detail" when asked to talk about your weaknesses at a job interview. The love story plotline was a little bit creepy, what with the heart thing, and cellular memory. The bad guys were not very scary. Who kidnaps someone then just gives her back? My biggest gripe, however, is that half the story was composed of characters sitting around *talking* about stuff, much of which didn't make sense (unless you read and studied and pondered the supplemental materials provided with the book - and who did that? I'm considering putting the puzzle together, but I'm sure not reading the gobbledygook on the back). When the book finished, I wasn't altogether sure what had happened, what mystery had been solved, and what conspiracy uncovered. It gets two stars instead of one, though, because there WAS conspiracy theories, history, grails, Shakespeare and labyrinths. So at least there's that...
November 1, 2021
Le tenía echado el ojo desde hace muchísimo. Me tenía muy buena pinta, y tenía ganas de un thriller histórico.
Pero me he encontrado con una historia lenta, aburrida, y en ocasiones sin sentido.
Si no abandoné la lectura, es porque lo estaba leyendo en lectura conjunta y al ir comentando se me hizo algo más ameno el libro. Pero tengo claro que si lo hubiera leído sola, en las primeras 100 páginas, lo habría abandonado.
La trama no empezó a avanzar hasta la página 150 aproximadamente. Y toda la primera parte directamente me sobró. No creo que aportase nada a la historia. Algún dato para ponernos en situación de la historia, pero sobraron muchísimas páginas.
La resolución de la historia, no me ha aclarado nada. Me ha parecido todo muy confuso, y dejó de tener interés para mi.
La historia romántica que hay en el libro me ha dado igual. La verdad tiene también bastante peso en la historia, pero me ha resultado prescindible.
La narración me ha resultado pesada y caótica. Cambiaba de narrador y de época sin aclararlo demasiado y tenías que estar muy atento para saber de qué estaba hablando.
Lamentablemente, no os puedo recomendar este libro porque no ha sido para mi. Pero aún así, si a vosotros os llame la atención, dadle una oportunidad, porque quizá os gusta más que a mi.
Pero me he encontrado con una historia lenta, aburrida, y en ocasiones sin sentido.
Si no abandoné la lectura, es porque lo estaba leyendo en lectura conjunta y al ir comentando se me hizo algo más ameno el libro. Pero tengo claro que si lo hubiera leído sola, en las primeras 100 páginas, lo habría abandonado.
La trama no empezó a avanzar hasta la página 150 aproximadamente. Y toda la primera parte directamente me sobró. No creo que aportase nada a la historia. Algún dato para ponernos en situación de la historia, pero sobraron muchísimas páginas.
La resolución de la historia, no me ha aclarado nada. Me ha parecido todo muy confuso, y dejó de tener interés para mi.
La historia romántica que hay en el libro me ha dado igual. La verdad tiene también bastante peso en la historia, pero me ha resultado prescindible.
La narración me ha resultado pesada y caótica. Cambiaba de narrador y de época sin aclararlo demasiado y tenías que estar muy atento para saber de qué estaba hablando.
Lamentablemente, no os puedo recomendar este libro porque no ha sido para mi. Pero aún así, si a vosotros os llame la atención, dadle una oportunidad, porque quizá os gusta más que a mi.
Read
August 4, 2012I picked this up because it mentioned Chartres Cathedral in the plot description. Unfortunately, I think that is going to be Chartres Cathedral in the Da Vinci Code sense. I'm not sure that I'll be able to get through this one; the writing is decidedly of the bad.
OK, I finished it, and it is bad. So so so bad. Not a terrible idea, perhaps, but such appalling writing. My favourite use of imagery was this gem, discussing a French character called Guy (in French, pronounced "Gee") - "The way Calvin pronounced his name, Alex could only think of clarified butter - which helped, for some reason. Slippery perhaps, he thought, but not solid". I still don't know if my tears were of hilarity or despair.
One to avoid!
OK, I finished it, and it is bad. So so so bad. Not a terrible idea, perhaps, but such appalling writing. My favourite use of imagery was this gem, discussing a French character called Guy (in French, pronounced "Gee") - "The way Calvin pronounced his name, Alex could only think of clarified butter - which helped, for some reason. Slippery perhaps, he thought, but not solid". I still don't know if my tears were of hilarity or despair.
One to avoid!
January 25, 2009
As a spider weaves its web and as a soul (personified as Ariadne) figuratively weaves its body, Titania Hardie has woven a complex story in her inventive novel "The Rose Labyrinth."
Like the "two natures" (physical and psychic) of alchemy, this quest story overlays the lives of modern-day characters Alex and Lucy on a wide-ranging, interlocking web of esoteric philosophy and practice. Alex Sterling's family has been the keeper of the along-ago buried secrets of the Elizabethan astrologer and alchemist John Dee. Before she died, Alex's mother intuitively understood the import of these secrets, but no one knew the location of the manuscripts and artifacts themselves.
When Alex's brother Will starts looking for them, he discovers that researchers of evil intent have a head start; in fact, they have been watching the family for years and now are on a short timetable to retrieve the secrets at any cost.
Hardie places Alex and Lucy on a two-fold quest. On one hand, they must discover the location of John Dee's hidden treasure before the bad guys find it. On the other, they must penetrate Dee's philosophy itself in order to understand what exactly they are looking for.
Students of pagan beliefs and/or of alchemy, astrology, hermetica and Rosicrucian philosophies--as well as Christian symbolism--will probably be fascinated by Hardie's wide-ranging and well-researched material. The characters, especially Alex and Lucy, are well-drawn and the dangerous race to find the hidden treasure is intricate and compelling.
The focus on the labyrinth set into the floor of Chartres Cathedral is especially apt, for the maze has both a Christian and an alchemical significance. Christians have long used the labyrinth as a figurative pilgrimage to Jerusalem; in addition, as the famous, enigmatic alchemist known under his Fulcanelli pseudonym has written, the architecture and mazes of 12th-16th century Gothic cathedrals are ciphers of the "Great Work" (alchemy).
In spite of a creative mix of esoteric philosophy and treasure quest, "The Rose Labyrinth" bends under the weight of the same structural problems that befell "The Da Vinci Code." Like Brown's characters, Hardie's characters are secondary to the philosophical riddle they must solve. Alex, Lucy, Simon, and Grace spend a great deal of time (and words) discussing, interpreting and speculating about Dee's work. In part, this advances the plot. But, it's also a wordy device for instructing readers about the meaning of it all.
Like Brown's characters in their Grail quest, Hardie's characters are the living, breathing embodiment of their mission. The personal and precise synchronicity of Alex and Lucy to Dee's secrets, as opposed to a spiritual and figurative connection, is highly contrived. Some readers will also suspect the author's intent behind one character's "need" to indict all fundamentalist Christians while explaining the non-universal right-wing views of the novel's antagonists.
Readers who have enjoyed such esoteric quest novels as "The Da Vinci Code" may yet find enough in "The Rose Labyrinth" to make it an interesting experience in spite of the large holes in Hardie's tapestry. In that regard, it can be very cautiously recommended.
Like the "two natures" (physical and psychic) of alchemy, this quest story overlays the lives of modern-day characters Alex and Lucy on a wide-ranging, interlocking web of esoteric philosophy and practice. Alex Sterling's family has been the keeper of the along-ago buried secrets of the Elizabethan astrologer and alchemist John Dee. Before she died, Alex's mother intuitively understood the import of these secrets, but no one knew the location of the manuscripts and artifacts themselves.
When Alex's brother Will starts looking for them, he discovers that researchers of evil intent have a head start; in fact, they have been watching the family for years and now are on a short timetable to retrieve the secrets at any cost.
Hardie places Alex and Lucy on a two-fold quest. On one hand, they must discover the location of John Dee's hidden treasure before the bad guys find it. On the other, they must penetrate Dee's philosophy itself in order to understand what exactly they are looking for.
Students of pagan beliefs and/or of alchemy, astrology, hermetica and Rosicrucian philosophies--as well as Christian symbolism--will probably be fascinated by Hardie's wide-ranging and well-researched material. The characters, especially Alex and Lucy, are well-drawn and the dangerous race to find the hidden treasure is intricate and compelling.
The focus on the labyrinth set into the floor of Chartres Cathedral is especially apt, for the maze has both a Christian and an alchemical significance. Christians have long used the labyrinth as a figurative pilgrimage to Jerusalem; in addition, as the famous, enigmatic alchemist known under his Fulcanelli pseudonym has written, the architecture and mazes of 12th-16th century Gothic cathedrals are ciphers of the "Great Work" (alchemy).
In spite of a creative mix of esoteric philosophy and treasure quest, "The Rose Labyrinth" bends under the weight of the same structural problems that befell "The Da Vinci Code." Like Brown's characters, Hardie's characters are secondary to the philosophical riddle they must solve. Alex, Lucy, Simon, and Grace spend a great deal of time (and words) discussing, interpreting and speculating about Dee's work. In part, this advances the plot. But, it's also a wordy device for instructing readers about the meaning of it all.
Like Brown's characters in their Grail quest, Hardie's characters are the living, breathing embodiment of their mission. The personal and precise synchronicity of Alex and Lucy to Dee's secrets, as opposed to a spiritual and figurative connection, is highly contrived. Some readers will also suspect the author's intent behind one character's "need" to indict all fundamentalist Christians while explaining the non-universal right-wing views of the novel's antagonists.
Readers who have enjoyed such esoteric quest novels as "The Da Vinci Code" may yet find enough in "The Rose Labyrinth" to make it an interesting experience in spite of the large holes in Hardie's tapestry. In that regard, it can be very cautiously recommended.
March 16, 2009
This is at least the third book I have read in the past decade that deals with something to do with Dr. John Dee, advisor to Queen Elizabeth I and believed to be the original 007. Ms. Hardie is obviously fascinated by this renaissance man and attributes much more to him than has been previously alluded in other texts and histories.
She has an interesting premise, that of a familial legacy passed down over 400 years through a female line. She also touches on the subject of organ memory in a transplant operation. She has many good ideas and it seems like a good setup for a great story. The only problem I have with her book is that she takes a good mystery and inserts, through a satellite character, a huge political diatribe.
I understand she has a need to make certain that everyone is aware of her political feelings. However, this portion of the book would be better submitted to the op-ed page at a major newspaper than in the middle of a book. This really killed the book for me. I found it annoying that she would interrupt the story to slam everyone and anyone she disagrees with.
She eventually gets back to the story, but by then, she had soured my mood for it. Everything in the final quarter of the story seemed to be more political, less mystical, mysterious and romantic. I was more than a little ticked off. She could have had a great read but instead has a mediocre to good read.
The publisher has indulged the writer by adding about 34 pages as an insert. These are meant to be a puzzle you are to solve. The author arrogantly asks you to try and solve the puzzle and lets you know that the principal characters do not do so in the book. I wish she wouldn't do that. It is very annoying to start a book with the knowledge that there is no complete resolution/solution at the end. Why bother??
The quotes on the puzzle pages are heavily Shakespeare based, but then go into something more 20th century. She spends a lot of time in the story running you through these clues but, for something that has passed down through at least four centuries, it seems that the bulk of it was written out in the 16th-17th centuries. After that, no one has seemed to add anything of merit until the 20th century. This seems highly unlikely, given her setup.
To sum up: Could have been a great read but too many pretentious and silly things combined to make it only mediocre-to-good.
She has an interesting premise, that of a familial legacy passed down over 400 years through a female line. She also touches on the subject of organ memory in a transplant operation. She has many good ideas and it seems like a good setup for a great story. The only problem I have with her book is that she takes a good mystery and inserts, through a satellite character, a huge political diatribe.
I understand she has a need to make certain that everyone is aware of her political feelings. However, this portion of the book would be better submitted to the op-ed page at a major newspaper than in the middle of a book. This really killed the book for me. I found it annoying that she would interrupt the story to slam everyone and anyone she disagrees with.
She eventually gets back to the story, but by then, she had soured my mood for it. Everything in the final quarter of the story seemed to be more political, less mystical, mysterious and romantic. I was more than a little ticked off. She could have had a great read but instead has a mediocre to good read.
The publisher has indulged the writer by adding about 34 pages as an insert. These are meant to be a puzzle you are to solve. The author arrogantly asks you to try and solve the puzzle and lets you know that the principal characters do not do so in the book. I wish she wouldn't do that. It is very annoying to start a book with the knowledge that there is no complete resolution/solution at the end. Why bother??
The quotes on the puzzle pages are heavily Shakespeare based, but then go into something more 20th century. She spends a lot of time in the story running you through these clues but, for something that has passed down through at least four centuries, it seems that the bulk of it was written out in the 16th-17th centuries. After that, no one has seemed to add anything of merit until the 20th century. This seems highly unlikely, given her setup.
To sum up: Could have been a great read but too many pretentious and silly things combined to make it only mediocre-to-good.
September 1, 2009
Reading any of the other comments made by others would have been good before I started this book...because then I wouldn't have even bothered reading it. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read...but that isn't high praise is it?
The clues to the mystery in the book could have been so much more interesting if they would have been something that I could relate to. Or if the characters had experienced their "aha" moment with us. Instead we are left to find out things as they are summarizing things to the other people that are helping them. I have to admit that I was a little baffled about the whole mystery was. First we think that it has something to do with Dr. John Dee, then we think that it's about the "Rapture", then it's about Lucy having a man's heart in her body, then it's about the female being 'powerful' (not exactly the word I'm looking for, but close as I can get right now), then it's William Shakespeare, then it's the love story of these two specific people falling in love 400 years after these "clues" were put together so they can get married. Then it's really just a manuscript of a play and a few special jewels and a staff? Come on. Just too much of a jumble for me. I generally like most books that I read, really I'm not that picky. But it got to be too much for me. I finished it because I don't like to quit...I kept thinking that it might redeem itself in the end, but nope.
The clues to the mystery in the book could have been so much more interesting if they would have been something that I could relate to. Or if the characters had experienced their "aha" moment with us. Instead we are left to find out things as they are summarizing things to the other people that are helping them. I have to admit that I was a little baffled about the whole mystery was. First we think that it has something to do with Dr. John Dee, then we think that it's about the "Rapture", then it's about Lucy having a man's heart in her body, then it's about the female being 'powerful' (not exactly the word I'm looking for, but close as I can get right now), then it's William Shakespeare, then it's the love story of these two specific people falling in love 400 years after these "clues" were put together so they can get married. Then it's really just a manuscript of a play and a few special jewels and a staff? Come on. Just too much of a jumble for me. I generally like most books that I read, really I'm not that picky. But it got to be too much for me. I finished it because I don't like to quit...I kept thinking that it might redeem itself in the end, but nope.
December 4, 2013
I dislike abandoning a book half-read. Having recently done that with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I was doubly reluctant in this case. Perhaps I should have read a few more pages in the bookshop. I might then have become aware of cardboard characters acting improbably, and dialogue contrived to deliver the results of research but unlike like speech that ever issued from a human mouth. Research is one thing, creative writing is another.
It would be unfair on those who enjoy this kind of thing to reveal crucial plotting but be warned that there is a huge coincidence at the heart of it (I choose my words carefully). Credibility is stretched throughout. For example, the French police are summoned when the heroine is kidnapped but, after her recovery, the plot stops for a lengthy and gooey love scene, after which the reader is asked to believe the police will accept a bland brush-off.
When Mills and Boon meet the Da Vinci Code perhaps the best outcome is for them to disappear together in a labyrinth. And oh, the scent of the lavender ...
It would be unfair on those who enjoy this kind of thing to reveal crucial plotting but be warned that there is a huge coincidence at the heart of it (I choose my words carefully). Credibility is stretched throughout. For example, the French police are summoned when the heroine is kidnapped but, after her recovery, the plot stops for a lengthy and gooey love scene, after which the reader is asked to believe the police will accept a bland brush-off.
When Mills and Boon meet the Da Vinci Code perhaps the best outcome is for them to disappear together in a labyrinth. And oh, the scent of the lavender ...
March 15, 2018
O carte fascinantă, pe care nu am crezut că o să ajung s-o citesc vreodată, însă drumurile noastre s-au intersectat chiar și așa, "pașii" întâlnindu-ni-se într-un labirint marcat de parfumul rozelor sub razele luminoase ale soarelui și ale lunii. O privire curioasă aruncată într-o istorie împletită, de la Adam și Eva, până la John Dee și William Shakespeare, ajungând până în zilele noastre; numere cu însemnătate, dezvăluiri surprinzătoare, secrete ascunse de generații și comori ale sufletului mai presus de această lume, transformă acest roman într-un amalgam de credință proprie, dragoste și eliberare, ce poate fi atins doar de două inimi care devin una și aceeași. Cavalerul Crucii Roșii și Doamna Luminii. Trandafirul roșu și roza albă, "o nuntă celestă - cea mai desăvârșită expresie a masculinității și a feminității de pe pământ".
"Va veni oare o vreme când dogmaticii nu vor mai recita ca niște dascăli, ci își vor deschide inima și mintea în fața noilor idei, lărgindu-și lumea lor îngustă?
"Va veni oare o vreme când dogmaticii nu vor mai recita ca niște dascăli, ci își vor deschide inima și mintea în fața noilor idei, lărgindu-și lumea lor îngustă?
January 24, 2013
I hate the phrase, but anyway, have you ever been "earwormed" by a book? It has happened to me this week, since reading a godawful piece of trash called The Rose Labyrinth. It has plagued my dreams and my waking hours. I keep being reminded of a sickly description of the heroine's attributes or a sentence or two from one implausible conversation or other and I can't get it out of my head.
This book is dangerous. Please don't go there.
This book is dangerous. Please don't go there.
November 16, 2018
The Rose Labyrinth is a fanciful romance novel disguised as a treasure hunt a la The Da Vinci Code or National Treasure. There’s a crap ton of flowery language, all kinds of references to poetry and classical writings, and not much of a plot.
In fact, it’s almost all exposition. Forever. Lots and lots of it. And then when you think you’re done, there’s more.
There’s also crap romance lines that had me snorting out loud while reading. “You kisses my soul awake, Alex.” Because that’s a thing. We call it lust, honey.
Adding in the loose papers to examine yourself was enticing in theory but really just felt too gimmicky. This is the first book in a long time that I disliked enough to rate so low without being offended with an abusive relationship or something.
In fact, it’s almost all exposition. Forever. Lots and lots of it. And then when you think you’re done, there’s more.
There’s also crap romance lines that had me snorting out loud while reading. “You kisses my soul awake, Alex.” Because that’s a thing. We call it lust, honey.
Adding in the loose papers to examine yourself was enticing in theory but really just felt too gimmicky. This is the first book in a long time that I disliked enough to rate so low without being offended with an abusive relationship or something.
March 28, 2019
Review soon
March 10, 2023
La forma en que escribía esta autora fue todo! La trama también estuvo bastante entretenida. Siento que algunas partes se extendía mucho, pero aún así no fue un mal libro
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