The White Rose by Amy Ewing

Today is Amy Ewing day here on the blog!

This is a HUGE release week, readers, and two of the teen titles I think I've been most looking forward to are both hitting shelves tomorrow.

The first is the second book in the Lone City trilogy by Amy Ewing. Ewing's debut, The Jewel, was one of my favorite books last year so of course I've been dying to read more. Fortunately we didn't have to wait ALL year for more. In July HarperCollins's Epic Reads Impulse released a little e book companion to the series featuring Raven.

And tomorrow marks the official return to Violet's saga.

Warning: You have to have read The Jewel for The White Rose to make any sense!

With Lucien's keen planning and Garnet's surprising assistance, Violet, Ash, and Raven all manage to narrowly escape the confines of The Jewel. Now on the run and desperate to reach a safe haven promised in the Farm, both Raven and Violet begin to realize just how many people are behind Lucien's cause. 

It's true, an uprising is in the works and Violet is to be their secret weapon. But Violet has yet to discover the true reach of her power. Her teacher, someone Violet never expected, will be the one to finally unlock Violet's potential and show her exactly where she and the other Surrogates come from. But with things heating up in the Jewel and the Duchess of the Lake strangely silent about her missing Surrogate, Lucien and the others will have to take steps to put the plan into motion much more quickly than anticipated. Will they have time to take down the Jewel or will their rebellion fail before it even gets off the ground?

As a fan of the first, I did love The White Rose. We learn more about the Lone City's origins, why the Surrogates are so important, and even a bit about Lucien's sister. What's more, we see Violet grow and Raven come back to herself, to an extent, as they both explore their power beyond the Auguries.

But objectively I have to admit that not much really happens in The White Rose. Yes, it moves the story along and yes all of the information and occurrences are important to the series, but as the middle part of a trilogy it serves more as a bridge between the beginning and the end rather than a story in and of itself.

I'm not complaining, as I said The White Rose is necessary if only for filling lots of holes and answering lots of questions from The Jewel. And as a world that I am completely enamored with I loved it. But I also feel it's not as strong as its predecessor.

Basically if you're a big fan of The Jewel and are as anxious to get back to the story as I was, you won't be disappointed. But you cannot read The White Rose without having first read The Jewel and you will be waiting on pins and needles to see what happens next year in the as yet untitled third installment.

Rating: 4/5