I read halfway through this book last night -- meant to read a few chapters and suddenly it was well after midnight and about 150 pages in. The Serpent and the Rose is the first book of a trilogy, "The War of the Rose." (The rose in this case being the symbol of an order of knighthood, somewhat mystical, somewhat monastic, but with some unique features as well.)
It's not being marketed as a YA title, but despite the somewhat lurid blurb on the cover ("Forbidden Magic. Forebidden Love)", this is shaping up as a charming coming-of-age story, that I think would be especially enjoyable for teen readers -- the protagonists, one of each gender, are at that age.
The writing is very straight-forward, but elegant. The magic is based on an ability to catch light in glass -- the author obviously knows a great deal about cathedrals and rose windows, although she doesn't stop to show off her knowledge, it's just something you can feel if you know even a little bit about the subject -- and her descriptions of light and glass are lovely.
The training one of the characters goes through in order to eventually become a knight/magician reminds me a bit of A Wizard of Earthsea.
It's not being marketed as a YA title, but despite the somewhat lurid blurb on the cover ("Forbidden Magic. Forebidden Love)", this is shaping up as a charming coming-of-age story, that I think would be especially enjoyable for teen readers -- the protagonists, one of each gender, are at that age.
The writing is very straight-forward, but elegant. The magic is based on an ability to catch light in glass -- the author obviously knows a great deal about cathedrals and rose windows, although she doesn't stop to show off her knowledge, it's just something you can feel if you know even a little bit about the subject -- and her descriptions of light and glass are lovely.
The training one of the characters goes through in order to eventually become a knight/magician reminds me a bit of A Wizard of Earthsea.
