Revenge of Queen Rose is author Valinora Troy’s second full length middle grade children's fantasy and book two in her Lucky Diamond series. I had the privilege of reviewing book one, The Lucky Diamond and with that am now a fan of this author. One thing I find refreshing is that Troy’s books are full length and can be read as a stand-alone story, though reading the series to understand all the nuances and backstory enriches the reading experience.
About the book: Revenge of Queen Rose
Revenge of Queen Rose continues with the quintet of plucky orphans: Yvonne, Vicky, Susan, and the twins Kathy and Allen who were introduced in The Lucky Diamond (book 1 in the Lucky Diamond series). They are joined by their friends Paul, Charlie, and Lucky. In this storyline, we learn more about Paul’s country where he has stepped into his role as King only to come against a host of unexpected and mysterious challenges. All these characters, along with the children’s Uncle Tremere face new and even more dangerous adventures on more than one front.
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Book Review: Revenge of Queen Rose
As a children’s fantasy author, Troy does an excellent job crafting a magical world with shape-shifting diamond folk, lizard people, the peaceful Nilkens, along with a couple of special creatures introduced in Revenge of Queen Rose, including the firebird and a lizard named Chez. For me, coming off the adventure and action of book one, this book started off on the slow side as Troy put things in place for the plot, but by the middle of the book I didn’t want to put it down. Without spoilers, I can say readers come face to face with a huge snake named Fang that encircles the city ready to eat any who dare to leave, their diamond friends are sealed inside their mountain, and Susan and Vicky disappear. And as the title suggests, even though Queen Rose is banished, she is involved.
The unpredictable plot scatters the main characters in different directions, and takes readers to locations unvisited in book one. Revenge of Queen Rose introduces new magical elements, additional characters, as the kids gain a deeper understanding of their magical gifts. A grabbing plot that keeps the pages turning as the children face an array of threats and hazards with plenty of unexpected twists and turns.
For those who read my review of The Lucky Diamond, you’ll remember I said it left me with an unanswered question. The Revenge of Queen Rose answered that question, and I am happy to give this book a strong 4 stars. I recommend it to fantasy readers both young and old who enjoy books like Narnia or Harry Potter.
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As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and received a free review copy of this book in collaboration with Blackberry Book Tours. I have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.
About author Valninoia Troy
Valinora Troy has been writing since she could read, if not earlier. Her first book, started at the age of six, featured a girl finding a magic diamond. It took her all summer to write the first few pages. Since then, she has written many stories, both short and full length novels. THE LUCKY DIAMOND, her first full length middle grade children's fantasy, was published November 2021. Its sequel REVENGE OF QUEEN ROSE followed in June 2022.