Heart of the Rose, by Michael Sauls, is the second book in his Chronicles of the Rose series. This exciting book picks up on the adventure of Thorne and Lorena. Thorne goes from a simple mercenary ship captain to a pirate hunter with a larger destiny of breaking curses. Lorena is an elf with a haunted box and a shady past who works for a mage. But as Thorne and Lorena’s relationship deepens, readers are left wondering if Thorne will be able to break Lorena’s connection to the haunted box.

The author provides enough background details and information about the characters so that even if readers have not read book one, they can pick up this book and easily follow along. This character-driven story provides distinct personalities and unique characteristics, so all the characters are easy to tell apart. In addition, the author expertly intertwines the voices of each character so that readers can hear their voices and point of view without being muddled and confusing.

I enjoyed the fantasy aspect of the story, filled with elves, dragons, and wizards, allowing my imagination to run wild. There are also some unexpected characters in the story that are a pleasant surprise and show the author’s distinct writing style. Sauls’s attention to detail shows through his world-building skills that will transport readers into the story, and they will feel they are right there with Lorena and Thorne.

Throughout the novel, the author provides readers with the necessary information, such as descriptions of the settings and the differences between the elves. While this is essential information, I feel it would have been presented better if the author had incorporated that information into the story rather than telling it to readers. However, when the author showed rather than told information in the story, his talent shined.

Heart of the Rose is a well-conceived novel with plenty of action and adventure for readers to follow. This fantasy novel will engage readers with new strong and interesting characters and an imaginative world to explore.

Pages: 314 | ASIN : B09P21D8XR