Emma Theriault

Happily ever after is only the beginning as Belle takes on the responsibility of becoming queen and learns to balance duty, love and sacrifice, all while navigating dark political intrigue - and a touch of magic. It's 1789 and France is on the brink of revolution. Belle has finally broken the Enchantress's curse, restoring the Beast to his human form and bringing life back to their castle. But in Paris, the fires of change are burning, and it's only a matter of time before the rebellion arrives on their doorstep. With the fate of her country, her love, and her life at stake, Belle must decide if she is ready to embrace her own strength-and the magic that ties her to so many female rulers before her-to become the queen she is meant to be. Rebel Rose is the first in the Queen's Council series, an empowering fairytale reimagining of the Disney Princesses - and the real history behind their stories-like you've never seen before!

Rebel Rose (Disney: the Queen's Council, Book 1)

laura

I thought this was a super fun "sequel" to the beauty and the beast story. I really loved seeing Belle arc in this story and also her realionship to the beast. This book was also super heavily political and really liked that aspects of the read. I also really like the book overall. It was a fun take on this story and these characters and really enjoyed it. The evil people in this story i did not feel very connected to. It was fun read and will def try to read more this series in the future.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received the e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! I also bought my own copy. Support your authors! All opinions are my own.

Book: Rebel Rose

Author: Emma Theriault

Book Series: The Queen’s Council Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5

Diversity: Lesbian side character, gay side character

Recommended For...: retelling fans, fantasy fans, historical fiction fans, ya readers

Publication Date: November 10, 2020

Genre: YA Retelling Historical Ficiton Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, gore, violence, revolution, PTSD symptoms)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 352

Synopsis: Happily ever after is only the beginning as Belle takes on the responsibility of becoming queen and learns to balance duty, love, and sacrifice, all while navigating dark political intrigue—and a touch of magic.

It’s 1789 and France is on the brink of revolution. Belle has finally broken the Enchantress’s curse, restoring the Beast to his human form and bringing life back to their castle in the province of Aveyon. But in Paris, the fires of change are burning, and it’s only a matter of time before the rebellion arrives on their doorstep.

Not so very long ago, Belle dreamed of leaving her provincial home for a life of adventure. But now she finds herself living in a palace, torn between her past as a commoner, and her future as royalty. While Belle grapples with her newfound position, there are those who would do anything to keep her from power.

When she stumbles across a magic mirror that holds a dire warning, Belle wants nothing more than to ignore the mysterious voice calling her to accept a crown she never desired. But violent factions of the revolution may already be lurking within her own castle, and doing nothing would endanger everything she holds dear. With the fate of her country, her love, and her life at stake, Belle must decide if she is ready to embrace her own strength--and the magic that ties her to so many female rulers before her--to become the queen she is meant to be.

Review: this was a really good book and a really interesting historical take on the Disney princesses. I really like the historical aspects and from what I could see and what I know of that time., I believe that it is mostly accurate. I felt like the character development was pretty well done as well as the overall plot of the book. The book kept me hooked and I pretty much read it in one sitting.

However, I did have some issues with the book. I feel like the book was really slow paced and that the action portions of the book were here and there. The book is also weirdly written in that a lot of things are repeated that I felt were unnecessarily repeated. I also didn't like that Adam's name was changed to Lio in this book. I like the little explanation that they gave for why, but his name is Adam and I don't know why the author went with that. I also felt like the world building could have been a little bit better. 

Verdict: It was good!

Samantha Bass

Belle has always been one of my favorite Disney princess. From our love of reading, to our ferocity and independence, I have always seen myself in Belle. So getting approved for this book and reading what happened to Belle and the Beast after the curse is broken was heavenly. And to top it off, it's set during the French Revolution and historically accurate? I already knew this was going to be a winner for me. 

The story itself was amazing. The Disney characters, like Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts all kept their original tone and personality. It felt like someone had taken the ended script, the part after the wedding, and printed it in a book. Belle had that independence, her wits, and her kindness while Lio was not only kind, but had that same sense of humor and slight temper. Emma does an amazing job replicating the same personalities as the movie characters making the transition so smooth. 

I absolutely loved this book and loved the historical aspects included. To see how Belle and Lio (The Beast) handle the French Revolution, as royals themselves, was so interesting. I found myself unable to stop reading as I wanted to experience more of this book. By the end I was almost in tears. This book captured my love for Beauty and the Beast and fostered it on the page. Thank you for letting me experience more of this world! I adored it.

Jesika

I loved this book it was really amazing! Even though I missed how headstrong Belle is she still had a lot of character growth. She was struggling to find herself with how she viewed herself with being in between a commoner and a princess. She questioned who she was and how she fit into her new world. I think everyone can relate to finding themselves and who they want to become the person they are meant to be. This is the reason I relate to Belle so much in this book except for the part of me not being a princess (even though I wouldn't mind being one ;)
And I love this perspective of a continuation of what truly happens after happily ever after! I can't wait for the next book in The Queen's Council series.

Rebel Rose (Disney: the Queen's Council, Book 1)

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