The Everlasting Rose (The Belles series, Book 2)
Description
In this sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, The Belles, Camellia Beaureguard, the former favorite Belle, must race against time to find the ailing Princess Charlotte, who has disappeared without a trace.
The evil queen Sophia's imperial forces will stop at nothing to keep Camille, her sister Edel, and her loyal guard, Rémy, from returning Charlotte to the palace and her rightful place as queen. With the help of an underground resistance movement called the Iron Ladies--a society that rejects beauty treatments entirely--and the backing of alternative newspaper the Spider's Web, Camille uses her powers, her connections, and her cunning to outwit her greatest nemesis, Sophia, and attempt to restore peace to Orléans. But enemies lurk in the most unexpected places, forcing Camille to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice to save her people.
"Staggering... A world that is breathtaking and crushing, beautiful and vile, and whimsical and terrifying. [Clayton] poignantly uses a harrowing, fantastical tale to illuminate the very real horrors of unattainable beauty standards and the enslavement of marginalized bodies. As relevant as it is exquisite."
—Booklist, starred review
"Clayton paints a stunning world with chilling characters...that will absorb readers.... This unique story remains a terrific metaphor for beauty and its place in society and culture."
—School Library Journal
Praise for The Everlasting Rose (The Belles series, Book 2)
"Belles fans will be eager to revisit this lavishly imagined, immersive fantasy realm, which Clayton effectively uses to critique several ugly aspects of our own society."—Horn Book Magazine
"Clayton paints a stunning world with chilling characters...that will absorb readers.... This unique story remains a terrific metaphor for beauty and its place in society and culture."—School Library Journal
*"Staggering... A world that is breathtaking and crushing, beautiful and vile, and whimsical and terrifying. [Clayton] poignantly uses a harrowing, fantastical tale to illuminate the very real horrors of unattainable beauty standards and the enslavement of marginalized bodies. As relevant as it is exquisite."—Booklist, starred review
*"The sequel to Clayton's The Belles (2018) freezes blood and steals breath... Narrative craft that can hold the tension of the implicit (and sorely lacking) value of black and brown features as beautiful as it intertwines with incisive commentary on the overall commodification of beauty is no small feat, and Clayton manages thrills of action, magic, romance, and revolution as well. Beauty comes at a price; so too does freedom."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
AccoladesKirkus: Kirkus Reviews Stars Recommendations, selectionBNTeen: 50 of Our Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Books of 2019, selectionBookRiot: 50 YA Books That Should Be Added to Your TBR ASAP, selection (2019)PopSugar: 23 New Books by Black Women You Should Add to Your Reading List, selection (2019)BNTeen: March's Best New YA fiction, selection (2019)The Booklist Reader: Best New Books: Week of March 5, 2019, selectionPaste: 10 of the Best Young Adult Books of March 2019, selectionStylist: Your guide to 2019's best science fiction and fantasy books by women, selection (2019)Publishers Weekly: Noteworthy Novel Sequels: March 2019, selectionBustle: 19 New Fantasy Novels For Your Spring Reading List, selection (2019)BookBub: The Best Book Series for Teens: An Ultimate List, selection (2019)