50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • Bookseller Displays
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

PowellsBooks.Blog
Authors, readers, critics, media − and booksellers.

Contributors

The Blades of the Rose

by Billie Bloebaum, January 7, 2011 3:23 PM
Four months, four books. Each month from September through December last year, Kensington released a new installment in Zoe Archer’s Blades of the Rose series. Appropriate to release them this way, really, as so many of the elements that Archer employs are reminiscent of old movie serials: adventure and danger and exotic locales and damsels (though not of the in-distress variety) and feats of derring-do. And, after devouring Warrior and Scoundrel back-to-back over the course of about 48 hours, I made myself wait until Stranger was available before picking up Rebel and tearing just as quickly through the last two books of the series.

Our story starts in England where Gabriel Huntley witnesses a stranger being beaten in an alley. As these things often do, Huntley’s interference leads to his being responsible for fulfilling the dying man’s last wish and setting off for... Mongolia. And that, right there, is your first clear indication that there’s something very different about this series. Because, really, Mongolia? Aren’t our heroes always supposed to go somewhere exotic, but kind of familiar, like India or Egypt or Shanghai? And, wait, what’s this? Our heroine is not some shy violet who tries very hard to be a lady in this “savage” land? In fact, she kinda hates the whole ladylike thing? Hallelujah!

Okay, so you can see where this is going, right? Of course there are bad guys. And chasing. And fighting. And... other stuff. But, there’s also magic. Big magic. Old magic, rooted in various cultural traditions that are treated with respect, rather than imperialist disdain (except, of course, by the bad guys). And, there’s also science — kind of steampunk-y science — which is manifested in super-cool inventions. And all four books are like this. Each one has a unique hero and heroine on their own quest in a different part of the world, but the core elements remain the same throughout the series. Different readers will have different favorites among the books (for many, it’s Scoundrel, but I have a soft spot for the emotionally-damaged outsider, so Rebel tops my list).

Reading this series made me remember why I loved the first Indiana Jones movie so very much. The heroes were smart and strong, but smart and strong enough to realize that the women in their lives were just as smart and strong. There’s never any doubt that the good guys are going to prevail, but there are moments when you’re on the edge of your seat with tension. And when it all ends on a kiss, you find yourself dazed and dazzled and stunned by how much time has passed in the real world while you were swept away to one far more dangerous and enticing.




{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Most Read

  1. Best Books of 2022: Fiction by Powell's Staff
  2. The Big List of Backlist: Books That Got Us Through 2022 by Powell's Staff
  3. 25 Books to Read Before You Die: 21st Century by Powell's Staff
  4. Powell's 2023 Book Preview: The First Quarter by Powell's Staff
  5. 7 Essential Authors Recommend Their 7 Essential Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Powell's Staff

Blog Categories

  • Interviews
  • Original Essays
  • Lists
  • Q&As
  • Playlists
  • Portrait of a Bookseller
  • City of Readers
  • Required Reading
  • Powell's Picks Spotlight

Post a comment:

*Required Fields
Name*
Email*
  1. Please note:
  2. All comments require moderation by Powells.com staff.
  3. Comments submitted on weekends might take until Monday to appear.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Transparency ACT MRF
  • Sitemap
  • © 2023 POWELLS.COM Terms