The White Rose by Amy Ewing

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.  (Goodreads)

Can I just say wow? I mean seriously, wow! After I had finished the first instalment of this series, I knew that I needed to read the next book, but I had another book on my TBR that also really needed to be taken of (Glass Sword!). This book was everything I expected and more!

I liked the fact that the beginning of this book held a very brief overview of what happened at the end of The Jewel. so, for readers who read the first book a while back, the overview is a great refresher of what happened and where it was left off.

The action also started from the very first page of the book!! I was hooked! I can honestly say that I was not expecting the beginning I was faced with and I was very upset over a certain someone’s death! I was heart broken. The action did not stop there, though. Oh no, we were faced with more action from none other than our own Garnet! I grew on him a lot during this book. I think we get to know him in a better light and we get to know him as someone who is willing to help rather than a selfish drunk who is always trying to step in the Duchess’ toes! Am I still the only person who is rooting for Garnet and Violet rather than Ash and Violet? I think they would make an amazing couple! Having said that, the way in which the book is going, it looks like Garnet and Raven may have a thing going before long!

I really liked violet in this book. She was always a little bit of a rebel in the sense that she rebelled in the small ways that she could. Ash, the green painting and what not. In this book, however, she really comes into her own and she is not afraid to show who she and and she is not afraid to do something about the people who are dictating the lives of lower class people around them, aka, the Royalty! She becomes a much stronger character in this book and she is a female character who any reader can be proud of based purely on her characters development.

Raven is also someone that the readers can look up too! At the beginning of the book she is a very meek, broken character, which is easily understood considering everything that has happened to her. However, she changes throughout the book; she becomes a much stronger character who begins to stand up to the people around her when she wants something. She starts to look like the Raven we knew at the beginning of the series. I just wanted to scoop her up in a hug and never let go!

Sil is one of my favourite characters! She is a very gruff, no nonsense sort of woman and I love her for it! She has no problem speaking her mind and having a differing opinion to the people around her. Having said that, what makes her all the more likeable is that behind her gruff attitude is someone who has been through a lot and made it out of the other side. She has become stronger because of the things that she went through.

I was not expecting the Surrogates to be what they are. I was expecting something amazing, but I was not expecting that! I probably should have guessed it, considering Violet managed to put out the fire in the incinerator, but I just wasn’t. It is a plot twist that I adored! I cannot wait to see where the author goes with this one!

Having said all of those amazing things, there is one point that bugged me about this book. Sure, there is a lot going on all at once, but I feel like all of the information that we are bombarded with at the end could have maybe been stretched out a little bit. I feel like all the action happened at once where it could have been stretched out into something stunning.

Having said that, what is with this author and those endings???? Seriously, I was gobsmacked. Want to know what the worst thing is? I can’t even go and buy the next book because it isn’t going to be published until October? Amy, how could you subject me to this torture!!

All in all, I really adored this book and I am so glad it didn’t suffer second book syndrome! I gave this book 4/5 stars!