“A retelling of Scarlet Pimpernel with fairies and magic. I love Scarlet Pimpernel, and I love this book. It is utterly delightful. Brightley, as always, does a magnificent job with her creation of the fae and their land.
My abso-freaking-lute most favorite part of this book is Theo, one of the main characters. He is vibrant, funny, kind, and just… the very best person. I want a Theo friend. Everyone should have a Theo friend. He carries this story, he brings it to life. The other characters(Lily, I love Lily! And Juniper and Cedar and Anselm and–) are charming too, but Theo takes the cake.
I loved the ending, but I can’t say more because I don’t do spoiler reviews. I’ll just say it was clever and satisfying and leave it at that.
The attention to detail made this world feel perfectly regency/Victorian-esque. It is a charming story, and the perfect comfort read.”
“A delightful retelling!
This week, my lovely friend C. J. Brightley is releasing her first novel in some years, and it’s a delightfully sweet fantasy retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel! I spent most of yesterday afternoon devouring my advance review copy of this story. In this version of the classic, the mysterious and dashing Wraith is stealing back kidnapped human children from the fairies, as the sinister Lord Willowvale attempts to unmask the intruder.
With its sincere characters and an ending that left me catching my breath at its eucatastrophic beauty, The Wraith and the Rose is the definition of noblebright fantasy.”
“Scarlet Pimpernel meets Fae Fantasy
I have been a HUGE Scarlet Pimpernel fan for years. But really good retellings are few and far between.
This one stands up there as one of the best. Twisting Scarlet Pimpernel with the fae is a great twist, and it has all the fun rescues and clever tricks of the original. The author also manages to capture much of the fun and daring of Sir Percy in her hero, along with some of his inane, surface personality that he uses to hide his cleverness.”
“Lovely from start to finish
I really loved this book–Pride and Prejudice plus the Scarlet Pimpernel plus fae? Sign me up. The story was refreshingly sweet and uplifting, the characters varied and interesting (Theo in particular is the MAN, and I wish I knew him in real life), and the setting novel. I really liked the author’s conception of how the fae world intersects with the human world, and although the villain’s actions were despicable, I really hoped a solution could be found for the fae realm’s shrinking borders. Reading this book is a lovely experience from start to finish, even if it tugs HARD at your heartstrings at times. I’m looking forward to the sequel.”
