Rose by Jeff Smith

Books Completed: 70
Completion Date: March, 2009
Pages: 160
Publication Date: March 15, 2002

Reason for Reading: New Author Challenge, Graphic Novel Challenge

The hit comic book mini-series "Rose" now comes to you in a single handsome package with a brand-new cover! Released over a yearlong period to rave reviews (and an Eisner nomination for best painter), the "Bone" prequel by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess can now be read as it was originally intended - as one massive epic. In the old days, when "BONE'S" Gran'ma Ben was a teenager, a terrifying dragon laid siege to the small towns of the Northern Valley. Unknown to Princess Rose (young Gran'ma Ben), the strange dragon is actually the minion of the Ancient Enemy called the Lord of the Locust. Unable to defeat the monster, Rose seeks the advice of her advisor, who tells the young princess how to destroy the dragon - but at a terrible cost.

There were a lot of steps along the path that lead to me reading this book. First, Debi reviewed it and brought it to my attention, then I read about it in Alice in Sunderland, and then I decided I really need to try Jeff Smith and found that I would be number twenty in the waiting list for Bones. I think I will probably end up buying Bones, but this book I could check-out right away. It is actually a prequel to the hit series. Rose in this series goes on to be Gran'ma Ben in the hit series. I am sure that means something, but since I haven't read the 'hit' series yet, I have no idea who she is!

I enjoyed this book. Rose was a very engaging heroine. She is a little bit of a wild child, but she has amazing powers. Most importantly she has the ability to see things in her dreams, which is what foreshadows the adventures that she is about to have. In the book, Rose has to kill a dragon, but at a terrible cost. I have to admit that I rather hated the ending... Not that it wasn't good; just that I didn't want it to end that way! I suppose it is the mark of a good book, though, when you are so engaged in the characters that you don't want to see terrible things happen to them. Also in the story are Rose's two dogs. Rose has the ability to talk with them, which adds to the story. Her advisor is a dragon, which I thought was cool considering she is on a mission to kill another dragon. Then, there is her sister, who is very jealous and not at all what she appears to be. Sibling rivalry makes a good story element, I guess!

Couple the story with the fact that Charles Vess does the artwork and you have a great read ahead of you!