The Rose Society by Marie Lu (review)

In the aftermath of a failed revolution, mutual betrayals, and the death of the prince she loves (all in The Young Elites, BCCB 12/14), Adelina Amouteru has fled Kenettra to the safety of neighboring Merroutas. There she recruits a new team of young Elites, including a thief/mimic, a mercenary/storm-wielder, and her own sister, to help her wreak revenge and take the throne of her homeland. Adelina’s former crew, meanwhile, finds refuge in distant Beldain under the protection of its new, secretly Elite queen, who seeks to invade Kenettra with their help; and Adelina’s greatest enemy finds himself torn between love for the queen he’s killed for and his hatred for the malfettos (the illness-disfigured, many of whom, like Adelina, are gifted with powers). As these formidable foes maneuver around and toward each other, alliances shatter, lost friends return from the dead, and the body count rises. What no one realizes, though, is Adelina is also at war with her own mind, and the whispers and visions that plague her may spell doom for them all. This perfectly plotted, inventive sequel more than fulfills the promise of the first novel’s epilogue, offering readers a broader world and plenty of international intrigue. More interestingly, it masterfully transforms the standard hero’s journey into the story of a villain’s ascent. Adelina takes full command of the story here, and the book keeps readers on her side, even as she commits ever more terrifying atrocities and falls victim to the very fear and fury that give her power. Terrific secondary characters Teren and Raffaele shine a little less as a result, but continued use of alternative perspectives rounds out the narrative’s nuance and moral complexity. The novel’s end finds Adelina in power but far from triumphant, and readers will delight in the suspense of waiting for further volumes.