This review is brought to you as part of the Virtual Book Tour for The Enchanted Rose, hosted by Bewitching Book Tours.
The Enchanted Rose is the debut novel of Nadia Nader and was first published in 2015. It is a modern faerie story which centres on a teenage girl’s investigations regarding ancient curse. The story is the first novel in the Misty Hills series but at the time of writing no further instalments have been announced.
Vivian’s bad luck begins with the sudden death of her mother. As her father is unable to cope with raising her alone, she is sent to live with her Aunts Agnes and Beatrice – sisters of her mother who Vivian had never been told existed – in the isolated town of Misty Hills. When she arrives, she discovers that the two women live in a mansion and rarely leave the grounds of their enormous estate.
As Vivian explores her new home, she discovers that there is something strange about it. The house and grounds are poorly kept and everyone that she speaks to warn her to stay out of the neighbouring woodland as it is very dangerous. To make matters worse, a lot of the townsfolk are deeply superstitious and seem to be keeping secrets from her, yet they are reluctant to tell Vivian just what it is that they fear.
As Vivian tries to find out more about her strange family, she quickly unearths many secrets and as she does she realises that her mother has kept her ignorant of her heritage. There is a curse on her bloodline, one that brings death and misery to the first born girl of every generation. As Vivian realises that magic is real, she begins to wonder if there is anything that she can do to save the lives of the people that she loves…
Arkham Reviews 