*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Blackberry Book Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: “Supposing for a moment that by sheer luck you stumbled on to one of the three gates of the city, you would not be able to open it. Even if you found out the password for one, you would still have to escape from Fang.”
“Who’s Fang?” Though Alan had a sinking feeling he knew the answer already.
The yellow eyes blinked at him. “Fang is the great snake encircling the city and eating all those who attempt to leave.”
The Rock of Diamonds has been attacked, the Diamonds sealed inside, and Susan and Vicky have disappeared. Everything points to Queen Rose instigating the attack, but how can this be the case, when she has been banished from Nivram for a thousand years? Twins Cathy and Alan must travel to Thule in search of answers in this action-packed exciting sequel to The Lucky Diamond.
Firstly, I definitely recommend reading The Lucky Diamond before reading Revenge of Queen Rose, as the earlier book introduces the main characters, the world they live in, explains Queen Rose and shows the reader the reason she wants her revenge in this sequel!
This is a middle-grade fantasy adventure, featuring a world of magical, talking, shapeshifting Diamonds, among other fantastical races and creatures. The brave children (orphans, of course) chosen to assist the Diamonds in their struggles against Queen (or should I say Witch?) Rose – Yvonne, Susan, Vicky, Cathy and Alan – are discovering this world of magic along with the reader, with each book adding new dimensions to the worldbuilding and introducing new characters, not all of whom may be what they first seem.
Queen Rose’s revenge plot is quite a complicated one, involving various kidnappings, vast amounts of magical gold and an army of brainwashed allies, and the children are separated and have to rely on the gifts left to them by their mother and allies who have secrets of their own. And thus ensues a story packed with adventure, injury, bravery, deceit and magic.
I was reminded of my own favourite childhood reads, like Gerald Durrell’s The Talking Parcel, Beverley Nichols’ Magic Woodland series, or the more well-known Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. There is a familiar sense of wonder and vivid imagination in the worldbuilding and in the challenges the children face in order to overcome their foes, and the characters they meet along the way, like Lucky, Charlie, Tremere and Ches are as memorable as Parrot, Mr Tortoise or Puddleglum.
I found this a fun, easy read as an adult, but I can well imagine that I would have loved this series had I read it in my childhood, and been fired up to my own adventures with a ‘Lucky’ stone and a mind full of the magic of youth. I would therefore recommend this book to young independent readers looking for a well-written fantasy series to spark their own adventures.
Vicky continued to mutter complaints as she struggled to catch up with Susan, and she was more than a dozen paces behind when her sister vanished.
Vicky halted in surprise. “Susan?”
The air shimmered, and before she knew what was happening, a thick opaque substance engulfed her and the world around her disappeared. She was encased in a bubble, large enough that she had to stretch her arms to touch the sides, which felt tough and rubbery, though it yielded a little under the pressure of her fingers.
“Yuck!” Vicky said, at the gooey texture. “Susan? Lucky? Charlie?
Help! Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? HELP!”
– Valinora Troy, Revenge of Queen Rose
Purchase Link: Revenge of Queen Rose on Amazon
About the Author
Valinora Troy has been writing since she could read, if not earlier. Her first book, started at the age of six, featured a girl finding a magic diamond. It took her all summer to write the first few pages. Since then, she has written many stories, both short and full length novels. THE LUCKY DIAMOND, her first full length middle grade children’s fantasy, was published November 2021.
Valinora Troy comes from a family of writers and artists. She holds a MA in Creative Writing (Children’s & Young Adults), and lives in Ireland. You can find her on Twitter @ValinoraW where she tweets about books, writing and her devoted writer’s dog.
Website link: https://valinoratroy.com/
Twitter link: https://twitter.com/valinoraW
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/valinoratroy/
Don’t forget to check out the other blog stops on the tour for more great reviews and content (see the poster below for details)!
Bookshine And Readbows 
Thank you so much for your lovely review, so glad you enjoyed the book 🙂
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I did! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review 😊
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