Cover of “The Crystal Rose” by Astrid Foss.I’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “The Crystal Rose” by Astrid Foss! I enjoyed reading the first installment in the Snow Sisters series so much that I decided to continue reading the rest of the series. Here’s a quick summary so we know what it’s about:
“The evil Shadow Witch will do anything to stop the Snow Sisters from reaching the Everchanging Lights before her…
On their second quest, the girls face a dark, icy journey to find the crystal rose and the blue Everchanging Light. Will their magic be strong enough to overcome the Great Glacier and all the dangers hidden there?”
Character Development: 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed reading the three sisters again, as well as their parents. I like that even though the parents are stuck waiting on their children to essentially rescue them, they’re still doing all they can to keep up hope. They also try to help their children in any way they can (particularly with the mom contacting the girls throuhg magical means). I also enjoyed reading more of the three sisters and that this book focused on a different sister than the previous one, giving her more depth.
My only qualm with the characters is the antagonist. Yes, I know this is a chidlren’s series and all, but the antagonist is pretty flat outside of wanting all the power for herself and terrorizing the entire main family (and the entire land). I wonder if we’ll ever find out why the antagonist wanted to commit her evil schemes in the first place. However, I highly doubt it considering the short storylines in each book (as they are only about 7 chapters long at most).
Worldbuilding Development: 5 out of 5 stars
The worldbuilding was further expanded but in a way that made sense. In order to find the next Everchanging Light, they have to find the right Crystal Rose that holds it safe, as well as navigate the dangerous terrain leading to it. Considering that this book is only seven chapters, there isn’t much else I can really talk about. But I thought the way the worldbuilding was used to help heighten the stakes of the plot was well executed.
Plot Development: 4 out of 5 stars
This book is only about seven chapters long. However, I thought the author did a good job of condensing the main plot into such short chapters. I enjoyed reading the sideplot of the girls figuring out how to get past their governess so they can, well, go save the world. I almost wish that these books were a little longer. This is just to give the reader more time to process everything going on. But the story is otherwise well-paced.
Overall, I’m rating this book 4 out of 5 stars!
This was a great second installment in the Snow Sisters series, and I look forward to reading the last two books!
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