The Tears of the Rose

The second Twelve Kingdoms fantasy novel (after The Mark of the Tala) concerns itself with the second of three princesses, a young woman who’s half human and half Tala demon. Princess Amelia has never had to be anything other than a petulant child with a pretty face, and unfortunately, that is who she remains for the first half of the book. The setting shows promise, but the story lacks substance, and while copious time is spent on establishing the princess as a spoiled brat, comparatively little is given to her transformation into a wise and noble lady—a transformation that happens with astounding speed and little explanation. The political intrigue and maneuvering, much of it involving a powerful church that Amelia somehow knows very little about, are crammed into a few rushed final chapters, but most readers will have given up long before that point. (Dec.)