The Tears of the Rose by Jeffe Kennedy

Amelia has to deal with the death of her husband, to the hand of her sister. It's very difficult, but what awaits her isn't easier. She is pregnant and her father, the King, and her father-in-law are fighting to claim her son their heir. Or is it a daughter like her sister claims?

The Tears of the Rose is the second novel in the Twelve Kingdoms series and I while I enjoyed it, I'm afraid I preferred the first novel, The Mark of the Tala. The main reason is that I loved Andi and Rafe a lot more than I liked Amelia. I really didn't feel any connection to her, and her shallowness really bothered me. She tries really hard to change and become a better person, and I must command her for it. But she doesn't succeed until really late into the book. So even though I came to appreciate her in the end, for about 75% of the book I didn't really care for her.

Thankfully, the White Monk really spoke to me! I liked this mysterious character and his witty comments. There is a lot of depth to this character and I enjoyed discovering his shady past, one surprise at a time. He really stepped up to my expectations and I loved him until the end!

Religion takes a very important role in this novel, as much as the shape-shifting magic was important in the first book. I much preferred the later, but I still thought piousness fit Amelia like a glove and I liked the actions she took to improve the impact religion has on her citizens.

The plot was very consistent and full of political challenges, if not action packed. I was really satisfied with the way the different subplot lined-up and some turn of events really surprised me. My favorite moment was by far when Amelia faced Andi and her subsequent one-on-one action with the White Monk.

The conclusion was absolutely thrilling and I find myself wondering just how we will be able to follow Amelia's next steps on her important mission since the third book, The Talon of the Hawk, features the eldest sister.