Graphic Novel Review – Rose by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess (4/5)

This was a prequel to the Bone series by Jeff Smith.  It was a decent book; I loved the illustrations by Charles Vess.  The story was good too it just doesn’t tell much beyond what the reader already knows after reading the Bone series

This tells the story of Rose, Briar, and Lucius in their younger years.  It shows how the Lord of Locusts began gaining power and how Briar betrayed her kingdom.

Although it was odd to have a switch of illustrator, Vess did a very nice job with illustration.  The characters look a bit different but are all recognizable from the previous series and Vess’s interpretation of how the dragons look is absolutely magical.  I love Vess’s artwork in general, so overall I was pleased with the choice to have him illustrate this prequel.

The story is well told and worth a read for fans of the Bone series.  People not familiar with the  series will most-likely find it an entertaining read as well, although they will miss the significance of many of the events without knowledge of the back story.  I was a bit disappointed that the story didn’t reveal anything that the reader hadn’t learned about from reading the main series.

Overall this is very well done.  The story is engaging and Vess’s artwork is magical.  I enjoyed reading it.  My only disappointment was that there weren’t really any surprises; things happen basically how they are laid out in the Bone series.  Bone fans will enjoy this, but don’t be prepared for any stunning surprises.  The next Bone series spin-off I would like to check-out is Tall Tales by Jeff Smith.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– 100+ Reading Challenge