About the book
After waking up in a tower with no memory of events past her adolescence, Rose must examine every nook and cranny of her prison in the sky to solve the mystery of who brought her here and how she might escape.
But she soon realizes the contents of the room–clothing that fits perfectly, a hairbrush that rests naturally in her hand–are her own belongings, and as she starts to piece together her past, she discovers that an even greater mystery resides in her own identity. There’s a wedding band here–and a golden locket containing a photo of a family she’s convinced are her husband and children.
But things aren’t always as they seem, and sometimes desire can send you plummeting mercilessly into the depths.
Inspired by Rapunzel, Rose’s Gold is a dark fantasy tale about hope, perseverance, and the preservation of love.
My review
When Rose wakes locked in a tower, she can’t remember anything about her life after adolescence, yet she is surrounded by clues that she left her teenage years behind long ago.
Who put her in the tower and why? Rose seeks answers to these questions, but will she be prepared for the horrible truth?
I’m a fan of WB Welch’s writing, so I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of her new novella. I’m so glad I did.
Illness kept me isolated in my bedroom for most of my childhood and adolescence, and as a result I became very fond of stories about women locked away, such as Rapunzel and Tennyson’s The Lady of Shalott. I love how Welch reimagined the fairytale in this novella, turning it into something very internal and personal while at the same time keeping the plot focused on the exterior struggle for a woman escaping from her tower prison.
I found Rose an easy character to sympathize with. Her isolation from society before her imprisonment resonated with me. Her enforced self reliance was both alluring and intimidating.
Kudos to the author for writing a novella that, for the most part, is one character on her own, yet is absorbing and well paced despite this. If you have ever written anything, you will know how difficult it is to maintain interest when a character has no one to interact with.
Props to Welch for also writing some scenes of food preparation that had me salivating while I read them.
The world Rose inhabits seems to be an eclectic mix of our real world and a more fantasy type realm, which worked better for me at times than others. While markets and pastoral towns are very much a part of our world, the description of some of Rose’s memories jarred a little bit with my interpretation of the rest of the story setting.
This is a dark fantasy, so expect to be devastated by the ending. I’m still reeling from it. While the closing chapter is satisfactory for drawing the curtain on Rose’s story, there is enough left open that I longed for some extra resolution or the promise of a sequel.
I award Rose’s Gold…
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of her book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Click on the book names to read my reviews of other works by WB Welch: Horror short story collection, Blood Drops, zombie novella co written with Tory Hunter, The Last Letter, and dark poetry collection, Wet Water.
About the author
WB Welch often focuses on the darker side of human emotions, striving to write honest fiction with texture. Publishing credits include BLOOD DROPS, THE LAST LETTER, and WET WATER. Look for “Baby Muncher” in the 16th edition of THRICE FICTION. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University.
Rose’s Gold will be released July 29.
Click here to preorder your copy of Rose’s Gold now.
Click here to find out more about WB Welch on her website.
Click here to connect with WB Welch on Twitter.
Iseult Murphy 
Great review, Iseult. I didn’t realize the novella had Rose by herself for much of it. That is a hard thing to do well; kudos to Welch!
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It’s very hard to do well. Thanks, Priscilla.
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Sounds a great story, added to my TBR
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Great! Thanks, Valinora.
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