The Rebel Rose by Carol Lee Campbell

This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here.

Mathilde is a talented woman who is confined by many things: her gender which limits her opportunities and choices in sixteenth-century England, her boldness which many label as ireful, and her desires which are seen as dangerous. She bounces around in her life, trying to find her place in the world. At one point, she even disguises herself as a male monk, but she is eventually found out. Throughout, Mathilde desires freedom, beauty, and romance. She finds ways to explore each of these, especially through her poetry—which is at one point cruelly taken from her. But dangers lurk for her around many a corner. The possibility of vengeful faeries and the very real threat of witch trials lurk at the corners of Mathilde’s world, at times closing in.

Carol Lee Campbell has written a lovely novella in The Rebel Rose, part of the Bijou Book Series. Her prose flows beautifully and her talents are especially on display when it comes to Matilde’s writing which is stirring, evocative, and, at times, quite sensual. Campbell paints a delicate yet intricate picture of Mathilde’s world as it grows and shrinks, as it becomes imperiled, and as it finds rich ground.

Mathilde feels grounded as a character even though she exists in the relatively unfamiliar world of sixteenth-century England. Her hopes and aspirations easily become ones the reader roots for. Mathilde is also surrounded by friends, and a few nemeses, that, while not explored as deeply as her, are also wholly real.

Although, as mentioned before, the setting in The Rebel Rose is generally unfamiliar to readers, Campbell does a deft job of exploring it. She describes it wonderfully, bringing the past to the present. She also explores multiple stages of Mathilde’s life, which each generally comes with a new location. These locations range from an abbey to a dairy farm, and each feels vivid to the reader.

While The Rebel Rose is a quick read, author Campbell does bring a lot of richness and depth to this tale. Readers will be swept along with the main character Mathilde and her poetry while exploring different avenues of life in sixteenth-century England.

The Rebel Rose by Carol Lee Campbell, Rebel Satori Press