ALA Booklist (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2009)

Now that the colorization of all nine Bone books is complete, Scholastic is reprinting a high-quality edition of this prequel, which was originally compiled by Smith's Cartoon Books in 2002. The story follows a young Princess Rose, better known as the cantankerous, rat creature bashing Gran'ma Ben from Bone. Followers of the original saga will know pretty much what happens to her and her sister, Briar (one follows the heroic path, one falls under the sway of evil), but that doesn't make this any less required reading for anyone who's been sucked into Smith's world. As expected, Fone, Smiley, and Phoney Bone are nowhere to be found, but appearances by the Red Dragon, who always seems to know more than he lets on, and a young Lucius Down, torn between the two sisters, tie this tale into the larger story. Vess, who has worked with many of today's finest fantasists (Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, Jane Yolen, etc.) pinch-illustrates for Smith here, and although he doesn't have Smith's knack for visual whimsy, his stately, often-stunning work reinforces a sense of lore to the proceedings, especially riveting during the brief creation myth for the Valley that opens this book. Graphic-novel collections with Bone, which ought to be all of them, should have this prequel as well.

Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

This Bone series prequel explains how Princess Briar and Princess Rose first took divergent paths that led to the rise of the evil Lord of the Locusts and the ultimate showdown for the battle of Northern Valley. Vess's art is faithful to Smith's originals and ably captures the spirit of an earlier age in the Bone mythology.

School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 4-8 A prequel to the Bone saga (Scholastic), Rose takes place in the Valley years before the Bones arrived, when Granma Ben was the spirited, beautiful Princess Rose. She and her cold, bitter sister, Briar, are called to defend the Valley from a vicious dragon that is possessed by the Lord of the Locusts. Rose is up to the task, but can Briar be trusted? Vesss Art Nouveau-style illustrations, as well as an elegant, ornate font, give the story the look of an antique fairy tale. The vivid but soft colors, in subtle shades of red, yellow, green, and blue, are stunning. A strong introduction for readers new to the series, and a satisfying addition for fans hungry for more. Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Every good epic not only deserves but <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">needs a prequel. So Jeff Smith's <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Bone, one of the great graphic novel epics, gets a teasing look at what happened in that magic realm before the series started in earnest. Opening with a Nordic saga-like origin myth about how the dragon queen Mim was driven mad by the lord of the Locusts and buried in stone to protect the world, <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Rose shifts into a traditional fantasy melodrama about two princesses. Rose is the more beloved, headstrong and inattentive to her lessons about how to control her powerful ability to magically dream. Her sister, Briar, is a darker soul, ambitious and resentful of the attention directed at Rose. When the two are called to their final tests in the danger-fogged mountains of the Northern Valley, they are soon launched into a fiery cauldron of betrayal and battles—all of it witnessed by the dolorous, mournful eyes of the Great Red Dragon. Vess's dramatic, detailed illustrations remain powerful, but feel cramped by the small trim size. Smith's tart writing easily weaves humor and tension into a tale packed with lessons on politics and morality. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Aug.)