Synopsis

Four girls from very different backgrounds are making their way to the mysterious Rosenholm Boarding School from different corners of the country. The one thing they have in common is the strange offer they have received to apply for a place at what will turn out to be a school for magic, deeply embedded in Nordic mythology, nature magic and shamanism. The girls have been invited to apply for a reason that is as yet unknown to themselves, but already during the unorthodox application tests, it becomes apparent that a spirit is trying to establish contact with the girls. It turns out that a young girl was murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1980s and the killer was never found. Her spirit is still haunting the place, and she is now urging the four girls to bring justice and find the killer. But someone is keeping an eye on them and it quickly becomes clear that their lives are in danger.

Aimed at 14+, Roses & Violets is on one level a classic coming-of-age tale, about identity, friendship and (forbidden) love. On another level, it is an original fantasy novel, full of magic, romance and mystery, bound to thrill teenagers and YAs alike, also internationally.

Translation of full review from Weekendavisen:

“Steal like an Artist” is the name of a popular handbook for creative souls. All stories ever told were inspired by other stories, the author Austin Cleon claims. Nothing is completely original. But what do you do if you want to write something that hasn’t been read before?

The art is to be inspired by a lot of different things, Cleon thinks. And to mix the ingredients until the dish tastes like something else.

Take for example Roses & Violets, the first volume in a Danish series about a group of young people who attend a mysterious boarding school for magic. Every book in the series covers an entire school year and the story is part crime and part everyday drama in the school hallways. Does it sound familiar? A bit Harry Potter-like, maybe? I think so, at least.

But the author Gry Kappel Jensen is not only inspired by JK Rowling’s books. The magic, they study at the castle-like boarding school, draws on Nordic mythology, Viking rituals and much more. And the main characters of the novel are girls who are just as preoccupied by the Twilight-attractive boys at the school as they are by magical mysteries. Kappel Jensen has stolen like and artist and Roses & Violets tastes of something new.

The main characters are the four girls Kirstine, Victoria, Kamille and Malou who are room-mates at Rosenholm – the name of the boarding school – but they couldn’t be more different. Kirstine is dyslexic and has extremely religious parents. Victoria is beautiful, sad and rich. Kamille grew up in the woods with her hippie mum. And Malou is a sarcastic high achiever with a dark past.

The four have each their magic speciality which cleverly emphasise issues that girls might struggle with in their everyday lives. Victoria is for example able to see spirits, which makes her highly strung and ruins her sleep. And Malou is a blood magician: she releases her powers by cutting herself. Together the four girls need to solve a murder mystery. More you do not need to know.

On the other hand, I am happy to reveal that Roses & Violets is a page-turner. With four sympathetic main characters at the wheel, the tale races towards its sufficiently unpredictable culmination. Which of course leaves an open end to be dealt with in the sequel.

Roses & Violets is not original, but it is captivating, well-written and constantly entertaining."