Autumn Rose Al-Summers is both a Sage and guardian among humans. She's primarily a recluse, having very few friends as many of the humans fear and shun her. All that changes, however, when Prince Fallon arrives. Fallon is a well-known royal who often makes the celebrity news. Suddenly, Autumn finds herself the center of attention... and things are about to get far worse as her world is about to change. Will Autumn figure out how to handle her heritage and cope with the politics that emerge?

AUTUMN ROSE is the second book in The Dark Heroine series but can easily be read as a standalone. The time period for AUTUMN ROSE parallels that of the first book, Dinner With a Vampire, but takes place in a different dimension. We see the highlights of events that happen in Dinner With a Vampire in Autumn's visions and I love seeing her perspective on things. We only get glimpses of Kaspar and Violet (the couple from the first book) for the majority of the book and those who love that couple may feel a bit displeased with what Autumn sees and feels. However, Autumn so clearly articulates the things I did not like about the romance in the first book that I couldn't help but love her!

Abigail Gibbs does a marvelous job with crafting her characters in AUTUMN ROSE. Autumn is headstrong, passionate, and fiercely loyal- even to those who don't deserve it. Her relationship with Fallon grows over the course of the story, even as Autumn questions Fallon for keeping secrets about her grandmother's death from her. Autumn is quite the contrast to Violet and, at least for this reader, that is a good thing.

Abigail Gibbs' world is so vast that it's hard to encapsulate it in a brief blurb. Suffice to say, there are various dimensions with multiple races of beings, and war appears imminent unless the prophecy of the heroines can be fulfilled. I like that we see more of the other worlds and hear more of the inner politics of the various factions and beings in AUTUMN ROSE.

AUTUMN ROSE is a strong second novel in a series that is shaping up to be quite intriguing. Readers who want to see more of Abigail Gibbs' vast world will greatly appreciate AUTUMN ROSE. I look forward to seeing what happens as the rest of the Dark Heroines emerge. AUTUMN ROSE is easily recommended!