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The Rose Cord
The Rose Cord
Nov 12, 2025 6:17 AM

Author:J.D. Oswald,Wayne Forester

The Rose Cord

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of The Ballad of Sir Benfro: The Rose Cord, the second installment in the new fantasy series from JD Oswald, read by Wayne Forester.

Fleeing the vengeful Inquisitor Melyn, Sir Benfro is drawn to the last resting place of a great dragon of legend, Magog. Through Magog's spirit, Benfro discovers the true nature of his forebears. But with this knowledge comes terrible danger.

Errol Ramsbottom's dreams of becoming a great Warrior Priest are shattered when he discovers the dark secret of the Holy Order's power. But as a chosen novitiate he is trapped, unwillingly drawn deeper into the sinister plans for war which will engulf Gwlad.

With the forces of magic gathering so the destinies of Errol and Sir Benfro further entwine.

Reviews

Cabin Pressure is one of the best written, cast, acted and directed comedies on anywhere.

—— Gillian Reynolds , The Daily Telegraph

I cannot find a single flaw in it. So top marks.

—— Nicholas Lezard , The Independent

The more I listen to John Finnemore's Cabin Pressure, the more I think what a stonking masterpiece it is. Perfect in every department.’

—— Philip Pullman

Close’s debut pulls you into the midst of Isabella, Mary and Lauren’s social circle, reminding us that friendship is everything in life. A great first novel, it has a touch of hit TV show Girls about it, and is full of the ‘What am I going to do with my life?’ angst that we can all relate to

—— Glamour

An irresistible, pitch-perfect first novel

—— Marie Claire

Witty

—— New York Times

Funny, moving and true

—— Bim Adewunmi , Guardian

Close's characters grumble good-naturedly through their friends' weddings and the births of their babies, supporting one another as they stumble through the minefield of rotten jobs and disastrous romances, with the pluck and gimlet eye of Carrie Bradshaw's younger, smarter sisters

—— Vanity Fair

If Elizabeth Bennet were post-collegiate, hungover, lovelorn and living on the Upper West Side, she would definitely be rooming with the Girls in White Dresses. This debut is hilarious, warm-hearted and wise, and I couldn't put it down

—— Holly LeCraw, author of 'The Swimming Pool'

Close’s cynical humor shines... Close captures that mix of perplexing anticipation, tedium, poor choices, dashed hopes and resilience that characterizes young adulthood

—— The New York Journal of Books

Reminiscent of Melissa Bank’s The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing. It is modern and funny, with original, wry observations. Close’s debut novel will appeal to both fans of contemporary women’s fiction with a hip vibe and readers who enjoy old-school chick lit

—— Library Journal (starred review)

Close’s sardonic, well-crafted female characters and the all-too-familiar feeling of wedding fatigue will capture a large audience

—— Metro News (New York)

This debut will ring bells... An uncanny portrait emerges of a time in life marked by too many hangovers, bad dates and bridal showers - as well as an abundance of solid friendships

—— People

It’s a pleasure to get to know the characters

—— The Columbus Dispatch

Funny and often poignant...The vignettes of White Dresses are intricate and often absurd, yet instantly relatable

—— Winnipeg Free Press

So many books...say they perfectly capture the angst and soaring joys of post-college life, but Girls in White Dresses truly does

—— Metro News (Toronto)

With a light touch and utterly believable characters, Close’s...appealing debut manages to capture the humor, heartache and cautious optimism of her protagonists

—— Kirkus Reviews

Feels like catching up with an old friend... Although the majority of the stories are humorous, they are never mean-spirited, and the friendships Close portrays feel incredibly realistic

—— National Post

Close straddles the line between melancholy and breeziness as she chronicles the exploits of recent college grads trying to make it in New York City . . . Hints at something deeper and truer: not just the adventure of being young, but the unmooring of it, too

—— Entertainment Weekly

You’ll relate, but mostly you’ll laugh as Close turns her sweet-tart wit on the dating and mating shenanigans of this tight-knit group of friends

—— Redbook

Close’s wry wit and deadpan delivery...make this debut novel a treat to read. . . . An original confection with echoes of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing and a dollop of Sex and the City

—— Shelf Awareness

Jennifer Close’s debut, Girls in White Dresses, follows a group of young women doing all the things they know they shouldn’t—falling for one’s boss, dating gay men—all while drinking far too many mimosas at other people’s weddings

—— Vogue.com

Funny... These stories will resonate with readers in the throes of the quarter-life churn

—— Publishers Weekly

What a delight! The young women in this hugely appealing book are charming, funny, rueful, poignant - just like their creator, in other words, one of the freshest and most appealing new voices in fiction. I can't wait for more work from Jennifer Close

—— Ann Packer, bestselling author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and Swim Back to Me

The only way to express my love for Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close is to tell you that this is the one book that I will be recommending over and over again to all of my friends. I laughed, I cried, I nodded knowingly as the characters waded their way through the hits and misses of their twenties and thirties. I can't remember the last time I loved a book as much as this one

—— Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of 'The One That I Want' and 'Time of My Life'

Girls In White Dresses is a dark, funny, intimate romp through boyfriends, first apartments, and great friendships - but beneath the surface lurks the jealousy, disappointment, and love that didn't quite end up the way you thought it would. Jennifer Close's brilliant, deadpan humor made me laugh so hard my own roommate thought I was nuts

—— Margot Berwin, author of Hothouse Flower

Girls in White Dresses is about a group of smart, funny, unapologetically grouchy, always-hungover female friends who kvetch their way through one another's weddings and showers, stare blearily at one another's offspring, sometimes barely tolerate one another's men, but nonetheless have one another's backs through thick and thin. Jennifer Close has written an unsentimental, frank novel about female friendship - its lifelong loyalties and unconditional love

—— Kate Christensen, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of 'The Great Man' and 'The Astral'

I recently read a book which explores the same post-university landscape that Girls handles; Jennifer Close's Girls In White Dresses. Like Girls, it is often funny, moving and true to (my and other straight women of a certain age living in a big city) life

—— Bim Adewunmi , Guardian

Delightful… Sharply and sparely written … a great debut

—— Wendy Holden , Daily Mail, Books of the Year

A quiet sense of emotional tragedy, sharp observational humour and writing so economically precise you long to read every sentence twice

—— Huffington Post

Perfects the intimate, easy style that makes reading her such a pleasure

—— Claire Allfree , Metro

The worlds she creates are so absorbing and believable; she taps into our innate curiosity about people just like ourselves

—— Sophie White , Sunday Independent

What she does, in the course of this novel, is show that the simplest family stories often have complex roots and unlikely outcomes. This is a book full of surprises, and Tyler is adept at the great revelation that both startles and throws what has come before into a whole new light

—— Erica Wagner , Financial Times

A warm, wise and funny book

—— Candis

A believable and wise read

—— Joanne Finney , Good Housekeeping

The texture of everyday experience transmuted into art

—— Kirkus Review

[A] wonderful book

—— Elspeth Barker , Literary Review

When it comes to painting a loving, funny and yet never simplistic portrait of American family life, Anne Tyler is, and always has been, the great mistress

—— Erica Wagner , Financial Times

There is no limit to the superlatives that Tyler inspires

—— Eileen Battersby , Irish Times

With A Spool of Blue Thread, the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist is on typically fine form

—— Jennifer Lipman , Optima Magazine

Sincerely and carefully told

—— Angus Sutherland, 5 stars , Skinny

This is a book that explores moral and psychological ambiguities with extraordinary subtlety

—— Caroline Moore , Oldie

Deftly written with skilful characterisation... A master of conversation

—— Vanessa Berridge , Daily Express

A Spool of Blue Thread does an exquisite job

—— Leo Robson , New Statesman

This is a novel to cherish

—— MediaCity

Wonderful new novel

—— 5 stars , Western Mail

A truly delightful read

—— Rachael Roberts , Big Issue

Ms. Tyler has a knack for turning sitcom situations into something far deeper and more moving

—— Rebecca Pepper Sinkler , International New York Times

A moving, well-crafted reflection on life and death and the relationships that sustain us through both

—— Sarah Gilmartin , Sunday Business Post

How can it be so wonderful!... Tyler remains among the best chroniclers of family life

—— Washington Post

Astonishingly adept

—— Leo Robson , New Statesman

Tyler describes so accurately the frailties, turmoil and love of family life

—— Big Issue

No one does family sagas quite like Anne Tyler

—— Matilda Bathurst , Country Life

Mundane yet magical, thus pure Tyler

—— Markie Robson-Scott , Tablet

Anne Tyler paints a large-scale portrait on a small-scale canvas and does it beautifully

—— Good Book Guide

In many ways this novel is a culmination of all those that have gone before it; it combines a multitude of themes and never fails to exact humour alongside the more sombre task of delving into topical issues such as sexuality, relationships and ageing

—— Francesa Wilson , Gryphon

Absolutely wonderful, a work of genius

—— Gill Hornby , Lady

It's so rich in detail and reality, so simple, but so compelling. I wept

—— Victoria Hislop , Waitrose Weekend

Is as good as anything she has ever written

—— Razia Iqbal , Independent

Another insightful study of family life. It may be familiar territory for the writer, but she commands it absolutely

—— Neville Hawcock , Financial Times

One to read on a family holiday

—— Fiona Wilson , The Times

Her gift for producing what seems less like fiction than actuality works wonders

—— Peter Kemp , Sunday Times Ireland

Heartwarming

—— Four stars , Love it!

Highly reccommended

—— Fiona Atley , Nudge

May be her best yet, though, to be honest, this is what I always tend to say after reading the latest Anne Tyler.

—— Craig Brown , Mail on Sunday

Superbly accomplished, perceptive and funny, tugged forward by suspended revelations to its hurricane climax

—— Robert McCrum , Observer

[Tyler] writes so sparingly and yet her books are dense with the complexities of human emotions

—— Natasha Harding, Jessica Fellowes , The Sun

Pure pleasure

—— Mark Amory , Spectator

[Tyler] has the rapier wit of a true satirist

—— Molly Guiness , Spectator

Anne Tyler is a magician: what she does seems so simple and et it weaves a compelling spell

—— D O'D , RTE Guide

Utterly absorbing, heartbreaking and endearing

—— Best

Tyler explores the simmering resentment that often underpins familial relationships, as well as the elusive nature of the American Dream

—— Paul Nolan , Hot Press

A book that is shot through with random misfortune, but which takes infinite pleasure in the detail of everyday family life.

—— Daisy Goodwin , Daily Mail

Rivalries flare between siblings and secrets unravel, as Tyler shines a brilliant light on our fundamental relationships and the span of life.

—— Sainsbury’s Magazine

Since the characters are actual, flawed human beings, it makes the story unbelievably relatable.

—— Emmy Griffiths , So Feminine

One of the greatest storytellers alive, whose characters arrive on the page like human beings, things happen to them, they react to these things, and then life continues

—— John Boyne , Irish Times

A stunning novel about three generations of a family that perfectly captures the fights, petty irritations and deep connections between them

—— Good Housekeeping

A rich and perceptive examination of uneven family relationships

—— Yorkshire Post
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