is a Victorian fairy tale about love, loss and betrayal, enchanted forests and ancient mythical beings.Sisters Lillian and Nessa reside alone and care for their father, who has been ill for a year now. Nessa takes a fall out in the snow and is aided by a strange gentleman. Mr. Thorne’s charm quickly draws her to him and she finds herself in the romance she has always dreamed of. What she does not know is that the handsome stranger hides a dark secret, one that puts her and those around her at great risk.
Each page of Wooden Rose is in full color. The style is scattered with hints of anime and art nouveau. It began in January 2009, and ran until July 2012.
Tropes included:
- After-Action Patch-Up: Lillian for Eric after Nessa's tree spirit baby is possessed by Aidan and attacks him.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Lillian hates how 'foolishly tongue tied' she gets around her crush, Eric.
- Children Are Innocent: Even ones that look like the roots of trees have the same guileless nature as human infants.
- Color-Coded Eyes: A plot point for the supernatural aspect of the plot. Aidan's green eyes signify his charming human persona. They turn red in the presence of cats and when he has trouble maintaining his illusion.
- Cute Kitten: Prospero was chosen as an adorable kitten with equally-adorable siblings.
- Damsel in Distress: Aidan helps Nessa out of a minor spot of trouble at the start. It's the start of their courtship. Later he's the cause of her distress via More than Mind Control.
- Doing in the Scientist: Eric originally attributed his wife's pregnancy to infidelity, but when he saw that the child was a tree spirit and came to term in a week instead of nine months he had no choice but to accept that the supernatural was involved.
- Dream Land: Aidan draws Nessa into one that he claims is real.
- Empathic Environment: It's a beautiful day during Nessa and Aidan's date, grey and rainy during the funeral, and dark during the climax.
- Enchanted Forest: The woods outside the town were once said to be the home of spirits and the supernatural.
- Evil Plan: Aidan's true purpose in courting Nessa is to prolong his life by draining hers.
- Evil-Detecting Dog: Prospero, Lillian's pet cat, hisses at Aidan and is able to detect him not being quite human.
- First-Name Basis: Late in the comic, and after bonding in tragedy, Doctor Dawson insists that Lillian address him by his first name 'Eric' instead of his title.
- Flower Motifs: It's in the title and part of Lillian's name.
- Foil: The sisters are Sibling Yin-Yang and their respective suitors are also foils; charming mysterious and gentleman familiar.
- Functional Magic: Aidan uses magic music with his pipe but his true talent is an inherent gift because he's a tree spirit.
- Grave Clouds: It's completely overcast at the sisters' father's funeral.
- Incurable Cough of Death: The illness of the girls' father is unknown but it causes him coughing fits.
- The Load: The doctor thinks Nessa is no help at all to the family, noting he's never seen her lift a finger to help.
- Meaningful Name: There’s Lillian, Nessa, and Mr. Thorne.
- Missing Mom: The sisters live with only their dying father. Their mother died when Nessa was only four.
- Monochrome Past: In a Flashback
- Music Magic: Aidan uses it to weave his Mind Control over Nessa. It's mundane music that breaks his control.
- Nature Spirit The cranshee, Aiden Thorne.
- Nursery Rhyme: In a lullaby sung by their mother, and then by Lillian.
- Obvious Pregnancy: Nessa's, justified by the speed at which the pregnancy progresses; one week!
- Plant Person: Aiden Thorne's true form is a tree.
- Power Glows: Whenever magic happens, it's accompanied by light.
- Promotion to Parent: Lillian has been a second mother to Nessa since their mother died and their father took ill.
- Proper Lady: Lillian is reserved, polite, and kind.
- Really 700 Years Old: After Aidan reveals his true nature to Nessa she asks how old he is. He says "500 years".
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: They hint at Aidan's true, evil, nature.
- Shapeshifting Lover: Aidan is truly a tree spirit but can take human form to seduce human women.
- Shipper on Deck: Nessa pushes her sister toward Eric because of her crush on the good doctor. When they finally begin courting in the epilogue, Nessa insists on dressing her up for it.
- The Stoic: Eric and Lillian both have a handle on their emotion. This is why they get along so well.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Lillian is a reserved young lady and her character profile says she 'guards her heart carefully' but there's a warm personality underneath.
- Talking in Your Dreams: Sweet nothings in the target's dreams are all part of the seduction.
- When Trees Attack: Aiden Thorne's roots can pierce like a spear.
