The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Girl of Fire and Thorns #2
Greenwillow Books
September 18, 2012
High Fantasy

ACQUIRED FROM Public library

SYNOPSIS

She doesn't know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.

Elisa is a hero.

She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten--and forbidden--clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom--despite everything--she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost. 

From Goodreads 

REVIEW

I loved The Crown of Embers so much that it is more than easy to give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars. There was literally only one thing about this novel that I didn't like, and that was the fact that there was the cliched "forbidden" love storyline. But honestly, doesn't that happen a lot? So that was actually pretty easy to overlook.

Carson is a brilliant storyteller who can bring a world like this to life with just a few words. I loved the story of Elisa and her struggle to hold her kingdom together after the devastating war. The descriptions were beautiful and breathtaking, and the characters were beyond just realistic. To me, they were living, breathing people whose lives I became invested in. Carson is a master at bringing these characters into your heart and making you care about them.

There were wonderful twists and turns in the story, including lots of mystery and intrigue. The love story that developed was beautiful and very organic. It was right and not forced like many love stories I've read in the past. This truly is a brilliant novel that I would recommend to anyone in love with fantasy.

With a beautifully tragic love story and lots of action and intrigue, The Crown of Embers is a wonderful story about realizing that who you are is just enough.