The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns #3
Greenwillow Books
August 27th, 2013
YA Fantasy

ACQUIRED FROM: Public Library

SYNOPSIS

The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy.

The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion--a champion to those who have hated her most. 

From Goodreads 

REVIEW

It is with ease that I give The Bitter Kingdom 4.5 out of 5 stars. While it might not have been my favorite of the three novels (that easily goes to part one), The Bitter Kingdom was a brilliant novel that really brought to a stunning finish everything that began in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. 

The novel was filled with beautiful imagery and wonderful drama. There was one twist after another that kept the characters moving. It seemed they never got a break until the very end. Elisa really came into her own as a person in this novel, and I absolutely loved how she finally realized that it was only important how she saw herself. She faced her feelings about her sister, her prejudices about the Inviernos, and her prejudices about herself. I loved how, in the end, she loved herself. 

Another thing I absolutely adored about this novel was the fact that we got to see some of the story from Hector's point of view. That is one of the things that will keep me coming back to this novel again and again.

The only thing about this novel that I didn't like was that the rescues sometimes seemed too quick and easy, but this was overwhelmed by the fact that something new always popped up to challenge the characters.

Overall, The Bitter Kingdom is a breathtaking story about how being special is all about how you see yourself. Rae Carson is easily a master of fantasy. 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Fire and Thorns #1
Greenwillow Books
September 20th, 2011

SYNOPSIS

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness...

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king--a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary things she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do. 

 

REVIEW

Without reservation, I give The Girl of Fire and Thorns 5 out of 5 stars. Rae Carson doesn't just pull you into the story, she literally drags you into it with a compelling plot line and a remarkably sympathetic protagonist. I absolutely loved that Elisa wasn't your traditional "beautiful in a non-traditional way" young adult heroine. Elisa is awkward and overweight, she eats her feelings, and has low self-esteem. From the moment you meet her, Elisa is relate-able.

The characters are well rounded, and the relationships are wonderfully well developed and believable. The world described is brilliantly realized once you get your bearings. It's grounded in reality in the fact that the languages in the book bear a striking resemblance to Spanish and Latin. My favorite thing about the book is the fact that Elisa is at once a very strong and a very weak character. She has doubts about who she is and what her destiny is, and yet she works to find her own strength and her own courage. She is one of the rare young adult heroines who has agency. Who figures things out on her own, rather than has a male side kick do it for her. And I loved that!

There were very few things about this book that I didn't like. It did have a rather slow start, and it was slightly confusing to get my bearings. A prologue or at least a map of the world in question would have been nice to introduce the reader to Elisa's world. 

Overall, The Girl of Fire and Thorns is an amazing read. It's a story about having the courage to find your faith in yourself. It's a must have book!