Author: Rae Carson
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Greenwillow (Harper)
Pages: 410
Cover Judge: It matches so I like it! Plus, it has a very high fantasy-esque feel to it.
Quote Choice: Gargh, I don't have my copy today so I can't find the quote I chose for this review!
Source: For Review
Source: For Review
Goodreads: Link
In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.
Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.
- from Goodreads
Oh my god, guys. So when I read Girl of Fire And Thorns I was like: nothing can top this. AND THEN I READ CROWN OF EMBERS. So you know to expect some fangirling in this review.
Elisa is queen now and between Inviernos threats that they thought they had eradicated coming back to haunt her and this crazy spirit journey she has to take to save her kingdom, you're in for a wild ride. Elisa, as always, was a great heroine. She's a girl who's been thrust into a position of power that she feels too inexperienced to deal with while having to deal with the fact that there's hardly anyone living in the castle that has her best interests in mind. She's young and confused but Rae Carson knows how to write a damn good heroine which means that for every flaw that this girl has, she is gifted with a lovely persona and a brave nature. With Elisa, there is always room for improvement because she is a wonderfully flawed character.
The plot is damn crazy, guys. I loved reading about it because I liked that the story isn't set in one place like I thought it was going to be: the castle. While we do stay there for a while to set the scene and see where the kingdom is since Alejandro's stepping down from the throne, we are almost immediately thrust into a journey that is even more treacherous than the first. And then of course, we have the Godstone drama. I love that while religion and the religion of this High Fantasy world is an important part of the story, it's not being shoved in your face. I mean, Elisa gets power from praying but I don't feel like I'm having religious preaching forced on me.
Guys. You thought the romance was good in GoFaT? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW MY HEART WAS LIKE ON FIRE. It looks a lot for me to full-on swoon and this book managed to make it happen multiple times. The sexual tension and the sadness at the idea that their love is so impossible while still holding a sliver of hope is just...lovely. Everything about it was lovely.
This book was just fantastic and it definitely lives up to the first book! Also can we just...mention that ending? Way to sever my heartstrings, gah. Can't wait for the final book.
Happy Reading
