The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Publication Date: September 20, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 432
Source: NetGalley
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Goodreads Synopsis
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 thinks 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.
My Review
Elisa lives in a land ruled by men. As a princess under constant scrutiny, she is destined for greatness. She is the bearer of the Godstone, a stone given by God to those that are worthy of a godly deeds. Elisa believes she will fail, even though she doesn’t know what it is she is in need of accomplishing.
On her sixteenth birthday, Elisa is married away to a king of another kingdom. Their marriage is kept a secret from her new kingdom, a kingdom where Elisa is not sure that she will ever be accepted by its people or her new husband. The kingdom needs someone that is capable of greatness, not a princess that sees herself as useless.
But just when Elisa thinks she may be beginning to feel a little at home, she is stolen away by a servant and her mysterious and handsome brother. As many begin to find she is the bearer of the Godstone, so many begin to seek her. Dark magic, armed forces, needy villages; everyone seems to suddenly need Elisa.
When she begins to finally listen to her own intelligence, greatness, and know how, Elisa finds herself at the head of a revolution that may save the kingdoms as a whole.
The story of Elisa is one of intrigue and adventure; love and loss; of finding ones self and having the courage to follow your head and your heart. She is the true essence of a powerful, courageous, intelligent, and brave woman.
My Thoughts
The Girl of Fire and Thorns is by far one of my favorite reads of the summer! Elisa was so fresh and new for a heroine. She is not the typical thin, gorgeous, secretly kick-butt girl that you see in a lot of YA fiction. She is a chubby girl who likes her food, very unsure of herself and her abilities, has many flaws, and has not a clue in the world what she is supposed to be doing.
When she is stolen away, Elisa finally begins to see herself for what she could be and what she could accomplish. You can actually see her learn and grow through her own intelligence and her experiences. And the romance that brew between her and Humberto was so sweet! He was finally a man that saw deeper than her skin, a man that was in love with her heart and soul. I only wished we could have seen more from their love. A sad part of the story indeed.
I have to admit, I was not a huge fan of Elisa’s secret husband. Although he was handsome and at charming, it drove me nuts that he treated Elisa as if she was a child and only seemed to be using her. At times, I did find myself wishing that they would eventually get together and fall in love, but decided against it when I saw how strong of a woman Elisa could be. She only needed to love a man if she wanted or needed to, not the other way around.
The concept of a stone in the naval is very intriguing for me. Actually, I find it a little brilliant. The stone is capable of warning of trouble, comfort, and love. It also marks you for a great destiny. Hmmm. Interesting.
But, in the end, some characters had to be lost. I found myself happy, angry, sad, and crying throughout the entire story. I had so many emotions stirring itself together with the fantastic words of Rae Carson.
I highly recommend this read!
Favorite Character: Elisa! Duh. and Hector
Least Favorite Character: Arina
My Rating
Addicted!
1 comment:
Sound awesome! I like the idea of a chubby, awkward princess. Thanks for the review!
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