The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 432
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository
On her naming day, Elisa was marked for an act of great heroism. A blue sapphire-like stone has hummed in her navel for the past sixteen years, a constant reminder that she’s mastered nothing but reading ancient texts and raiding the kitchens. And then her father marries her off to the king of a neighboring country. What kind of queen can a fearful, untried teenager be? Amid terrifying attacks, kidnapping attempts, and an onslaught of enemies fueled by the fire of dark sorcerers, Elisa will find herself, her heart, and her epic destiny. – Netgalley
Review:
Eeep!!! I am absolutely in love with this novel! Let me count the ways:
1. Kick-ass heroine. Oh my god, you guys, it was truly a journey with Elisa! Born as the bearer of the Godstone, the chosen one to carry a special purpose, her life is full of expectations and pressure from those around her. But here’s the thing: Elisa is lazy, fat, full of insecurities, and she lacks any sort of motivation. It was easy for me to feel skeptical about her character growth when I found myself frustrated by some of her behavior and actions. How would she ever amount to anything when she had such low self-esteem? I wanted her to grow up and stop feeling sorry for herself. Lucky for me, she did just that! I won’t detail all the things she went through, but I am so proud of the woman she grew to be.
2. The Spanish and religious influence. As a Spanish speaker, I loved being able to pick up on things while still being able to appreciate the work that Carson put into her world and characters. The religious aspects were also expertly used and I found the history of the previous bearers to be very fascinating.
3. The romance that wasn’t. This point will go nicely with the next, but it gets its own special mention because one — it’s me — when does the romance stuff not get a special mention? And two, and more importantly, Rae Carson really threw me for a loop. I went into this thinking I had an idea of how the romantic aspects would play out and… NOPE! Some chapters in, I had other suspicions and…NOPE! Then I thought we were getting comfortable and settling in and ha…NOPE AGAIN! Not understanding the direction where this was headed would usually annoy me, but I genuinely appreciated the natural progress of what transpired — and what’s to come. Some of my suspicions from earlier on came back to the forefront at the end of this installment, and it certainly seems that that’s where we’re headed, but I won’t get ahead of myself like I did with this book. I’ll simply wait to see what Carson has up her sleeve in the next one. (But on the off chance that I’m actually right this time: I’M SO, SO EXCITED.)
4. The unpredictability. Love. Friendships. Fatalities. Secrets. Betrayals. Carson didn’t pull things out of nowhere — it was very clear that she knew where she was taking her story — but I was pleasantly surprised by some turn of events and my inability to see them coming.
5. The lack of cliffhanger. Now, Elisa’s journey is far from over, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing her again, but The Girl of Fire and Thorns wrapped up the events from this book well enough that I don’t have to go punching things in anger. That said, can I get the next book now, please? Before I go punching things in anger?
When the time comes to wrap up my favorite books of this year, The Girl of Fire and Thorns will definitely be on that list. It’s such an amazing start to a wonderful series. READ.THIS.BOOK.
About Stephanie
Great review! I just got approved for this on NetGalley as well but haven’t started it yet. I’m glad to know there isn’t a cliffhanger. Now I’m even more excited to get to this!
I really, really hope you like it! :D
Awesome, I really love the list format of this review. I am already loving Elisa’s character. I love it when characters grow throughout a novel instead of just remaining static the entire time. As for the “romance that wasn’t” aspect, I’m surprised that you didn’t find it annoying. I’m wondering now if I’ll feel the same way about it. Great review!
I’m surprised I didn’t find it annoying either! There’s definitely buildup to…stuff, but then it went in another direction — one that I prefer, I think. Yay for vagueness, haha.
I really hope you enjoy it! I don’t think it’s possible to not admire Elisa’s character arc.
Great review :) This one does look interesting – only a couple of months until it is out.
I love romance and sometimes its great to read one that isn’t so predictable and feels more natural – as long as it is well written :) Vague romances tend to annoy me (as well as over-done insta-love lol!) But I’m definitely going to pick this one up after reading your review.
yaya! So glad you liked this book. I’m trying to request it from netgalley and read it as soon as possible. Good review!
I am SO WITH YOU on the romance stuff. I thought I knew in the beginning, things totally changed…then at the end things swung back around to the beginning (I’m pretty sure we have the same idea…). I can’t wait to see how it progresses in the sequel!
Oh wow, you don’t have to tell me twice. Loved your review and this book has made its way onto my TBB list. Thanks for the review! I’m mighty intrigued with the whole romance aspect of it, I heart romances! Ooh, it’s a guessing game, eh? Haha, I can’t wait!
So glad to hear that this book is awesome! You’ve made me want to start it, like, right now! :) I love your review too! I can’t wait to read this!!!
Oh yes!! I looooove fantasy, so I have been really looking forward to reading this book. I’m so, so happy to hear you loved it!
I’m so excited to read this one. Also, teach me Spanish! :P
Wow! Okay, I’ll think about picking this one up. It doesn’t sound like what I would usually go for, but I’m glad to hear that it doesn’t end in a cliffhanger and that it was pretty unpredictable.