Release Date: September 20, 2011Publisher: Greenwillow/HarperCollins
Pages: 299
Series: Fire and Thorns #1
Review Source: Netgalley
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
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. She 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 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 Thoughts:
‘The Girl of Fire and Thorns’ definitely kept my interest. I love fantasy books, but sometimes they can be a bit meandering. This is definitely not the case with this book. The Godstone (more on that later) made the plot very unique, and the storyline itself kept my attention because it kept changing, going in directions that I didn’t expect. Despite all the different settings and scenarios in this book it wasn’t disjointed at all. It was intriguing and kept me turning the pages, waiting to find out what might happen next.
Elisa is a sympathetic main character and as the book goes on she becomes someone who is amazingly strong. I absolutely loved watching her journey of self-discovery! As I mentioned, the Godstone made the story quite original. How this religious aspect was woven in with the world’s mythology and history absolutely fascinated me. It made me so interested in the world Rae Carson had created.
If you’re interested in fantasy novels which contain strong characters who live in a well developed world then ‘The Girl of Fire and Thorns’ likely will not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to learning more about the bearers of the Godstone and seeing where things will go in the next book.
The Cover:
Pretty good! A lot better than the original cover. The way her face is in the Godstone kind of creeps me out, though. Still, it definitely looks like a fantasy cover.
Rating:
[4/5]Find The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon
I have this one waiting on my Kindle -- it woulds awesome! I love strong female characters and I'm intrigued by the world in this story. Great review!
ReplyDeleteMary @ BookSwarm
This sounds like yet another YA fantasy I need to add to my wish list! I have so many on the list I barely have time to read anything else.
ReplyDeleteWe've heard some great things about this book, and we definitely love seeing more true fantasy in YA. Glad to hear it doesn't disappoint!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear this is a worthwhile YA fantasy and that the changing plot kept your interest. I have it from Netgalley and I'm eager to read it.
ReplyDeleteI've got this one waiting for me on my TBR pile. It's good to hear there's a strong female character. I'm really looking forward to reading it soon. Awesome review, Ashley!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one too! It took me a while to get into, but that's usually the case for me with fantasy books. From Part 2 on I was hooked and couldn't wait to find out what happened next:) Awesome review Ashley!
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a proper YA fantasy in a long time but this one sounds fascinating. I love it when the underdog comes good :)
ReplyDeleteYay for a good high fantasy! I think I've been reading too much urban fantasy lately and not enough of my first love. May have to check this one out. Thanks for the rec!
ReplyDeleteSmiles!
Lori
I'm really looking forward to this one- and I'm happy to see it lives up to the hype :)
ReplyDeleteI've always loved a good fantasy book, but there don't seem to be too many out there. So this one looks like it should be a good fix for that!
I've been dying to read The Girl of Fire and Thorns (which, by some unknown reason I always read Horns instead of Thorns, but anyway)! I absolutely love fantasy books, but I feel like there's too much of the same out there and this book sounds like a good change of pace within the genre! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy!
ReplyDeleteGAH!!!! I've been wanting to read this one. I need to haul ass over to Netgalley!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it, and it seems to be living up to my expectations. It looks simply awesome.
Great review. I cannot wati to gwet my hands on this, sounds like an amazing read
ReplyDelete