Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Hey all, Dani here.

I’ll just start today’s post by admitting that this is a book that has been on my TBR for several years now, and I actually bought two copies of it (digital and paperback) but never got around to reading. Why? I’m going to say that despite all the hype, the book just sounded okay to me, and the cover was certainly not helping. Then, with the announcement of a new standalone spin-off/sequel coming out next year, the whole trilogy got new covers…and suddenly I couldn’t pick the book up fast enough. So yeah, it’s awful of me to say, but I definitely judged this book by its cover, and now I’m really mad at myself for not joining the hype train earlier.

Anyway, let’s get into the review.

Summary

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

Rating: 5 stars

First of all, can I just say how much I related to Elisa when it came to food related matters? It is not often that I find a leading lady who isn’t portrayed as pretty much stick thin. Even when the ladies consider themselves to be average, they’re still smaller than average. Did you know that the average size of a woman in the USA is a Size 16 (US sizing, obviously). Hey, guess what? That’s me. I’m a Size 16. So am I going to get a teeny personal in this post? Sure, why not. Yes, I struggle and have days where I do feel utterly fat and I don’t like my body, but most days I’ve just accepted that this is who I am. I weigh 227 pounds. Would I like to lose about 40-50 pounds? Well, yeah, that would be really nice, but I also don’t know that I can fit that into my lifestyle at the moment.

Okay, segueing back into talking about the book, I’m not like Elisa, where I can be kidnapped and dragged across a desert for a couple weeks, being forced to eat very little and walk the whole day, to where I drop a whole bunch of weight. Even so, I don’t think her weight loss journey is portrayed in a negative way. It’s clear that Elisa still enjoys food, but eating it doesn’t become an emotional crutch so much anymore.

Also, being that Elisa isn’t a perfectly small princess, she excels in other areas, such as her mind. She has read a lot, and knows a lot about strategy and such. Plus she is also very devout, which makes sense as she is the bearer of the Godstone. Each of these elements adds to who she is as a character, which I really enjoyed.

There was a nice blend of development, exploration, world-building, action, romance, and travel within this novel, and I am really excited to see how the story and world will develop more in the next two books.

Oh, so the romance was interesting. I don’t want to talk about it too much because I want to avoid spoilers for those who are like me and waited this long to read this book. Elisa is promised to a neighboring King, that much is stated in the synopsis, so it makes you wonder if their arranged marriage will turn into a true romantic relationship. Then Elisa is kidnapped (the daring revolutionary mentioned in the synopsis), and it makes you wonder if maybe he’ll be the romantic interest, or if it might become a love triangle. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens with all of the possible romance, but I’ll just say that I wasn’t expecting most of it.

I am so glad that I am going to B&N tomorrow, because I really want to keep reading this series. I haven’t done a YA trilogy binge since I discovered The Hunger Games a couple years late.

Where to Get a Copy

You can buy your own copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local independent bookstore.

You can also check with your local library.