Tags: YA, fantasy, magic, war, destiny
Summary
With the mysterious but mystical Godstone in her belly, Princess Lucero-Elisa has grown up knowing she has a special role to play, but she feels as far from a proper Godstone bearer as possible. Elisa is not beautiful or politically apt like her sister, and when she enters a political marriage with Alejandro, ruler of the neighboring kingdom, she’s immediately in over her head at the political games and shocking revelations surrounding her heritage and destiny. And yet, as Elisa learns more about her new people, she begins to invest in their—and her own—well-being with a strength that she never knew she had in her.
Review
After a rocky start, Rae Carson’s debut novel, THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS, quickly grew into a YA fantasy tour de force, with an admirable complexity and characterization that makes it worthy of consideration from every high fantasy fan.
Admittedly, approximately the first third of THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS was difficult for me to get into. I found it hard to connect with Elisa and her predicament of being the plain and passive princess who is supposed to have a big role.
The more I read, however, the more I respected—and then eventually loved—Elisa, her world, and the story. Elisa turned out to be a supremely capable protagonist of the highest caliber, who seemed to blossom with every page I eagerly absorbed. Her lifetime of dullness and dissatisfaction is what gives her clarity in her new role as a princess and Godstone-bearer that everyone looks to for inspiration and guidance. This is one heroine whose future, beyond the confines of this particular story, is quite clear: she will make a remarkable queen, mother, and wife, even if, happily, the first book in this trilogy leaves her future appealingly wide open.
At first I wasn’t quite convinced that Carson’s fantastical world was on par with those of fantasy masters such as Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley, but as THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS unfolded, I was happily proven wrong. Elisa’s world is every bit as complex, logical, and entwined in tradition and lore as a fantasy world should be. As Elisa extends her horizons and understandings, so does the scope of the story and the fictional world.
THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS is one of those rare few YA speculative fiction books published nowadays that proves that writing and world-building can still be complex and intriguing without being completely “overwhelmed” by an underwhelming romantic plotline. I wasn’t sure at the beginning, but Rae Carson fully won me over, and I now eagerly await the next installment in Elisa’s adventures!
Similar Authors
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Cover discussion: I wasn't a fan of the original cover, and I don't really feel that this is much better. There's something... contrived about both this cover and the old one: it doesn't have the effortlessness of fantasy covers I've liked in the past.
Greenwillow Books / Sept. 20, 2011 / Hardcover / 432pp. / $17.99
Requested for review through NetGalley.
This is the kind of review I needed to read because I am in the beginning and I am having a hard time still reading it. I think now I will keep going!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. I am a high fantasy fan and this is on my TBR list so its good to know that this book will be a great read despite the difficult beginning. On the cover I prefer this one to the generic first cover but agree it could still be better. They should have just taken out the face all together and improved on the gemstone because the background and text are quite beautiful on their own.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty interested in The Girl of Fire and Thorns- and now I'll keep this review in mind if I find it slow at the beginning :)
ReplyDeleteI was waiting to see what you thought about this one, because I got about 15 pages in and almost gave up. I shall have to get it from the library and finish it to find out what you loved so...
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
This reflects my thoughts exactly! SUCH a slow start but as it went on, wow, I was sucked in before I knew what was happening to me. It grew and grew into a beautiful, surprising world. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this book, and I've been so happy to see my favorite reviewers loving it, too!
ReplyDeleteA tour de force? This has already been my most eagerly anticipated read of the fall and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint. And I've just got my hands on a copy! Cannot WAIT to dive in. :)
ReplyDelete