Review of The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Goodreads Summary:

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 Take:

First let me talk about the world building. The Girl of Fire and Thorns has the voice and style of a historical with magic lightly sprinkled throughout. It’s not exactly in the vein of the traditional fantasy. No dragons or elves, just humans, godstones and war.  What truly piqued my interest is that the author, Rae Carson, used Spanish words throughout when it came to names and even a foreign language. It had a feel similar to Isabel Allende’s work, author of City of the Beasts. This incorporation of Spanish (or possibly Latin) traditions seemed to give it a new setting, so different from traditional fantasies set in a middle ages England backdrop. She painted a rich and believable world.

Now, the heroine. At first I had a hard time relating to her, but Princess Elisa will surprise us all. Told in the first person point-of-view we delve headfirst into Elisa’s life as a plump and curvaceous princess who prefers to know when the next meal is than deal with anything to do with the court. She knows she’s not as beautiful as her sister, nor is she as charming when it comes to court, but somehow Elisa is the bearer of the godstone, a chosen one. We get to stumble along with her as she tries to find where she belongs and what path will make her a legend or a coward. Personally, this was a great read and I can’t wait for the second. My only complaint was that I felt certain relationships between characters could have been strengthened. Overall, definitely worth a read.

My Rating:

4.4 out of 5 stars