Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, #1
Published: September 1, 2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 423

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.

 I actually reviewed the second book in this series first. Mostly because I did not reread this first book for the second book (which I normally do), and this book came out well before I started this blog. So sorry for going out of order, but I did reread this book when the final book came out, so you do get a review!

Review: Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, #2
Published: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 410

The second book in Rae Carson's award-winning The Girl of Fire and Thorns fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and Kristin Cashore. Tamora Pierce called the first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, "A unique and engrossing read!" A seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.In The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Elisa won the war. She saved her kingdom. But no one prepared her for how hard it is to recover from a battle, or to rule a people who still don't trust her. She's still fighting—against assassination attempts and more—and her enemies lie both outside her court and within it. So Elisa will cross the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. With her go a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume to Rae Carson's ambitious trilogy.

*Beware spoilers for Girl of Fire and Thorns!*
I must say, this series is quickly becoming a high fantasy favorite for me. I adored the first book. I felt as if Carson had so much courage for tackling a book with A) A heroine who is not only plain, but obese. B) Writing a high fantasy book with God (not ‘a’ God, not ‘Gods,’ but God. and C) sacrificing characters for the development (not shock factor) of a story.