The Crown of Embers: Fire and Thorns, Book 2

Originally reviewed at [...]4.5/5 StarsWarning: This review DOES contain spoilers for Bk.#1, The Girl of Fire and ThornsYou guys I was such a fan of Rae Carson's 2011 debut The Girl of Fire and Thorns (read my review here: [...]) It amazed me, it destroyed me, it made me feel ALL the emotions. I have been anxiously awaiting the sequel, excited because I wasn't really sure what lay ahead for Elisa (the conclusion of The Girl of Fire and Thorns was WAY open ended) and apprehensive because Carson basically tore my heart out and stomped on it when she killed off Elisa's love interest, Humberto. I wasn't sure I could handle something like that again in The Crown of Embers. As the early reviews started rolling in and I heard about a NEW love interest for Elisa I admit I was excited. But how would he, whoever he was, compare to sweet, tragic Humberto? I'm happy to say that my apprehension was unfounded. Rae Carson pulled that part of The Crown of Embers off and MORE.Before we get to the romance, which I freely admit is my favorite part of this series, let's set the scene a bit and then talk characters.At the conclusion of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Elisa, with the aid of her Godstone related abilities, successfully killed all the deadly animagus' and has driven back the Invierne army, but not before they claim the life of her husband, King Alejandro. Elisa must now step up and prove to the people of her new country that she is worthy to hold the post of queen. Working in her favor is her unwavering desire to protect her family, her country, as well as her drive to live up to her destiny as a " God's chosen one." Working against her is the fact that she is a foreigner, she is a woman (albeit one that bears the Godstone) and at just seventeen, she is vastly inexperienced. To make matters worse, an assassin is gunning for Elisa as well. And if that wasn't bad enough, Elisa's government is pressuring her to marry again believing a good political match will bolster the people's spirits. Things are a bit of mess in Brisadulce, wouldn't you agree?Let's talk about our girl Elisa! All the things that I loved about Elisa are still present: her cleverness, her vulnerability, her strength, her courage, her ambition, and her loyalty. But this Elisa is different in one regard. She now sits as queen, it's a role that she is gradually growing into, but not without some missteps. Elisa is definitely more ruthless in The Crown of Embers and much of the story is about her trying to strike a balance between being an effective ruler and being a compassionate ruler. Some of the decisions she made were hard to swallow, but I appreciate that Ms. Carson has portrayed the struggle that Elisa is facing in this new role. It's wonderful to witness her strength but just as wonderful to recognize that she's still just a young girl trying to do right by her people."And I refuse to be governed by fear. The life stretching before me is that of a queen. It's a life I chose. Fought for, even. I cannot--will not--squander it on dread."Atta girl:)There are some in Elisa's surrounding court who would manipulate and betray her, but luckily she has strong allies in her corner as well. Elisa's trusted nursemaid Ximena is back, God love her. I will say that Ximena, loyal as ever, does exhibit a different side to her personality in The Crown of Embers but I'll leave it up to you to judge whether this is a good thing or not. But the first time she uttered "my sky", that endearment that I loved so much from The Girl of Fire and Thorns, I couldn't help but smile and give a little whoop of thanks for being back in this amazing world:)Her other major ally is Lord Hector, commander of the royal guard, and staunch supporter of Elisa. But I'm going to return to Hector in just a moment, because there is a LOT to say about HIM:)Alejandro's son and heir Rosario returns and I enjoyed the small moments of love between he and Elisa. And Elisa finds a new friend in her maidservant Mara. Mara's role isn't large but it is important. Ximena is motherly, almost to the point of controlling, and Elisa needs a friend she can confide in. Elisa needs some girl time. Thankfully, Mara is there for her in this regard.Continue Reading My Review Here: [...]

There’s so much I want to say about The Crown of Embers. Each time I’ve started this review, however, I can’t seem to summon the appropriate words for how it made me feel. Because it did, that is, it made me feel. I was impressed by its predecessor, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, but The Crown of Embers took my positive response to book one, and fanned the flames until it burst into full-on, borderline obsessive fandom.Clearly, The Crown of Embers is a remarkable book.What I love most is that it legitimately feels like it is not simply a second book in a trilogy. It does accomplish many things that seconds normally do – developing characters further (especially through their relationships with other characters), carrying along the main plot arc of the entire trilogy and leaving us at a point where the next book will (supposedly) answer all the questions and the characters will face an epic showdown. But it also has the strength to stand separately from its companions, with a contained plot of its own.The Crown of Embers returns readers to the world of Joya de Arena, once again rejoining Elisa as she embarks on the next chapter of her story. The events of The Girl of Fire and Thorns were certainly a traumatic, yet transformative experience for her: being married to a stranger and moving to a foreign kingdom, getting kidnapped, leading a group of rebels, betrayals, romance, learning about the Godstone and death too. What The Crown of Embers does is two-fold: it shows how Elisa deals with all that’s happened to her so far, as well as showing how she uses what she’s learned to navigate the murkiness of the challenges that face her at present.It’s no doubt that this story will appeal to fantasy fans. The Crown of Embers features political intrigue and deception, and a voyage into uncharted territory, among other things, which lends to the sense of epic adventure the novel offers. So much happens! I loved it, and my fascination kept me turning the pages.Elisa began to come into her own in The Girl of Fire and Thorns, but it is in The Crown of Embers where she finds her way as the ruler of Joya de Arena. Like anyone in her position, Elisa faces danger, doubt and anxiety over the major choices and tasks she is forced to make. But her quiet strength, glimmers of growing wisdom and independent, forward thinking make her ideal to step into place as a queen. She becomes such an admirable figurehead, both among her subjects and among her friends (and even for us readers).Other familiar characters return as well, chief among them Mara (Elisa’s lady-in-waiting, who’s also one of her best friends and a warrior in her own right) and Hector (who deserves an entire paragraph of his own, still to come). There are also a few newcomers, my favorites among them being Storm and Felix. Rae Carson manages to make each character in this ensemble come alive completely, making them so distinct that it’s hard to confuse or forget them once you encounter them. It’s a rare thing to be able to do so effectively, but Carson certainly showed off her chops yet again in The Crown of Embers.Hector, as promised, warrants a paragraph of praise. He’s been present in Elisa’s life since The Girl of Fire and Thorns, though he has recently become Captain of the Queen’s Guard after Alejandro’s passing. It’s clear that he is well-versed in weapons, strategy and protection. But what becomes entirely too evident in The Crown of Embers is that he is also a man with some vulnerability when it comes to his regard for Elisa. He’s one of her best friends and closest advisers, but it’s plain as day that he’s also got romantic feelings. There are a lot of swoony moments to be had between these two in The Crown of Embers, but nearly all of them build up this extremely slow-burn, cautious romantic relationship.Clearly, I harbor a lot of affection for The Crown of Embers. It’s not only a phenomenal second book, but it’s also a solid story on its own. I was sincerely blown away by how intense my emotions were while reading, and cannot gush enough about The Crown of Embers. The only piece of advice I’d offer apart from JUST READ IT ALREADY? You should be sure to have the last book, The Bitter Kingdom, on hand, so you can jump in when you’re done with this one!

Elisa is so different from the same usual strong heroine we see in most fantasy novels. She's not beautiful or especially gifted, other than that she was born with a God- stone , of which she has been kept ignorant of her whole life. What really intrigues me is the setting and cultures of the two warring races of peoples. Our heroes are the dark haired dark eyed people of a gentle nature in a surrounding that is much like an Arabian desert . While the enemy are the tall pale skinned, fair hair power hungry (sorcery) ones. In a very refreshing way the author creates the surrounding s so well you feel transported into the hot sun, smelling coconut honey scones and fresh mangoes. I felt the urge to travel and ride a camel! A great adventure, as well as spiritually inspiring

This is the third time that I've read this book and for some reason I'm only leaving a review now, which is crazy because it's a great book. I realised What a strange premise for a story when I tried to explain this to my girlfriends, but a gripping one nonetheless and well written. I never expect a high standard of writing in some books sold at kindle but, this is really good. Interesting plot and brilliantly intense and tension filed love story which is always fun. Recommend to readers who liked the assassins's curse and the throne of glass.

LOVED IT, a fast paced second in the series, Elisa is challenged with well meaning helpers, uncertain future, a hidden crush and battling the unknown whilst trying to save her friends and her kingdom, really nicely written - can't wait for the next one as couldn;t put this one down!

Love this books always go back and re-read the. Wish all 3 book where audiobooks

Truly the best series I have read in a long time. Brilliant characters, great pace, wonderful imaginative writing. Couldn't put it down.