The Girl of Fire and Thorns

YA Bound

Sometimes words just fail me when reviewing a book I love. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is probably my favorite book of 2011, and it's one of my favorites of all time. I loved it that much. Elisa is not your typical protagonist. Hardly. When we first meet her, she's more concerned over what the kitchen in her palace home will be serving for dinner than she is about the affairs of the country she's about to rule. She knows she's been chosen by God for some great act of service, but she doesn't feel very worthy, and she's lazy and apathetic about pretty much everything else. This in not to say she's an unlikable character. She is very easy to relate to, and being inside her head was entertaining. I loved how she viewed things, and she had a humorous way of looking at herself, even though she often felt bad about being overweight.

After she marries, she's confused about how she feels toward her husband and how she wants him to feel toward her. The fact he kept her a secret really burned me up. I felt for her, felt her embarrassment. And oh, there's a scene during a celebration when my heart just went out to her. I know how she felt, and watching the way she lost herself in despair, I ached for her.

I'm trying really hard not to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that something happens to Elisa that forces her to not only use her mind, but her body in different ways than she's used to. Put in this situation, she grows, becoming a beautiful, fierce, and amazing character. I was really impressed with how Carson showed her growing over the novel. And by the end, I wanted to stand up and cheer. It was that powerful.

There were some wonderful and difficult moments between Elisa and three guys during this story. Each having its own impact on her growth. One tore my heart out, one made me change my first impression and in the end, I cried, not knowing how I truly felt. The other I have hope for.

All I can say is, if you want a novel that will move you, still have you thinking about it days-weeks afterward, read The Girl of Fire and Thorns. It's an amazingly powerful read that will make you proud to be a woman. Go Elisa! You're my girl!

25 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

I loved the book! Loved it so much I did not put it down at all! One thing I enjoyed about this book is the amazing character growth and fulfilling her destiny. I love it when the characters grow so much. From being scared and weak, to something strong and unstoppable.

So first, the plot line. I must say that right off from the start of the book I was hooked. Why? Well Ms. Carson did a great job on the plot pacing and the history of the characters. One thing I enjoy in a book is when the author can bring you into the story. Ms. Carson hooked me from the first few lines of her book. I loved the the characters came off fresh and strong. There were no drastic changes or confusing point of view changes. Just a great plot that kept you reading till the very end.

The characters! OMG! I loved it when a character grows before my eyes. Love it even more when the character, fulfills his/her destiny. I can say that this characters grew so much not only in psychically strength, but in herself as well. Her strength in who she became in the end amazed me. While at first she is weak and scared, she become triumphant and strong. She learned who she is and what she had to become.

The love in the book is very enduring. She lost friends, love, but she gained so much more in the end. I like how following her destiny lead her to somewhere greater, somewhere she never thought she be. Ms. Carson wrote an amazing book! This is something you must read. With great characters, and an action filled destiny, The Girl of Fire and Thorns is the book you want to read!

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

A Must Read!

If you enjoy Tamora Pierce's books, then I highly recommend The Girl of Fire and Thorns! Great story, great characters, and great writing.

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

A must read

The Girl of fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Elisa is the bearer of the godstone picked by god at her naming.

Yet Elisa feels anything but special she feels fat and useless compared to her perfect older sister.

When Elisa is married on her sixteenth birthday to the king of another kingdom to a man she has never meet before Elisa wonders why he is marrying her because it can't be because he loves her.

Elisa is soon thrown into something that will shock her to the bone, the king's kingdom is on the border line of war and the marriage was a way of making shore Elisa father would alliance himself to the king's kingdom.

Before Elisa can make séance of everything she is kidnapped, she will have to face her unknown enemies and start to work out what role she plays as the bearer.

Will Elis unlock the strength inside her and rise above it before the enemy rips the stone from her.

The story of Elisa is not always a happy one but it's a story of one girl journey to find the faith that she needs as the bearer of the godstone.

As a character Elisa is different for the normal sort you read about normally the main characters are perfected and loveable, Elisa is different yes she is special but she is not drop dead beautiful but that does not matter the author makes it clear that you DONT! Have to be beautiful to do great things. Elisa is smart and does not think she is better than anyone else you love Elis because she tells us girls that no matter what you look like just have the faith and be who you are, be strong.

There were a lot of other amazing characters in the book that you will love but I had a MASSIVE! Crush on lord Hector from the moment he stepped into the book I was in love. While at times he can be hard you felt like he would also look after you and love you no matter what.

The story was so will written it eased you right into this amazing fantasy world with perfection. I found that within just ten pages I was completely in love with the book. There was so much to like everything was explained and beautiful detailed in such a way that you felt like you were in the book to.
The book to me really was watching Elisa grow from a shy uneasy girl to a warrior like character that would give her life for others.

While I have read many Fantasy books from the lighter side to the epic Fantasy I have to say out of them all this is the best Fantasy book I have ever read. It lingers in your mind even after the book ends I'm tingling to read more from this one of a kind author.

I give this book 5 stars go out buy the book and prepare to be stunned and amazed

5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful High Fantasy World!

One of the things I like best about high fantasy is the world building. I have yet to encounter a land that isn't beautifully developed and rich with imagery. Carson's world is one where men have all the control and women are merely pawns for future moves. THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS refers to Princess Elisa, a girl born with a Godstone in her belly. This is a blessing bestowed only once a century, and people have killed to possess the expensive gemstone that is a part of her, that grows warm with comfort or icy with fear. People have attempted to assassinate Elisa for her stone, though she's mostly oblivious to the attempts, shielded by those around her. Her kingdom is on the brink of war, and Elisa is shipped off to marry King Alejandro in the hope that her Godstone will help maintain peace and prosperity. Alas, it's not to be. Her secret is discovered and she is kidnapped and carried off into the desert, where she realizes many truths that have been kept from her-and fellow family members-over the year concerning the horrors of the ongoing war. Not only that, the enemy is also in possession of Godstones, and their dark magic is at a point where the kingdom can easily be ripped to shreds. They will stop at nothing to rip Elisa's Godstone from her and use it for their own purposes, yet Elisa might just be her kingdom's final hope.


THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS is the first in a trilogy, and while the first book has a firm resolution, it's obvious that a lot of heartache is still to come. Carson is a gifted writer, one who can pull a reader in, capture the heart, and then tear it in two again through unexpected plot development. It's also interesting to see that the main character is an overweight princess. A lot of her life revolves around food. It's best to read this book on a full stomach. The rich food descriptions remind me a lot of the way Cindy Pon described such things in SILVER PHOENIX. There were times where you could taste, say, dates on the tongue or feel parched from traveling through a desert without water. Carson breathed so much life into her world that it was easy to visualize and fall into it. It's also interesting to see the infusion of Spanish throughout the novel. It aided to the culture and brought it to life in a way that might not have otherwise been possible. This book is a wonderful addition to the high fantasy genre, and I can't wait to see continue Elisa's journey and see where Carson takes us next!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Couldn't connect but worth a read.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a unique book of secrets, courage, and betrayals. Elisa is a sixteen year old girl who needs to embrace her destiny if she wishes to help the people around her and even more survive.

On her sixteenth birthday Princess Elisa is set to be married to the gorgeous King Alejandro. What she doesn't know is that it is for her own safety as well as an aid to Alejandro's kingdom. See, Elisa is the "chosen one". She bears the Godstone, and only one is chosen every century. She doesn't know love or strength yet, but she must rise above herself in order to protect those close to her and reach her destiny.

I have to admit, unfortunately, I could not get into this one. At first, I honestly was going to stop and add it to the list of "could not finish", but for some reason I kept reading. And, I'm actually glad I did. From part 2 on... the story did pick up for me. Elisa learns who she needs to be and you can see her mature throughout the story. Also from part 2 on, I started to enjoyed the characters we met much more. And I honestly felt extremely bad for Elisa towards the end... it seemed that every time she was ready to love, it was ripped away from her.

Just because I could not get into it, doesn't mean anything though. I am just one opinion in hundreds maybe thousands! There are still good things I saw about the book. I saw a main character grow into herself. I saw a strong girl deal with love and loss. The book is also extremely unique and writing is very well done. I am only one person expressing my opinion, so if you are interested in the book, pick it up and try it out for yourself! Unfortunately, it was just not for me. =/

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Hobbitsies Reviews: Epic start to an epic new series

GUYS. If you love fantasy, you NEED to read The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. I mean, it's good. Really, really good.

There's a ton of world-building in the beginning of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, which for some people I guess might have been slow but.that's the beauty of fantasy, people. It's a whole new world! Rae Carson's descriptions and settings were all sorts of awesome and I could picture the desert and the forest and castle and this world she was building so clearly while reading.

Elisa. What an awesome protagonist. She's whiny and spoiled and she eats a ton and she's ignorant and then she grows and learns and kicks serious ass. And uhm, Alejandro. And Humberto! And Cosme and - seriously, there were some all around awesome characters in this book.

And it BROKE MY HEART. Rae Carson, you BROKE ME. Didn't see it coming. ANY OF IT.

There's a lot of religion and God in this book but it's (duh) not like our religion and our God because there are GODSTONES which sort of blew my mind and made me want to hold my bellybutton because it sounded super freaky and uncomfortable. Which, you won't understand until YOU READ IT. The overall storyline of The Girl of Fire and Thorns was pretty epic and well-thought out and very fantasyish and I can't wait to read book two.

Honestly, guys, I'm not sure what else to say. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a very epic start to an epic new fantasy series. If Rae Carson keeps it up, she's surely on her way to becoming one of my favourite authors ever. If you're a fan of fantasy and adventure and awesomely descriptive settings, definitely check out The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Novel Every Young Woman Should Read!

THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS is an outstanding debut novel from Rae Carson. It combines every element that makes a fantasy novel fun to read (humor, page-turning adventure, magic, romance, an epic journey, and tons of suspense) with completely original elements that make the reader fall in love with both the novel and its protagonist, Elisa. Elisa is a very unlikely hero who has been chosen for greatness. The character development is outstanding as Elisa learns to embrace who she is while conquering her personal struggles in order to save a country that isn't even her own. The book is full of unexpected plot twists, political intrigue, religious exploration and critique, fabulous world building, and themes pertinent to every young woman today. This is one of the best written novels I have ever read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful Book! A Must Read!!

This review is going to be so hard to not give any spoilers! When a book is this beautiful, and the characters and storyline are so uniquely amazing, I just want to share it.

I've read a lot of books that have broken my heart, but The Girl of Fire and Thorns left me literally torn and brokenhearted. Rea Carson ripped my heart out of my chest, tore it to pieces, and didn't put it back together. Rea Carson is an astonishingly gifted writer, and oh, you can believe I will be waiting eagerly with hopes of her mending my heart in the next book in the Fire and Thorns series. It's just that awesome.

I loved Elisa. The way her character grows from a sixteen-year-old girl, who only cares about how much food she eats, to a beautiful, strong, leader, and independent women in mind, body, and spirit-It's definitely true that Elisa's life suffering does build character. Her father weds her to a king who doesn't love her, and what she has to endure with being king Alejandro's wife is more than I could take. I wanted to do bodying damage to this guy. And when Elisa meets Humberto (truly fell in love with him) a gorgeous guy who is courageous, protective, and loves Elisa, Humberto wants Elisa for who she is as a person, and not because she is the bearer of the Godstone. Just when Humberto figures out a way that they can end Elisa's marriage to the king and be together, the unforgivable happens. I thought I was misreading Rea Carson words. There was no way this could be happening, and I will leave you with that cliffhanger. There is another character that I loved, Lord Hector. He's the king's personal guard. Hector is one who doesn't trust easily. I got a feeling about him and Elisa, but I will have to wait and see how this comes together in the next book. I highly recommend The Girl of Fire and Thorns as a must read, this book is filled with action, romance, and heartbreak, just have the Kleenex ready .

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

most interesting heroine

I've read a lot of teen fantasy but I have NEVER read something where the main character is overweight or unattractive. I thought this was a really new and interesting twist that first drew me to the book. Elisa is a really great main character and all her flaws and insecurities make her more realistic than most.
The story was also fantastic and pulled me in, the only complaint I have is the ending. Without giving anything away, the ending seemed really rushed, like hundreds of pages go into building what should have been something much more epic or exciting. Elisa discovers she's on the verge of some great mystery and three pages later it's solved. Anticlimactic in my opinion, but still a great book and I definitely recommend reading it!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Should have been a children's book

The plot of this book had high potential. After reading the reviews, I thought this would be a unique book that would be engaging and entertaining. Apparently all of the people who left good reviews on this book were twelve years old (most of the reviews had terrible spelling) and thought that this book was something worth praising. I found the main character to be whiny and boring. She was a 'flat' character with no personality. She did not grow or mature in any way through out the book. The quality of writing in this book was terrible. The words and style used were obvious and simple, which in a book is not something most readers want. I would say the age group for this book would be 10-13 at most.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Pretty good read

I think I give this book about a 3.5 rating. I liked it, but didn't love it.
The best part about this book is that it is a story about a young girl who calls herself fat and useless at the beginning of the story, and during everything that happens to her she proves to herself her true worth. I enjoyed the different kingdoms and tribes of people described. I really liked some of the characters.
What I didn't like is the romance parts of the book - they were just bland and lacking. I just didn't believe the feelings were there. Maybe that is because of the writing style that was more tell and not enough show. There was also too much description of the travel (basically: "we're walking, we're walking, we're still walking" - this is how I feel about a lot of fantasy novels lately though).
The religious aspects of the book were creative but I think were too much at times.
All in all I felt there could have been more feelings and more plot development but that this story is a good read and is an interesting fresh type of story I haven't read before.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved it

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Love it

This book is amazing i couldn't stop reading. I highly recommend

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Mixed Feelings

I have to say that I have mixed feelings about this book. But let's start with the good: I really liked the main character, Elisa; she was someone almost every girl could relate to, and at the end, maybe even strive to be like. Also, I liked how she grew throughout the novel. There was a big difference between the Elisa in the beginning and the Elisa in the end. The author was very subtle about it. Elisa didn't all of the sudden just change, it took time.

All the character's, except maybe Alejandro, had their own distinct personality. And the world the author creates is lush and vivid. There was a ton of action and adventure and a bit of romance. I wish I could leave the review at that and say I absolutely loved it but, alas, I cannot.

So, the bad: to be honest, there was really only one HUGE thing that made this not a five star read for me. It was the ending. I'm a happy ending kind of girl, and although I know this book is a part of a series so this isn't how it really ends, I just couldn't believe the author ended this book like that! There were many reasons it wasn't exactly a happy ending but for me there was one big reason it wasn't and if you read the book you'll figure it out. As a reader, I wasn't satisfied; I'm actually a bit pissed off.

Overall, I have to say that the book was pretty great. If I wasn't such a happy ending girl I probably would have rated it five stars. I'm not sure if I'll read the next book in the series but I do recommend this book to people, it was very engrossing.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Engaging and well-written...worth a pre-order!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns was a truly fabulous coming-of-age story. Elisa is married off to a foreigner on her sixteenth birthday, whisked off to a new land, and then hidden away as a secret. She can't reveal her Godstone and she can't reveal her marriage. Not the best start to a whole new life! She feels even more alone and worthless than she did in her home. What she doesn't realize is why it is so important to hide...and what could happen when her secrets are uncovered.

Elisa was such a dynamic character and I absolutely fell in love with her. At the beginning of the novel, we area introduced to a fifteen-almost-sixteen year old girl who is preparing for her out-of-the-blue wedding. She is clearly uncomfortable in her own skin. She's been chosen for some great act of Service, but she feels like it must have been a mistake. How can she ever be as successful as her beautiful older sister? How could anyone ever fall in love with an overweight, less-than-perfect naive Princess? Her lack of confidence is fed by the secretive nature of her marriage and the multitude of secrets that she is forced to keep when she arrives in her new husband's country. Elisa was such a fabulous character because you literally watch her grown up and come into her own. She is forced to embark on this harrowing journey and along the way she transforms into a strong young woman. She experiences the joy of first love and the pain of death that war brings.

The world and cast of characters that Rae Carson has presented in this book left me longing for more. The world is phenomenally and intelligently crafted. Carson's descriptions of the landscape gave me a real sense of the world without becoming cumbersome. In addition, her characters were understated but well-developed. We learn about them through Elisa's eyes and in a very "show not tell" way, which I appreciated. When characters were successful, I cheered, and when bad things happened to good people, I got upset (VERY upset in some cases).

My overall sense about this book is that it is the start to a fabulous trilogy that I cannot wait to devour. I must also applaud Carson for wrapping up this book without any major cliffhangers! The world and characters have a lot of room to grow and develop in future books, but I wasn't left beginning for a conclusion to a completely undeveloped (or suddenly new) plot line.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Live To Read

Elisa, the main character, will immediately draw the reader in. She is warm, caring, sweet, and protective. She isn't arrogant despite being very wealthy, and, later in the novel, a queen. The princess isn't vain at all, she admits to and laughs at being called fat/chubby. The closest she ever comes to superficiality is liking Alejandro partly for his looks, which is something she admits too...she also says she prefers to get to know him, but is afraid to due to his mistress-an unconfirmed fact, but nevertheless potentially true piece of information.



She is sent by her slightly uncaring father and sister-who doesn't like Elisa much-to marry Alejandro. She is obedient and goes with her best friend and servant. Elisa, however, isn't an ordinary girl; she has a Godstone residing within her stomach. She is capable of stopping wars and providing peace. She was chosen for this role.



In an odd twist of fate, Elisa is carried away by one of her servants and his brother, along with their "people." They want to use her for a special purpose; however, they are not unkind to her and come to care for her before long. The brother, especially, lerans to love Elisa. Their budding romance will be fun for the reader to follow.



There are many exciting, dramatic scenes. There are fight scenes and there are romance scenes, there's the mystery of the Godstone, and there is the drama of the politics concerning the Godstone and the throne. There is a little bit of everything in this book, enabling a reader who prefers one genre over the other to enjoy this book as well.



The plot is different, unique; the events are fairly fast-paced, the reader shouldn't be too bored at all; the characters are relateable and the main character is very likable. The author has a smooth way of writing, the plotline flows very well. This book is recommended to young adults/teens who enjoy fantasy, romance, and intrigue.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Fantasy

I liked this book. There is a great deal of world buliding in the beginning, but I loved that part, too. I really liked that the main character was flawed and struggled with her weight. I am looking forward to the next book.

Could not finish it

It was ok, but not enough to keep me hooked and reel me in

A Different Sort of Fantasy World

When the Old World was destroyed, God brought humanity into the New World and in this New World he choses one individual every one hundred years to perform a great act of service. This individual is blessed on his or her naming day with the Godstone; a multifaceted living jewel embedded in the navel. Princess Lucero-Elisa de Requeza of Orovalle was chosen by God and blessed with the Godstone, but being the younger of two Princesses and nothing like her older sister who seems more intelligent and beautiful, Elisa feels unworthy of the Godstone's destiny. Overweight and overindulgent, Elisa is forced to fulfill her destiny by a series of events that change her in ways both physical and emotional. I very much enjoyed this debut YA book by Rae Carson. I felt that her characters were both realistic and relatable, a very difficult undertaking in a Fantasy Novel. Elisa, who first appears as whiney and unconfident evolves into a competant and fierce leader. The people that she meets on her journeys all have rich background stories and all contribute towards sculpting her into a true Princess. The "religious" aspects of the story are neither in your face or preachy, but contribute to the rich and detailed world that Carson has created; a world in which the miraculous still occurs. I both laughed and cried while reading this book. It stayed in my mind even after I put it down. Even when I found Elisa annoying and self depricating, I could still relate to her emotions and I sympathized with her situation. While at times slow and predictable, the story at its heart is a good one and very worth reading. I will definitly be looking forward to the next installment.