From the Publisher
Carson returns to her Girl of Fire and Thorns world. . . . This novel develops a taut, self-contained, political mystery within the confined quarters of the Guard and the palace, with a few chapters set in the past showing Red's harrowing, traumatic history. . . . A rewarding stand-alone novel with effortless plotting and deft characterizations.” — Kirkus Reviews
"Rousing . . . Red’s a strong, forthright, and feisty young woman . . . An exciting, satisfying read that will appeal to lovers of The Girl of Fire and Thorns." — School Library Journal
“Carson creates a worthy and sympathetic hero in Red . . . Action, adventure, betrayal, and poison add up to a winner of a companion novel to be read alongside or after the [Girl of Fire and Thorns] series.” — Booklist
“Set in the world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, this engrossing fantasy follows two threads about protagonist Red. . . . Carson gives appropriate attention to the awkward moments encountered by the first female recruit in an elite fighting squad, but Red earns her place with talents and choices that will resonate with readers no matter their gender.” — Horn Book Magazine
“Red is a realistically complex heroine, and her journey to belonging and healing feels genuinely depicted. . . . Rendered with nuance and care.” — Publishers Weekly
"Fans will rejoice. . . . Carson effortlessly brings readers into her familiar, already well-developed world and its mangled politics, imparting a Tamora Pierce-esque flair to Red’s journey as she overcomes the obstacles that come with being an outsider." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Horn Book Magazine
Set in the world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, this engrossing fantasy follows two threads about protagonist Red. . . . Carson gives appropriate attention to the awkward moments encountered by the first female recruit in an elite fighting squad, but Red earns her place with talents and choices that will resonate with readers no matter their gender.
Booklist
Carson creates a worthy and sympathetic hero in Red . . . Action, adventure, betrayal, and poison add up to a winner of a companion novel to be read alongside or after the [Girl of Fire and Thorns] series.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Fans will rejoice. . . . Carson effortlessly brings readers into her familiar, already well-developed world and its mangled politics, imparting a Tamora Pierce-esque flair to Red’s journey as she overcomes the obstacles that come with being an outsider."
Booklist
Carson creates a worthy and sympathetic hero in Red . . . Action, adventure, betrayal, and poison add up to a winner of a companion novel to be read alongside or after the [Girl of Fire and Thorns] series.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Fans will rejoice. . . . Carson effortlessly brings readers into her familiar, already well-developed world and its mangled politics, imparting a Tamora Pierce-esque flair to Red’s journey as she overcomes the obstacles that come with being an outsider."
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"Fans will rejoice. . . . Carson effortlessly brings readers into her familiar, already well-developed world and its mangled politics, imparting a Tamora Pierce-esque flair to Red’s journey as she overcomes the obstacles that come with being an outsider."
Kirkus Reviews
2020-01-07
A foundling orphan girl sets out to prove her worth by joining an elite—and patriarchal—fighting force.
Seventeen-year-old Red Sparkle Stone is about to be adopted by Empress Elisa and Prince Consort Hector of the kingdom of Joya d'Arena and gain everything she always dreamed of: a family and a place in the world. When the adoption petition is denied, blocked by the empress's political rivals, Red asks to join the Royal Guard, traditionally a male-only institution. Her journey within the Guard is fraught, complicated even further by the news of a potential coup in the works. Carson (Most Wanted, 2018, etc.) returns to her Girl of Fire and Thorns world with a stand-alone novel featuring Red, the enslaved girl rescued by Elisa in TheBitter Kingdom (2013). This novel develops a taut, self-contained, political mystery within the confined quarters of the Guard and the palace, with a few chapters set in the past showing Red's harrowing, traumatic history. Red's PTSD is deftly and sympathetically handled and so is her coming-of-age as a capable, truth-speaking woman alongside her equally well-developed brothers in arms. The noticeable absence of other female characters for most of the book is a consequence of setting the story within the confines of a strictly gender binary, male-only Royal Guard. Most characters are brown-skinned.
A rewarding stand-alone novel with effortless plotting and deft characterizations. (Fantasy. 14-adult)
