Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

From Goodreads: 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 needs 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 Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: One of the first YA series I ever read and promptly fell in love with was Tamora Pierce’s The Song of the Lioness. Along with Harry Potter, it instilled in me a lifelong love for fantasy; and so even though I don’t read as much of the genre these days as I should, I still try to squeeze in a fantasy now and then. Therefore, when I saw a blurb from Pierce at the top of the cover of Rae Carson’s The Girl of Fire and Thorns, it was pretty much a sure bet that I’d be reading it with huge expectations. Fortunately, Carson doesn’t disappoint.

The world building in The Girl of Fire and Thorns is fantastic, and presented carefully in a rich and detailed manner throughout the story so as to not overwhelm the reader. What’s even better about Carson’s fantasy world is that the society appears diverse and isn’t composed primarily of White characters. Also, I applaud Carson for the way she made religion play such an integral part of the storyline and the culture without it becoming uncomfortable or bothersome.

As well, it was refreshing that the focus in The Girl of Fire and Thorns wasn’t on romance. I appreciate a good romance, but sometimes it’s nice to have a story where I’m not forced to be a Team Something or read about an instant love relationship. While there is some romance, the focus is rather on Elisa and her transformation from a pampered (but not spoiled) princess who has reservations about herself and gorges on food – oh, the food! – in order to make herself feel better to that of a girl who is confident in herself and capable of becoming a worthy leader.

With the spotlight on Elisa though, I felt like I only got to know most of the other characters superficially and so couldn’t really miss those who died. Since The Girl of Fire and Thorns is the first book in a planned trilogy however, there’s still time for Carson to make me fall in love with the characters I’m starting to like.

A book deserving of Pierce’s blurb, The Girl of Fire and Thorns will be released by Greenwillow Books on September 20, 2011. 

Comments About the Cover: The original ARC cover is pretty, but the model in no way resembles Elisa who isn’t thin and describes herself as “brown.” 

In exchange for an honest review, this ARC was received from the publisher (HarperCollins) for free via NetGalley.