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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
3/5 stars
The Crown Of Embers is the second book in the Fire and Thorns series and although I found it a lot less intense than the first book, it was still a good read.
The Crown Of Embers continues with the story of Elisa who has a living God stone in her naval which means she has great power and is destined for great acts of service. She has also been newly appointed queen after heroically saving her people from a sorcerous army. As queen, it seems like her enemies are growing in strength and may be hiding in her very court. With very few people she can trust, Elisa journeys in hopes of discovering the way to unlock the power of the mysterious stone that she wields.
As I mentioned, I found this book a lot less intense and entertaining than the first book, at least in the first half of the book anyway. Not much was happening and except political rallies and anti-climactic attempts on the queen's life. There were many times where I wanted to stop reading but in the end I'm glad I continued.
I feel as if this book falls into the same predicament that many sequels have, especially in the fantasy genre. The first book is exciting and action-filled yet the second book ends up being a lot of nothing in order to build up to the third book in the series. This is a major reason that I often don't continue series, I find it hard to continue reading books that I find boring, even if I love the series. Most of the way through the book I could feel tension building but nothing happening, I hope this means that the next book is very exciting with the realise of so much tension.
The one thing that got me through the first half of the book was the hopes of a blooming romance. I jumped on the I-love-Hector train as soon as this book began (and maybe even in the first book) so I wanted him together with Elisa so bad. I'm a sucker for romance and angst and I'm glad that this book brought a lot of that. I think that Hector is the ultimate fantasy hero; he is fiercely loyal, strong, capable and very sweet towards Elisa. I'm totally anticipating the next book just so I can (hopefully!) see these two reunited and together at last.
After the first half (maybe even three quarters) of the book, the action started building a bit. I still wasn't totally invested but things were at least happening and I felt as if the story was going somewhere. I really enjoyed the ending and I think that through everything that is happening, the next book will be jam-packed full of entertainment. I was told that the ending was a cliff hanger and I can kind of see that so I'm so glad that I already own the third book and can start right away without the heartbreak of ending without knowing what's going to happen.
Another element in this book that I really like was the limelight shone on the minor characters, not just Elisa. In my review of the last book I said that I felt no connection to the minor characters and I'm happy to say that has changed. I grew to really loved Elisa's friends and I especially liked Storm in all his grumpy, honest truths. I'm not sure if I was meant to like him or not, but I found him hilarious because he was just so uppity! I also loved Mara who soon became Elisa's best friend and I totally want her and Belèn together!!
I'm excited to start the next book because I really want to see how this all pans out. I also freaking hope that Elisa and Hector get together because if they don't I'm probably going to throw a tantrum, either that or a sob fest.
The Crown Of Embers is the second book in the Fire and Thorns series and although I found it a lot less intense than the first book, it was still a good read.
The Crown Of Embers continues with the story of Elisa who has a living God stone in her naval which means she has great power and is destined for great acts of service. She has also been newly appointed queen after heroically saving her people from a sorcerous army. As queen, it seems like her enemies are growing in strength and may be hiding in her very court. With very few people she can trust, Elisa journeys in hopes of discovering the way to unlock the power of the mysterious stone that she wields.
As I mentioned, I found this book a lot less intense and entertaining than the first book, at least in the first half of the book anyway. Not much was happening and except political rallies and anti-climactic attempts on the queen's life. There were many times where I wanted to stop reading but in the end I'm glad I continued.
I feel as if this book falls into the same predicament that many sequels have, especially in the fantasy genre. The first book is exciting and action-filled yet the second book ends up being a lot of nothing in order to build up to the third book in the series. This is a major reason that I often don't continue series, I find it hard to continue reading books that I find boring, even if I love the series. Most of the way through the book I could feel tension building but nothing happening, I hope this means that the next book is very exciting with the realise of so much tension.
The one thing that got me through the first half of the book was the hopes of a blooming romance. I jumped on the I-love-Hector train as soon as this book began (and maybe even in the first book) so I wanted him together with Elisa so bad. I'm a sucker for romance and angst and I'm glad that this book brought a lot of that. I think that Hector is the ultimate fantasy hero; he is fiercely loyal, strong, capable and very sweet towards Elisa. I'm totally anticipating the next book just so I can (hopefully!) see these two reunited and together at last.
After the first half (maybe even three quarters) of the book, the action started building a bit. I still wasn't totally invested but things were at least happening and I felt as if the story was going somewhere. I really enjoyed the ending and I think that through everything that is happening, the next book will be jam-packed full of entertainment. I was told that the ending was a cliff hanger and I can kind of see that so I'm so glad that I already own the third book and can start right away without the heartbreak of ending without knowing what's going to happen.
Another element in this book that I really like was the limelight shone on the minor characters, not just Elisa. In my review of the last book I said that I felt no connection to the minor characters and I'm happy to say that has changed. I grew to really loved Elisa's friends and I especially liked Storm in all his grumpy, honest truths. I'm not sure if I was meant to like him or not, but I found him hilarious because he was just so uppity! I also loved Mara who soon became Elisa's best friend and I totally want her and Belèn together!!
I'm excited to start the next book because I really want to see how this all pans out. I also freaking hope that Elisa and Hector get together because if they don't I'm probably going to throw a tantrum, either that or a sob fest.
I honestly have no idea if I liked this one or the first one more they were both so different
AND ELISA!!!SO MUCH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I AM SO HAPPY
HECTOR IS SO IMPORTANT
MARA MY LOVE
THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT BOOK I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK LIKE 5 TIMES
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathin
AND ELISA!!!SO MUCH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I AM SO HAPPY
HECTOR IS SO IMPORTANT
MARA MY LOVE
THIS WAS SUCH A GREAT BOOK I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA HAVE A HEART ATTACK LIKE 5 TIMES
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathin
i forgot that this book was even better than the first one.....
hector..... holy sh t
i love elisa so much im so proud of her she's done so much
also this is one hundred percent, hands down, the best romance ive ever read
GOD I LOVE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE RELIGION AND HISTORY OF THIS WORLD
hector..... holy sh t
i love elisa so much im so proud of her she's done so much
also this is one hundred percent, hands down, the best romance ive ever read
GOD I LOVE THE COMPLEXITY OF THE RELIGION AND HISTORY OF THIS WORLD
Great book for kids that have a religious conviction and a love of action. I'd recommend this series to many fantasy lovers.
SO GOOD! I think I liked this one even better than book 1. I don't know how I'm going to wait for the third book to come out!
Loved this even more than the first and didn't think that was possible I'd give it 100 stars if I could just cant wait for August/sept for bitter kingdom now !
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fitting sequel to A Girl of Fire and Thorns I don't think it did better then its predecessor but it did on par. I think my biggest thing with this series for me is going to be that I am personally biased when it comes to the plot of the series and how it revolves around GOD. I know it is not fair to the series. I am highly intrigued with the story and everything; I read it very fast and it holds my attention.
The Plot in this one was faster pace and the stakes seem to have been raised. However as with the last book I think the third act of these books are heavily rushed. All of a sudden your expecting this big blow out or payoff to happen and nothing ever really comes of it. For example the ending of this book was so rushed that I never felt any real impact from the outcome.
Characters are another pro/con for me. Some characters are likeable and fleshed out and other characters are just blah. Elisa to me is the only one who is completely fleshed out. Obviously there is a reason for that, but I want to care more about the other characters. In book 2 we learn a little more about Mara and Hector but still nothing groundbreaking. Ximena is still as mysterious as ever. I want to see more character growth in the last book from other characters besides Elisa.
Lastly I want to talk about world building. Now world building is one of my favorite aspects in books. I love the feeling of getting completely immersed in new worlds because it is a total escape from reality. I want a little more from the world. I feel like all we've seen is desert and more desert.
I am ready to see how this all wraps up in book 3.
The Plot in this one was faster pace and the stakes seem to have been raised. However as with the last book I think the third act of these books are heavily rushed. All of a sudden your expecting this big blow out or payoff to happen and nothing ever really comes of it. For example the ending of this book was so rushed that I never felt any real impact from the outcome.
Characters are another pro/con for me. Some characters are likeable and fleshed out and other characters are just blah. Elisa to me is the only one who is completely fleshed out. Obviously there is a reason for that, but I want to care more about the other characters. In book 2 we learn a little more about Mara and Hector but still nothing groundbreaking. Ximena is still as mysterious as ever. I want to see more character growth in the last book from other characters besides Elisa.
Lastly I want to talk about world building. Now world building is one of my favorite aspects in books. I love the feeling of getting completely immersed in new worlds because it is a total escape from reality. I want a little more from the world. I feel like all we've seen is desert and more desert.
I am ready to see how this all wraps up in book 3.
I like Elisa as a character - she is strong, but has flaws. I got a little tired of the forced Christianity themes, though - it didn't always feel like it worked in context of the world Carson created. I am also afraid that Hector will die in the next book, because it feels like Carson seems to kill off anyone who Elisa loves, which feels like a cheap way to get her to act.
One of the few times that I may have enjoyed the second book more than the first. A great continued development of a strong female lead character, while still allowing her to be feminine and vulnerable. I loved that while Book 1 and 2 dealt with specific situations, both are dealing with an overall plot that is continued without being resolved in both books. It seems like 3 parts of one big story rather than three books about the same characters. I can't wait for the conclusion, which comes out in August.