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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
This is a strong second book! The politics, romance, and Elisa's confidence synchronize nicely, creating a great platform for the final book.
I think Elisa got stupider in this one, yeah shes's only 17 but her character developed so much in the first book, and none of that showed in this one, and I thought she'd (still make mistakes yes but) be a lot wiser and more cunning, the character development just wasn't nearly as good as the first book.
I am really enjoying this series; I love the characterization, and how the protagonist has been marked by fate as special, but it's up to her choices and actions to save herself and the people she loves.
Wow! The Crown of Embers is a fantastic sequel! I’m so glad I got this when it was on sale! Elisa is now queen of Joya d’Arena, but she’s not among friends. She’s a foreign queen, and there’re those among her Quorum that would rather topple her than help her rebuild her kingdom. Elisa faces plenty of uncertainties as queen. In the waking of Alejandro, who’d been labeled a weak king, Elisa doesn’t want to be the same, so she must find the strength to rule.
They're a formidable team, my guard and my guardian. Sometimes it's as though they plot my safety behind my back.
Elisa continues to be a memorable and likeable protagonist. Her life is difficult as queen, even more so because she’s the bearer of the Godstone. She didn’t succeed all the time. The best part of the book is seeing her perseverance and hard work, and even her faith in God in the midst of danger and uncertainty.
"A quarterstaff is not very subtle," I say. "Or handy. If a kidnapper comes at me, what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Excuse me, my lord, while I pull my enormous quarterstaff out of my bodice?'"
This book is full of twists and turns and just flew by so quickly. It so did not feel like a 400 page book. Within the first few pages, things started moving along. Unexpected things kept happening, including several assassinations. Rae Carson did an amazing job of making me care for Elisa and those around her. Though I knew some characters aren’t going to die (like Elisa), I still feared for their lives as if they were real people.
I whisper, "For love is more beautiful than rubies, sweeter than honey, finer than the king's wine. And no one has greater love than he who gives his own life for a friend. My love is like perfume poured out-"
Then there’s the romance! After hearing so much about Elisa and Hector, I’m a little bit disappointed. Hector is a great character, noble and honorable, and also stoic. If he wasn’t the main love interest but a side character, he’d be the one that’s completely overlooked. I enjoyed the slow romance and watching Elisa fall in love and reading both of them fighting it because they both have to marry for the good of the country. I just wished Hector was more expressive, but if you’re a fan of a subtle kind of romance where feelings are shown and not declared with flowery language, then I think you’ll really enjoy this. I cheered like there was no tomorrow at the end when Elisa found the courage to follow her love.
"I used to steal grapes off the vine when my father wasn't looking. I felt sorry for them, getting beaten and pressed, rotting into something that smelled bad. It seemed to me that grapes would rather be grapes than wine."
My main gripe with the book is the ending and is what kept it from being 5 stars. Like the previous book, there was a lot of buildup to the climax. You wait the entire book for Elisa to get to the end of her journey. You wait for the fireworks, instead you get tiny little sparklers. Where was my epic fight? Epic something! The climax ended in 2-3 pages and I kept flipping back and forth on my Kindle trying to see if I missed something. Also, Elisa’s decision aggravated me to no end! I understood her reasoning, but her choice concerning Storm made me feel like I wasted my time reading the last 100 pages of the book!
His thumbs caress my knuckles. "Don't you see, Elisa? I love you the way a drowning man loves air. And it would destroy me to have you just a little."
This is an amazing YA fantasy. If you’re a fan of dangerous journeys, court politics, and impossible love scenarios, I highly suggest you give this series a shot! I am dying to read the 3rd book. If I’d known how this one ended, I’d have held off starting this series until the 3rd book is released! Figured I’d finish this barely 10 days before the last book is released!
See more reviews at Darkest Addictions Book Reviews
They're a formidable team, my guard and my guardian. Sometimes it's as though they plot my safety behind my back.
Elisa continues to be a memorable and likeable protagonist. Her life is difficult as queen, even more so because she’s the bearer of the Godstone. She didn’t succeed all the time. The best part of the book is seeing her perseverance and hard work, and even her faith in God in the midst of danger and uncertainty.
"A quarterstaff is not very subtle," I say. "Or handy. If a kidnapper comes at me, what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Excuse me, my lord, while I pull my enormous quarterstaff out of my bodice?'"
This book is full of twists and turns and just flew by so quickly. It so did not feel like a 400 page book. Within the first few pages, things started moving along. Unexpected things kept happening, including several assassinations. Rae Carson did an amazing job of making me care for Elisa and those around her. Though I knew some characters aren’t going to die (like Elisa), I still feared for their lives as if they were real people.
I whisper, "For love is more beautiful than rubies, sweeter than honey, finer than the king's wine. And no one has greater love than he who gives his own life for a friend. My love is like perfume poured out-"
Then there’s the romance! After hearing so much about Elisa and Hector, I’m a little bit disappointed. Hector is a great character, noble and honorable, and also stoic. If he wasn’t the main love interest but a side character, he’d be the one that’s completely overlooked. I enjoyed the slow romance and watching Elisa fall in love and reading both of them fighting it because they both have to marry for the good of the country. I just wished Hector was more expressive, but if you’re a fan of a subtle kind of romance where feelings are shown and not declared with flowery language, then I think you’ll really enjoy this. I cheered like there was no tomorrow at the end when Elisa found the courage to follow her love.
"I used to steal grapes off the vine when my father wasn't looking. I felt sorry for them, getting beaten and pressed, rotting into something that smelled bad. It seemed to me that grapes would rather be grapes than wine."
My main gripe with the book is the ending and is what kept it from being 5 stars. Like the previous book, there was a lot of buildup to the climax. You wait the entire book for Elisa to get to the end of her journey. You wait for the fireworks, instead you get tiny little sparklers. Where was my epic fight? Epic something! The climax ended in 2-3 pages and I kept flipping back and forth on my Kindle trying to see if I missed something. Also, Elisa’s decision aggravated me to no end! I understood her reasoning, but her choice concerning Storm made me feel like I wasted my time reading the last 100 pages of the book!
His thumbs caress my knuckles. "Don't you see, Elisa? I love you the way a drowning man loves air. And it would destroy me to have you just a little."
This is an amazing YA fantasy. If you’re a fan of dangerous journeys, court politics, and impossible love scenarios, I highly suggest you give this series a shot! I am dying to read the 3rd book. If I’d known how this one ended, I’d have held off starting this series until the 3rd book is released! Figured I’d finish this barely 10 days before the last book is released!
See more reviews at Darkest Addictions Book Reviews
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's hard to make the second book in any series stand out compared to the first, where you've just discovered a new world and new characters. Luckily for us readers, though, Rae Carson makes this sequel feel new, exciting, and brilliantly done. Elisa, our main character, changed a lot in the first book--so much that I thought she had no where else to go--but, Elisa keeps evolving and growing and UGH it's just so wonderful! The political intrigue is strong with The Crown of Embers as well.
Give this book a shot, even if you didn't care for the first.
Give this book a shot, even if you didn't care for the first.
perfect. once again.
sobbing there is no way I can wait for an entire year for the next book.
the lord is testing me.
sobbing there is no way I can wait for an entire year for the next book.
the lord is testing me.
Well. This just completely blew The Girl of Fire and Thorns out of the water!
You'd think that, after such a victory in the first book, Elisa might get to relax a bit now - but her problems are just getting started. She's now facing the troubles of being a new, young ruler, in a country that she isn't native to. The majority of the book revolves around Elisa and a group of those she trusts going on a quest in order to help her save her kingdom. It's well paced, and with enough twists to ensure that the troubles Elisa faces on her journey aren't predictable.
Elisa continues to have amazing character development, and her new love interest just tops everything off. Literally, I am shipping these two so much. They are such a perfect couple that I can even forgive Rae Carson for the heartbreak she caused me in Fire and Thorns.
The ending to this book was AMAZING. I was torn between crying, laughing, or screaming, "you go, girl!". Cannot wait to read the final instalment in this series!
You'd think that, after such a victory in the first book, Elisa might get to relax a bit now - but her problems are just getting started. She's now facing the troubles of being a new, young ruler, in a country that she isn't native to. The majority of the book revolves around Elisa and a group of those she trusts going on a quest in order to help her save her kingdom. It's well paced, and with enough twists to ensure that the troubles Elisa faces on her journey aren't predictable.
Elisa continues to have amazing character development, and her new love interest just tops everything off. Literally, I am shipping these two so much. They are such a perfect couple that I can even forgive Rae Carson for the heartbreak she caused me in Fire and Thorns.
The ending to this book was AMAZING. I was torn between crying, laughing, or screaming, "you go, girl!". Cannot wait to read the final instalment in this series!
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes