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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I really wanted to love this one - it was recommended by a dear friend whose recommendations are always perfect, and I love a good high fantasy, especially if it's got a female lead (of color, no less!) who kicks ass, and passes the Bechdel test about a million times over. This should have been a no-brainer.
But. Some aspects of it were very well done, and I was engrossed while reading it. But stepping back now that I'm done...I think I just read a book about a girl who saves the world with her magical belly ring awarded her by god, with a weird unnecessary subplot about how being kidnapped and force-marched through the desert is really convenient for weight loss since people love you more when you're skinny.
So...yeah. I should have loved this, and I can see how people would, but I just can't.
But. Some aspects of it were very well done, and I was engrossed while reading it. But stepping back now that I'm done...I think I just read a book about a girl who saves the world with her magical belly ring awarded her by god, with a weird unnecessary subplot about how being kidnapped and force-marched through the desert is really convenient for weight loss since people love you more when you're skinny.
So...yeah. I should have loved this, and I can see how people would, but I just can't.
The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a hard book to rate. I feel like the first 35% of the book was about 2stars and the rest was a 5star rating. In the beginning there was so much self loathing coming from Elisa that it was honestly off putting. I get that she was over weight, it really didn't need to be said over and over again. You really couldn't go 3 pages without having it thrown in your face. It could have been done so much better than that. But the last 65% of the book was so wonderfully done, that I had to give this book 4 stars.
The plot of this story was unique and really interesting. It was also fast paced and kept me completely engaged. The setting was also quite glorious. Rae Carson really created a fantastic world in this book. Admittedly, at the beginning I was not Elisa's biggest fan. But once she was making her trek to Joya d'Arena she starts to grown on me little by little. Every time the situation called for someone to step up, she shined. Once her physical appearance wasn't all she could talk or think about she really started to grow. She started this book as a child concerned with inconsequential things, and ended it a brave, caring, righteous hero. There were so many other characters that were truly fantastic in this book. I really couldn't get enough of this story. I will definitely be reading the next book! I look forward to seeing what comes next.
I was terribly disappointed in this book. Elisa, the self-deprecating first person narrator, was boring and whiny throughout the story; I understand the idea of having her grow into her chosen one status, but having her complain constantly that she is fat and nonathletic seemed totally unnecessary. There were other ways to show that she was chosen because she seemed unworthy, but her lack of strength and courage were barely touched upon. Honestly, I was hoping that this fantasy set in a Middle Eastern desert type world instead of the usual European style setting would be invigorating and fun, but instead Elisa whined about about being fat, eating too much, and not being loved or desired by anyone almost until the very end.
Needless to say, I will not be reading the rest of the trilogy unless I do a re-read of this book and find it less lacking.
Needless to say, I will not be reading the rest of the trilogy unless I do a re-read of this book and find it less lacking.
This review was originally posted on Books of Amber
I was going to binge-read this series with Judith, but I got left behind when Judith sped through all three books in a matter of days. I felt betrayed, but what can you do? I went into this one knowing very little about it, just that it was a fantasy book with a kick-ass main character. And people had been talking about someone called Hector. That’s literally all I knew.
As it turns out, The Girl of Fire and Thorns really does have a badass main character. And a random guy called Hector, but I’ll talk about him later. For now, I want to fangirl about Elisa.
Elisa’s character growth was absolutely phenomenal, and I hope it continues to progress throughout this series. Elisa starts off as an innocent princess, spoilt and pudgy, with no idea about how the real world works outside the palace walls. Eventually, after marrying the king of another kingdom, avoiding being killed by various enemies, getting kidnapped, and much more, Elisa turns into a queen. She still has a long way to go, but by the end of The Girl of Fire and Thorns she’s fucking brilliant. She’s right up there with Katniss and Hermione and Rose on my list of top female characters. I adore her.
There’s also a romance, although it’s not between Elisa and Hector. This romance between Elisa and another guy was cute and innocent, much like Elisa’s personality and mindset in the beginning, which worked very well with Elisa’s character at this point in time. I think that’s what relationships should do. They should be what the person needs at that time, and gel with their personality and traits, to work to make the person better or stronger, or just generally move that person along whether it’s in terms of their personality or their mindset or where they are with their life. I’m not usually a fan of cute romances, but this one was really sweet. Carson did a great job of showing the innocence of both parties involved, and having them grow together as they experienced various difficulties.
I was a little confused as to why Elisa wasn’t swooning over Hector, the guy with the moustache, but then I realised that their relationship was going to be some epic slow burn. My favourite! In fact, Hector is in literally about five to eight scenes in this book. He’s not an important part at all. Instead, the focus is all on Elisa and her growth as she journeys from girl to woman. Or princess to queen, if that’s the analogy you wish to use.
Normally I’m very hesitant when it comes to books featuring religion in any way, because in the past I’ve often found them to come across as preachy and putting the religion very much in your face. However, I love the religious element of The Girl of Fire and Thorns! It works very well with the world that Rae Carson has created, and with the characters themselves. Carson does such a great job of blending it in with the very core of this world, that you can’t imagine it without some sort of faith. Elisa’s faith isn’t over the top at all. It’s a huge part of who she is, but it doesn’t overshadow other elements of her character. This is also very true of the religious aspect of the world building. It isn’t OTT or preachy, it just is.
I am very pleased with how much I enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns. While it wasn’t a favourite of mine, it was truly beautiful and captivating, with it’s amazing main character whose character growth rivals all others’, and the epic world building that makes you feel as though you’ve only discovered one small piece of this world, and the villains and the cute romance and… I could go on for a long time about this.
If you haven’t read The Girl of Fire and Thorns yet, you definitely should. I’ve already sped through the second book, The Crown of Embers, and am biding my time until I find the perfect moment to start The Bitter Kingdom. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is just the start of an epic fantasy series that I’m sure most of you will adore.
I was going to binge-read this series with Judith, but I got left behind when Judith sped through all three books in a matter of days. I felt betrayed, but what can you do? I went into this one knowing very little about it, just that it was a fantasy book with a kick-ass main character. And people had been talking about someone called Hector. That’s literally all I knew.
As it turns out, The Girl of Fire and Thorns really does have a badass main character. And a random guy called Hector, but I’ll talk about him later. For now, I want to fangirl about Elisa.
Elisa’s character growth was absolutely phenomenal, and I hope it continues to progress throughout this series. Elisa starts off as an innocent princess, spoilt and pudgy, with no idea about how the real world works outside the palace walls. Eventually, after marrying the king of another kingdom, avoiding being killed by various enemies, getting kidnapped, and much more, Elisa turns into a queen. She still has a long way to go, but by the end of The Girl of Fire and Thorns she’s fucking brilliant. She’s right up there with Katniss and Hermione and Rose on my list of top female characters. I adore her.
There’s also a romance, although it’s not between Elisa and Hector. This romance between Elisa and another guy was cute and innocent, much like Elisa’s personality and mindset in the beginning, which worked very well with Elisa’s character at this point in time. I think that’s what relationships should do. They should be what the person needs at that time, and gel with their personality and traits, to work to make the person better or stronger, or just generally move that person along whether it’s in terms of their personality or their mindset or where they are with their life. I’m not usually a fan of cute romances, but this one was really sweet. Carson did a great job of showing the innocence of both parties involved, and having them grow together as they experienced various difficulties.
I was a little confused as to why Elisa wasn’t swooning over Hector, the guy with the moustache, but then I realised that their relationship was going to be some epic slow burn. My favourite! In fact, Hector is in literally about five to eight scenes in this book. He’s not an important part at all. Instead, the focus is all on Elisa and her growth as she journeys from girl to woman. Or princess to queen, if that’s the analogy you wish to use.
Normally I’m very hesitant when it comes to books featuring religion in any way, because in the past I’ve often found them to come across as preachy and putting the religion very much in your face. However, I love the religious element of The Girl of Fire and Thorns! It works very well with the world that Rae Carson has created, and with the characters themselves. Carson does such a great job of blending it in with the very core of this world, that you can’t imagine it without some sort of faith. Elisa’s faith isn’t over the top at all. It’s a huge part of who she is, but it doesn’t overshadow other elements of her character. This is also very true of the religious aspect of the world building. It isn’t OTT or preachy, it just is.
I am very pleased with how much I enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns. While it wasn’t a favourite of mine, it was truly beautiful and captivating, with it’s amazing main character whose character growth rivals all others’, and the epic world building that makes you feel as though you’ve only discovered one small piece of this world, and the villains and the cute romance and… I could go on for a long time about this.
If you haven’t read The Girl of Fire and Thorns yet, you definitely should. I’ve already sped through the second book, The Crown of Embers, and am biding my time until I find the perfect moment to start The Bitter Kingdom. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is just the start of an epic fantasy series that I’m sure most of you will adore.
It's well written and entertaining on a popcorn level, but but it offends with the fat-shaming. As a parent, I wouldn't want my teen to read this. It takes a perfectly capable young woman and shows that it doesn't matter who she is until she loses weight. She could have shown Elise gaining self-control and confidence that LED to stamina and healthy choices. Sadly, the author chose the Disney route. This book made me feel things for the characters, but I don't think it was the things that the author intended.
I feel pretty indifferent. There were parts I really enjoyed, but also parts that severely annoyed me. So eh?
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
GENERAL COMMENTS
What can I say about this book other than it was brilliant? I hadn’t seen very many reviews for this prior to reading it but what I had heard and read of the description made me want to read this book desperately and I’m so glad I did. This was not a book just written to entertain or to carry the reader to another place for five or so hours. It’s an experience. It’s a journey. It’s a lesson. I came away feeling enlightened and extremely happy.
CRITICAL REVIEW
Author’s POV/ Voice:
This book is written in the first person POV with present tense and for once I am drawn fully into the story and feel it surrounding me and happening all around me. I really felt Elisa coming through in the words and I felt like I knew her almost from the very beginning.
Characters:
I have to devote this entire section to Elisa. She is a gem of a character, even more wondrous than her Godstone. We literally watch her grow and develop over the entire course of the novel in an entirely believable fashion. She is at first the girl with low self-esteem, no interest in court, and a propensity to eat at every opportunity. She is far from perfect, but it’s not done in a way that we just accept well the author couldn’t make a perfect character. She’s flawed, and insecure, but she tries, and in that we she is so beautifully endearing and real to me.
As the story progresses, she becomes queenly in her own right. Nothing is forced, her growth is perfectly natural especially in light of the events that are taking place around her. And my heart breaks along with hers, and I feel strengthened along with her, and by the end of the book I have no doubt in her abilities to be who she has to be and do what has to be done. She is a perfect role model for girls who are unsure of themselves and of their places in the world. Her story, her growth, her transformation, is inspirational.
Storyline/ Plot:
The story behind this book is pretty interesting. In Elisa’s world, God choses someone to complete a great task. He lets the world know of his choice by gifting His Chosen with a Godstone, a blue gem, embedded in their navels. Elisa is her century’s chosen and we watch as she is caught up in a series of unfolding events because people expect so much of her because of it. She is not perfect, she does not have the faith in herself that others have in her Godstone. And the resulting story is one not only of adventure but growth.
Cover & Blurb:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns2I’ve actually seen more than one cover for this story. The one shown above is quite pretty even if it is a little much and the one to the left is quite pretty but in my opinion, misleading. There is a third cover for the hardback but I don’t like it in the slightest. The blurb and descriptions have been quite engrossing and made me want to read the book right away.
RATING CONCLUSION
All in all, The Girl of Fire and Thorns gets a solid five out of five stars from me. There was nothing that I felt was off to me in the story. I must say, it doesn’t flow quickly but the pace suits the story, at least in my opinion. There has to be a lot of build-up and I felt that was handled well.
What can I say about this book other than it was brilliant? I hadn’t seen very many reviews for this prior to reading it but what I had heard and read of the description made me want to read this book desperately and I’m so glad I did. This was not a book just written to entertain or to carry the reader to another place for five or so hours. It’s an experience. It’s a journey. It’s a lesson. I came away feeling enlightened and extremely happy.
CRITICAL REVIEW
Author’s POV/ Voice:
This book is written in the first person POV with present tense and for once I am drawn fully into the story and feel it surrounding me and happening all around me. I really felt Elisa coming through in the words and I felt like I knew her almost from the very beginning.
Characters:
I have to devote this entire section to Elisa. She is a gem of a character, even more wondrous than her Godstone. We literally watch her grow and develop over the entire course of the novel in an entirely believable fashion. She is at first the girl with low self-esteem, no interest in court, and a propensity to eat at every opportunity. She is far from perfect, but it’s not done in a way that we just accept well the author couldn’t make a perfect character. She’s flawed, and insecure, but she tries, and in that we she is so beautifully endearing and real to me.
As the story progresses, she becomes queenly in her own right. Nothing is forced, her growth is perfectly natural especially in light of the events that are taking place around her. And my heart breaks along with hers, and I feel strengthened along with her, and by the end of the book I have no doubt in her abilities to be who she has to be and do what has to be done. She is a perfect role model for girls who are unsure of themselves and of their places in the world. Her story, her growth, her transformation, is inspirational.
Storyline/ Plot:
The story behind this book is pretty interesting. In Elisa’s world, God choses someone to complete a great task. He lets the world know of his choice by gifting His Chosen with a Godstone, a blue gem, embedded in their navels. Elisa is her century’s chosen and we watch as she is caught up in a series of unfolding events because people expect so much of her because of it. She is not perfect, she does not have the faith in herself that others have in her Godstone. And the resulting story is one not only of adventure but growth.
Cover & Blurb:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns2I’ve actually seen more than one cover for this story. The one shown above is quite pretty even if it is a little much and the one to the left is quite pretty but in my opinion, misleading. There is a third cover for the hardback but I don’t like it in the slightest. The blurb and descriptions have been quite engrossing and made me want to read the book right away.
RATING CONCLUSION
All in all, The Girl of Fire and Thorns gets a solid five out of five stars from me. There was nothing that I felt was off to me in the story. I must say, it doesn’t flow quickly but the pace suits the story, at least in my opinion. There has to be a lot of build-up and I felt that was handled well.