Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
The ending was a bit of a let down. Will definitely continue with this series!
What I expected from Girl Of Fire And Thorns was nothing less than an exciting fantasy adventure, full of magic and woe. Unfortunately, there was no magic nor woe. Only far too many yawns :(
I think what went wrong with GOFAT was the story and the way it was told. And that was in a very boring way, let me tell you. Especially the part with Elisa's journey through the desert, oh my God! Why did it have to be so chaotic and long? I could get to like the story eventually I think, had it been more fast paced and had more action happening.
The blue stone in Elisa's bellybutton meaning she is a gift from God-I won't even go there. I'm not religious so it sounded like a joke to me. Come to think of it, even if I was religious it would still sound like a joke.
Also at first, Elisa is portrayed like an ugly duckling of sorts. Kinda chubby and a bit on the ugly side. No problem with that whatsoever. What did bother me though was that after her dreadful desert journey she loses a lot of weight and somehow she becomes prettier and when she looks in the mirror and sees her new self, it's when she has the outmost confidence in herself that she will succeed in her mission. Because otherwise she was like "Meh".
Are you freaking kidding me?????What was that?
Fat: king doesn't like her/no ability to do anything more than eat/basically a loser and
Skinny: king falls immediately in love with her/she achieves all her goals ??
Seriously?
Sorry, but no.
What I did like was Humberto's character. He seemed to me like the only "real" person in the book. His actions, feelings, all justified. And kudos to Carson for having the guts to write him the way she did in the end.
And just as the plot was beginning to get a little bit interesting and I'm thinking "That's how the book should start", it's over. The end.
If you're religious, you'll absolutely love The Girl Of Fire And Thorns, as it's basically Elisa's holy mission and Elisa herself is a devoted believer. I am not religious which may have contributed to me not liking the book so much. Honestly though, I doubt it.
I think what went wrong with GOFAT was the story and the way it was told. And that was in a very boring way, let me tell you. Especially the part with Elisa's journey through the desert, oh my God! Why did it have to be so chaotic and long? I could get to like the story eventually I think, had it been more fast paced and had more action happening.
The blue stone in Elisa's bellybutton meaning she is a gift from God-I won't even go there. I'm not religious so it sounded like a joke to me. Come to think of it, even if I was religious it would still sound like a joke.
Also at first, Elisa is portrayed like an ugly duckling of sorts. Kinda chubby and a bit on the ugly side. No problem with that whatsoever. What did bother me though was that after her dreadful desert journey she loses a lot of weight and somehow she becomes prettier and when she looks in the mirror and sees her new self, it's when she has the outmost confidence in herself that she will succeed in her mission. Because otherwise she was like "Meh".
Are you freaking kidding me?????What was that?
Fat: king doesn't like her/no ability to do anything more than eat/basically a loser and
Skinny: king falls immediately in love with her/she achieves all her goals ??
Seriously?
Sorry, but no.
What I did like was Humberto's character. He seemed to me like the only "real" person in the book. His actions, feelings, all justified. And kudos to Carson for having the guts to write him the way she did in the end.
And just as the plot was beginning to get a little bit interesting and I'm thinking "That's how the book should start", it's over. The end.
If you're religious, you'll absolutely love The Girl Of Fire And Thorns, as it's basically Elisa's holy mission and Elisa herself is a devoted believer. I am not religious which may have contributed to me not liking the book so much. Honestly though, I doubt it.
(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)
I was totally unprepared for this book to be the love child of Philippa Gregory and George R. R. Martin. But I am beyond delighted that it was. The richness of detail, ritual, and tradition had me hooked from the very opening page. The brutal fantasy aspects, while less frequent than in other books, were similarly unexpected but just as pleasing. There was a lot of intrigue, betrayal, romance, danger, and action too.
At the heart of any great book is its main character, and Elisa is the sort of female protagonist that I would have longed to read about as a teen. In most respects, I was more than happy to read about her now that I am older. She was equal parts believable and endearing while coming to terms with the fact that she has lived a very sheltered life and has quite a large destiny to pursue. Fans of Daenerys Targaryen who were not fans of the less consensual and decidedly more unpleasant aspects of The Game of Thrones will definitely fall in love with Elisa. I know I did.
I also really appreciated that Carson had her be overweight and struggling with accepting herself and being accepted by others. Although Elisa does lose some weight as a result of certain plot points, I think Carson did a great job keeping the focus on how Elisa is transformed by her experiences from only soft, insecure, and scholarly to proud, fierce, and determined as well. She never forgot who she was, never changed completely, and continually played to her strengths as she grew in a beautiful, organic way. The minor characters were great too and sort of all over the place in terms of the roles they played which was excellent. I especially loved Rosario, Humberto, and Ximenia, but Cosme and Alejandro had important roles to play and I came to care for them too.
I did, however, have an issue with The Girl of Fire and Thorns. I wish I could articulate my feelings as eloquently or clearly as Thea does in her review on The Book Smugglers, but I wasn't really happy to discover that the religion in the book was virtually identical to Judeo-Christianity. Yes, I liked how real this world felt as well as the borrowing from Spanish culture and medieval history. Yes, this book has sorcery, evil animagi, magical blue stones, and other differences, but honestly I have no interest in reading any Inspirational Fiction titles and I hated having the uncomfortable suspicion that I was reading one. I also found myself wondering what this connection did to the overall message of the book or what it meant for how much Elisa was in control of her own destiny, will, and/or abilities. This aspect of the book won't bother all readers, but it definitely bothered me. Happily, it never bothered me enough to stop reading altogether.
In conclusion, a mostly excellent and very engaging book. Fans of George R. R. Martin, Philippa Gregory, Tamora Pierce, and Jacqueline Carey will enjoy this immensely. Those who dread the idea of investing in yet another series with cliffhangers and years between releases will also be happy to learn that The Girl of Fire and Thorns tells a very complete story all on its own.
I was totally unprepared for this book to be the love child of Philippa Gregory and George R. R. Martin. But I am beyond delighted that it was. The richness of detail, ritual, and tradition had me hooked from the very opening page. The brutal fantasy aspects, while less frequent than in other books, were similarly unexpected but just as pleasing. There was a lot of intrigue, betrayal, romance, danger, and action too.
At the heart of any great book is its main character, and Elisa is the sort of female protagonist that I would have longed to read about as a teen. In most respects, I was more than happy to read about her now that I am older. She was equal parts believable and endearing while coming to terms with the fact that she has lived a very sheltered life and has quite a large destiny to pursue. Fans of Daenerys Targaryen who were not fans of the less consensual and decidedly more unpleasant aspects of The Game of Thrones will definitely fall in love with Elisa. I know I did.
I also really appreciated that Carson had her be overweight and struggling with accepting herself and being accepted by others. Although Elisa does lose some weight as a result of certain plot points, I think Carson did a great job keeping the focus on how Elisa is transformed by her experiences from only soft, insecure, and scholarly to proud, fierce, and determined as well. She never forgot who she was, never changed completely, and continually played to her strengths as she grew in a beautiful, organic way. The minor characters were great too and sort of all over the place in terms of the roles they played which was excellent. I especially loved Rosario, Humberto, and Ximenia, but Cosme and Alejandro had important roles to play and I came to care for them too.
I did, however, have an issue with The Girl of Fire and Thorns. I wish I could articulate my feelings as eloquently or clearly as Thea does in her review on The Book Smugglers, but I wasn't really happy to discover that the religion in the book was virtually identical to Judeo-Christianity. Yes, I liked how real this world felt as well as the borrowing from Spanish culture and medieval history. Yes, this book has sorcery, evil animagi, magical blue stones, and other differences, but honestly I have no interest in reading any Inspirational Fiction titles and I hated having the uncomfortable suspicion that I was reading one. I also found myself wondering what this connection did to the overall message of the book or what it meant for how much Elisa was in control of her own destiny, will, and/or abilities. This aspect of the book won't bother all readers, but it definitely bothered me. Happily, it never bothered me enough to stop reading altogether.
In conclusion, a mostly excellent and very engaging book. Fans of George R. R. Martin, Philippa Gregory, Tamora Pierce, and Jacqueline Carey will enjoy this immensely. Those who dread the idea of investing in yet another series with cliffhangers and years between releases will also be happy to learn that The Girl of Fire and Thorns tells a very complete story all on its own.
I enjoyed this book. The story was interesting. I am definitely going to continue this series.
My one problem with this book, is that the love interest kept switching. Though, to me anyways, it was obvious since the beginning of the book who our main character would end up with. Other than that, I had a good time reading this book.
My one problem with this book, is that the love interest kept switching. Though, to me anyways, it was obvious since the beginning of the book who our main character would end up with. Other than that, I had a good time reading this book.
This was really really good. The best way I can describe this story is that it was a slow burn and action packed at the same time. I have no idea how, but I quite enjoyed that aspect. The main character, Elisa, is so real and down to earth. I like that while she definitely grows throughout the story and matures at a fast pace, the fact she's 17 still pokes through every now and then, and in the most endearing ways. I love the friendship between Elisa and Lord Hector so much! I am glad she has such a fierce and loyal ally. I don't know if I want them to become romantic or not. I an leaning towards not, only because I think their friendship could be amazing and adding romance may dilute that. I am also pleased that Alejandro had the chance to be a hero. The characters are done so well, layered and with such depth. The world-building was outstanding, I felt like I was in the desert in that sandstorm with them! Highly recommend this book!
This was so disappointingly banal. Despite seemingly original world-building, nothing in this book felt new or exciting. Nothing happened that was interesting. Carson paid lip-service to developing Elisa but nevertheless she never felt like a true, fully-realized character. Under a more capable writer, these flaws might have been masked, but Carson's writing is merely perfunctory. I might eventually get around to reading the other two because I am a masochistic completionist, but this was a big bust for me.
Princess Elisa is married off to the king of a neighbouring country on her sixteenth birthday, in part to strengthen a military alliance. She's overweight and insecure and constantly feels inferior to her older, clever sister, and figures that the only reason she's the one marrying the king is because because she is this generation's "Chosen One". Elisa has a gemstone in her navel, a God-stone, that marks the bearer as having a great or significant task in their future. Elisa's lived a sheltered life, is nervous about being married off to a handsome man, and sent to his kingdom, far away from home. Her only comforts are food and books.
When Elisa arrives at her new home, she realizes that not only does her husband have a mistress, he's kept his new marriage and his alliance with Elisa's father a secret, even to his closest advisors. She soon discovers that, though her husband may be handsome, he's not necessarily a brave or decisive man. He neglects his son, and clearly tries to avoid confrontations, as much as possible. Elisa also discovers that nearly everyone in her new homeland knows much more about the God-stone than she, and that her sister and father, and pretty much all the people she's ever counted on and trusted, knew about the many prophecies regarding the Chosen One. Suffice to say, this doesn't make her feel any better about herself, or her murky future task.
Elisa's life changes dramatically when she is kidnapped by a small band of resistance fighters. She is taken on a long trek across the desert and held in a tiny border village, where the people are constantly ravaged by the ongoing war, without any help being sent from the king in the capital. The resistance group knows that Elisa has the God-stone, and hopes that she will be able to save them from certain death. How can Elisa, with her insecurity, book learning and inexperience, rise to the occasion and fulfill her destiny?
Girl of Fire and Thorns is the first book in what I'm assuming will be a trilogy (aren't they all these days, or longer?), but works perfectly well on its own, with a self-contained story. It's a great young adult book, as it provides a great role model for young women in Princess Elisa. While she starts out as obese and insecure, it's clear to the reader that she's a good and loyal person, and while she's hard on herself, she never wallows in self-pity for long, and she tries to make the best of the situations she finds herself in. She finds herself in a variety of dangerous situations over the course of the book, and never discovers hidden super powers, but shows incredible, realistic bravery in that she faces her challenges square on, refusing to run away or sacrifice others to save herself. Elisa is by no means perfect, but she's been raised to serve her people, and she knows that many of the bearers of the God-stone died either before or while they fulfilled their destiny, and she's determined to do her duty, even if it scares the heck out of her and may mean her death.
There's a supporting cast of great characters, too, who help fill out the story. Elisa's nurse, Ximena, is especially good. The plot has some surprising twists, and takes the "Chosen One" trope from classic fantasy in interesting directions. I will be looking forward to the sequels of this one.
When Elisa arrives at her new home, she realizes that not only does her husband have a mistress, he's kept his new marriage and his alliance with Elisa's father a secret, even to his closest advisors. She soon discovers that, though her husband may be handsome, he's not necessarily a brave or decisive man. He neglects his son, and clearly tries to avoid confrontations, as much as possible. Elisa also discovers that nearly everyone in her new homeland knows much more about the God-stone than she, and that her sister and father, and pretty much all the people she's ever counted on and trusted, knew about the many prophecies regarding the Chosen One. Suffice to say, this doesn't make her feel any better about herself, or her murky future task.
Elisa's life changes dramatically when she is kidnapped by a small band of resistance fighters. She is taken on a long trek across the desert and held in a tiny border village, where the people are constantly ravaged by the ongoing war, without any help being sent from the king in the capital. The resistance group knows that Elisa has the God-stone, and hopes that she will be able to save them from certain death. How can Elisa, with her insecurity, book learning and inexperience, rise to the occasion and fulfill her destiny?
Girl of Fire and Thorns is the first book in what I'm assuming will be a trilogy (aren't they all these days, or longer?), but works perfectly well on its own, with a self-contained story. It's a great young adult book, as it provides a great role model for young women in Princess Elisa. While she starts out as obese and insecure, it's clear to the reader that she's a good and loyal person, and while she's hard on herself, she never wallows in self-pity for long, and she tries to make the best of the situations she finds herself in. She finds herself in a variety of dangerous situations over the course of the book, and never discovers hidden super powers, but shows incredible, realistic bravery in that she faces her challenges square on, refusing to run away or sacrifice others to save herself. Elisa is by no means perfect, but she's been raised to serve her people, and she knows that many of the bearers of the God-stone died either before or while they fulfilled their destiny, and she's determined to do her duty, even if it scares the heck out of her and may mean her death.
There's a supporting cast of great characters, too, who help fill out the story. Elisa's nurse, Ximena, is especially good. The plot has some surprising twists, and takes the "Chosen One" trope from classic fantasy in interesting directions. I will be looking forward to the sequels of this one.
Put most simply, I loved this book. It's a beautiful fantasy story with magnificent world building. But don't be thinking this is a typical YA novel. First off, the heroine of the story is lonely, depressed and (heaven forbid) fat. And although Elisa is super smart and friendly, she is susceptible to self-pity. But even when she's in this state, she doesn't hesitate to face her fears and fight the enemy to save those she cares about. And here's one of those places where Rae Carson shines. Instead of making her heroine completely humble, Elisa says things to the effect of: "well, yes, I did save your life." But the most amazing part of the book is watching Elisa grow and accept herself and her spot in her world. And I love the twist at the end where Carson basically tells her audience that she's not writing some stereotypical YA love triangle.
OMG this book was amazing. I felt so many emotions while reading this book. I laughed, I cried, I got angr,y but overall those emotions were worth it. You haven't read this book go out and get it like now and if you already own it then read it already
I absolutely loved this book! The main character went through changes both physically and menatally, which I thought helped her seem more real. The ending was perfect for the book. The only thing I thought was werid, was at the end when Eliza fights the animagus. How she uses her Godstone I found rather odd. That was the only thing that I didn't like about the book. It was well written and I loved the characters. There was never a dull moment.