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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
I started out liking this book quite a bit but religious wars just make me sick and all the mention of God this and God that kind of soured this story for me. Is this some sort of alternate monotheistic fantasy that I just happened to pick up? I'm not sure but... well, it wasn't bad by any stretch and for a first novel it was generally well written. But... the eternal but... when all is said and done and the last page finished this story just did not resonate with me.
I suppose part of my issues with the story - aside from the God bits - was that something about this book seemed rather unfinished, like it felt like a new author. We couldn't get out of the main character's head and she started off pretty passively going along with things, like being kidnapped. I dunno. Some plot bits seemed wholly implausible, jarring and might I say ridiculous? Yeah, we see her change and evolve but some of what happened to her made her feel like some sort of one-dimensional Mary Sue that just had plot twists thrust upon her because it sounded like a good idea at the time.
I'm sorry, nothing against this book or the author, but I'm going to have to pass on this series. Just not my type of book.
I suppose part of my issues with the story - aside from the God bits - was that something about this book seemed rather unfinished, like it felt like a new author. We couldn't get out of the main character's head and she started off pretty passively going along with things, like being kidnapped. I dunno. Some plot bits seemed wholly implausible, jarring and might I say ridiculous? Yeah, we see her change and evolve but some of what happened to her made her feel like some sort of one-dimensional Mary Sue that just had plot twists thrust upon her because it sounded like a good idea at the time.
I'm sorry, nothing against this book or the author, but I'm going to have to pass on this series. Just not my type of book.
It's not that I didn't like this book. I am just not in the mood for this story at the moment. Will revisit at a later date.
Well, I should start off by saying that I could NOT stop reading this book. Literally. I started it LAST NIGHT, stayed up until 1:30 AM and then opened my eyes before 9 to keep reading it. I just had to know what happened. I do enjoy guessing what is going to happen as I read, and sadly with most books I'm hardly ever actually surprised. Not here! I was convinced the book was going to end with some kind of sappy, love-triangle ending as a lot of books seem to these days, but I was wrong. It was very refreshing.
The characters here were no great shakes, except for the main character Elisa. Talk about refreshing. She starts off as a fat, pampered, ignorant child--but not spoiled. She becomes pretty kick butt by the end, but she takes a journey to get there that is believable. Few authors dare to do this these days, and the ones who do rarely do it well. I felt like I could sit down and chat with Elisa, because she was just so REAL.
Granted, Elisa and the book did fall into one YA cliche that makes me sigh. So often in YA books these days, there is no visible growth when the main character falls in love. It is just instant love at first sight, BAM. Does it make the book move along, sure. But it's fairly ridiculous and it annoys me when it happens. At least here, Carson makes an obvious attempt to discern why Elisa feels the way she, and there isn't an instant lovey dovey scene anywhere. Still a little too quick for my taste (and a little too quick for a certain event near the end of the book to have the impact it ought to) but better done then I've seen lately.
The world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns was also great. In places - especially in the beginning - I felt like I wasn't getting enough information to form a clear picture with, but enough information came out as the book went on for me to grasp generalities. The book was clearly setting up for a sequel, so it's entirely possible the world wasn't completely explained for just that purpose. Either way, it worked out well enough. The book flowed quickly and easily.
I read ridiculously fast first time through, and sometimes after that I won't reread a book, but I certainly want to revist this one! Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to fans of fantasy YA fiction. It's different, it's believable and it's interesting. Four and a half stars from me!
The characters here were no great shakes, except for the main character Elisa. Talk about refreshing. She starts off as a fat, pampered, ignorant child--but not spoiled. She becomes pretty kick butt by the end, but she takes a journey to get there that is believable. Few authors dare to do this these days, and the ones who do rarely do it well. I felt like I could sit down and chat with Elisa, because she was just so REAL.
Granted, Elisa and the book did fall into one YA cliche that makes me sigh. So often in YA books these days, there is no visible growth when the main character falls in love. It is just instant love at first sight, BAM. Does it make the book move along, sure. But it's fairly ridiculous and it annoys me when it happens. At least here, Carson makes an obvious attempt to discern why Elisa feels the way she, and there isn't an instant lovey dovey scene anywhere. Still a little too quick for my taste (and a little too quick for a certain event near the end of the book to have the impact it ought to) but better done then I've seen lately.
The world of The Girl of Fire and Thorns was also great. In places - especially in the beginning - I felt like I wasn't getting enough information to form a clear picture with, but enough information came out as the book went on for me to grasp generalities. The book was clearly setting up for a sequel, so it's entirely possible the world wasn't completely explained for just that purpose. Either way, it worked out well enough. The book flowed quickly and easily.
I read ridiculously fast first time through, and sometimes after that I won't reread a book, but I certainly want to revist this one! Overall, I would certainly recommend this book to fans of fantasy YA fiction. It's different, it's believable and it's interesting. Four and a half stars from me!
The best I can say for this book is that it was all right. I finished it in a couple of days, so in my opinion it was engaging, but it never really required me to think too much.
Elisa, I found, along with possibly Carmé, were the only characters that had proper development. There were a few more that I liked , but they just didn't get enough page time. The plot was okay, but it trundled along in sections that didn't need it and raced through the action in an incredibly low number of pages - the novel managed to go through the final conflict and then conclude itself within around ten pages.
The main criticism that I have, I suppose, is that the magic system is painfully underdeveloped. It is supposedly the reason for the war that is happening, but we are never really given much explanation as to how it works, only that it involves a lot of praying and such. It was an intriguing concept that just wasn't taken anywhere.
To be honest, I think that "underdeveloped" is the word I would use for the entire novel. Elisa carried it, and it was through her that I actually enjoyed reading. Everything else needed expanding and another round of heavy editing.
Elisa, I found, along with possibly Carmé, were the only characters that had proper development. There were a few more that I liked , but they just didn't get enough page time. The plot was okay, but it trundled along in sections that didn't need it and raced through the action in an incredibly low number of pages - the novel managed to go through the final conflict and then conclude itself within around ten pages.
The main criticism that I have, I suppose, is that the magic system is painfully underdeveloped. It is supposedly the reason for the war that is happening, but we are never really given much explanation as to how it works, only that it involves a lot of praying and such. It was an intriguing concept that just wasn't taken anywhere.
To be honest, I think that "underdeveloped" is the word I would use for the entire novel. Elisa carried it, and it was through her that I actually enjoyed reading. Everything else needed expanding and another round of heavy editing.
I know I read the synopsis for this when it came out and the whole religiousity bit totally turned me off. I wasn't having any of it, but I did pick it up at the urging of one of my friends who said that I would enjoy it. And I did. I didn't feel like the religion was too forced or too artificial. I liked that the character was flawed, but realized that there were issues with her flaws/coming into her own. It is weak for the character to suddenly lose a bunch of weight and then feel empowered. because tada! skinny! That's problematic. Also the death of Alejandro at the end felt convenient. It didn't give Elisa a chance to deal with her feelings for him or his treatment of her. Anyway, I liked Elisa. I loved the world building - this is a super interesting world and I want to find out what else will happen in it.
UPDATE: I think I liked this a little more the second time around. I don't think that Carson intended for Elisa to feel empowered because she lost weight, but I still think it's a little problematic. Going on to book 2!
UPDATE: I think I liked this a little more the second time around. I don't think that Carson intended for Elisa to feel empowered because she lost weight, but I still think it's a little problematic. Going on to book 2!
Rae Carson is without a doubt my favorite author discovery of 2016. I went gaga over Walk the Earth a Stranger (still not over that terrible title) and The Girl of Fire and Thorns did not disappoint.
This is a coming of age story about a smart and timid girl becoming a wise and powerful woman. She’s the second born daughter of a king and was chosen for greatness at her birth. The problem is that she doesn’t feel remarkable and hides herself away from the outside world. That all changes on her sixteenth birthday when she becomes the secret wife of the neighboring king. I don’t want to say much more about where the story goes because there are so many surprising left turns that I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone. Let’s just say the narrative doesn’t go where you think it’s going to go.
Carson excels at creating great characters and then putting them into addicting plots. I tore through this 423 page book in just a day or two because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I appreciate that she resists simplicity. All the characters, bad or good, have realistic motivations that make sense. Just because it’s young adult, doesn’t mean things have to be simple.
There are a lot of things happening here that are different from most fantasy out there. It’s based on a hispanic influenced culture, the main character deals with realistic body issues, and the story contemplates what it means to be religious. The Girl of Fire and Thorns was refreshing as hell and I hope you pick it up if you’re into fantasy or teenage girls kicking ass.
This is a coming of age story about a smart and timid girl becoming a wise and powerful woman. She’s the second born daughter of a king and was chosen for greatness at her birth. The problem is that she doesn’t feel remarkable and hides herself away from the outside world. That all changes on her sixteenth birthday when she becomes the secret wife of the neighboring king. I don’t want to say much more about where the story goes because there are so many surprising left turns that I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone. Let’s just say the narrative doesn’t go where you think it’s going to go.
Carson excels at creating great characters and then putting them into addicting plots. I tore through this 423 page book in just a day or two because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I appreciate that she resists simplicity. All the characters, bad or good, have realistic motivations that make sense. Just because it’s young adult, doesn’t mean things have to be simple.
There are a lot of things happening here that are different from most fantasy out there. It’s based on a hispanic influenced culture, the main character deals with realistic body issues, and the story contemplates what it means to be religious. The Girl of Fire and Thorns was refreshing as hell and I hope you pick it up if you’re into fantasy or teenage girls kicking ass.
I love this book in no small measure because when I first read it, Elisa annoyed the hell out of me. But then she’s pushed. And she grows. And her mind is more important than her body.
Elisa is a princess, but a rather reluctant one. Her older sister is the one with the beauty and poise, and luckily also the one destined to be queen. But Elisa has a destiny of her own, she is the bearer of the Godstone in her navel, a gem that appeared during her naming ceremony as an infant. She is destined to be a hero, but she can’t see past her own weight and laziness to even glimpse a future where that would be possible. On Elisa’s sixteenth birthday, she is given in marriage to the king of a nation at war. Moving away from her family, Elisa discovers that her new husband is going to keep their marriage secret. Elisa is caught up in the politics and cunning of the kingdom, something she has always avoided. Now she has to figure out what her future holds. One thing is sure, it will be a different destiny than she ever expected!
Read the rest of my review at my blog, Waking Brain Cells
Read the rest of my review at my blog, Waking Brain Cells
There were many, many things I liked about this book. I liked that Elisa was not slender and beautiful and that she had an unhealthy relationship with food. I liked that Elisa and Alejandro had a political marriage. (Political marriages do not happen in YA fantasy. The royalty always falls in love with someone perfect and can always marry whoever they want with no regard to political questions, which is not particularly historically accurate.) I liked the evolution of Cosme. I found the idea of the Godstone creative and interesting. But for whatever reason, this book as a whole did not gel for me. It may have been the desert setting. I tend to compare all books with desert settings to The Blue Sword, which I know is not fair, but it's such a fantastic book and the setting is so vivid that I just can't help myself. It may have been the ending, which felt really rushed. When I had about 20 pages left, I thought that the book was going to end with a giant cliffhanger because there seemed to be too many problems to be satisfactorily got through in so few pages. It may have been the mysticism. Magic is fine with me, but for whatever reason, adding God in to the magic mix just didn't work. (There's only one person who has been able to do that to my satisfaction, and that's Jim Butcher in his Dresden Files series. And that only works because he doesn't explore it too deeply.) So overall, a likeable book with decent characters and intriguing differences from more typical YA fantasies that somehow missed the mark with me.