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shannonwelsh's review
5.0
Let me just say that I loved this book, and not just because the author is from Ohio(like me) or that I was sent this book for free(though this would be an awkward review if it was the reason;) ). Nope, I love this book because it has some kick-ass writing and an awesome heroine who is not just smart but also kick-ass, not to mention the plot and other array of characters who show up in this book. So without further ado, strap in and listen to me ramble.
Crown of Embers starts with Elisa turning seventeen—like me! I'm seventeen, too!—and the throwing of a parade for her where she finds out that there are Invierne in her city! The beginning was good because Ms. Carson didn't info dump everything that happened in Book One into your lap. She let the story unfold, then she explained Book One. Now, it's been a year since I read Girl of Fire and Thorns, but she told the story in such a way that I remembered the details of the book. All she had to do was mention a bit here and there, and it literally tugged at the memory of reading the first book and voila! I remembered this scene or that scene. Even the smallest details that I couldn't recall before opening this book.
In Girl of Fire and Thorns, I felt that Elisa's character arc was about Elisa finding strength within herself instead of other people or her situation(bearing the Godstone and being a princess, turned queen)and gaining confidence. Crown of Embers, for me, was different. It was more about Elisa keeping her confidence and newfound independence than anything else. The plot, however, was tricky yet simple without being overly simple or without bringing out dreadful plot twists that made no sense. She didn't bring out cliches or anything of the sort. Everything was unique to Elisa and her world, and I loved that. The plot twists were lovely! She brought them out from the very beginning with finding Invierne living beneath the city and then the many, many threats on Elisa's life and then some other spoilery stuff.
The middle did not sag one bit. Elisa did what she had to do and followed her heart(and Godstone) to Invierne land. I found that bit a little creepy, and I think Elisa did, too. And there, she showed confidence and displayed the courage she found in Book One. This book, I feel, is just as well written as the first, if not even better. And the romance, oh my gosh! Hector and Elisa are star crossed lovers from the very beginning with the lovely written tension and ending.
The ending was perfection. The writer in me cried with joy at the unhappy ending while the reader in my cried foul play and do over. She's set the story up perfectly to flow into the last book in the trilogy, which I'm really looking forward to. Five stars to Crown of Embers for being much, much more than I ever expected. And if Elisa and Hector don't end up together (reader in me: Oh please, oh please, oh please, let them live happily ever after. Writer in me: Don't do it! Don't turn to the dark side! Kill them all! *evil laughter*) then I will be eternally conflicted. Thank you, Rae Carson for another book I couldn't put down.
I won this in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but all opinions are my very own. :)
Crown of Embers starts with Elisa turning seventeen—like me! I'm seventeen, too!—and the throwing of a parade for her where she finds out that there are Invierne in her city! The beginning was good because Ms. Carson didn't info dump everything that happened in Book One into your lap. She let the story unfold, then she explained Book One. Now, it's been a year since I read Girl of Fire and Thorns, but she told the story in such a way that I remembered the details of the book. All she had to do was mention a bit here and there, and it literally tugged at the memory of reading the first book and voila! I remembered this scene or that scene. Even the smallest details that I couldn't recall before opening this book.
In Girl of Fire and Thorns, I felt that Elisa's character arc was about Elisa finding strength within herself instead of other people or her situation(bearing the Godstone and being a princess, turned queen)and gaining confidence. Crown of Embers, for me, was different. It was more about Elisa keeping her confidence and newfound independence than anything else. The plot, however, was tricky yet simple without being overly simple or without bringing out dreadful plot twists that made no sense. She didn't bring out cliches or anything of the sort. Everything was unique to Elisa and her world, and I loved that. The plot twists were lovely! She brought them out from the very beginning with finding Invierne living beneath the city and then the many, many threats on Elisa's life and then some other spoilery stuff.
The middle did not sag one bit. Elisa did what she had to do and followed her heart(and Godstone) to Invierne land. I found that bit a little creepy, and I think Elisa did, too. And there, she showed confidence and displayed the courage she found in Book One. This book, I feel, is just as well written as the first, if not even better. And the romance, oh my gosh! Hector and Elisa are star crossed lovers from the very beginning with the lovely written tension and ending.
The ending was perfection. The writer in me cried with joy at the unhappy ending while the reader in my cried foul play and do over. She's set the story up perfectly to flow into the last book in the trilogy, which I'm really looking forward to. Five stars to Crown of Embers for being much, much more than I ever expected. And if Elisa and Hector don't end up together (reader in me: Oh please, oh please, oh please, let them live happily ever after. Writer in me: Don't do it! Don't turn to the dark side! Kill them all! *evil laughter*) then I will be eternally conflicted. Thank you, Rae Carson for another book I couldn't put down.
I won this in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but all opinions are my very own. :)
brianne_k's review
5.0
I loved it. Such an adventure!! I need The Bitter Kingdom like yesterday!
oh.. and Hector.. my love.
oh.. and Hector.. my love.
roseleaf24's review
4.0
This one started out more slowly than the first, but ended in a more compelling way! I am much less patient about book #3 than I was about book #2. The character development is fantastic.
whosevita's review
3.0
This book was SO disappointing. I still enjoyed it, but the synopsis just build my expectations and did not deliver. It made it seem like the journey they would go on would the main focus of the book. Which it isn't. Literally 70% of the book is boring court politics WHICH I HATE and than the last 20% is more politics but they're on the road. The last 9% is interesting and than that final 1% is SO FRUSTRATING. You see the reason I liked this book most was hands down Elisa and Hector. I would do ANYTHING for that man. And royalty x Royal guard is one of my favourite tropes. But it's just SO frustrating how they won't talk about their feelings. And the whole "we would never work together" doesn't make any sense. Hector can mary another queen but isn't good enough for Elisa?? And then he says he would cheat on said queen bc he needs "even a short moment with you (Elisa)" but immediately after thats he says that he could never have a relationship with Elisa where they aren't completely together.
Make it make sense .
And then Elisa not admitting her feelings made it so much worse. Just circling eachtoher with their hopeless angst.
Then, she realises in the last 5 pages of the book what was obvious from the beginning. In a political way they are perfect as well because of the alliance between the nations of whatever. So all that angst was completely useless.
I've decided I will not continue. I simply do not care enough.
Make it make sense .
And then Elisa not admitting her feelings made it so much worse. Just circling eachtoher with their hopeless angst.
Then, she realises in the last 5 pages of the book what was obvious from the beginning. In a political way they are perfect as well because of the alliance between the nations of whatever. So all that angst was completely useless.
I've decided I will not continue. I simply do not care enough.
aepstone's review
5.0
All the comparisons to Tamora Pierce are definitely merited! Can't wait for the third.
aliceboule's review
4.0
That its. I officially adore Rae Carson. She just blows my world. Hector and Elisa. No words
Elisa is still as devout and on top of that: she is a Queen- and not just any queen, one that puts her Kingdom and its people before her own desires. Shes not wimpy or led by men. She stands alone facing the dangers God throws to her. and through it all she keeps her faith. Faith in herself, in Hector, in God.
I love it. officially. Hector is beautiful. (He is now on my top YA best heros list). I love that he doesn't jump at the chance to bone the woman he loves, he wants more than just the thrill of a sexual relationship- super kudos dude. Elisa continues to develope into a strong woman, fearless and capable of a great love. Seriously. We are the same age.. how does that work??
Xandryia.. I hate her. She is SOOO ANNOYING. she keeps doing the best for Elisa- but its what she thinks is best. Not what is truly best. And honestly Elisa is by far capable of dealing with her own issues. Mara made up for the old nurse. Mara is just adorable.
Basically. Love this book. Love this series. Love the author.
I don't think i can wait 5 months for the rest. Im actually die of impatience. I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!
Elisa is still as devout and on top of that: she is a Queen- and not just any queen, one that puts her Kingdom and its people before her own desires. Shes not wimpy or led by men. She stands alone facing the dangers God throws to her. and through it all she keeps her faith. Faith in herself, in Hector, in God.
I love it. officially. Hector is beautiful. (He is now on my top YA best heros list). I love that he doesn't jump at the chance to bone the woman he loves, he wants more than just the thrill of a sexual relationship- super kudos dude. Elisa continues to develope into a strong woman, fearless and capable of a great love. Seriously. We are the same age.. how does that work??
Xandryia.. I hate her. She is SOOO ANNOYING. she keeps doing the best for Elisa- but its what she thinks is best. Not what is truly best. And honestly Elisa is by far capable of dealing with her own issues. Mara made up for the old nurse. Mara is just adorable.
Basically. Love this book. Love this series. Love the author.
I don't think i can wait 5 months for the rest. Im actually die of impatience. I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!
abex's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
4.25
seshoptaw's review
4.5
4.5*
The Girl of Fire and Thorns (the first book of the series) was just an o-kay read for me. I rated it a 3.5*, so while I still liked it and it was enough to keep me interested in the series as a whole, I didn’t really have a lot of faith that I would like The Crown of Embers much better than the first book. But boy am glad I continued the series!! The second installment to the series is, in my opinion, <i>so</i> much stronger than the first book and it was exactly what I had thought (and hoped) the series was going to be from the start.
Elisa went from being someone lacking in self-confidence, self-esteem, a fighting spirit, etc. in the first book and we get to watch her grow and come to find these strengths within herself over the course of the novel. But when she found those things, she wasn’t the Queen of a nation. The Crown of Embers follows Elisa as she has to navigate politics, evade assassination attempts, and figure out who she can trust (and in turn, trusting herself). The book was character-driven and Elisa grows and develops in a much different way than she had to in the first book.
Where I found the writing style lacking in The Girl of Fire and Thorns (book 1), the author seemed to really up her game in The Crown of Embers (book 2). I was transfixed by the story from start to finish and I couldn’t put this book down until I’d turned the final page. I love that I didn’t feel like the author skipped over months at a time, closely following the characters’ journeys throughout the entirety of the novel without a lot of time jumps (unlike the first book).
I had loved Elisa when she went into the desert and became a leader for her people. So when she’s stuck back at the palace, chaffing under the constant lack of privacy and the constrictive environment of the palace (vs the open desert), I feel her longing in this book and her happiness when she’s finally able to break away. Although we’re not back in Elisa’s beloved desert for any length of time, the new settings, as described by the author, were wonderful and the addition of a few new characters (along with the continuation of some old favorites – and not so favorites) was fun and exciting.
In addition, with the loss of the man Elisa had fallen in love with in the first book and the subtle hints that there may be something new that develops between her and Hector, I wasn’t sure I was going to be a fan of the romance going into book 2. Although better than a love triangle, I didn’t think I’d like Elisa developing feelings for someone else so soon after Humberto’s death. But the romance in this novel was just as great (if not even better) than the romance in the first novel. It was slow-burning and the author did a wonderful job describing a girl that started to blossom into adulthood/womanhood. I loved it.
Religious beliefs continue to play a HUGE part in the story and while I’ve read some reviews that, putting it nicely, don’t think that this is their cup of tea, I <i>completely</i> disagree with them. Again, the religion in this novel closely mirrors Christianity in a lot of respects and there are several passages that almost copy the Bible word-for-word. But there’s also a lot of deviations from Christianity and, of course, magic is also mixed in to the plot. It may not be everyone’s thing, but I’ve literally NEVER read a YA series like this and I still love and enjoy what the author has done with it so far.
Sooo….going into this book, I clearly had a lot of expectations based on my feelings after reading the first book. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did and it came as a complete surprise to me. I’m sorry I compared and contrasted a little heavily in this review but The Crown of Embers was just <b>so</b> different than I expected it to be – and in all the right ways. It’s left me itching to read book 3!!
The Girl of Fire and Thorns (the first book of the series) was just an o-kay read for me. I rated it a 3.5*, so while I still liked it and it was enough to keep me interested in the series as a whole, I didn’t really have a lot of faith that I would like The Crown of Embers much better than the first book. But boy am glad I continued the series!! The second installment to the series is, in my opinion, <i>so</i> much stronger than the first book and it was exactly what I had thought (and hoped) the series was going to be from the start.
Elisa went from being someone lacking in self-confidence, self-esteem, a fighting spirit, etc. in the first book and we get to watch her grow and come to find these strengths within herself over the course of the novel. But when she found those things, she wasn’t the Queen of a nation. The Crown of Embers follows Elisa as she has to navigate politics, evade assassination attempts, and figure out who she can trust (and in turn, trusting herself). The book was character-driven and Elisa grows and develops in a much different way than she had to in the first book.
Where I found the writing style lacking in The Girl of Fire and Thorns (book 1), the author seemed to really up her game in The Crown of Embers (book 2). I was transfixed by the story from start to finish and I couldn’t put this book down until I’d turned the final page. I love that I didn’t feel like the author skipped over months at a time, closely following the characters’ journeys throughout the entirety of the novel without a lot of time jumps (unlike the first book).
I had loved Elisa when she went into the desert and became a leader for her people. So when she’s stuck back at the palace, chaffing under the constant lack of privacy and the constrictive environment of the palace (vs the open desert), I feel her longing in this book and her happiness when she’s finally able to break away. Although we’re not back in Elisa’s beloved desert for any length of time, the new settings, as described by the author, were wonderful and the addition of a few new characters (along with the continuation of some old favorites – and not so favorites) was fun and exciting.
In addition, with the loss of the man Elisa had fallen in love with in the first book and the subtle hints that there may be something new that develops between her and Hector, I wasn’t sure I was going to be a fan of the romance going into book 2. Although better than a love triangle, I didn’t think I’d like Elisa developing feelings for someone else so soon after Humberto’s death. But the romance in this novel was just as great (if not even better) than the romance in the first novel. It was slow-burning and the author did a wonderful job describing a girl that started to blossom into adulthood/womanhood. I loved it.
Religious beliefs continue to play a HUGE part in the story and while I’ve read some reviews that, putting it nicely, don’t think that this is their cup of tea, I <i>completely</i> disagree with them. Again, the religion in this novel closely mirrors Christianity in a lot of respects and there are several passages that almost copy the Bible word-for-word. But there’s also a lot of deviations from Christianity and, of course, magic is also mixed in to the plot. It may not be everyone’s thing, but I’ve literally NEVER read a YA series like this and I still love and enjoy what the author has done with it so far.
Sooo….going into this book, I clearly had a lot of expectations based on my feelings after reading the first book. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did and it came as a complete surprise to me. I’m sorry I compared and contrasted a little heavily in this review but The Crown of Embers was just <b>so</b> different than I expected it to be – and in all the right ways. It’s left me itching to read book 3!!
kleakurti's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0