Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bethanymiller415 's review for:
The Crown of Embers
by Rae Carson
Summing up this book is very difficult because there are so many twists and turns that it is impossible to even hint at all of the major plot points, but I'm going to give it my best shot. I think this review is pretty spoiler free in terms of this book, but if you haven't read The Girl of Fire and Thorns yet, you will probably want to stop reading this review right now and start reading The Girl of Fire and Thorns.
The Crown of Embers picks up Elisa’s story a couple months after Alejandro’s death on the day of Elisa’s birthday parade. The parade is disrupted when an animagus appears quoting scripture and demanding that Elisa surrender herself to the Invierno, the nation whose army Elisa and her people had defeated in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. He threatens the lives of all of the people of Joya d’Arena if she does not comply and punctuates this warning by setting himself on fire while the whole city looks on in horror. Elisa later finds out that the Invierno believe that they need Elisa, bearer of the Godstone, in order to find zafira, which can be defined both as the magical power of the world and the “the place where the wellspring of power bubbles to the surface” (197). It becomes clear that the Invierno don’t want to assassinate her because they believe they need the living bearer of the Godstone to accomplish their purpose, but they will do whatever it takes to take control of her. Terrifying as this is to contemplate, Elisa soon realizes that the Invienro are not the only enemy that she has to fear. There are people in high places who do not support her and who are maneuvering to gain power for themselves. Members of her Quorum are pressuring her to begin allowing men to court her so that she can make a political marriage that would benefit the country. Though Elisa clearly has feelings for Hector, the head of her royal guard, she knows that she has no choice but to marry for her country, so she begins accepting suitors, one of whom is Conde Tristan of Selvarica. It soon becomes clear that Tristan may not be a good match, but Elisa decides to fake an engagement to him in order to have an excuse to leave Joya d’Arena and pursue the zafira in hopes that it will help her defeat the Invierno and secure the fate of her country.
The Crown of Embers is the second book in a trilogy, and readers should definitely start with the first book – The Girl of Fire and Thorns before diving into the sequel. Carson has written a novel that is action packed without sacrificing character development and complexity. To solve the mystery of the zafira and its connection to Elisa’s Godstone, Elisa and her friends must piece together information from ancient religious texts, some of which have only recently been discovered. It’s an intriguing mystery, but the author is also making a more universal statement about the different ways that people interpret the same text, especially where religion is concerned. A connection can definitely be made between the Invierno, perfectly willing to die a fiery death to make a point, and the religious zealots of our world.
Elisa is a complex and imperfect character, whom readers will root for even as she makes mistakes because it is clear that she wants to be the best person (and queen) that she can be. The secondary characters – in particular Storm, Ximena, Belen, and Hector - are also complicated individuals with various and sometimes conflicting motivations. Their allegiances to Elisa having varying contexts and within each of them lies the capacity to do her both good and harm whether it is intended or not.
The author should be commended for her depiction of Elisa’s sexuality as well as that of other characters in the book. Instead of focusing on the bodice-ripping desire of a passionate moment, Elisa actually contemplates her own physical desires, discusses sex with a trusted friend, and plans to use protection should the moment arise.
I really enojoyed this book and am looking forward to the next installment in the series. Highly recommended!
The Crown of Embers picks up Elisa’s story a couple months after Alejandro’s death on the day of Elisa’s birthday parade. The parade is disrupted when an animagus appears quoting scripture and demanding that Elisa surrender herself to the Invierno, the nation whose army Elisa and her people had defeated in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. He threatens the lives of all of the people of Joya d’Arena if she does not comply and punctuates this warning by setting himself on fire while the whole city looks on in horror. Elisa later finds out that the Invierno believe that they need Elisa, bearer of the Godstone, in order to find zafira, which can be defined both as the magical power of the world and the “the place where the wellspring of power bubbles to the surface” (197). It becomes clear that the Invierno don’t want to assassinate her because they believe they need the living bearer of the Godstone to accomplish their purpose, but they will do whatever it takes to take control of her. Terrifying as this is to contemplate, Elisa soon realizes that the Invienro are not the only enemy that she has to fear. There are people in high places who do not support her and who are maneuvering to gain power for themselves. Members of her Quorum are pressuring her to begin allowing men to court her so that she can make a political marriage that would benefit the country. Though Elisa clearly has feelings for Hector, the head of her royal guard, she knows that she has no choice but to marry for her country, so she begins accepting suitors, one of whom is Conde Tristan of Selvarica. It soon becomes clear that Tristan may not be a good match, but Elisa decides to fake an engagement to him in order to have an excuse to leave Joya d’Arena and pursue the zafira in hopes that it will help her defeat the Invierno and secure the fate of her country.
The Crown of Embers is the second book in a trilogy, and readers should definitely start with the first book – The Girl of Fire and Thorns before diving into the sequel. Carson has written a novel that is action packed without sacrificing character development and complexity. To solve the mystery of the zafira and its connection to Elisa’s Godstone, Elisa and her friends must piece together information from ancient religious texts, some of which have only recently been discovered. It’s an intriguing mystery, but the author is also making a more universal statement about the different ways that people interpret the same text, especially where religion is concerned. A connection can definitely be made between the Invierno, perfectly willing to die a fiery death to make a point, and the religious zealots of our world.
Elisa is a complex and imperfect character, whom readers will root for even as she makes mistakes because it is clear that she wants to be the best person (and queen) that she can be. The secondary characters – in particular Storm, Ximena, Belen, and Hector - are also complicated individuals with various and sometimes conflicting motivations. Their allegiances to Elisa having varying contexts and within each of them lies the capacity to do her both good and harm whether it is intended or not.
The author should be commended for her depiction of Elisa’s sexuality as well as that of other characters in the book. Instead of focusing on the bodice-ripping desire of a passionate moment, Elisa actually contemplates her own physical desires, discusses sex with a trusted friend, and plans to use protection should the moment arise.
I really enojoyed this book and am looking forward to the next installment in the series. Highly recommended!