Bitter Kingdom

The Bitter Kingdom Rae Carson

Elisa, Mara, Belen, and Storm are on Hector’s tail, ready to rescue him, and then to save Elisa’s crown.

But saving Hector isn’t enough--something isn’t right in Invierne and Elisa continues into the capital city to discover what. She does discover it, and with it some horrifying truth about Godstones and those who bear them.

And that’s only the first half!

Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuys. It’s soooooooooooo goooooooooooooooood. I love this series. I love this ending. I love Elisa and how much she’s grown and how she’s so strong and scared at the same time. I love how the action is the perfect mix of fighting and politics.

Also, um, Hector. There’s a romantic lead I can get behind. Someone who’s worthy of the girl, who knows when to support, when to lead, and when to get out of her damn way and doesn’t turn all of her issues into reasons to whine about himself. Instead he just knows and appreciates how awesome she is.

While this is the a wonderful end, it’s still a heartbreaking one, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters and this place yet.

PS-- if you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the e-only short stories: The Shadow Cats, which is about Elodia, (I reviewed it here), The Shattered Mountain, which is about Mara, and The King's Guard, which is about Hector.

ARC Provided by... the publisher at ALA

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Crown of Embers

The Crown of Embers Rae Carson

So, The Girl of Fire and Thorns didn't really need a sequel, but I'm glad there was one, because I love Elisa and I love this world that Carson has built.

Everything I loved about the first book is amplified in the second--the fact that the world is vaguely Central/South American instead of vaguely European. The way she has a love triangle without having a love triangle (Being torn between two hot guys who both want you gets old. Being torn between your heart and duty? I will never tire of that.) I love the politics and how Elisa is still struggling. She's better at playing the game than she was, but she hasn't mastered it yet. I love the role religion play-- how it affects the politics, the varying interpretations, the HUGE role it plays in Elisa's life.

I love how everything just becomes that much more complicated.

Yes, Elisa won the war, but her country is in tatters and her treasury is depleted. Inverieno spies and assassins lurk around every corner. Because she let the Eastern Holdings split off, the Southern Holdings want to as well. Taxes must be raised to refinance the rebuilding, but until the country is rebuilt, the people are too poor to pay more in taxes. Riots keep breaking out in Brisadulce.

The Quorom keeps pushing Elisa to marry, for she is still a child and not a strong enough leader to be queen at this trying land. And Ximena has written to Alodia suggesting that Alodia marry Hector.

But there's a passage in the Apocrypha that suggests that a metaphorical gate might be real, and it might hold the key to Elisa's problems...

Sadly, as much as Carson twists the conventions of the genre, she still goes with a second-book-in-a-trilogy Empire Strikes Back cliffhanger ending.

Ah well, it's totally worth it. Can't wait until the next one!

Book Provided by... my local library

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Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns Rae Carson

So, I had heard good things about this one but had no desire to pick it up until ALA when Katie decided it was her mission in life to get me to read this book. So I did. THANK GOD FOR FRIENDS LIKE KATIE.

Elisa is the younger princess. She lacks the beauty, grace, charm, and political savvy of her older sister. But Elisa is the chosen one, blessed with the Godstone in her navel at her naming ceremony.

But it is Elisa, who is married off to a neighboring kingdom as part of a treaty to join forces against the invading North. But in her new home, her husband keeps their relationship a secret. There are political games afoot she doesn't understand.

And she wonders what service God has destined for her. She is the chosen one, but chosen for what?

And when she's kidnapped by rebels and sees the truth of what's happening on the borders, she must find a physical, mental, and emotional strength she doesn't think she has.

HOT DAMN.

Here are a few of the reasons why this book is totally awesome:

1. Excellent court intrigue.

2. Fast-moving and gripping plot, without being completely plot-driven.

3. Elisa's a great character. She has her limitations and is real, but never annoying. She has sister issues, but even when she wallows in them, she's trying to learn from them.

4. The way Carson handles lurve interests. They're a very MINOR part of the book (HALLELUJAH!) and I must admit I was very surprised by who she ends up with in the end. You won't see it coming. You'll wonder why more YA books don't do the same thing.

5. The way Carson handles religion. Religion is HUGE in this book (I mean, Elisa has been chosen by God. How could it not be?) It seems vaguely Catholic and Elisa finds such comfort and joy in worship, even as she struggles with the path God has given her. I love the ramifications of differing interpretations of the holy texts. I love the perversion of how the enemy practices. I love that's it not faith-based fiction, but religion is painted in a very positive light. It's something we don't see a lot of and Carson does it so very very well.

6. You know how most fantasies are set in a land and culture that is vaguely European? This one is Latin America. The dwellings are adobe and sandstone. Their skin is darker, their hair black. The northern barbarians are weird and scary with their blue eyes and light hair. Their names are Elisa, Alejandro, Ximena. It's awesome. Not just because we need SO MUCH MORE of this in our fiction, especially fantasy, but because the change of location was very refreshing.

7. Ok, apparently this is going to be a trilogy, but this book stands 100% alone. I will read the others because I loved this so much, but I don't need the others.

Overall, just freaking wonderful.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.