(Taken from the insert) "Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king - a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young. Most of the chosen do."
When I first started this book, I wasn't looking for anything amazing. The cover was pretty enough, and I had never read anything by the author, so I was surprised when I fell in love with this book. The plot, setting, and characters really intrigued me. I first liked Elisa when I learned of her weight - a problem I have been facing most of my teenage life. I grew close to Elisa when I also found out that she used food to comfort herself.
What I found most interesting in the book was the plot. Elisa is the bearer of the Godstone. Once a century a child is chosen during the naming and a stone is placed in their navel. The ideas that Rae Carson put into this book are amazing! I love how she put God into her book, and I still enjoyed it. I am not an extreme in religion, but I do believe in God. This book was something different compared to other YA fiction. Carson placed God in the book, but it didn't become overpowering with religion nor becoming completely boring.
The setting of The Girl of Fire and Thorns is also compelling. Set somewhere in the desert and mountains, the setting is a big theme in the book. First Elisa lives on the coast in Orovalle. It is different then the deserted Brisadulce. The cities are very different in culture also. Elisa tells us the differences in the cities and comes to appreciate both, making the reader do so also.
I loved the characters! Of course, my favorite was Elisa. Here is this young girl who has known no love in her life, her mother died when she was born and her father has been distant all of her life. Her sister, Alodia, has been rude to her. Or so she thinks. Her and her sister are very different. Her sister is athletic and personable, whereas Elisa is fragile and childlike. Through the book, though, Elisa comes to understand that even though they are different, they are still sisters.
Alejandro is the king of Brisadulce, also known as Elisa's husband. They spend little time together and when they do, it's talking about the war. I grew to dislike Alejandro because of Elisa. But he is a complicated man. His first wife died and left him a son, and then he gained a mistress, Condesa Arina. He married Elisa because he had to.
Cosme and Humberto come next. They are brother and sister. Desert raised, they lost their parents to the Inviernos, the enemies. Cosme is hard-headed where as her brother is gentle and caring. Elisa learns to respect Cosme though. I really loved both of these characters for their determination and hope.
The entire book was a masterpiece! Carson brought something to the table that I hadn't read before. The Godstone, the Lengua Classica, Homer's Afflatus, is something that really intrigued me, as I've said before. I give this book five stars! It's definitely worth checking out. It will not make you bored, believe me.
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