Jaime's review of The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

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. She 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 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 a 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. Excerpt from Goodreads.

Rae Carson’s book The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a riveting fantasy read it ranks right up there with one of my all-time favorite author’s Maria V. Snyder’s Study and Glass series for me. I know some of you who have read those books will not believe it but give a book we all on twitter have affectionately named TGoFaT a chance you will be very surprised!

The world Rae has created is full of magic and from her descriptions of the many different places you feel as you’ve almost been transported to this world. You feel the Godstone in Elisa’s belly, you feel the thorn prick your finger during the Glorifica, you can almost sense what jerboa soup  would taste like (and BTW eww), and you can feel the heat of the desert.

I really loved the characters she created Elisa is weak at first but she learns quickly and finds her inner strength. The king is likable enough and I absolutely loved his guard Hector (more of him in book 2 please Rae). The rest of the characters each have strong personalities and I can tell you some you will fall in love with and some you will detest from the moment you meet them. Some will also surprise the heck out of you when you think you’ve got them figured out something abruptly changes.

So if you want a great fantasy read with tons of action, intrigue, treachery, and a darned good but different love story go pick up The Girl of Fire and Thorns in September I promise you will love this book and will be yearning for more.