Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2)Title: The Crown of Embers
Author: Rae Carson
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Pages: 410
Genre: Fantasy


"In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.


Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey.

With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy."- Goodreads


Over a year past from the time I read the previous book until reading The Crown of Embers. But I was pulled forcefully back into the world of Elisa as if no time had passed at all. From the enticing beginning to the wonderously filling ending, this is not a book to be overlooked or forgotten.

After Elisa's glorious defeat of her kingdom's enemies, she recieves both worship from her people and suspicion form her court. Of course, with Hector by her side some of the suspicion is alleviated. However, there is more to worry about than court politics. Elisa's country is in trouble and they need as strong ruler to guide them. Despite this, Elisa must deal with her growing feelings for her guard, assaination attempts, and a struggle to grow with everything going on around her.  

I have to come clean and say this: Crown of Embers did include an epic journey but the plot was missing something. It was like crossing a stream without a bridge. It needed more direction. Yet there was so much happening that this was almost unnoticeable. Elisa is dealing with her feelings for her guard while attempting to put her kingdom first. Danger is in the horizon and maybe even in the castle. There are many suprises along the ride an it was an expedition that ensnared me.

Elisa had serious self-esteem issues in the first book and there are still scars left from them. She is courageous and she is kick-ass when facing danger but she is still coming into herself. She may be a Queen yet, at the same time, she is a teenage girl still getting used to a strange new land and people. However, she is starting to realize that perhaps she is fit to be ruler after all and it showed through her actions. Because of Elisa's Queenliness Hector is hesitant to interact with her and clings to his postition as Commander of the Royal Guard. He is on his toes when around Elisa which I understood. He is there for Elisa but often keeps a certain respectable distance between them. The rest of the court is wary of Elisa and her new position in the kingdom. I felt that made sense and made the story more believable. If they hadn't been wary of Elisa, the story wouldn't have obtained an element that made it more than fantasy. It felt real.

The authour's writing style created a believable world, even while I knew it was just fantasy. I was trapped throughout the duration of the story and it didn't upset me at all. The writing flowed pretty well, although, at times it felt a bit rough. It was written in such a way that I felt a connection to the characters and their hardships. The characters could be real because of all their strengths and flaws. This leads me to desire to get to know some of the characters better, which will hopefully happen in the next book.

Over all, this was an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. It helped me escape the confines of real life and dwell in a new world full of possibilities. There were flaws but they were easily overlooked. As a matter of fact, the only reason I noticed most of them was because I write book reviews. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a new fantasy series that will rock their world.

Memorable Quotes

  • “A quarterstaff is not very subtle. Or handy. If an kidnapper comes at me, what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Excuse me, my lord, while I pull my enormous quarterstaff out of my bodice?”
  •  “You made me cut and dye my hair.”

    Surely he understands that we face greater problems? “I thought it would greatly improve your looks,” I snap.

    “Shorn hair is a sign of shame. You humiliate me greatly.”

    “I’ll light a candle tonight in honor of your dead tresses.”
  • “Catch me if I fall?”






4/5 Mugs Of Piping Hot Chocolate
-Decadent and Delicous

2 comments:

  1. The only reason you noticed the flaws is because you write book reviews. I really like that observation. Sometimes I think it's silly -- as I'm reading I'm thinking "now, what can I say that's a negative?" I guess it comes with the territory. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I do that too. It's unfortunate but we write book reviews which means we can't simply ignor the flaws, even if we want to. It really really does.

      Delete

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