The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Originally published at yAdult Review.
Hnnnggggg. Gguuhhhhh. What are words? I have none. This series…I love it so much. It is simply amazing. Rae Carson is THE BEST. And now that I’ve read the whole series, I want it back! I want to experience it all from the beginning again, like RIGHT NOW. It took me so long to be able to write a coherent review after I read this, because I loved this series so much. I didn’t give this one five stars, because I felt like the conflict at the beginning was solved too easily, but the summary isn’t wrong. This story is a deeply satisfying ending to the trilogy. I’m not sure I have ever felt more content with the end of a story before. Carson is so good at describing characters’ feelings, and the things Hector says to Elisa can be so heartbreaking, but I loved it. I loved that the power imbalance was addressed, I loved that they wrapped up the Godstone story… I loved almost everything about this one.
Elisa has learned to be strong, but she still needs to learn to lead, and by the end of the novel, she is indisputably a leader. She makes hard choices that she knows her friends won’t like, and she tries to make allies of those who have hated each other for centuries. It’s so hard not to spoil anything from the previous two books, but I have to say that I really liked how Elisa made mistakes, that people got hurt because of her, and how she couldn’t save everyone. And Hector. OMG. I just don’t even know what to say. They are one of my favorite couples to ever read about. Their story is just so awesome, and Hector is so sweet. Honestly, I didn’t realize Hector would be the love interest in the rest of the series, but the choice is perfect. This series is probably one of the best YA fantasies ever, and I can’t recommend it enough. This series is so worth your time, and don’t forget to check out Carson’s short stories set in Elisa’s world! Thanks so much, Rae Carson, for this beautiful half-coming of age, half-romantic series!
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