BOOK REVIEW: The Crown of Embers
Title: The Crown of Embers
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns (Book 2)
Once an insecure princess, Elisa is now a celebrated war Queen at just seventeen. Unfortunately, being a strong queen may be more than Elisa can handle. Assassins come for her in the night. By day, she has to worry about her own councilors undermining her authority. When Elisa learns about a mythical source of unimaginable power, she sees this as a way to prove her strength, but will the journey prove to be too much for her?
I found Rae Carson's debut novel, The Girl of Fire and Thorns to be a throughout satisfying young adult fantasy adventure, filled with great characters, plenty of action, and some really cool worldbuilding. I'm happy to report that I found the the sequel, The Crown of Embers, to be just as enjoyable. The Crown of Embers delivers an exciting holy grail-like quest that feels straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, as well as some really compelling romance. When the book opens, we learn that Elisa may have emerged victorious at the end of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, but that doesn't mean that her life will be free of peril. She must deal with the weight of responsibility of leadership and complete with new adversaries, including some that wear the faces of her allies.
I love how Rae Carson continues to give us a world where it's not always clear what the right decision is, and there are consequences to everyone's actions. This is apparent in the subplot involving the pressure on Elisa to marry. After a weak rule from Elisa's deceased husband, her advisers desire nothing more than to counterbalance that with a strong king. Elisa recognizes the wisdom in this but finds that it conflicts with her own romantic feelings for Hector. Should she follow her head and deny herself the love she desires, or follow her heart and have her rule suffer? It's a plot that will feel similar to that of Queen Elizabeth the First of England, who found herself pressured to marry for the good of England when it was clear that she had feelings for her well known favorite, Sir Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. Speaking of the romance, I found the love story to be handled very well in Crown of Embers. The tension here between Elisa and Hector is absolutely fantastic.
Final Thoughts: Simply put, if you enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, you're going to like the sequel, The Crown of Embers. Elisa remains a fantastic heroine, smart yet relatable, with even bigger challenges to overcome this time around. I found the romance in this volume to be especially enjoyable, and suspect other readers will as well. One thing worth mentioning is The Crown of Embers does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I thought it was an effective one, but I know that some people aren't very fond of them. Four and a Half Stars
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns (Book 2)
Once an insecure princess, Elisa is now a celebrated war Queen at just seventeen. Unfortunately, being a strong queen may be more than Elisa can handle. Assassins come for her in the night. By day, she has to worry about her own councilors undermining her authority. When Elisa learns about a mythical source of unimaginable power, she sees this as a way to prove her strength, but will the journey prove to be too much for her?
I found Rae Carson's debut novel, The Girl of Fire and Thorns to be a throughout satisfying young adult fantasy adventure, filled with great characters, plenty of action, and some really cool worldbuilding. I'm happy to report that I found the the sequel, The Crown of Embers, to be just as enjoyable. The Crown of Embers delivers an exciting holy grail-like quest that feels straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, as well as some really compelling romance. When the book opens, we learn that Elisa may have emerged victorious at the end of The Girl of Fire and Thorns, but that doesn't mean that her life will be free of peril. She must deal with the weight of responsibility of leadership and complete with new adversaries, including some that wear the faces of her allies.
I love how Rae Carson continues to give us a world where it's not always clear what the right decision is, and there are consequences to everyone's actions. This is apparent in the subplot involving the pressure on Elisa to marry. After a weak rule from Elisa's deceased husband, her advisers desire nothing more than to counterbalance that with a strong king. Elisa recognizes the wisdom in this but finds that it conflicts with her own romantic feelings for Hector. Should she follow her head and deny herself the love she desires, or follow her heart and have her rule suffer? It's a plot that will feel similar to that of Queen Elizabeth the First of England, who found herself pressured to marry for the good of England when it was clear that she had feelings for her well known favorite, Sir Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. Speaking of the romance, I found the love story to be handled very well in Crown of Embers. The tension here between Elisa and Hector is absolutely fantastic.
Final Thoughts: Simply put, if you enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, you're going to like the sequel, The Crown of Embers. Elisa remains a fantastic heroine, smart yet relatable, with even bigger challenges to overcome this time around. I found the romance in this volume to be especially enjoyable, and suspect other readers will as well. One thing worth mentioning is The Crown of Embers does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I thought it was an effective one, but I know that some people aren't very fond of them. Four and a Half Stars