BR: Girl of Fire and Thorns

I have read Rae Carson’s Girl of Fire and Thorns early in February. The book centers on a character called Elisa, a princess, and her adventures to the throne. Spoilers ahead, but in short, she stands out on all account considered.

Curious? Read on!

Elisa the Clever Queen

One of the unique aspects of Elisa’s character is her cleverness. She is a main character, who happens to be a woman of color. While she is a princess, she is also steeped in her culture and its fighting strategy.

Elisa is quite young when she’s sent away. Thankfully, nothing gross happens. No one forces her into physical or romantic situations without her consent, which is nice to read.

The Godstone

So, Elisa is a “chosen one” in this book. She is not stupid about it. Nor is she reckless. In fact, she tends to weigh the pros and cons of her current situation. I found it quite nice to see a young girl in a book be wise and careful.

There is clearly a history and a background story to the godstones. I am curious to learn more about them, and the power they possess.

Boy Talk

Surprise! There’s a love triangle in this book. It’s somewhat different, though, because Elisa is honest with herself and with the boys/men. She doesn’t toy with them. Instead, she openly announces her affections while reserving them around the other person.

I am nervous to see what will happen in the next book in terms of relationships, because things drastically change.

AND romance is not the central storyline in this book. How neat is that!

But…

Let me preface this with a warning: I enjoyed this book, but I think being critical while reading matters. SO, this book had so many boring moments, which is fine. 

Until I noticed that Elisa has no agency of her own. She doesn’t know where she belongs and she is easily swayed politically.

I understand that she’s in a new place and that she is young. Perhaps this will change in the next book.

oh, and can we not assume that all chubby girls like food most in the world?

RATING: **** (4 stars)