The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1) in And So It Begins Reading Challenge

Aug 30, 2011 Nicole rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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You can check out this review and many others on my blog, The Reader's Antidote

Just wow... wow... That's the only word I have for this wonderful novel. It's interesting because the beginning of the book really wasn't all that slow-going, but compared to the rest of the book, it was nothing. Carson barely gives you a chance to breathe a sigh of relief before she rips out your heart again and again.

The author paints such a beautiful story landscape, with intrigue and deception, love and lust, kidn You can check out this review and many others on my blog, The Reader's Antidote

Just wow... wow... That's the only word I have for this wonderful novel. It's interesting because the beginning of the book really wasn't all that slow-going, but compared to the rest of the book, it was nothing. Carson barely gives you a chance to breathe a sigh of relief before she rips out your heart again and again.

The author paints such a beautiful story landscape, with intrigue and deception, love and lust, kidnappings and an unimaginable war. And at the heart of it all... is God. I'm confused as to whether this is dystopian, but even so I don't see it that way. It's simply a whole other world, like Lord of the Rings with Middle Earth. There's really no explanation needed as to why it is the way it is. But the fact that God is there (the God of so many of our religions) makes me wonder if this is some version of earth, and if we will uncover any of the planet's secrets in the next two novels.

The synopsis tells you about the first 20% of the novel, and the rest takes place away from everything Elisa has ever known. And this is where she grows strong. Where she realizes her power and that God has a plan for her, even if that includes losing her life. I often find that religion novels throw me off. I grew up on Christianity and Catholicism and have no intention as of now to return to it fully. But to be honest, all the praying never bothered me. It's part of life in the Joya D'arena, though many have lost their faith over time.

If there's a novel this year that you don't want to miss, it's this one. It has everything you could ever want in a young adult novel, with the added thrill of a new world and a promising new author. Elisa is a strong heroine, a key part that's been missing in novels of this genre as of late. Get your hands on a copy of The Girl of Fire and Thorns as soon as possible!

*SPOILERS*
I could not get over the surmountable differences between the first part and the whole rest of the book. Elisa becomes strong, in muscles and in mind, and she is forced to grow up after she is kidnapped from her palace bedroom. I was really into the book, and I was wondering where it would go from there. I'm not for court politics and I'm glad there wasn't too much time spent on that. But after Elisa is kidnapped, that's when the true adventure begins.

I liked how Elisa started out as slightly plump, and smart, but not cunning. Talk about a complete turn-around. By the end, she was thinner, smarter and braver. It was only natural that Alejandro would name her the heir to the throne until his son Rosario was old enough, for she had truly become a leader in her time away from the court. I wonder what is going to happen in the next one now that the animagus' are dead.

It was never going to work out with Elisa and Alejandro. She was so self-conscious, and he was always so distant. The first time he saw her thin, you could tell he was just as superficial as the next person. Though I admit I was sad when he died, because he was protecting Elisa when the fire of the godstone burned him.

Humberto. I was so heartbroken when he was killed, died in Elisa's arms. I wonder what he had found out, how she could have been free of her marriage to the king, but either way it doesn't matter. I loved him too, and that's what makes a good book, when you fall in love with the boy. I felt so connected with this book, it was so hard to put down, especially when I wanted to see Humberto and Elisa happy. I want to think that maybe he survived somehow, that they were able to bring him back and they only stabbed him to make Elisa tell the conde where the camp was. Somehow I doubt it, but you never know what the next book will hold, for all the characters. ...more

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