Crown of Embers by Rae Carson Review

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
(Fire and Thorns, #2)
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Green Willow Books; 410 pages

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.

Rae Carson, you kill me. In the best way possible. You succeed in making this reader a emotional wreck. You'll probably be able to see just how bad I am by this review. I will also warn you it will probably be filled with spoilers, which I will hide but there's just so much that happens that I can't NOT talk about but it's totally a spoiler for those who haven't read the first book or gotten around to Crown of Embers.

Elisa, I fell in love with her in the first book. She grew up so much during that book, and not just physically but you would never ever think you were reading about a seventeen year old queen. She didn't grow up as much during Crown of Embers but it's more like she grew in to what she made herself out to be. She is a very brave woman, for everything that happens to her. She has many attempts on her life in the first half of this book, one in which she was lucky to survive through. *highlight to view spoiler* One in which Hector was lucky to survive and if it wouldn't have been for her Godstone, he probably wouldn't have and then I would be still be weeping in a corner asking the world WHY?! *end spoiler*

I was very angry and upset at Rae for doing what she did in her first book *highlight to view spoiler* What she did was kill both Humberto and Alejandro. Though, I didn't really care for Alejandro like I did Humberto I never wished to see him dead. Plus, they were becoming friends and it was just awful to have two people Elisa cared for ripped from her and right before her eyes, too. *end spoiler* and I wished for more Hector because I liked him from his first scene in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. I got my wish, there is plenty of Hector and I am not complaining one bit!

Now, in regards to Storm, can I just say how much I absolutely enjoyed this character! His constant "You never asked" had me laughing time and time again. Obviously, he's not very trust worthy with him being an invierno and everything but I trust him and I am excited to see more of him in The Bitter Kingdom. Oh, this book is going to be absolutely sweet and I know I'll be even more emotional than what I am right now.

There was so much action in this book, it's like every chapter you were getting something new to digest. I may be slightly over-exaggerating. Only slightly though. There really is a lot of action. Lots and lots of it. Plus, lots of who to trust who not to trust, lots of good drama, the best kind of drama, actually. Lots of potential tears to shed, even early on. You relive moments that occurred in the first book over and over again. It's like a knife to your heart and someone keeps twisting it over and over again making you writhe in pain. Plus, there are many times where you want to give Elisa a swift kick in her ass. Or a good slap upside the head, either would really work.

*highlight to view spoiler* I am very disappointed in Elisa for not realizing how important Hector is to her, not in a personal sense, but as a Queen. How could she not realize earlier she could release him from her Royal Guard and he be reinstated in his land and boom, a perfect betrothal. The idea of him going to her sister literally made me nauseous. Then at the end boom, the idea finally comes to Elisa but it's too late! *sigh* But thank god she fired her guardian, Ximena! What a filthy wench. *end spoiler* I can't even put in to words how happy this book has made me. How happy, indeed. If you are a fan of The Girl of Fire and Thorns you NEED to read this book, seriously. I'm not sure why you haven't already. If you haven't read The Girl of Fire and Thorns, then I shake my head at you. Get to it, I'm serious...

I am eagerly anticipating The Bitter Kingdom's release in the fall of 2013. Oh, how 2013 seems too far away...