Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by @raecarson

Author: Rae Carson
Title:The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Publication: September 20,2011
Publisher: Greenwillow Books 
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 432
Audience:13 and up
Rating: 4.5 out 5
Source: Library
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Synopsis

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

Thoughts:I feel in love Elisa right from the start. She is colorful, witty and though she is special, she is just a regular girl. I find the fact that she is thicker than average, which is a nice change. She is easy to relate to because of that and her vulnerability makes her endearing. Elisa seems to appear as the misplaced princess because she struggles to figure out her place in the world and why she must bear this stone, this destiny she does not desire. Now, she feels the sting of the reality that though she is the King's wife, she not in truth because he still chooses to keep her secret, and flaunt around with his mistress... that is until her unexpected kidnapping puts a dent in whatever plans he had. He may be handsome but he is a weak King. Elisa may just be the strength he needs to save the kingdom, if only she knew more about the history of the Godstones and how they work. There is so much that is great about this story and I'm so glad that I decided to try a new author. Carson has beautifully crafted this story, plot and characters in a way that is vividly appealing. I think fantasy and magic lovers will like this one.  I look forward to reading the rest of this series.