The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

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On the pedestal of outstanding young adult fantasy with brave heroines, I have only ever placed two: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley and the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce. That is, until now. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson has arrived to take its rightful place on that pedestal.

Every hundred years, a Bearer is born – one who is prophesied to perform an act of heroism that will affect generations to come. 16-year-old Elisa, the younger princess of Orovalle, is such a chosen one. However, despite having been reared for this great destiny, Elisa doesn’t feel she has greatness in her. She feels ill-suited as a princess or a warrior, unlike her much more accomplished and beautiful older sister, Alodia. Elisa finds refuge instead in her scholarly studies and the comfort of food. Her sheltered childhood changes the day she becomes the secret wife of the ruler of a neighboring kingdom as part of a treaty. Upon leaving her father’s home, Elisa suddenly finds herself in dangerous and deadly situations, forcing her to find out what it really means to be the chosen Bearer and if she will rise to her destiny or run from it.

Much of what pleases me about The Girl of Fire and Thorns has to do with Elisa. Her character grows from an insecure young woman who’s had others dictate her fate her whole life to a leader who blazes through danger and betrayal with decisive, heroic action. The seeds of the self she will grow into are faint at the beginning but Elisa establishes herself as smart, astute, and a quick learner. Though she has divined all she can through study and spiritual practice, she still doesn’t know how she will live up to being the Chosen one or what exactly is expected of her.

Elisa is a very relatable teen heroine. She has been painfully self-conscious about her weight and looks all her life, constantly comparing herself to her slim and perfect older sister. Her self-confidence plummets when she is humiliated in court for being fat. She tries to earn her handsome husband’s love yet he neglects her. Rather than wallowing in self-pity however, Elisa puts her game face on and tries to make the best of her situation (with secret trips to the castle kitchen).

"I see my life in sudden clarity. The hush whenever I walked into a room. Glances exchanged between my tutor and my sister. Hand-guarded whispers. Reassuring platitudes delivered from behind worried countenances. I thought it was because the world holds me in contempt, because I am so unlike my sister. Because I am fat.

"This creepy, wormy feeling is humiliation. I've excelled as a student; noticing details, solving logic puzzles, memorizing information. It's the one thing I've taken pride in.

"But how easily I was fooled. A stupid, stupid child...

"'Why,' I whisper. 'Why keep this from me?'"

Just when I thought the story was going to be about day-to-day court intrigues and secret heartache, the plot took an unexpected and thrilling turn as Elisa is tested to her limits by being thrown in one terrible predicament after another – which she overcomes with cunning and courage. Suddenly, her weight and how her husband feels about her become unimportant in the face of an impending war with a seemingly indestructible enemy. How she discovers what she’s capable of and what hidden powers she possesses, magical and otherwise, is a riveting yet bittersweet journey. She earns and pays the terrible price for fulfilling her destiny.

There is a romantic storyline but it doesn’t overwhelm the story or Elisa. It grows slowly, out of friendship. I applaud the fact that the love interest accepts and loves her just the way she is; he is perceptive enough to see the steel and fire of Elisa’s personality beneath the fat.

Almost every character is fully developed and had surprising depth and facets to them; like Elisa, not everyone is who he or she seems in the beginning.

The fantasy world created by Carson is curious and unlike what I’ve read in other fantasy novels; however, the place and character names, even the language(s) have a very Spanish flavor to them. There is a strong religious component central to the plot, as Elisa is a Bearer through God’s will. Since one of the rituals involves a “Sacrament,” Elisa spends a lot of time praying, and there are priests and nuns, I sensed a generic Catholic bent. Devoutness and faith are portrayed as Elisa’s strengths and help her combat her enemies, although she does have some realistic moments of crisis in which she question's God's will and plan for her.

As for the writing, Carson gets it right on all counts, lacking mistakes such as tedious info-dumping and predictability that have ruined many a novel for me. It’s so polished that I’d love to know who her editor is and hand out that person’s name to every novelist with great potential but out-of-control execution. Or perhaps it’s all Carson. Either way, the finished product should be a case study for young adult writers.

The magic burns and the unforgettable story pierces – I highly recommend The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Even better news? It's the first of a trilogy so I have more adventures to look forward to with Elisa.



Thank you very much to the Amazon Vine Program for providing a copy for me to review!