Dazzled by Books

“The Girl of Fire and Thorns” by Rae Carson is very unique and unusual. One of my favorite things about this book is that Elisa, the main heroine, makes a complete100% change by the end of the book. I also like that the small amount of romance that is in this book is subtle and sweet. It doesn’t take up the entire story.

Elisa is the bearer of the godstone. The godstone is a magical stone that is embedded in the navel of the person that is blessed. Only one person receives this gift a century and usually there is some sort of quest or prophecy for this person to fill. Elisa is the daughter of a king and because of this she is under appreciated in her kingdom. No one really pays attention to Elisa and she is treated as if she is a forgotten person.

The story begins by Elisa being married off to another king of a different providence. With this marriage Elisa doesn’t know her new husband and she feels as if he is embarrassed of her. Elisa is very over weight. Elisa is very smart but no one is willing to listen to her because they treat her like she is a little kid. Elisa relies on food being her only form of comfort. I think this is an issues that a lot of individuals have nowadays, making Elisa a character that readers can relate too. Then when Elisa ends up in her new home, it is commanded of her to keep her new marriage a secret. Elisa doesn’t understand what is going on and why Alejandro, her new husband is ashamed of her.

Then Elisa is kidnapped. This is when everything changes for Elisa. Her entire life is turned upside down and she has to learn to cope with her nice life and the new adventure right in front of her.

I think Carson did an excellent job with this novel. I have to say that it was a little slow from the start, but it was extremely easy to get addicted to the story right away. I loved this story. I think it had good uplifting values. I feel like the story was more than just a relationship between a girl and a guy. Elisa grows from being a week and whiny teenager to a young woman that is brave and sticks up for her people. Elisa finds a way to take control of her life and her circumstances. Elisa has become one of my favorite book heroines. I think this is a great girl power story. It shows how much a person can do if they just put their mind to it.

Carson is an excellent writer and I continue to look forward to the rest of the story. I think Carson is definitely an author that is going to write many great books. I was very happy to find a book that was more about the story than the relationships going on in the story. Color me impressed.