Scan barcode
A review by chrissie_whitley
The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
5.0
I devoured this series. After reading the first, [b:The Girl of Fire and Thorns|10429092|The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)|Rae Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1323448113l/10429092._SY75_.jpg|13282366], on a whim, I couldn't wait to start the second ([b:The Crown of Embers|10816908|The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2)|Rae Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1335241091l/10816908._SY75_.jpg|15730581]) and third books. My closest library branch didn't have the copies, and instead of waiting for them to be transferred, I took off at lunch to grab both books from the main library where the copies were shelved. And then I guzzled them both.
Elisa really comes into her own here. She is a wonderfully, fully-formed woman, leader, and ruler. Here, she's struggling to be a hero, following a desperate trail to rescue Hector while trying to follow the path a good ruler would take, keeping the interests of her country in her heart.
One thing I feel I should address here is the level of religion in this series. I am not a religious person, but I recognize that there are religions out there and there always have been. I wouldn't characterize this book as being religious, though there is a level of devoutness in our heroine. I mean, she was gifted with a Godstone. Its power increases through her fervent prayers, but that's about the extent of it. Of course, there's this sect of religious zealots who practice sorcery, but really the entire series is a wonderful mixture of fantasy and reality, of history changing and melding with the people that carry it. Very much like in real life. No part of this book was preachy. There was no piousness directed at the reader. It was just a wonderfully woven tale that happened to have a religious background for the characters. Like real life.
This was an enthralling series and one of the rare trilogies that ended perfectly and satisfactorily, but still left me wanting more. I whole-heartedly recommend this trilogy.
Elisa really comes into her own here. She is a wonderfully, fully-formed woman, leader, and ruler. Here, she's struggling to be a hero, following a desperate trail to rescue Hector while trying to follow the path a good ruler would take, keeping the interests of her country in her heart.
One thing I feel I should address here is the level of religion in this series. I am not a religious person, but I recognize that there are religions out there and there always have been. I wouldn't characterize this book as being religious, though there is a level of devoutness in our heroine. I mean, she was gifted with a Godstone. Its power increases through her fervent prayers, but that's about the extent of it. Of course, there's this sect of religious zealots who practice sorcery, but really the entire series is a wonderful mixture of fantasy and reality, of history changing and melding with the people that carry it. Very much like in real life. No part of this book was preachy. There was no piousness directed at the reader. It was just a wonderfully woven tale that happened to have a religious background for the characters. Like real life.
This was an enthralling series and one of the rare trilogies that ended perfectly and satisfactorily, but still left me wanting more. I whole-heartedly recommend this trilogy.