I am going to take hacking lessons. The university of the internet offers that right? Why do I want to take up this dubious hobby? You guys, after reading Rae Carson’s phenomenal sophomore book The Crown Of Embers, I am going to throw my hat in the ring as a super fan. AND as a super fan, I’m going to learn how to hack so I can read The Bitter Kingdom. You all have NO IDEA the kind of tenterhooks I am on. If you haven’t read THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS yet, stop reading this because it’s about to get book one spoilery up in here and just click this link instead.
HERE THERE BE SPOILERS
Remember how I was all like, Rae Carson is totally the George RR Martin of YA, because like everyone dies in The Girl Of Fire And Thorns? WELL YOU GUYS, people die in The Crown Of Embers but thank freakin’ godstone it wasn’t a character I was pulling for. Okay, so lik Rae Carson totally ups the ante in this sequel and oh my god I cannot even, when it comes to my love. Elisa is totally not static, she continues to develop and grow. You see, she just lead her country to victory against the Inviernos by using guerrilla tactics. Now, she’s queen because of the whole dead husband thing. Yet, there’s totally an enemy in the midst and Elisa is at risk. Does she cower in the kitchen with her bon bons? Hell no. Elisa might as well be an Amazon queen. Instead she uses her brain to try and suss out who the traitor might be. PLUS OH MY GODSTONE DESTINY! OH OH and if you were swooning all over the place with The Girl Of Fire And Thorns, girl get your smelling salts for The Crown Of Embers. Let me tell you, intensity of LOVE in ten cities.
Sometimes, it can seem like the characters don’t change or go anywhere in the second book. Friends, Elisa DOES change and become more fully realized as a character. She starts the book pretty nervous and scared because holy crap she has to govern a whole country AND find a bachelor to marry AND she has the hots for a certain Captain of the guard. Sure, she spends a lot of the book hiding. Let’s be real though, if you are the queen of a nation and a stepparent, would you really be all heyyyy mr. assassin please kill me now? No, you’d probably have more brains than that. But anyways, Elisa totally grows a spine and every time she stood up for herself I was pumping my fist and yelling GET IT GIRL, because like most of you my passions become enflamed when I read.
THE SMOLDERING ROMANCE. Yes, in my review outline, I totally wrote THE SMOLDERING ROMANCE for a paragraph topic, because you guys I would be a fricken liar, recounting my feelings for The Crown Of Embers if I did not mention the romance. For real, it just burns right off the page and it is SEXY for a YA. Like, in that omg their hands just BRUSHED way. Like, after the good parts, the swoon parts, I would set the book down to just sigh and process. I must say, Elisa and her male suitor have some chemistry. I never thought to myself ‘why are those crazy kids attracted to each other?’ Instead, I was like ‘can we please get those two a room?’ Sigh. Even now, looking back thinking about it, I have to smile a little bit, nostalgic about a fictional romance.
HOWEVER. The ending. It’s a cliffhanger. Like, it’s not like the book is just chopped in half but I am pretty sure Rae Carson chopped my heart in half with that ending. It still ends on a fierce note, but it doesn’t end in a way where it could stand perfectly alone like The Girl Of Fire And Thorns. You all have no idea how much I want to talk about the ending with you BUT I CAN’T unless you’ve read it, because it would ruin the experience to be spoiled on what happens. I will just say there’s a cliffhanger and I’m desperate. BUT I liked the way it ended, I can just picture Elisa’s fierce face. That’s all I will say.
So, your biggest take away from this as a blog reader? If I disappear for a few days it’s because I’m working on a degree in hackerology, just because I AM DYING for The Bitter Kingdom. And I need to hack that manuscript because if the world ends, I’ll be so pissed if I don’t find out what happens. Friends, you need to read this worthy sequel, I promise if you liked The Girl Of Fire And Thorns, you will LOVE The Crown Of Embers and swoon hard for this book.
Disclosure: Received for review.
Other reviews of The Crown Of Embers by Rae Carson:
Pure Imagination – “Rae Carson might just be the new queen of slow burn romances”
The Housework Can Wait – “a YA fantasy series that you can really sink your teeth into”
Supernatural Snark – “a sequel that gets off to a strong start and never relents”
Books By Rae Carson:
The Girl Of Fire And Thorns
The Bitter Kingdom
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I need to read this book now! Loved the first book and now I’m just waiting for my hold to come in at the library. So glad to hear it’s such a kick-ass sequel, and that there’s character growth and slow-burning romance. All good things! Thanks for making me even more excited for this one 🙂
Ok, I listened to your warning and skipped your review BUT! you have made me stop and take notice of this series, I will check out book 1!
Got this one on my Kindle and I CANNOT freaking wait to read it.
Fantastic review! I just started reading this book yesterday and it was hard to put down. Thanks for the heads up on the cliffhanger ending. I like being prepared for stuff like that. 🙂
I’m glad to hear that you loved this book so much. The first book was one of my favorites from last year and I’m sure this one will be in my top 5 for this year.
OK, so if you do manage to hack a copy of Bitter Kingdom, let me know cuz I wanna read it too!! I didn’t even know there was a title yet, lol. Great review and totally agreed on everything. Gah, I just love this series so much!!
I’ve heard of this series but didn’t read it (so I didn’t read your review too closely :D). They’re on my TBR list. It’s got such a beautiful cover! 😀
Girl, my heart is racing with excitement after reading your review of this! I’ll admit, I was not the biggest fan of Girl of Fire and Thorns to begin with, but after thinking on it for a while, I realized that yeah… I WAS the biggest fan of it! It totally gripped me and shook me and sigh… so good. Can’t wait to read this one; sounds like it’s going to be JUST. THAT. GOOD!
I can’t wait to read this one!!! I remember loving The Girl of Fire and Thorns … though I might need a reread of it before reading Crown of Embers.
GREAT review!! You’ve made me excited! 🙂
I skipped the spoilers because well, I haven’t read either book 😛
But I’m glad you enjoyed it so much! it always speaks well of an author when they can make the second novel work 😀
LOVED THIS BOOK WITH A PASSION OF A THOUSAND FIERY SUNS!! Rae Carson can do no wrong in the world of fantasy. If you learn to hack and get your hands on THE BITTER KINGDOM, you’d darn well better share!
HOW CAN YOU WRITE ALL THAT AND THEN TELL ME THERE’S A CLIFFHANGER? *cries* Gosh, I am SO glad that Crown of Embers doesn’t fall into the standard second-novel-in-a-trilogy-trope and Elisa’s romance (and growth!) is something I’m already SO excited for! BUT, a cliffhanger? *cringes* I just finished Unspoken which had a hugeee cliffhanger, so I guess I can take on another one. Cliffhangers? Bring. It. On. I am reading this book soon, cliffhanger or not. It just sounds too good to wait for anymore! 😉 Incredible review, April! 😀
Smoldering romance, whaaat? I am curious! BUT UGH CLIFFHANGER! The dreaded cliffhanger. Even though this book sounds totally great, I am now also wary because of the cliffhanger. Sigh. Still, I am excited whenever this library has this book available!
I was so afraid that Someone Very Important was going to die throughout this whole book lol. If that hacking things works out for you are you going to share!?! Because OMG I NEED THE THIRD BOOK! 🙂
Okay, I didn’t listen to you (sorry!) Even though I haven’t read the first book, after that paragraph I just HAD to read your review and my gosh, I am so glad I did! I was basically grinning like a goon during the whole thing because your excitement and love for this book made me excited and love it even if I haven’t read it yet! Such a phenomenal review and I cannot (like seriously CANNOT) wait to read these books!!!!!!