Allison: The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Rae Carson | Book Review

“From the mouths of the innocents flows truth.”

If you are a regular reader of Good Books and Good Wine, you must know that a book that April is VERY passionate about is The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson. This is a book that she has a tendency to go on and on about because she loves so many different things about it. Also, it is a book that she has been pushing at me ever since she first read it. Literally, there were times I felt that she was going to disown me for not having read it yet. Luckily for me, I finally caved in, and now I see exactly what April was talking about.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a fantasy novel that made me once again fall in love with the fantasy genre. It is so beautifully crafted. The world building is insane! I loved it so much. Also, I loved the religion building that also took place within the story. You see, the main character Elisa is the bearer of the Godstone which marks her as chosen to perform some unknown act or service. Being the chosen one creates several different problems for Elisa as she’s not exactly sure what her act or service is supposed to be. It is believed that whatever her calling is, she will find it in her own way.

Unfortunately for Elisa, she has no real interest in figuring out what her calling in. In fact, she has no real interest in anything. She’s a little bit lazy, and the only thing that she is really known for (other than being the carrier of the Godstone) is for being fat. Yet, when she finds herself being married off to a king of a neighboring country, and suddenly in the middle of an international war, she realizes that she can no longer be the same person she has always been.

I loved watching Elisa’s growth as a character. She really does struggle to figure out exactly who she is, and what it is that she is supposed to really be doing. She also struggles a bit with the whole idea of religion within her society. It is not that she loses faith, it is just that she is so confused on the type of person that she is supposed to be, she starts looking for answers everywhere. And yes, she also manages to lose some of her weight as she changes and develops as a person but, her transformation is so much more than just her weight.

The pacing of The Girl of Fire and Thorns is that which makes a fantasy novel great. It started off relatively slow trying to put all the pieces together for you but it doesn’t stay slow very long. Before you know it, it has picked up and has taken you on an unforgettable journey where you travel to places you’ve never heard of and meet characters that you never want to forget. Also, the ending is NOT a cliff hanger. (Hallelujah). It ties everything up for the reader but still leaves them yearning for the next part in the trilogy.

I am so glad that April refused to give up on me until I picked up this book, and gave Rae Carson a chance. It was so worth it, and now I cannot wait to read the second and third installments. And as usual, I should really listen to April’s passion for certain books more. Not that I don’t already but you know what I mean…

Disclosure: Borrowed from local library

Other reviews of The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson:

A Beautiful Madness: “Rae Carson simply created a world so addicting and original, and I fell in love with it.”

The Page Sage: “This fantasy lover is quite thrilled to have discovered this series!”

Dreaming in Books: “Just read this book.  Read it and discover something in it that people have been missing in young-adult fiction.”

April’s review: “I honestly think The Girl Of Fire And Thorns is a great book to put people on the road to epic high fantasy.“